Photofragmentation of H2S in the first continuum

The dynamics of the photofragmentation of H₂S in the first continuum has been investigated at laser wavelengths 193, 222 and 248 nm. The HS fragments are produced mainly in υ = 0, as expected, but a non-negligible part of the HS radicals produced are vibrationally excited. The distribution of the vibrationally excited radicals peaks at υ = 3 or 4 at 193 nm and at υ = 2 at 222 nm. From the angular distribution of the H fragments it can be concluded that the anisotropy parameter β decreases with increasing wavelength. These results can be explained by a predissociation mechanism. Excitation in the first continuum takes place from the ¹A₁ ground state to the bound ¹B₁ state. This state is predissociated by a repulsive ¹A₂ state producing electronically ground-state H and HS fragments, of which the HS fragments can be vibrationally excited, resulting in a bimodal vibrational distribution. The increase of β with increasing wavelength is caused by a non-negligible lifetime in the ¹B₁ state.     

Ab initio calculations on the three lowest states of HO+2

Ab initio calculations were performed for the three lowest lying states of HO⁺₂. The ground state was found to be a bend ³A″ state. The first excited ¹A′ state cannot appropriately be described by a single determinant, therefore a MC SCF calculation was employed.     

The photodissociation of H2S: A study of indirect photodissociation

We have performed calculations for the photodissociation of H₂S using surfaces constructed to test a model proposed by van Veen et al., in which the dissociation occurs via predissociated levels of the bound ¹B₁ excited state. Total Franck-Condon factors for the photodissociation and partial Franck-Condon factors for the product vibrational distributions are presented.     

Ab initio calculation of some low-lying electronic excited states of methane

The energies of some low-lying electronic excited states of methane are calculated by using wave functions built up in terms of plane waves modulated by multicenter Gaussian factors. The wave functions of the various states are evaluated by a two steps iterative process. In the first step, each excited orbital is determined while keeping all other rigid; in the second, rearrangement effects are introduced. Final results are in good agreement with experimental data and allow to enhance an assignement hypothesis for the first electronic transitions.     

Ab initio study of the structure and conformations of 2-fluoroethanal in the ground and lowest excited electronic states

The structure of the conformationally flexible 2-fluoroethanal molecule (CH₂FCHO, FE) in the ground (S₀) and lowest excited triplet (T₁) and singlet (S₁) electronic states was investigated by ab initio quantum-chemical methods. The FE molecule in the S₀ state was found to exist as two conformers, viz., as cis (the F—C—C—O angle is 0°) and trans (the F—C—C—O angle is 180°) conformers. On going both to the T₁ and S₁ states, the FE molecule undergoes substantial structural changes, in particular, the CH₂F top is rotated with respect to the core and the carbonyl CCHO fragment becomes nonplanar. The potential energy surfaces for the T₁ and S₁ states are qualitatively similar, viz., six minima in each of the excited states of FE correspond to three pairs of mirror-symmetrical conformers. Based on the potential energy surfaces calculated for the FE molecule in the T₁ and S₁ states, the one-dimensional problems on the torsion and inversion nuclear motions as well as the two-dimensional torsion-inversion problems were solved.     

Bending potentials for H2O in the ground and the first six singlet excited states

MRD CI calculations are presented for the bending potentials of H₂O in the ground and first six singlet excited states. The results are discussed with reference to the H(²S) + OH(A ²Σ⁺) dissociation path of H₂O.     

Ab initio studies on the radiationless decay mechanisms of the lowest excited singlet states of 9H-adenine

The mechanisms that are responsible for the rapid deactivation of the (1)npi and( 1)pipi excited singlet states of the 9H isomer of adenine have been investigated with multireference ab initio methods (complete-active-space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) method and second-order perturbation theory based on the CASSCF reference (CASPT2)). Two novel photochemical pathways, which lead to conical intersections of the S(1) excited potential-energy surface with the electronic ground-state surface, have been identified. They involve out-of-plane deformations of the six-membered aromatic ring via the twisting of the N(3)C(2) and N(1)C(6) bonds. These low-lying conical intersections are separated from the minimum energy of the lowest ((1)npi) excited state in the Franck-Condon region by very low energy barriers (of the order of 0.1 eV). These properties of the S(1) and S(0) potential-energy surfaces explain the unusual laser-induced fluorescence spectrum of jet-cooled 9H-adenine, showing sharp structures only in a narrow energy interval near the origin, as well as the extreme excess-energy dependence of the lifetime of the singlet excited states. It is suggested that internal-conversion processes via conical intersections, which are accessed by out-of-plane deformation of the six-membered ring, dominate the photophysics of the lowest vibronic levels of adenine in the gas phase, while hydrogen-abstraction photochemistry driven by repulsive (1)pisigma states may become competitive at higher excitation energies. These ultrafast excited-state deactivation processes provide adenine with a high degree of intrinsic photostability.     

