Theoretical study of the structure of the CClF2NO and CCl2FNO molecules in the ground and lowest excited singlet and triplet electronic states

The potential energy surfaces of the nitroso compounds CClF₂NO and CCl₂FNO in the ground and lowest excited singlet and triplet electronic states were studied by various ab initio methods (including multiconfigurational methods). The equilibrium geometric parameters, vibrational frequencies, internal rotation potential functions, and rotational contours of bands in the S₁ S₀ vibronic spectrum of the CClF₂NO molecule were calculated. For the molecules under consideration, the quantum-mechanical problem on torsional motion was solved. The results of calculations are, on the whole, in good agreement with experiment.     

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 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.     

Structure of acetyl chloride molecule isotopomers CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>COCl and CD<Subscript>3</Subscript>COCl in the ground and lowest excited singlet and triplet electronic states: a quantum mechanical study

The structures of isotopomers of conformationally flexible acetyl chloride molecule, CH₃COCl and CD₃COCl, in the ground (S₀ and lowest excited singlet (S₁) and triplet (T₁) electronic states were calculated by the RHF, MP2, and CASSCF methods. The equilibrium geometric parameters and harmonic vibrational frequencies of the molecules in these electronic states were estimated. According to calculations, electronic excitation causes considerable conformational changes involving rotation of the CH₃ (CD₃) top and a substantial deviation of the CCOCl fragment from planarity. The results of calculations agree with experimental data. Two dimensional torsional inversion sections of the potential energy surface were calculated and analyzed. Vibrational problems for large amplitude vibrations (torsional vibration in the S₀ state and both torsional and inversion vibrations in the T₁ and S₁ states) were solved in one- and two-dimensional approximations.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 62–70, January, 2005.     

Potential functions of inversion of R2CO (R=H, F, Cl) molecules in the lowest excited electronic states

The inversion potentials of R₂CO (R=H, F, Cl) molecules in the lowest excited electronic states were determined from experimental data using various model potential functions and approximations for the kinetic energy operator of inversion motion. The estimates of the heights of the barriers to inversion and the equilibrium values of the inversion coordinate for the H₂CO molecule in the S₁ and T₁ states are fairly stable. The results for the F₂CO and Cl₂CO molecules are strongly dependent on the approximation used; for these molecules, the most reliable parameters of the potential functions were chosen. The problem of qualitative characteristics of the shape of inversion potentials is discussed using the results ofab initio quantum-chemical calculations of the molecules under study. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 645–651, April, 1999.     

Theoretical study of structures of the X<Subscript>2</Subscript>CO and XYCO molecules (X and Y = H,F, or Cl) in the ground and lowest excited triplet electronic states

Systematic calculations of the structures of the H₂CO, F₂CO, Cl₂CO, HClCO, HFCO, and FClCO molecules in the S₀ and T₁ states were performed using the B3LYP and MP2 methods with different AO basis sets and also at the CCSD(T)/cc-pV(T+d)Z level of theory. The saturation of the correlation consistent sequence of basis sets cc-pV(N+d)Z (N = D, T, Q, and 5) and aug-cc-pV(N+d)Z (N = D, T, and Q) was studied. Recommendations for choosing the calculation method are given. The relativistic corrections were estimated. The influence of the number and type of halogen atoms on the geometric parameters of the molecules in the S₀ and T₁ states and the heights of inversion barriers in the T₁ state was investigated. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2625–2635, December, 2005.     

Molecular parameters of tetraatomic carbonyls X2CO and XYCO (X,Y = H,F, Cl) in the ground and lowest excited electronic states,part 1: A test of ab initio methods

