Highly asymmetric coordination in alkenes: gas-phase structures of trans-1,2-dichloro-1,2-disilylethene and 1-bromo-1-silylethene

The molecular structures of trans-1,2-dichloro-1,2-disilylethene and 1-bromo-1-silylethene have been determined by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) and ab initio molecular orbital calculations (MP2/6-311G). Both compounds were found to have highly asymmetric coordination around the carbon atoms with [ab initio (r(e))/GED (r(a))] C=C-Cl [117.0/117.0(2) degrees] and C=C-Si [126.2/128.1(1) degrees] in the C(2)(h) structure of trans-1,2-dichloro-1,2-disilylethene and C=C-Br [119.2/120.7(4) degrees] and C=C-Si [125.0/125.0(4) degrees] in the C(s) structure of 1-bromo-1-silylethene. Other important structural parameters for trans-1,2-dichloro-1,2-disilylethene are C=C [135.2/134.5(3) pm], C-Si [189.4/187.9(2) pm], and C-Cl [175.1/174.9(1) pm], and C=C [134.2/133.4(2) pm], C-Si [187.8/187.2(3) pm], and C-Br [191.3/191.0(3) pm] for 1-bromo-1-silylethene. Further ab initio calculations were carried out on CH(2)CRX and trans-(CRX)(2) (R = SiH(3), CH(3), or H; X = H, F, Cl, or Br) to gauge the effects of electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups on the structures. They reveal some even more distorted structures. The asymmetric appearance of these molecules can largely be accounted for by valence shell electron pair repulsion theory.     

Monochlorogallane: physical properties and structure of the gaseous molecule H2Ga(mu-Cl)2GaH2 as determined by vibrational, electron diffraction, and ab initio studies

Monochlorogallane, synthesized by the metathesis of gallium(III) chloride with an excess of trimethylsilane at ca. 250 K, has been characterized by chemical analysis, by its IR, Raman, and 1H NMR spectra, and by the products of its reaction with trimethylamine. The vibrational spectra of the vapor species isolated in solid Ar, N2, or CH4 matrixes at ca. 12 K imply the presence of only one species, viz. the dimer with an equilibrium structure conforming to D2h symmetry. The structure of this molecule has been determined by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) measurements augmented by the results of ab initio molecular orbital calculations. An equilibrium structure with D2h symmetry has been assumed in the analysis of the electron diffraction pattern. However, as the molecule has a very low frequency Ga(mu-Cl)2Ga ring-puckering mode, a dynamic model was used to describe it with the aid of a set of pseudoconformers spaced at even intervals (deltadelta = 5 degrees, deltamax, = 20 delta) around the ring-puckering angle delta and Boltzmann-weighted according to a quartic potential V(delta) = V4delta4 + V2delta2. The differences in bond distances and angles between the different pseudoconformers were constrained to the values derived from the ab initio calculations employing second-order Moller-Plesset (MP2) methods (with all the electrons included in the correlation calculations) and a 6-311G(d) basis set. The results for the weighted average of the principal distances (ralpha) and angles (相似文献   

Femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing of carbon disulfide: high-accuracy rotational constants

Femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing (fs-DFWM) rotational coherence spectroscopy (RCS) has been used to determine the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants of the 00 (0)0 ground and 01 (1)0 vibrationally excited states of gas-phase CS(2). RCS transients were recorded over the 0-3300 ps optical delay range, allowing the observation of 87 recurrences. The fits yield rotational constants B(00 (0)0)=3.271 549 2(18) GHz for (12)C(32)S(2) and B(00 (0)0)=3.175 06(21) GHz for the (12)C(32)S(34)S isotopomer. The rotational constants of the degenerate 01 (1)0 bending level of (12)C(32)S(2) are B(01 (1)0)=3.276 72(40) and 3.279 03(40) GHz for the e and f substrates, respectively. These fs-DFWM rotational constants are ten times more accurate than those obtained by CO(2) laser/microwave heterodyne measurements and are comparable to those obtained by high-resolution Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Ab initio calculations were performed at two levels, second-order Moller-Plesset theory and coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and iterative triples [CCSD(T)]. The equilibrium and vibrationally averaged C=S distances were calculated using large Dunning basis sets. An extrapolation procedure combining the ab initio rotational constants with the experiment yields an equilibrium C=S bond length of 155.448 pm to an accuracy of +/-20 fm. The theoretical C=S bond length obtained by a complete basis set extrapolation at the CCSD(T) level is r(e)(C=S)=155.579 pm, or 0.13 pm longer than that in the experiment.     

