Attenuated total reflectance infrared spectra of strongly absorbing anisotropic crystals: orthorhombic Na2[Fe(CN)5NO]•2H2O

Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) from principal faces of orthorhombic (and higher symmetry) crystals in spectral regions including strongly polar optic modes is considered. A detailed, quantitative comparison between experimental and calculated ATR infrared (IR) spectra of orthorhombic sodium nitroprusside dihydrate (SNP), Na2[Fe(CN)5NO]⋅2H2O, single crystals in the 500–3800 cm−1 region is presented. Calculated ATR spectra are generated employing the dielectric tensor of SNP obtained from Kramers–Kronig analysis of external reflectance data. The dependence of intensities, profiles, and locations of bands in the spectra upon the relative refractive index of the sample against the ATR prism and the polarization state of the reflected IR beam will be discussed. Both theoretical and experimental evidence of the coupling of the TM-polarized evanescent wave with strong in-plane-polarized optic modes at about their LO frequencies will be given with reference to the case of the strong NO stretching mode of SNP. Finally, the computed and experimental ATR results in SNP single crystals will be critically compared with powder ATR data and reported polarized IR transmittance spectra of SNP single crystals plates.