Infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of Na(NH3)n clusters: probing the solvent coordination

The first mass-selective vibrational spectra have been recorded for Na(NH3)n clusters. Infrared spectra have been obtained for n = 3-8 in the N-H stretching region. The spectroscopic work has been supported by ab initio calculations carried out at both the DFT(B3LYP) and MP2 levels, using a 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. The calculations reveal that the lowest energy isomer for n or= 7 is indicative of molecules entering a second solvation shell, i.e., the inner solvation shell around the sodium atom can accommodate a maximum of six NH3 molecules.     

Infrared spectroscopy of Li(NH3)n clusters for n=4-7

Infrared spectra of Li(NH3)(n) clusters as a function of size are reported for the first time. Spectra have been recorded in the N-H stretching region for n=4-->7 using a mass-selective photodissociation technique. For the n=4 cluster, three distinct IR absorption bands are seen over a relatively narrow region, whereas the larger clusters yield additional features at higher frequencies. Ab initio calculations have been carried out in support of these experiments for the specific cases of n=4 and 5 for various isomers of these clusters. The bands observed in the spectrum for Li(NH3)(4) can all be attributed to N-H stretching vibrations from solvent molecules in the first solvation shell. The appearance of higher frequency N-H stretching bands for n > or =5 is assigned to the presence of ammonia molecules located in a second solvent shell. These data provide strong support for previous suggestions, based on gas phase photoionization measurements, that the first solvation shell for Li(NH3)(n) is complete at n=4. They are also consistent with neutron diffraction studies of concentrated lithium/liquid ammonia solutions, where Li(NH3)(4) is found to be the basic structural motif.     

Structures of small Li(NH3)n and Li(NH3)n+ clusters (n = 1-5): evidence from combined photoionization efficiency measurements and ab initio calculations

Photoionization threshold measurements have been carried out for small Li(NH3)n clusters (n = 1-5) and have been combined with ab initio calculations to determine structural information. The calculated adiabatic ionization energy for the lowest-energy isomer of each cluster is found to be in excellent agreement with the corresponding experimental photoionization threshold, providing evidence that the calculated structures are correct. The combination of the photoionization efficiency curve and the calculated adiabatic ionization energies also confirms the tentative assignment of the infrared spectrum of Li(NH3)4 reported by Salter and co-workers (J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 125, 34302); i.e., the 3 + 1 isomer does not contribute and the spectrum is due solely to the 4 + 0 isomer. The findings are consistent with an inner solvation shell that can hold a maximum of four ammonia molecules around the central lithium atom.     

Spectroscopy and reactivity of size-selected Mg+ -ammonia clusters

Photodissociation spectra for mass-selected Mg(+)(NH(3))(n) clusters for n=1 to 7 are reported over the photon energy range from 7000 to 38 500 cm(-1). The singly solvated cluster, which dissociates primarily via a N-H bond cleavage, exhibits a resolved vibrational structure corresponding to two progressions in the intracluster Mg(+)-NH(3) modes. The addition of the second, third, and fourth solvent molecules results in monotonic redshifts that appear to halt near 8500 cm(-1), where a sharp feature in the electronic spectrum is correlated with the formation of a Mg(+)(NH(3))(4) complex with T(d) symmetry and the closing of the first solvation shell. The spectra for the clusters with 5 to 7 solvent molecules strongly resemble that for the tetramer, suggesting that these solvent molecules occupy a second solvation shell. The wavelength-dependent branching-ratio measurements show that increasing the photon energies generally result in the loss of additional solvent molecules but that enhancements for a specific solvent number loss may reveal special stability for the resultant fragments. The majority of the experimental evidence suggests that the decay of these clusters occurs via the internal conversion of the initially excited electronic states to the ground state, followed by dissociation. In the case of the monomer, the selective cleavage of a N-H bond in the solvent suggests that this internal-conversion process may populate regions of the ground-state surface in the vicinity of an insertion complex H-Mg(+)-NH(2), whose existence is predicted by ab initio calculations.     