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and theoretical study of dimethylamine dimer in the gas phase

Dimethylamine (DMA) has been studied by gas-phase Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. We have identified a spectral transition that is assigned to the DMA dimer. The IR spectra of the dimer in the gas phase are obtained by spectral subtraction of spectra recorded at different pressures. The enthalpy of hydrogen bond formation was obtained for the DMA dimer by temperature-dependence measurements. We complement the experimental results with ab initio and anharmonic local mode model calculations of monomer and dimer. Compared to the monomer, our calculations show that in the dimer the N-H bond is elongated, and the NH-stretching fundamental shifts to a lower wavenumber. More importantly, the weak NH-stretching fundamental transition has a pronounced intensity increase upon complexation. However, the first NH-stretching overtone transition is not favored by the same intensity enhancement, and we do not observe the first NH-stretching overtone of the dimer. On the basis of the measured and calculated intensity of the NH-stretching transition of the dimer, the equilibrium constant for dimerization at room temperature was determined.     

The gas-phase equilibrium structures of Si8O12(OSiMe3)8 and Si8O12(CHCH2)8

The equilibrium molecular structure of Si(8)O(12)(OSiMe(3))(8) has been determined in the gas phase by electron diffraction (GED). With OSi-containing substituents on the cage silicon atoms, this molecule contains a moiety, which would, if reproduced in a periodic manner, yield a zeolite-type structure. Extensive ab initio calculations were used to identify two conformers of this molecule, with D(4) and D(2) point-group symmetries; the D(4)-symmetric conformer was approximately 1.2 kJ mol(-1) lower in energy. With 132 atoms in each conformer, this is one of the largest studies to be undertaken using gas electron diffraction. Semiempirical molecular-dynamics (SE-MD) calculations were used to give amplitudes of vibration, vibrational distance corrections (differences between interatomic distances in the equilibrium structure and the vibrationally averaged distances that are given directly by the diffraction data), and anharmonic constants. The structure of Si(8)O(12)(CHCH(2))(8) has also been determined by GED. Calculations showed that the vinyl groups are fairly unhindered and rotate between three minimum-energy positions. Ultimately, all possible combinations of the vinyl groups in these low-energy positions were accounted for in the GED model.     

Spectra of water dimer from a new ab initio potential with flexible monomers

We report the definition and testing of a new ab initio 12-dimensional potential for the water dimer with flexible monomers. Using our recent accurate CCpol-8s rigid water pair potential [W. Cencek, K. Szalewicz, C. Leforestier, R. van Harrevelt, and A. van der Avoird, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 10, 4716 (2008)] as a reference for the undistorted monomers' geometries, a distortion correction has been added, which was taken from a former flexible-monomer ab initio potential. This correction allows us to retrieve the correct binding energy D(e)=21.0 kJ mol(-1), and leads to an equilibrium geometry in close agreement with the one obtained from benchmark calculations. The kinetic energy operator describing the flexible-monomer water dimer has been expressed in terms of Radau coordinates for each monomer and a recent general cluster polyspherical formulation describing their relative motions. Within this formulation, an adiabatic scheme has been invoked in order to decouple fast (intramolecular) modes and slow (intermolecular) ones. Different levels of approximation were tested, which differ in the way in which the residual potential coupling between the intramolecular modes located on different monomers and the dependence of the monomer rotational constants on the dimer geometry are handled. Accurate calculations of the vibration-rotation-tunneling levels of (H(2)O)(2) and (D(2)O)(2) were performed, which show the best agreement with experiments achieved so far for any water potential. Intramolecular excitations of the two monomers were calculated within two limiting cases, to account for the lack of non-adiabatic coupling between intramolecular modes due to the intermolecular motion. In the first model, the excitation was assumed to stay either on the donor or the acceptor molecule, and to hop between the two moieties upon donor-acceptor interchange. In the second model, the excitation remains on the same molecule whatever is the dimer geometry. Marginal frequency differences, less than 2?cm(-1), were obtained for all modes, and the resulting infrared shifts are in good agreement with experiments.     

