Chemical bonding in the hydrogen molecule

The chemical bond in the hydrogen molecule is examined using the electron density and the generalized overlap amplitudes. Logarithmic derivatives of the electron density provide a clear picture of its behavior in the bonding region as well as in the outer region. The GOA expansion of the density is used to examine the dependence of the rate of decay of the density on the GOA ionization potentials. The increase in the electron density at the nuclei and in the bonding region coincides with the higher ionization potential of H₂ over the H atom. The density in the bonding region along the internuclear axis does not decay exponentially, but its shape is very nearly an inverted Gaussian. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Hydrogen–hydrogen bonding: The current density perspective

Current density plots of closed‐shell intermolecular H? H interactions characterized by a bond critical point (BCP) show two vortices separated by a saddle, a pattern which allows for a clear definition of a pair current strength. This H? H current strength turns out to be roughly related to the potential energy density at the BCP and then to the dissociation energy. The same pattern is also recognizable, at least for an azimuthal orientation of a field perpendicular to the H? H line, for the intramolecular interactions previously investigated to propose the H? H bonding. In the case of the H atoms of the bay region of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the current of the H? H delocalized diatropic vortex gives a quantitative indication of stabilization; however, on rotation of the field and the subsequent onset of a bay‐delocalized paratropic vortex (a typical signature of antiaromaticity), the diatropic vortex can be reshaped or it can even disappear, consistently with its smallness, and thus showing the effect of other more relevant interactions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cooperative hydrogen bonding in solution: Influence of molecule structure

Influence of cooperative interactions on IR stretching vibration frequencies of complexes CCl₃H⋯ROH⋯B (B-base), CCl₃H⋯ROH⋯O(C₂H₅)₂ and CCl₃H⋯ROH⋯ROH in proton donor solvent CCl₃H were studied.Solvent effects on OH stretching vibration frequencies of CF₃CH₂OH⋯B, ROH⋯O(C₂H₅)₂ and ROH⋯ROH complexes in aprotic solvents were calculated using earlier proposed method. Cooperativity factors in CCl₃H⋯CF₃CH₂OH⋯B complexes were determined. Obtained values were significant smaller than for CCl₃H⋯CH₃OH⋯B complexes. Also cooperativity factors for CCl₃H⋯ROH⋯O(C₂H₅)₂ and CCl₃H⋯ROH⋯ROH complexes were determined. It was demonstrated that obtained values slightly depend on length and embranchment of alkyl group in alcohol molecules. The main role in cooperative interactions plays electronic effect.     

From atoms to biomolecules: a fruitful perspective

We present a summary of the research activities of the “Quantum Chemistry and Atomic Physics” theoretical group of the “Chimie Quantique et Photophysique” Laboratory at Université Libre de Bruxelles. We emphasize the links between the three orientations of the group: theoretical atomic spectroscopy, structure, and molecular dynamics and list the perspectives of our collaboration.     

Hydrogen bonding without borders: an atoms-in-molecules perspective

It is shown that the electron density at the hydrogen bond critical point increases approximately linearly with increasing stabilization energy in going from weak hydrogen bonds to moderate and strong hydrogen bonds, thus serving as an indicator of the nature and gradual change of strength of the hydrogen bond for a large number of test intermolecular complexes.     

Hydrogen bonding in protonated water clusters: an atoms-in-molecules perspective

This article highlights the results of a detailed study of hydrogen bonding in the first and the second solvation shells of Eigen (H3O+) and Zundel (H5O2+) cations solvated by water in a stepwise manner. It is evident from the results that an electron density analysis clearly distinguishes the first and the second solvation shell and helps in quantifying the strength of hydrogen bonding in these clusters.     