Infrared spectra and ab initio calculations for the Cl--(CH4)n (n = 1-10) anion clusters

In an effort to elucidate their structures, mass-selected Cl--(CH4)n (n = 1-10) clusters are probed using infrared spectroscopy in the CH stretch region (2800-3100 cm(-1)). Accompanying ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-311++G(2df,2p) level for the n = 1-3 clusters suggest that methane molecules prefer to attach to the chloride anion by single linear H-bonds and sit adjacent to one another. These conclusions are supported by the agreement between experimental and calculated vibrational band frequencies and intensities. Infrared spectra in the CH stretch region for Cl--(CH4)n clusters containing up to ten CH4 ligands are remarkably simple, each being dominated by a single narrow peak associated with stretching motion of hydrogen-bonded CH groups. The observations are consistent with cluster structures in which at least ten equivalent methane molecules can be accommodated in the first solvation shell about a chloride anion.     

Overtone spectra of aniline derivatives

Overtone spectra of 2-ethylaniline, N-methylaniline, N-ethylaniline, N,N-dimethylaniline and N,N-diethylaniline have been studied in 2500-15000 cm(-1) region. Vibrational frequency and anharmonicity constants for aryl/alkyl C-H stretch and N-H stretch vibrations have been determined. The effect of substitution of C(2)H(5) group on the ortho position in the ring and CH(3)/C(2)H(5) at the positions of the H-atom in NH(2) group has been studied in these molecules. It is noted that the aryl C-H stretching frequency and the N-H stretching frequency is appreciably increased due to the replacement of H in NH(2) group by CH(3)/C(2)H(5). These experimental observations are well supported by theoretical calculations for charge density on N-atom using molecular orbital AM(1) method.     

Infrared spectroscopy of Li(+)(CH4)1Ar(n), n = 1-6, clusters

Infrared predissociation (IRPD) spectra of Li(+)(CH(4))(1)Ar(n), n = 1-6, clusters are reported in the C-H stretching region from 2800 to 3100 cm(-1). The Li(+) electric field perturbs CH(4) lifting its tetrahedral symmetry and gives rise to multiple IR active modes. The observed bands arise from the totally symmetric vibrational mode, v(1), and the triple degenerate vibrational mode, v(3). Each band is shifted to lower frequency relative to the unperturbed CH(4) values. As the number of argon atoms is increased, the C-H red shift becomes less pronounced until the bands are essentially unchanged from n = 5 to n = 6. For n = 6, additional vibrational features were observed which suggested the presence of an additional conformer. By monitoring different photodissociation loss channels (loss of three Ar or loss of CH(4)), one conformer was uniquely associated with the CH(4) loss channel, with two bands at 2914 and 3017 cm(-1), values nearly identical to the neutral CH(4) gas-phase v(1) and v(3) frequencies. With supporting ab initio calculations, the two conformers were identified, both with a first solvent shell size of six. The major conformer had CH(4) in the first shell, while the conformer exclusively present in the CH(4) loss channel had six argons in the first shell and CH(4) in the second shell. This conformer is +11.89 kJ/mol higher in energy than the minimum energy conformer at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level. B3LYP/6-31+G* level vibrational frequencies and MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level single-point binding energies, D(e) (kJ/mol), are reported to support the interpretation of the experimental data.     

Electronic and vibrational spectroscopic investigation of phenylacetylene-amine complexes. Evidence for the diversity in the intermolecular structures

Shifts in the electronic transitions for the complexes of phenylacetylene with ammonia, methylamine, and triethylamine clearly indicate the variation in the intermolecular structures of the three complexes. The infrared spectrum of phenylacetylene in the acetylenic C-H stretching region shows Fermi resonance bands, which act as a sensitive tool to probe the intermolecular structures. The IR-UV double resonance spectra of the three complexes are disparate and signify the formation of distinct structures. The formation of C-H...N hydrogen-bonded complex with ammonia and two distinct types of pi complexes with methylamine and triethylamine can be inferred from the analysis of electronic and vibrational spectra in combination with ab initio calculations. These complexes clearly point out the fact that marginal changes in the interacting partner can significantly alter the intermolecular structure.     

Ab initio QM/MM simulation of Ag+ in 18.6% aqueous ammonia solution: structure and dynamics investigations

Structure and dynamics investigations of Ag(+) in 18.6% aqueous ammonia solution have been carried out by means of the ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. The most important region, the first solvation shell, was treated by ab initio quantum mechanics at the Restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) level using double-zeta plus polarization basis sets for ammonia and plus ECP for Ag(+). For the remaining region in the system, newly constructed three-body corrected potential functions were used. The average composition of the first solvation shell was found to be [Ag(NH(3))(2)(H(2)O)(2.8)](+). No ammonia exchange process was observed for the first solvation shell, whereas ligand exchange processes occurred with a very short mean residence time of 1.1 ps for the water ligands. No distinct second solvation shell was observed in this simulation.     

