Comparison of Ab Initio MP2/6-311+G(d,p) Predicted Carbon–Hydrogen Bond Distances with Experimentally Determined r 0 (C–H) Distances

Fifty different carbon–hydrogen distances have been predicted from ab initio MP2/6-311+G(d,p) calculations, which range from a short value of 1.0611 Å for HCNO to a long value of 1.1044 Å for H₂CO. The values include those predicted for a series of methyl (CH₃) moieties where the two different C–H distances vary by as much as 0.005 Å. These predicted values are compared to r ₀(C–H) distances obtained from the isolated carbon–hydrogen stretching frequencies, as well as to r ₀ or r _s parameters obtained from microwave data. Except for the very short C–H bonds, the ab initio values from the MP2/6–311+G(d,p) calculations can be used for the carbon–hydrogen distances with error limits of ± 0.003 Å. By utilizing the spectral data from CD₃CClO, it is shown that combination bands in the C–H stretching region could cause problems in the identification of the isolated C–H stretching frequency from the CD₂HCClO isotopomer. The value of the ab initio predicted C–H distances for checking unusually long or short r _s (C–H) or r ₀ values is demonstrated.