Possible transformations of the ozone molecule in the presence of water associates

Possible channels of ozone transformations in the atmosphere in the presence of isolated water molecules or water associates were studied by quantum-chemical calculations of model systems comprising ozone and water molecules. The calculations were performed using the multiconfigurational self-consistent field approach in the complete active space, including perturbation theory corrections. The electronic excitation of the ozone molecule coordinated to a water associate should result in the formation of a strongly excited hydrogen peroxide molecule, which easily decomposes to two OH radicals. An alternative, less probable, transformation channel involves the formation of the HO₂ radical and atomic hydrogen. The interaction of the ozone molecule with the OH radical in turn results in the formation of the HO₂ radical and oxygen molecule. The MP2 variant of the one-configuration Möller-Plesset perturbation theory was shown to be inapplicable to describing the HO₄ system.     

From molecule to solid: The prediction of organic crystal structures

A method for predicting the structure of a molecular crystal based on the systematic search for a global potential energy minimum is considered. The method takes into account unequal occurrences of the structural classes of organic crystals and symmetry of the multidimensional configuration space. The programs of global minimization PMC, comparison of crystal structures CRYCOM, and approximation to the distributions of the electrostatic potentials of molecules FitMEP are presented as tools for numerically solving the problem. Examples of predicted structures substantiated experimentally and the experience of author’s participation in international tests of crystal structure prediction organized by the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Center (Cambridge, UK) are considered.     

From mushroom alcohol to liquid crystals: a useful platform molecule

The syntheses and liquid crystal properties of two novel esters derived from 4-(4-(decyloxy)phenyl)thiophene-2-carboxylic acid and either (±)-oct-1-en-3-yl 4?-hydroxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate or (S)-(+)-oct-1-en-3-yl 4?-hydroxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate are reported. Within the synthesis of the (S)-(+)-oct-1-en-3-yl 4?-hydroxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate, mushroom alcohol, a natural source of chiral oct-1-en-3-ol and a platform molecule, was employed. The phases present within these compounds have been characterised by thermal optical polarising microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry and assigned as SmA, SmC and SmC Alt for the racemic compound and; SmA, SmC* and SmC*_A for the enantiomerically pure compound. This is first reported occurrence of a liquid crystalline ester derived from mushroom alcohol, and potential platform molecule, exhibiting SmA*, SmC* and SmC*_A phases.     

Update of the anharmonic force field parameters of the ozone molecule

A new set of spectroscopic constants of the ¹⁶O₃ molecule (ω_i, x_ij, y_ijk, γ^DD, _i^X, β_ij^X,…), which determine vibrational dependence of band centres and rotational parameters, is derived from recent accurate analysis of high-resolution experimental ro-vibrational spectra through the theoretical approach based on second-order perturbation expansions in normal coordinates accounting for Darling–Dennison resonance interactions. These values are used to update empirical values of anharmonic coefficients (k_ijl, k_ijlm) of the potential function expansion in normal coordinates. Quadratic f_rr, f_r, f_rr′, f as well as cubic f_rst and quartic f_rstl force constants in internal (bond lengths, bond angle) coordinates are also derived. A detailed discussion is devoted to the accuracy of parameter determination for each of four steps of calculations. It is emphasised that the conventional method based on the inversion of formulae of the perturbation theory gives the largest uncertainties at the last step of calculations: the determination of the anharmonic force field in internal coordinates.     

Structure of the adiabatic ground-state potential surface for the ozone molecule

Institute for Physical and Organic Chemistry, Rostov University. Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 15–20, November–December, 1991.     

Estimation of minima in 1A1 states of the ozone molecule

Calculations have been made at the minima of the X¹A₁ ground state of the ozone molecule. The equilibrium geometries have been obtained by means of CID calculations. The criterion adopted for the choice of configurations gives realistic results. CIPSI calculations at the two minima lead to an estimated gap of 0.92 eV between them. Our results agree with the analysis of previous theoretical works on the relative stability of open and cyclic zone structures, showing that the D_3h minimum is stable relative to the ground state dissociation limit.     