N,N-Dimethylaminopropylsilane: a case study on the nature of weak intramolecular Si...N interactions

N,N-Dimethylaminopropylsilane H(3)Si(CH(2))(3)NMe(2) was synthesised by the reaction of (MeO)(3)Si(CH(2))(3)NMe(2) with lithium aluminium hydride. Its solid-state structure was determined by X-ray diffraction, which revealed a five-membered ring with an SiN distance of 2.712(2) A. Investigation of the structure by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED), ab initio and density functional calculations and IR spectroscopy revealed that the situation in the gas phase is more complicated, with at least four conformers present in appreciable quantities. Infrared spectra indicated a possible SiN interaction in the Si-H stretching region (2000-2200 cm(-1)), as the approach of the nitrogen atom in the five-membered ring weakens the bond to the hydrogen atom in the trans position. Simulated gas-phase IR spectra generated from ab initio calculations (MP2/TZVPP) exhibited good agreement with the experimental spectrum. A method is proposed by which the fraction of the conformer with a five-membered ring can be determined by a least-squares fit of the calculated to experimental absorption intensities. The abundance of this conformer was determined as 23.7(6) %, in good agreement with the GED value of 24(6) %. The equilibrium SiN distance predicted by theory for the gas-phase structure was highly variable, ranging from 2.73 (MP2) to 3.15 A (HF). The value obtained by GED is 2.91(4) A, which could be confirmed by a scan of the potential-energy surface at the DF-LCCSD[T] level of theory. The nature of the weak dative bond in H(3)Si(CH(2))(3)NMe(2) can be described in terms of attractive inter-electronic correlation forces (dispersion) and is also interpreted in terms of the topology of the electron density.     

Harmonic and anharmonic features of IR and NIR absorption and VCD spectra of chiral 4-X-[2.2]paracyclophanes

The vibrational absorption spectra and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of both enantiomers of 4-X-[2.2]paracyclophanes (X = COOCD3, Cl, I) have been recorded for a few regions in the range of 900-12000 cm(-1). The analysis of the VCD spectra for the two IR regions, 900-1600 cm(-1) and 2800-3200 cm(-1), is conducted by comparing with DFT calculations of the corresponding spectra; the latter region reveals common motifs of vibrational modes for the three molecules for aliphatic CH stretching fundamentals, whereas in the mid-IR region, one is able to identify specific signatures arising from the substituent groups X. In the CH stretching region between 2900 and 2800 cm(-1), we identify and interpret a group of three IR VCD bands due to HCH bending overtone transitions in Fermi resonance with CH stretching fundamental transitions. The analysis of the NIR region between approximately 8000 and approximately 9000 cm(-1) for X = COOCD3 reveals important features of the aromatic CH stretching overtones that are of value since the aromatic CH stretching fundamentals are almost silent. The intensifying of such overtones is attributed to electrical anharmonicity terms, which are evaluated here by ab initio methods and compared with literature data.     

Interactions between the chloride anion and aromatic molecules: infrared spectra of the Cl- -C6H5CH3, Cl- -C6H5NH2 and Cl- -C6H5OH complexes

The Cl- -C6H5CH3*Ar, Cl- -C6H5NH2*Ar, and Cl- -C6H5OH*Ar anion complexes are investigated using infrared photodissociation spectroscopy and ab initio calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The results indicate that for Cl- -C6H5NH2 and Cl- -C6H5OH, the Cl- anion is attached to the substituent group by a single near-linear hydrogen bond. For Cl--C6H5CH3, the Cl- is attached to an ortho-hydrogen atom on the aromatic ring and to a hydrogen atom on the methyl group by a weaker hydrogen bond. The principal spectroscopic consequence of the hydrogen-bonding interaction in the three complexes is a red-shift and intensity increase for the CH, NH, and OH stretching modes. Complexities in the infrared spectra in the region of the hydrogen-bonded XH stretch band are associated with Fermi resonances between the hydrogen-stretching vibrational modes and bending overtone and combination levels. There are notable correlations between the vibrational red-shift, the elongation of the H-bonded XH group, and the proton affinity of the aromatic molecule's conjugate base.     