Ab initio study of the structure of 2,2-difluoroethanal in the ground and lowest excited triplet electronic states

The molecular structure of 2,2-difluoroethanal (DFE) in the ground (S₀) and lowest excited triplet (T_i) electronic states was investigated byab initio quantum-chemical methods. In the S₀ state, the DFE molecule exists as the only stablecis conformer. The T_i↓S₀ electronic excitation is accompanied by the rotation of the top and the deviation of the carbonyl fragment from planarity. For the DFE molecule in the T_i state, six minima corresponding to three pairs of enantiomers were found on the potential energy surface. Based on this potential energy surface, the problems on torsion and inversion nuclear motions were solved in the one- and two-dimensional approximations, and the interaction between these motions was revealed. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 989–995, June, 2000.     

Ab initio study of H2SO4 rotamers

This work uses ab initio calculations to obtain harmonic frequencies and anharmonic constants for the O–H symmetric and asymmetric stretches of H₂SO₄ in its C₂, C_s, C_1a, and C_1b configurations. In addition, a high-resolution potential energy surface is calculated as a function of both O=S–O–H dihedral angles in order to accurately obtain minimum and saddle point energies. The resulting peak positions and Boltzmann populations are compared to experimental frequencies and intensities and provide evidence for the assignment of rotamers in H₂SO₄ as suggested in recent work.     

Ab initio calculation of stationary points for the ground and the first excited state of HCO

SCF and single-reference ACPF calculations were performed in order to determine the structure, stability, and harmonic vibrational frequencies of stationary points for the HCO radical in the ground (²A′) and first excited (²A″) states. Very large and flexible basis sets including two f functions on the heavy atoms and two d functions on hydrogen were used. The calculated geometries and vibrational frequencies are in good agreement with available experimental data. The relative stabilities are now also much better balanced compared to previous theoretical results. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reaction kinetics of multiphoton excited BCI3 with H2S

In order to investigate unique behaviors in kinetics of the reaction of multiphoton excited BCl₃ with H₂S, two kinds of experiments were performed. The first, parallel beam experiment, gives the activation energy of the primary reaction pathway considerably smaller than the bond strength. The second, focussed beam experiment, shows that the isotope selectivity increase with incident pulse energy. Both results were found different from typical multiphoton dissociation experiments, showing its own characteristics.     

Ab initio calculations of the lowest electronic states in the CuNO system

The lowest singlet and triplet electronic levels of the A' and A" symmetry species of the neutral copper-nitrosyl (CuNO) system are calculated by ab initio methods at the multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) level of theory with single and double excitations, and at the coupled cluster level of theory with both perturbational (CCSD(T)) and full inclusion of triple excitations (CCSDT). Experimental data are difficult to obtain, hence the importance of carrying out calculations as accurate as possible to address the structure and dynamics of this system. This paper aims at validating a theoretical protocol to develop global potential energy surfaces for transition metal nitrosyl complexes. For the MRCI calculations, the comparison of level energies at linear structures and their values from C(2v) and C(s) symmetry restricted calculations has allowed to obtain clear settings regarding atomic basis sizes, active orbital spaces and roots obtained at the multi-configurational self-consistent field (MCSCF) level of theory. It is shown that a complete active space involving 18 valence electrons, 11 molecular orbitals and the prior determination of 12 roots in the MCSCF calculation is needed for overall qualitatively correct results from the MRCI calculations. Atomic basis sets of the valence triple-zeta type are sufficient. The present calculations yield a bound singlet A' ground state for CuNO. The CCSD(T) calculations give a quantitatively more reliable account of electronic correlation close to equilibrium, while the MRCI energies allow to ensure the qualitative assessment needed for global potential energy surfaces. Relativistic coupled cluster calculations using the Douglas-Kroll-Hess Hamiltonian yield a dissociation energy of CuNO into Cu and NO to be (59 ± 5) kJ mol(-1) ((4940 ± 400) hc?cm(-1)). Favorable comparison is made with some of previous theoretical results and a few known experimental data.     