CO2 capture through halogen bonding: A theoretical perspective

Halogen bonding interactions between several halogenated ion pairs and CO2 molecules have been investigated by means of density functional theory calculations. To account for the influence of solvent environment, the implicit polarized continuum model was also employed. The bromide and iodide cations of ionic liquids (ILs) under study can interact with CO2 molecules via X O interactions, which become much stronger in strength than those in the complexes of iodo-perfluorobenzenes, very effective halogen bond donors, with CO2 molecules. Such interactions, albeit somewhat weaker in strength, are also observed between halogenated ion pairs and CO2 molecules. Thus, the solubility of CO2 may be improved when using halogenated ILs, as a result of the formation of X O halogen bonds. Under solvent effects, the strength of the interactions tends to be weakened to some degree, with a concomitant elongation of intermolecular distances. The results presented here would be very useful in the design and synthesis of novel and potent ILs for CO2 physical absorption.     

Chemical bonding in excited states: Energy transfer and charge redistribution from a real space perspective

This work provides a novel interpretation of elementary processes of photophysical relevance from the standpoint of the electron density using simple model reactions. These include excited states of H₂ taken as a prototype for a covalent bond, excimer formation of He₂ to analyze non‐covalent interactions, charge transfer by an avoided crossing of electronic states in LiF and conical interesections involved in the intramolecular scrambling in C₂H₄. The changes of the atomic and interaction energy components along the potential energy profiles are described by the interacting quantum atoms approach and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules. Additionally, the topological analysis of one‐ and two‐electron density functions is used to explore basic reaction mechanisms involving excited and degenerate states in connection with the virial theorem. This real space approach allows to describe these processes in a unified way, showing its versatility and utility in the study of chemical systems in excited states. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Study of singlet-triplet transitions in the ozone molecule using the multiconfigurational self-consistent field theory

The intensities and dipole moments of the lower singlet-triplet transitions ³ A ₂ ← X ¹ A ₁ and ³ B ₁ ← X ¹ A ₁ in the ozone molecule were calculated by the multiconfiguration self-consistent field theory with the quadratic response function. The results of calculations of the intensities of singlet-triplet transitions using different basis sets and complete active spaces were compared. The assignment of the ³ A ₂ ← X ¹ A ₁ transition in the ozone spectrum to the Wulf band is discussed.     

The photodissociation of ozone in the Hartley band: a theoretical analysis

Three-dimensional diabatic potential energy surfaces for the lowest four electronic states of ozone with 1A' symmetry-termed X, A, B, and R-are constructed from electronic structure calculations. The diabatization is performed by reassigning corresponding energy points. Although approximate, these diabatic potential energy surfaces allow one to study the uv photodissociation of ozone on a level of theory not possible before. In the present work photoexcitation in the Hartley band and subsequent dissociation into the singlet channel, O3X+hnu-->O(1D)+O2(a 1Deltag), are investigated by means of quantum mechanical and classical trajectory calculations using the diabatic potential energy surface of the B state. The calculated low-resolution absorption spectrum as well as the vibrational and rotational state distributions of O2(a 1Deltag) are in good agreement with available experimental results.     

Mn2 bis(pentalene): a mixed-spin bimetallic with two extremes of bonding within the same molecule

Structural, magnetic and theoretical studies show that the bimetallic pentalene complex, Mn(2)(C(8)H(4)(1,4-Si(i)Pr(3)))(2), contains both high and low spin Mn(ii) in two very different sites.     

On the structure and bonding of first row transition metal ozone carbonyl hydrides

Model complexes of the general form M(CO)m(H)n(O3) (m = 1-5, n = 0 or 1) between ozone and the transition metals Ti to Cu were studied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The CDA charge decomposition method was used to analyze the interaction between the metal atom and the ozone ligand in terms of the traditional donation-back-donation mechanisms. Information about bond strengths was extracted from an analysis of the electron density in terms of the theory of atoms in molecules (AIM). The bonding in the ozone-metal complex was also studied within the NBO paradigm. Bond dissociation energies were calculated to be positive for all the complexes studied. Considering all the criteria employed in this study to analyze the interaction between the ozone and the transition metal, the Fe-complex is predicted to be the most stable, whereas the copper complex has the weakest metal-ozone interaction.