Investigation of nu(N-H) and nu(C-N) stretching modes of propylamine (C3H7NH2) in a binary system C3H7NH2 + CH3OH via concentration dependent Raman study and ab initio calculations

Raman spectra of propylamine (C3H7NH2) and its binary mixtures, C3H7NH2 + CH3OH with varying mole fractions of the reference system, C3H7NH2, C were recorded in two widely apart wavenumber regions, 3100-3600 cm(-1) and 1225-1325 cm(-1). In the former region, the two Raman bands at approximately 3305 and approximately 3326 cm(-1), obtained after the line shape analysis, which were assigned to symmetric nu(N-H) and anti-symmetric nu(N-H) stretching modes, respectively, show a downshift upon dilution. However, whereas the nu(N-H) anti-symmetric mode shows a shift of 18.6 cm(-1), the nu(N-H) symmetric mode shows a much smaller shift (5.7 cm(-1)) between neat liquid and high dilution, C = 0.1. This aspect has been explained using the optimized geometries calculated employing ab initio theory (MP2 level) for the neat C3H7NH2 and its different hydrogen-bonded complexes. The linewidth versus concentration plot for the nu(N-H) anti-symmetric stretching mode, however exhibits a distinct maxima at C = 0.4, which has been explained as a slight departure from the concentration fluctuation model. In the latter region, a symmetric peak is observed, which corresponds to nu(C-N) stretching mode, which shows an upshift upon dilution and an almost linear concentration dependence. This has also been explained in terms of the parameters obtained from the optimized geometries of the different hydrogen-bonded complexes.     

Conformational stabilities and structural parameters of (CH3)(n)CH(3-n) CFO molecules

Variable temperature (-60 to -100 degrees C) studies of the infrared spectra (3500-400 cm(-1)) of propionyl fluoride (CH3CH2CFO) and 2-methylpropionyl fluoride ((CH3)2CHCFO), dissolved in liquid xenon have been recorded. From these data, the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 329 +/- 33 cm(-1) (3.94 +/- 0.39 kJ/mol) for propionyl fluoride with the trans conformer (methyl group eclipsing the oxygen atom) more stable than the gauche form. For 2-methylpropionyl fluoride, the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 297 +/- 30 cm(-1) (3.55 +/- 0.36 kJ/mol) with the gauche conformer (methyl group eclipsing the oxygen atom) more stable than the trans form. From these DeltaH values along with assigned torsional fundamentals for both conformers and accompanying "hot bands" the potential functions governing the conformational interchange have been calculated. Utilizing the infrared data from the xenon solution and ab initio frequency predictions from MP2/6-31G* calculations, a few reassignments of the fundamentals have been made. Ab initio calculations have been carried out with several different basis sets up to MP2/6-311 + G** from which structural parameters and conformational stabilities have been determined. Additionally, force constants, infrared intensities, Raman activities, depolarization ratios, and scaled vibrational frequencies have been determined from MP2/6-31G* calculations. Adjusted structural parameters have been obtained from combined ab initio predicted values and previously reported microwave data. These parameters are compared to those obtained from either the earlier microwave and/or electron diffraction studies. Similar ab initio calculations and structural parameter determinations have been carried out for acetyl fluoride (CH3CFO) and trimethylacetyl fluoride ((CH3)3CCFO) and compared to the corresponding experimental results when appropriate.     

Infrared spectra and ab initio calculations for the F- -(CH4)n (n = 1-8) anion clusters

Infrared spectra of mass-selected F- -(CH4)n (n = 1-8) clusters are recorded in the CH stretching region (2500-3100 cm-1). Spectra for the n = 1-3 clusters are interpreted with the aid of ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-311++G(2df 2p) level, which suggest that the CH4 ligands bind to F- by equivalent, linear hydrogen bonds. Anharmonic frequencies for CH4 and F--CH4 are determined using the vibrational self-consistent field method with second-order perturbation theory correction. The n = 1 complex is predicted to have a C3v structure with a single CH group hydrogen bonded to F-. Its spectrum exhibits a parallel band associated with a stretching vibration of the hydrogen-bonded CH group that is red-shifted by 380 cm-1 from the nu1 band of free CH4 and a perpendicular band associated with the asymmetric stretching motion of the nonbonded CH groups, slightly red-shifted from the nu3 band of free CH4. As n increases, additional vibrational bands appear as a result of Fermi resonances between the hydrogen-bonded CH stretching vibrational mode and the 2nu4 overtone and nu2+nu4 combination levels of the methane solvent molecules. For clusters with n < or = 8, it appears that the CH4 molecules are accommodated in the first solvation shell, each being attached to the F- anion by equivalent hydrogen bonds.     