Calculation of the O-H stretching vibrational overtone spectrum of the water dimer

The O-H stretching vibrational overtone spectrum of the water dimer has been calculated with the dimer modeled as two individually vibrating monomer units. Vibrational term values and absorption intensities have been obtained variationally with a computed dipole moment surface and an internal coordinate Hamiltonian, which consists of exact kinetic energy operators within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation of the monomer units. Three-dimensional ab initio potential energy and dipole moment surfaces have been calculated using the internal coordinates of the monomer units using the coupled cluster method including single, double, and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)] with the augmented correlation consistent valence triple zeta basis set (aug-cc-pVTZ). The augmented correlation consistent valence quadruple zeta basis set (aug-cc-pVQZ), counterpoise correction, basis set extrapolation to the complete basis set limit, relativistic corrections, and core and valence electron correlations effects have been included in one-dimensional potential energy surface cuts. The aim is both to investigate the level of ab initio and vibrational calculations necessary to produce accurate results when compared with experiment and to aid the detection of the water dimer under atmospheric conditions.     

Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy and Fourier transform microwave-millimeter wave double resonance spectroscopy of the ClOO radical

Pure rotational spectra of the ClOO radical for the (35)Cl and (37)Cl isotopomers have been observed using Fourier transform microwave and Fourier transform microwave-millimeter wave double resonance spectroscopy. The rotational, centrifugal, spin-rotation coupling, and hyperfine coupling constants have been determined by least-squares fits of the observed transition frequencies. The molecular constants indicate that the electronic ground state is 2A". The r(0) structure is determined to be r(0)(ClO)=2.075 A, r(0)(OO)=1.227 A, and theta;(0)(ClOO)=116.4 degrees . Several highly accurate ab initio calculations have also been performed. Some of them turned out to be inaccurate because it is necessary to take into account both static and dynamic electronic correlations. Only multireference (single and double) configuration interaction calculations with large basis sets reproduce the present experimental results. The anharmonic force constants obtained by the ab initio calculations are used to determine the r(e) structure, r(e)(ClO)=2.084(1) A, r(e)(OO)=1.206(2) A, and theta;(e)(ClOO)=115.4(1) degrees . Unique features of the ClOO radical have become clear by the present experiment and the ab initio calculations.     

Ab initio molecular orbital study of ground and low-lying electronic states of CoCN

The ground and low-lying excited states of CoCN have been studied by ab initio multireference single and double excitation configuration interaction (MR-SDCI) calculations with Davidson's correction Q and Cowan-Griffin's relativistic corrections. The electronic ground state of CoCN is (3)Phi(i) and the equilibrium geometry is linear with bond lengths of r(e)(Co-C)=1.8540 A and r(e)(C-N)=1.1677 A, substantially different from the experimentally derived values of r(0)(Co-C)=1.8827(7) A and r(0)(C-N)=1.1313(10) A. The first excited state is (3)Delta(i), separated from the ground state by 727 cm(-1). Larger dynamical electron correlation energy for the low-spin (3)Phi state than for the high-spin (5)Phi state makes the (3)Phi state to be the ground state, which is discussed in terms of the differences in natural orbitals. A new spin-orbit interaction scheme between the X (3)Phi(i) and 1 (3)Delta(i) states is proposed.     