Geometrical parameters of tetraatomic carbonyl molecules X₂CO and XYCO (X, Y = H, F, Cl) in the ground (S₀) and lowest excited singlet (S₁) and triplet (T₁) electronic states as well as values of barriers to inversion in S₁ and T₁ states and S₁ ← S₀ and T₁ ← S₀ adiabatic transition energies were systematically investigated by means of various quantum‐chemical techniques. The following methods were tested: HF, MP2, CIS, CISD, CCSD, EOM‐CCSD, CCSD(T), CR‐EOM‐CCSD(T), CASSCF, MR‐MP2, CASPT2, CASPT3, NEVPT2, MR‐CISD, and MR‐AQCC within cc‐pVTZ and cc‐pVQZ basis sets. The accuracy of quantum‐chemical methods was estimated in comparison with experimental data and rather accurate structures of excited electronic states were obtained. MP2 and CASPT2 methods appeared to be the most efficient and CCSD(T), CR‐EOM‐CCSD(T), and MR‐AQCC the most accurate. It was found that at equilibrium all the molecules under study are nonplanar in S₁ and T₁ electronic states with CO out‐of‐plane angle ranging from 34° (H₂CO, S₁) to 52° (F₂CO, T₁), and height of barrier to inversion varying from 300 (H₂CO, S₁) to 11,000 (F₂CO, T₁) cm^?1. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009     

An ab initio CI study of the ground and excited states of p-quinodimethane

Configuration interaction (CI) studies of the ground, electronically excited singlet and triplet states and of the ionized states (cations) are reported for p- quinodimethane (p-xylylene). The calculated ionization potentials are compared with the experimental photoelectron spectrum for the low-energy ionization region. The two high-energy low-intensity flanks of the second and third band observed in the photoelectron spectrum are assigned to be due to the two non-Koopmans' cation states, ascribing to shake-up ionizations.The calculated singlet-singlet and singlet-triplet excitation energies are compared with previous semiempirical MO results and experimental data.     

Theoretical study of the electronic excited states of tetracyanoethylene and its radical anion.

The low-lying electronic states of tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) and its radical anion were studied using multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) and extended atomic natural orbital (ANO) basis sets. The results obtained yield a full interpretation of the electronic absorption spectra, explain the spectral changes undergone upon reduction, give support to the occurrence of a bound excited state for the anionic species, and provide valuable information for the rationalization of the experimental data obtained with electron transmission spectroscopy.     

Ab initio studies on vibrational spectra of XSO2NCO (X = F,Cl): harmonic force fields and frequency assignments

The harmonic vibrational force fields and the IR spectrum of XSO₂NCO (X= F, C1) molecules have been studied usingab initio HF/SCF method with the 6-31G’ basis set. Theab initio harmonic force fields are scaled empirically using the scaled quantum mechanical (SQM) method of Pulay. A set of scale factors are optimized by the least-squares fitting to the experimental frequencies of FSO₂NCO and then are transferred to CISO₂NCO to give ana priori prediction of its fundamental frequencies. The average deviations between the theoretical frequencies and the experimental values for FSO₂NCO and C1SO₂NCO are 3 and 5 cm^-1, respectively. The assignments of the fundamentals for these two molecules are also made atcording to the potential energy distributions and theab initio IR intensities Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 29673029)     

Molecular electric properties in electronic excited states: multipole moments and polarizabilities of H2O in the lowest1 B 1 and3 B 1 excited states

Summary The dipole and quadrupole moments and the dipole polarizability tensor components are calculated for the¹ B ₁ and³ B ₁ excited states of the water molecule by using the complete active space (CAS) SCF method and an extended basis set of atomic natural orbitals. The dipole moment in the lowest¹ B ₁ (0.640 a.u.) and³ B ₁ (0.416 a.u.) states is found to be antiparallel to that in the ground electronic state of H₂O. The shape of the quadrupole moment ellipsoid is significantly modified by the electronic excitation to both states investigated in this paper. All components of the excited state dipole polarizability tensor increase by about an order of magnitude compared to their values in the ground electronic state. The present results are used to discuss some aspects of intermolecular interactions involving molecules in their excited electronic states.     

Ab initio study of the ground state and conformational stability of peroxyacetyl nitrate in internal rotation about the peroxide bond

The molecular and electronic structure of the ground state of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) was calculated by the unrestricted Hartree-Fock-Roothaan method with the use of the standard 3–21G and 6–31G basis set. The potential curve of the internal rotation about the peroxide bond of PAN was calculated with the 6–31G basis set. The curve contains two maxima. The ground state of PAN is characterized by a structure in which groups of atoms adjacent to the peroxide bond lie in planes that are perpendicular to each other (the dihedral angle ϱ(COON) is 89.9°). The calculated barriers to rotation are 19.6 and 66.8 kJ mol⁻¹. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 600–604, April, 1998.     

