Vibrational spectra of benzene chromium tricarbonyl and its mesityl analogue: a study by neutron spectroscopy.

We have used high resolution neutron vibrational spectroscopy to study the vibrations of the model compound for arene-to-metal bonding, benzene chromium tricarbonyl, and its mesityl analogue. It is shown that all previously published assignment schemes, based on optical spectroscopy alone, are wrong, and new assignments are given in agreement with ab initio calculations.