Ab initio theoretical calculations of the electronic excitation energies of small water clusters

A direct ab initio molecular dynamics method has been applied to a water monomer and water clusters (H(2)O)(n) (n = 1-3) to elucidate the effects of zero-point energy (ZPE) vibration on the absorption spectra of water clusters. Static ab initio calculations without ZPE showed that the first electronic transitions of (H(2)O)(n), (1)B(1)←(1)A(1), are blue-shifted as a function of cluster size (n): 7.38 eV (n = 1), 7.58 eV (n = 2) and 8.01 eV (n = 3). The inclusion of the ZPE vibration strongly affects the excitation energies of a water dimer, and a long red-tail appears in the range of 6.42-6.90 eV due to the structural flexibility of a water dimer. The ultraviolet photodissociation of water clusters and water ice surfaces is relevant to these results.     

Equilibrium structures of heterocyclic molecules with large principal axis rotations upon isotopic substitution

Equilibrium structures, r(e), of the heterocyclic molecules oxirane, furazan, furan, ethylene ozonide, and 1,3,4-oxadiazole have been determined using three different, somewhat complementary techniques: a completely experimental technique (r(m)), a semiexperimental technique (r(e)(SE), whereby equilibrium rotational constants are derived from experimental effective ground-state rotational constants and corrections based principally on an ab initio cubic force field), and an ab initio technique (r(e)(BO), whereby geometry optimizations are usually performed at the coupled cluster level of theory including single and double excitations augmented by a perturbational estimate of the effects of connected triple excitations [CCSD(T)] using quadruple-ζ Gaussian basis sets). All these molecules are asymmetric tops with the moment of inertia I(c) much larger than the other two moments of inertia, I(a) and I(b). Molecules of this shape experience a large rotation of the principal axis system upon certain isotopic substitutions. For such isotopologues it is difficult to obtain a good structural fit to the semiexperimental moments of inertia I(a) and I(b), which may significantly reduce the accuracy of the r(e)(SE) structural parameters. The origin of this difficulty is explained. For the heavy-atom skeleton of these molecules it was possible to determine a rather accurate empirical mass-dependent structure without a priori knowledge of the equilibrium structure.     

Elucidating the Origin of Conformational Energy Differences in Substituted 1,3-Dioxanes: A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Study

13C NMR spectroscopy, ab initio quantum mechanics, and molecular mechanics have been used to investigate the trans-4-(trifluoromethyl)-2,2,6-trimethyl-1,3-dioxane chair/twist-boat equilibrium. The molecular mechanics calculations were based upon the MM3 and AMBER force fields. A 6-31G basis set was used for the ab initio calculations, and MP2 correlation corrections were applied. Both the ab initio and AMBER molecular mechanics calculations are consistent with the (13)C NMR chemical shift differences for the trans-4-(trifluoromethyl)-2,2,6-trimethyl-1,3-dioxane conformers. The predicted chair to twist-boat equilibrium suggested by the MM3 calculations is not consistent with the experimental data. These results support the suggestion by Howard et al. (Howard, A. E.; Cieplak, P.; Kollman, P. A. J. Comput.Chem. 1995, 16, 243-261) on the critical role of electrostatic interactions in determining the chair/twist-boat equilibrium.     

Low-lying isomers and finite temperature behavior of (H2O)6 -

(H2O)(6) (-) appears as a "magic" number water cluster in (H2O)(n) (-) mass spectra. The structure of the (H2O)(6) (-) isomer dominating the experimental population has been established only recently [N. I. Hammer et al., J. Phys. Chem. A 109, 7896 (2005)], and the most noteworthy characteristic of this isomer is the localization of the excess electron in the vicinity of a double-acceptor monomer. In the present work, we use a quantum Drude model to characterize the low-energy isomers and the finite temperature properties of (H2O)(6) (-). Comparison with ab initio calculations shows that the use of a water model employing distributed polarizabilities and distributed repulsive sites is necessary to correctly reproduce the energy ordering of the low-lying isomers. Both the simulations and the ab initio calculations predict that there are several isomers of (H2O)(6) (-) significantly lower in energy than the experimentally observed species, suggesting that the experimental distribution is far from equilibrium.     