Ab initio scf and CI study of the ground and excited states of the HN2 radical

Non-empirical SCF and CI calculations are reported for the HN₂, free radical in various low-lying electronic states. The nature of the angular and N-N and N-H stretching potential curves of each of these species is investigated, including a study of the dissociative behavior of such states. The ground state is found to be only very slightly bound with respect to NH stretch, in contrast to what is observed for isoelectronic HCO, The vertical electronic spectrum of HN₂, appears to be marked by a single long wavelength transition (1.95 eV) from the bent (124°) ‘A’ ground state to the linear ²Π excited species, but at least four other intra-valence and an additional n → 3s Rydberg species are indicated in the 5.5–8.0 eV absorbing region.     

Ab initio calculation of the lowest singlet and triplet states in CH2, CHF,CF2, and CHCH3

The lowest singlet and triplet states of the radicals CH₂, CHF, CF₂, and CHCH₃ have been investigated both in SCF and IEPA approximation (“independent electron pair approach” to account for electron correlation). The SCF calculations yield triplet ground states for CH₂, CHF, and CHCH₃, and a singlet ground state for CF₂. Electron correlation stabilizes the singlet state by about 14 kcal/mole with respect to the triplet for all four radicals leading to a singlet ground state also for CHF. The final triplet-singlet energy separations are 10, 6, ?11, ?47 kcal/mole for CH₂, CHCH₃, CHF, CF₂, respectively. Values for equilibrium bond angles, ionization potentials and bond energies are also given.     

Ab initio investigations of the C2F4S isomers and of their interconversions

The transition states and the activation energies for the unobserved isomerization reactions between the three possible C₂F₄S isomers with divalent sulfur, trifluorothioacetyl fluoride 1, tetrafluorothiirane 2, and trifluoroethenesulfenyl fluoride 3, have been determined by ab initio Hartree-Fock (HF), Møller-Plesset second-order perturbation (MP2) calculations and by Gaussian-3 theory. The results show that the unobserved isomerization reactions are feasible. Furthermore, all three isomers should exist as stable species, but the unknown isomer, 3, is considerably less stable than the known isomers, 1 and 2.     

Ab initio calculation of the electronic structure and the barrier to pyramidal inversion for H3S+

The electronic structure of H₃S⁺ is examined by ab initio MO calculations (STO 3G) and is compared with those of other XH₃ type molecules. The barrier to pyramidal inversion and the proton affinity of H₂S are calculated to be 34.8 and 225.05 kcal/mol respectively. Computations are made with respect to a model A₃S⁺ which is employed to discuss the barrier to pyramidal inversion of H₃S⁺, where A corresponds to an electromagnetive substituent or an electron donating one.     

Analytical ab initio potential-energy surfaces for the ground and the first singlet excited states of HeH2

Analytical potential-energy surfaces have been constructed for the ground and the first excited states of HeH₂. The functions fit ab initio MRD CI calculations with standard deviations of 0.05 and 0.13 eV for the ground and the excited surface respectively. Classical trajectory calculations for collisions of ⁴Hc with HD(B ¹Σ_u⁺, υ = 3, J = 2) at the temperature T = 297 K yields the electronic quenching cross section σ_Q = 6.5 A² and the vibrational cross section σ_3→2 = 3.8 A². The results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental values of Fink, Akins and Moore.     

Ab initio spin-orbit calculations on the lowest states of the nickel dimer

Potential energy curves of the lowest electronic states of the Ni(2) dimer are calculated near the equilibrium using the multireference ab initio methods including the spin-orbit interaction. Scalar-relativistic results fully confirm previous qualitative interpretations based on the correlation with atomic limits and the symmetry of vacancies in the atomic 3d(9) shells. Spin-orbit calculations firmly establish the symmetry of the ground state as 0(+)(g) and give the excitation energies 70 ± 30 cm(-1) and 200 ± 80 cm(-1) for the lowest 0(-)(u) and 5(u) states, respectively. The model electronic spectrum of the Ni(2) shows some trends that might be observed in matrix isolation far-infrared and electron spin resonance spectra.     

Dipole moment derivatives of H2O and H2S

The dipole and quadrupole derivatives of H₂O and H₂S are calculated analytically, using the coupled Hartree—Fock method first proposed by Gerratt and Mills. The greater efficiency, of this method allows SCF wave functions very, close to the Hartree—Fock limit to be used. Agreement, with experimental data is good.