Ab initio study of molecular structure and internal rotation in methyldicyanophosphine and methyldiisocyanophosphine. The Raman spectrum of methyldicyanophosphine and its interpretation with the use of scaling ofab initio force fields

The equilibrium geometric parameters and structures of transition states of internal rotation for the molecules of methyldicyanophospine MeP(CN)₂ and its isocyano analog MeP(NC)₂ were calculated by the RHF and MP2 methods with the 6–31G^* and 6–31G^** basis sets. At the MP2 level, the total energy of cyanide is −35 kcal mol⁻¹ lower than that of isocyanide and the barriers to internal rotation of methyl group for MeP(CN)₂ and MeP(NC)₂ are 2.2 and 2.7 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively. For both molecules, the one-dimensionalab initio potential functions of internal rotation approximated by a truncated Fourier series were used to determine the frequencies of torsional transitions by solving direct vibrational problems for a non-rigid model. The Raman spectrum of crystalline MeP(CN)₂ was recorded in the range 3500–50 cm⁻¹. The vibrational spectra of this compound were interpreted by scalingab initio force fields calculated by the RHF and MP2 method. The vibrational spectrum of methyldiisocyanophosphine was predicted with the use of the obtained scale factors. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1703–1714, September, 1998.     

Features of the fluorine‐substituted acetaldehydes dynamics in the low‐lying electronic states: Quantum mechanical study of the CHF2CHO molecule lowest excited singlet state

The potential energy surface (PES) for the CHF₂CHO molecule in the excited S₁ state is calculated by the CASSCF method. The features of the 1‐ and 2‐D cross‐sections of PES are considered in comparison with those of the relative molecules. The vibrational frequencies are calculated in harmonic approximation and the vibrational energy levels for the inversion motion of the carbonyl fragment CCH_aO and for the torsion motion of the CHF₂‐top are calculated in anharmonic approximation by the 1‐ and 2‐D variational methods. The calculated data are compared with the experimental ones. The problems of the experimental data interpretation are considered. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002     

A Nonempirical Quantum-Chemical Study and Natural Bond Orbital Analysis of C6H5XCY3 Species (X = SO or SO2, Y = H or F)

The potential functions of internal rotation about the C² _sp—S bonds for C₆H₅XCY₃ species (X = SO or SO₂, Y = H or F) have been obtained at the MP2 (full)/6-31+G(d) level of ab initio theory. It is found that the spatial structures with the plane of C² _sp—S—C³ _sp bonds, which is near perpendicular to the benzene ring plane, are the energy-favourable conformations. The values of the rotational barrier about the C² _sp—S bond are equal to (kJ/mole): 21.2 (C₆H₅SOCH₃), 29.0 (C₆H₅SOCF₃), 20.4 (C₆H₅SO₂CH₃), and 28.2 (C₆H₅SO₂CF₃). On the basis of the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis results, it has been revealed that the double S=O bond is a strongly polarized covalent -bond, whereas -bond electrons practically are localized on the oxygen atom. The S=O bond order for aromatic sulfoxides and sulphones is mainly caused by hyperconjugational interactions according to the LP(O) ^*(S—C_ipso) and LP(O) ^*(S—C _Y ) mechanisms. In sulphones there is also the additional mechanism of hyperconjugational interactions such as LP(O^{1 *}(S—O²) and LP(O²) ^*(S—O¹). With the replacement of one hydrogen atom on the —XCY₃ group, the charge loss of the unsubstituted benzene molecule increases: —SOCH₃ < —SO₂CH₃ < — SOCF₃ < —SO₂CF₃. The substitution of the —CH₃ group for the —CF₃ group weakly influences the charge value on the sulfur atom but effects the acceptor characteristics of the substituent to a greater extent than the variation of the sulfur atom coordination.     