Iron pentacarbonyl: are the axial or the equatorial iron-carbon bonds longer in the gaseous molecule?

The structure of iron pentacarbonyl, Fe(CO)(5), was reinvestigated by gas-phase electron diffraction using an experimental rotational constant available from the literature as a constraint on the structural parameters. The study utilized a B3LYP/6-311+G(d) ab initio quadratic force field, scaled to fit observed infrared wavenumbers, from which were calculated corrections for the effects of vibrational averaging on distances and certain other quantities useful for the structural analysis. The results confirm that the equatorial Fe-C bonds are longer than the axial ones, an important difference with the structure in the crystal where the equatorial Fe-C bonds are the shorter. Some distance (r(g)/A) and vibrational amplitude (l(alpha)/A) parameter values with estimated 2sigma uncertainties based on assumption of D(3h) symmetry are [r(Fe-C)] = 1.829(2), r(Fe-C)(eq) - r(Fe-C)(ax) = 0.032(20), [r(C=O)] = 1.146(2), r(C=O)(eq) - r(C=O)(ax) = 0.006(27), r(Fe-C)(ax) = 1.810(16), r(Fe-C)(eq) = 1.842(11), r(C=O)(ax) = 1.142(23), r(C=O)(eq) = 1.149(16), l(Fe-C)(ax) = l(Fe-C)(eq) = 0.047(5), and l(C=O)(ax) = l(C=O)(eq) = 0.036(3).     

Molecular structure and conformational composition of 2-chloro-1-phenylethanone, ClH2C-C(=O)Ph, obtained using gas-phase electron-diffraction data and results from theoretical calculations

The structure and conformation of 2-chloro-1-phenylethanone, ClH(2)C-C(=O)Ph (phenacyl chloride), have been determined by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED), augmented by results from ab initio molecular orbital calculations, employing the second-order M?ller-Plesset (MP2) level of theory and the 6-311+G(d) basis set. The molecules may exist as a mixture of different conformers with the C-Cl bond either syn (torsion angle phi = 0 degrees ) or gauche to the carbonyl bond. At 179 degrees C, the majority of the molecules (90 +/- 11%) have the gauche conformation (phi = 112(3) degrees). Torsion is also possible about the C-Ph single bond. Both experimental and theoretical data indicated, however, that the phenyl ring is coplanar or nearly coplanar with the carbonyl group. The results for the principal distances (r(g)) and angles (angle(alpha)) for the gauche conformer from a combined GED/ab initio study (with estimated 2sigma uncertainties) are the following: r(C-C)(phenyl) = 1.394(2) (average value) A, r(C(phenyl)-C(carbonyl)) = 1.484(5) A, r(C(carbonyl)-C(alkyl)) = 1.513(5) A, r(C-Cl) = 1.790(5) A, r(C=O) = 1.218(6) A, r(C-H)(phenyl) = 1.087(9) (average value) A, r(C-H)(alkyl) = 1.090(9) A (average value), angle C(phenyl)-C=O = 119.5(9) degrees, angle C(phenyl)-C(carbonyl)-C(alkyl) = 119.2(10) degrees, angle C-C-Cl = 109.8(12) degrees, angle C(2)-C(1)-C(carbonyl) = 122.8(15) degrees, angle C-C(alkyl)-H = 111.2 degrees (ab initio value).     