IR spectroscopic investigation of cis-(CH(3))(2)Au(O,O'-acac) and cis-(CD(3))(2)Au(O,O'-acac)

The IR spectrum of cis-(CH(3))(2)Au(O,O'-acac) has been reassigned by comparing frequencies for cis-(CH(3))(2)Au(O,O'-acac) and cis-(CD(3))(2)Au(O,O'-acac), and by analysis of the DFT-calculated normal modes and their frequencies for the isolated molecules. The vibrational intensity in the C-H stretching region arises almost entirely from the cis-(CH(3))(2)Au fragment, while the methyl deformation intensity is largely of acetylacetonato ligand origin. A low frequency mode in the C-H stretching region is the first overtone of the delta(a)(CH(3)) mode of cis-(CH(3))(2)Au. The Au-C stretching modes are affected by deuteration of the cis-(CH(3))(2)Au fragment, while the Au-O stretching modes are not.     

Blue shifting hydrogen bonding in the complexes of chlorofluoro haloforms with acetone-d(6) and oxirane-d(4)

Mixtures of haloforms of the type HCClnF3-n (n = 0-3) with oxirane-d4 and acetone-d6 have been studied in liquid krypton, using infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of the spectra shows that a small fraction of the monomers is transformed into 1:1 complexes in which the haloform C-H bond is hydrogen bonded to the oxygen atom of the base. For all complexes, the haloform CH stretch is blue shifted, with the shift increasing from chloroform to fluoroform, while the ratio of the infrared intensities of the C-H stretching bands of complexed and free C-H bonds changes from a value well over 50 for the chloroform to a value near 0.1 for the fluoroform complexes. These observations have been corroborated by ab initio calculations using CP-corrected gradient techniques.     

FT-Raman spectroscopic evidences for the preferential solvation of sodium tetrafluorobrate in acetonitrile-based mixed solvents

Solutions of sodium tetrafluorobrate in acetonitrile-dimethylformamide, and acetonitrile-dimethylsulfoxide mixtures have been studied by FT-Raman spectroscopy for three solvent compositions, respectively. New bands due to solvent molecules in the first solvation shell of Na(+) were detected in the region of the O=C--N deformation and CH(3) rocking mode for amide and of the S=O and C--S stretching modes for sulfoxide. The individual solvation numbers of sodium cation in different environment were deduced. In all the cases, it is found that the sodium ion was preferentially solvated by DMF or DMSO in respective binary solvents. This result was further supported by ab initio calculations.     

Theoretical study of the electronic state and H-elimination reactions for solvated magnesium cluster ions

The potential-energy curves of the ground and low-lying excited states for Mg(+)NH(3) along the N-H distance were examined by the ab initio configuration interaction method. The photoinduced hydrogen elimination reaction found by the recent experiment is considered to occur via the ground-state channel. The geometries, energetics, and electronic nature of the ground-state Mg(+)(NH(3))(n) and MgNH(2) (+)(NH(3))(n-1) (n=1-6) were also investigated by second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation theory and compared with those of the corresponding hydrated species. In contrast to Mg(+)(H(2)O)(n), the successive solvation energies of Mg(+)(NH(3))(n) become as large as those of MgNH(2) (+)(NH(3))(n-1) containing the Mg(2+)-NH(2) (-) core for n=5 and 6, because of the growing one-center ion-pair state with the Mg(2+) and the diffuse solvated electron. As a result, the solvation energies of the MgNH(2) (+)(NH(3))(n-1) are insufficient to overcome the huge endothermicity of Mg(+)(NH(3))-->MgNH(2) (+)+H, even at these sizes, which is responsible for no observation of the H-loss products, MgNH(2) (+)(NH(3))(n-1).     

First structural characterization of binary AsIII and SbIII azides

The highly explosive molecules As(N(3))(3) and Sb(N(3))(3) were obtained in pure form by the reactions of the corresponding fluorides with (CH(3))(3)SiN(3) in SO(2) and purification by sublimation. The crystal structures and (14)N NMR, infrared, and Raman spectra were determined, and the results compared to ab initio second-order perturbation theory calculations. Whereas Sb(N(3))(3) possesses a propeller-shaped, pyramidal structure with perfect C(3) symmetry, the As(N(3))(3) molecule is significantly distorted from C(3) symmetry due to crystal packing effects.