Vibrational and electronic spectra of benzophenone in different phase states: Ab initio calculations and experiment

An ab initio method has been used to perform quantum mechanical calculations of the formation energy of different conformers of benzophenone: planar molecule, twisted molecule, planar molecule dimer, twisted molecule dimer; electronic and vibrational spectra of these conformers were also obtained. An assessment of the medium (solvent) influence on the optimal geometry, dipole moment and stability of different forms of benzophenone was performed in the self-consistent reaction field approximation. It is shown that the twisted conformer is more stable than the planar one (the difference of free energies is 32 kJ/mol for free molecules) and it becomes even more stable with the increase in solvent polarity. The calculated electronic and vibrational spectra agree well with the experimental data and properly reflect the complication of the vibrational spectrum when passing from the gaseous phase to the condensed state of benzophenone. The difference between spectral properties of the two dimer forms allows their identification from the spectra and qualitative explanation of the observed peculiarities of phosphorescence of the amorphous phase of benzophenone by the stabilization of different conformers.     

Comparison of the capacity of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and selenium atoms to exist in onium states. quantum-chemical investigation of isomeric model systems with two heteroatoms

HF, B3LYP, and MP2 calculations with the 6-31+G(d) basis set with correction to the energy of zero-point vibrations were carried out to determine the energy characteristics of model molecules containing two heteroatoms in the sp ³- and sp ²-hybrid states; different combinations of N, O, S, and Se atoms were studied. The stability of the onium states of the nitrogen atom was found to be greater than for its chalcogen analogs and the relative stability of onium states of the chalcogen analogs was found to depend on the hybridization of these atoms. Analysis of these results permitted us to construct a stability series of onium derivatives and to interpret the positional selectivity in electrophilic substitution reactions of five-membered heterocyclic compounds with one heteroatom. To J. Stradins, an outstanding and tireless scientist, with our deep respect and sincere affection. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 12, pp. 1801–1808, December, 2008.     

Structure and Internal Rotation of Molecules in Chlorodifluoroacetic Acid

The potential energy profile of an isolated CF₂ClCOOH molecule with a CF₂Cl group rotating around the C–C bond was determined by the Hartree–Fock method using the 6-31G(d) basis set. Barriers to internal rotation were estimated for this molecule; its geometrical parameters were found for the equilibrium and transition states that are due to the torsion potential with unequal wells. Crystal effect on CF₂Cl reorientations in solid chlorodifluoroacetic acid has been evaluated.     

Molecular structure and decomposition mechanism of peracetic acid esters AcOOR (R = Me,Bu<Superscript>t</Superscript>)

The molecular structure and conformational mobility of methyl and tert-butyl esters of peracetic acid AcOOR (R = Me (1), Bu^t (2)) were studied by the ab initio MP4(SDQ)//MP2(FC)/6-31G(d,p) method and density functional B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) approach. The B3LYP calculated equilibrium conformations of the molecules are characterized by the C-O-O-C torsion angles of 93.6° (1) and 117.0° (2). Structural features of the molecules under study and a distortion of tetrahedral bond configuration at the C_α atom were explained using the natural bonding orbital approach. The standard enthalpies of formation of AcOOMe (−328.5 kJ mol⁻¹) and AcOOBu^t (−440.4 kJ mol⁻¹) were determined using the G2 and G2(MP2) computational schemes and the isodesmic reaction approach. The transition state of AcOOMe decomposition into AcOOH and formaldehyde was calculated (E _a = 122.8 kJ mol⁻¹). The thermal effects of homolytic decomposition of the peroxy esters following a concerted mechanism (Me^· + CO₂ + ^·OR) and simple homolysis of the peroxide bond (AcO^· + ^·OR) were found to be 97.5±0.3 and 155.1±0.3 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. At temperatures below 400 K, the most probable decomposition mechanism of peroxy esters 1 and 2 involves simple homolysis of the O-O bond.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2021–2027, October, 2004.     

Conformational features of Cl3P=NC(CF3)3 and Cl3P=NCCl(CCl3)2 molecules according to results of non-empirical calculations

Non-empirical RHF/6-31G* and MP2/6-31G* quantum chemical methods are used to calculate the molecular structure of trichlorophosphazene compounds: Cl₃P=NC(CF₃)₃ (I) and Cl₃P=NCCl(CCl₃)₂ (II). The corresponding geometric parameters obtained from the calculations are compared with X-ray diffraction analysis data reported in the literature. Conformational differences between the molecules of I and II, previously found by X-ray diffraction in the crystals of these compounds, are confirmed by non-empirical calculations of the molecules in the free state. The features of their geometry caused by intramolecular interactions are discussed.