Gas-phase structures of aminodifluorophosphines determined using electron diffraction data and computational techniques

The molecular structures of a family of eight aminodifluorophosphines, (PF2)NRR'(R, R' = H, CH3, SiH3, GeH3, PF2), have been redetermined using gas-phase electron diffraction data and high-level ab initio molecular-orbital calculations. The SARACEN method has allowed the application of flexible restraints, giving greater accuracy and precision of structure, while the SHRINK program has allowed curvilinear corrections for vibrational effects to be applied to intramolecular distances. The more accurate structures of these eight compounds show consistent patterns of effects attributable to the various substituents, while conformations are dominated by the requirement that adjacent phosphorus and nitrogen lone pairs of electrons should be orthogonal.     

Communication: rigorous calculation of dissociation energies (D0) of the water trimer, (H2O)3 and (D2O)3

Using a recent, full-dimensional, ab initio potential energy surface [Y. Wang, X. Huang, B. C. Shepler, B. J. Braams, and J. M. Bowman, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 094509 (2011)] together with rigorous diffusion Monte Carlo calculations of the zero-point energy of the water trimer, we report dissociation energies, D(0), to form one monomer plus the water dimer and three monomers. The calculations make use of essentially exact zero-point energies for the water trimer, dimer, and monomer, and benchmark values of the electronic dissociation energies, D(e), of the water trimer [J. A. Anderson, K. Crager, L. Fedoroff, and G. S. Tschumper, J. Chem. Phys. 121, 11023 (2004)]. The D(0) results are 3855 and 2726 cm(-1) for the 3H(2)O and H(2)O + (H(2)O)(2) dissociation channels, respectively, and 4206 and 2947 cm(-1) for 3D(2)O and D(2)O + (D(2)O)(2) dissociation channels, respectively. The results have estimated uncertainties of 20 and 30 cm(-1) for the monomer plus dimer and three monomer of dissociation channels, respectively.     

The electronic structure of 2-chloro-2′-deoxyadenosine (drug) studied by Cl-NQR spectroscopy and ab initio calculations

Electronic structure and conformation of 2-chloro-2′-deoxyadenosine (2CldAdo) and 2-chloroadenosine (2ClAde) have been studied by ³⁵Cl-NQR spectroscopy and ab initio calculations by the B3LYP/6-31G^* method.

The usefulness of NQR spectroscopy and ab initio calculations for the investigation of redistribution of electron density and structural changes in 2CldAdo and 2ClAde was assessed and a comparison of the electron distribution in the unsubstituted 2ClAde (monomer, dimer) and the substituted 2ClAdo was made.     

Equilibrium structure and torsional barrier of BH3NH3

Born-Oppenheimer equilibrium structures, r(e)(BO), of the electronic ground state of the borazane (BH3NH3) molecule of C3v point-group symmetry are computed ab initio using the CCSD(T) method with basis sets up to quintuple-zeta quality. Inclusion of the counterpoise correction and extrapolation of the structural parameters to the complete basis set limit yield a best estimate of r(e)(BO) of BH3NH3. The anharmonic force field of BH3NH3, computed at the CCSD(T) level of theory with a basis set of triple-zeta quality, allows the determination of semi-experimental equilibrium rotational constants, which in turn result in a semi-experimental equilibrium structure, r(e)(SE). The r(e)(BO) and r(e)(SE) structures are in excellent agreement, indicating the validity of the methods used for their determination. The empirical mass-dependent structure, r(m)(1), of BH3NH3 is also determined. Although it is inferior in quality to the previous two structures, it is much more accurate than the standard empirical r0 and r(s) structures reported earlier for BH3NH3. The semi-experimental r(e)(SE) as well as the empirical r(m)(1) structures determined are based on experimental ground-state rotational constants available from the literature for nine isotopologues of borazane. The effective barrier to the internal rotation of BH3NH3, a molecule isoelectronic with CH3CH3, has been computed ab initio, employing the focal-point analysis (FPA) approach, to be 699 +/- 11 cm(-1). This compares favorably with an empirical redetermination of the effective barrier based on the above r(e)(SE) structure, V3 = 718(17) cm(-1).