Gas-phase vibrational spectra of glyoxylic acid and its gem diol monohydrate. Implications for atmospheric chemistry

The interconversion of aldehydes and ketones to geminal diols in the presence of water impacts the role of oxidized organics in the atmosphere. While this equilibrium has been noted in condensed phases, we provide experimental evidence of it in the gas-phase. Glyoxylic acid and its geminal diol counterpart are observed in the gas-phase and their fundamental vibrational spectra were assigned and analyzed for the effects of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The IR spectra are used to probe the differences in their structures and hydrogen bonding tendencies.