Ab initio potential energy surface and intermolecular vibrations of the naphthalene-argon van der Waals complex

The intermolecular potential energy surface (PES) of the naphthalene-argon (NpAr) complex is constructed using an ab initio method. The molecule-argon interaction energy is computed at the level of the second-order M?ller-Plesset (MP2) theory combined with the augmented correlation consistent polarized valence double-ζ basis set. The analytical PES fitted to a large set of single energy values is further improved with the help of correction functions determined by calculations of the interaction energy at the coupled cluster level including single and double excitations supplemented by triple excitations performed for a limited set of intermolecular configurations. The PES determined is very flat near its four equivalent global minima of -493 cm(-1) located from both sides of the Np plane at a distance of 3.435 A? and shifted from the center of Np by ±0.43 A? along its long symmetry axis. The large-amplitude motion of Ar in the complex is investigated, and dynamical consequence of a strong intermode coupling is discovered in the excited vibrational states. The theoretical results obtained allow for the reassignment of the spectral bands observed in the electronic transition S(1) ← S(0) of the NpAr complex.     

Tailoring the key in a molecular lock-and-key model system: the propylene oxide...2-fluoroethanol complex

The conformational isomerism of the propylene oxide (PO)...2-fluoroethanol (FE) complex has been investigated using molecular beam Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy complemented with high level ab initio calculations. Rotational transitions of three different binary conformers have been observed experimentally. On the basis of the agreement of the experimental and calculated rotational constants, they could be identified as the three most stable structures, anti G-g+, anti G+g-, and syn G+g-. All the observed structures exhibit a primary O-H...O hydrogen bond, an intramolecular O-H...F hydrogen bond and two secondary intermolecular C-H...F contacts. The two anti conformers, with FE and the PO methyl group on the opposite sides of the oxirane ring, show higher abundances than the syn conformer. In all three observed conformers, FE remains approximately in its favorable compact gauche conformation. The monofluorination of the molecular lock-and-key model system PO...ethanol increases not only the number of possible binary conformers, but also the discrimination energy among them. The superior discrimination ability of FE as compared to ethanol classifies it as a tailored key to the PO lock.     

Ab initio and analytic intermolecular potentials for Ar-CH(3)OH

Ab initio calculations at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory were used to characterize the Ar-CH(3)OH intermolecular potential energy surface (PES). Potential energy curves were calculated for four different Ar + CH(3)OH orientations and used to derive an analytic function for the intermolecular PES. A sum of Ar-C, Ar-O, Ar-H(C), and Ar-H(O) two-body potentials gives an excellent fit to these potential energy curves up to 100 kcal mol(-1), and adding an additional r(-n) term to the Buckingham two-body potential results in only a minor improvement in the fit. Three Ar-CH(3)OH van der Waals minima were found from the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ calculations. The structure of the global minimum is in overall good agreement with experiment (X.-C. Tan, L. Sun and R. L. Kuczkowski, J. Mol. Spectrosc., 1995, 171, 248). It is T-shaped with the hydroxyl H-atom syn with respect to Ar. Extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit, the global minimum has a well depth of 0.72 kcal mol(-1) with basis set superposition error (BSSE) correction. The aug-cc-pVTZ basis set gives a well depth only 0.10 kcal mol(-1) smaller than this value. The well depths of the other two minima are within 0.16 kcal mol(-1) of the global minimum. The analytic Ar-CH(3)OH intermolecular potential also identifies these three minima as the only van der Waals minima and the structures predicted by the analytic potential are similar to the ab initio structures. The analytic potential identifies the same global minimum and the predicted well depths for the minima are within 0.05 kcal mol(-1) of the ab initio values. Combining this Ar-CH(3)OH intermolecular potential with a potential for a OH-terminated alkylthiolate self-assembled monolayer surface (i.e., HO-SAM) provides a potential to model Ar + HO-SAM collisions.     

Wave function delocalization and large-amplitude vibrations of helium on corrugated aromatic microsurfaces: tetracene.He and pentacene.He van der Waals complexes

We report accurate quantum three-dimensional calculations of highly excited intermolecular vibrational states of the van der Waals (vdW) complexes tetracene.He and pentacene.He in the S1 excited electronic state. The aromatic molecules were taken to be rigid and the intermolecular potential energy surfaces (IPESs) were modeled as a sum of atom-atom Lennard-Jones pair potentials. The IPESs are corrugated in the direction of the long (x) axis of the aromatic molecules, due to the presence of the symmetrically equivalent global double minimum for tetracene.He, and a triple minimum (central global minimum and two equivalent local minima) for pentacene.He, on each side of the aromatic plane. Both IPESs have two additional minor equivalent local minima further away from the center of the molecule. The vdW vibrational states analyzed in this work cover about 80% of the well depths of the IPESs. The mode coupling is generally weak for those states whose out-of-plane (z) mode is unexcited. However, the z-mode fundamental is strongly coupled to the short-axis (y) in-plane mode, so that the pure z-mode excitation could not be identified. The He atom exhibits large in-plane spatial delocalizaton already in the ground vdW vibrational state, which increases rapidly upon the excitation of the in-plane x and y modes, with little hindrance by the corrugation of the aromatic microsurfaces. For the vdW vibrational energies considered, the He atom spatial delocalization reaches Deltax and Deltay values of approximately 5 and 4 A, respectively, and is limited only by the finite size of the aromatic substrates. Side-crossing delocalization of the wave functions on both sides of the molecular plane is found at excitation energies >30 cm(-1), giving rise to the energy splittings of the pairs of states symmetric/antisymmetric with respect to the aromatic plane; the splittings show strong vdW vibrational mode specificity.     

Laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy of van der Waals complexes of aniline with N2, H2, and CH4 formed in a supersonic free jet

The laser induced fluorescence spectra for the Ã(¹B₂)X̃(¹A₁) transition of van der Waals (vdW) complexes of aniline with N₂, H₂, and CH₄ have been observed. Based on the analysis of the rotational structure of the spectra, it is suggested that two vdW conformers exist for the N₂aniline complex though only one conformer is identified for the other complexes. In the electronically excited state of the CH₄aniline complex, energy level splittings are observed and attributed to the intramolecular rotation of CH₄.     

The p-difluorobenzene-argon S1 excited state intermolecular potential energy surface

The first excited state (S1) intermolecular potential energy surface for the p-difluorobenzene-Ar van der Waals complex is evaluated using the coupled-cluster method and the augmented correlation consistent polarized valence double-zeta basis set extended with a set of 3s3p2d1f1g midbond functions. In order to calculate the S1 interaction energies we use the ground state surface evaluated with the same basis set and the coupled-cluster singles and doubles [CCSD] including connected triple excitations [CCSD(T)] model, and interaction and excitation energies evaluated at the CCSD level. The surface minima are characterized by the Ar atom located above and below the p-difluorobenzene center of mass at a distance of 3.4736 A. The corresponding interaction energy is -435.233 cm-1. The surface is used in the evaluation of the intermolecular level structure of the complex.     

An ab initio correlated study of the potential energy surface for the HOBr.H2O complex

The potential energy surface (PES) for the HOBr.H(2)O complex has been investigated using second- and fourth-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2, MP4) and coupled cluster theory with single and doubles excitations (CCSD), and a perturbative approximation of triple excitations (CCSD-T), correlated ab initio levels of theory employing basis sets of triple zeta quality with polarization and diffuse functions up to the 6-311++G(3dp,3df ) standard Pople's basis set. Six stationary points being three minima, two first-order transition state (TS) structures and one second-order TS were located on the PES. The global minimum syn and the anti equilibrium structure are virtually degenerated [DeltaE(ele-nuc) approximately 0.3 kcal mol(-1), CCSD-T/6-311++G(3df,3pd) value], with the third minima being approximately 4 kcal mol(-1) away. IRC analysis was performed to confirm the correct connectivity of the two first-order TS structures. The CCSD-T/6-311++G(3df,3pd)//MP2/6-311G(d,p) barrier for the syn<-->anti interconversion is 0.3 kcal mol(-1), indicating that a mixture of the syn and anti forms of the HOBr.H(2)O complex is likely to exist.     

Inversion of two-dimensional potentials from frequency-resolved spectroscopic data

We report the first successful reconstruction of two-dimensional potential energy surfaces (PES) using the magnitudes and positions of a set of frequency-resolved fluorescence (or absorption) lines. The inversion proceeds by first extracting the phases of the transition-dipole matrix elements, yielding, together with the (ground) PES to (from) which emission (absorption) occurs, a point by point reconstruction of the two-dimensional excited state PES. The inversion procedure is highly accurate even for PES with multiple minima and many missing lines, with typical RMS errors <0.002 cm(-1) in the classically allowed region and <0.018 cm(-1) in the classically forbidden region.     

Stacking interactions between nitrogen-containing six-membered heterocyclic aromatic rings and substituted benzene: studies in solution and in the solid state

The stacking interactions between an aromatic ring and a pyridine or a pyrimidine ring are studied by using a series of triptycene-derived scaffolds. The indicative ratios of the syn and anti conformers were determined by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy. The syn conformer aligns the attached aromatic ring and the heterocycle in a parallel-displaced orientation while the anti conformer sets the two rings apart from each other. Comparing to the corresponding control compounds where a benzene ring is in the position of the heterocycle, higher attractive interactions are observed as indicated by the higher syn/anti ratios. In general, the attractive interactions are much less sensitive to the substituent effects than the corresponding nonheterocycles. The greatest attractive interactions were observed between a pyrimidine ring and a N,N-dimethylaminobenzene, consistent with a predominant donor-acceptor interaction. The interactions between a pyridine ring and a substituted benzene ring show that the pyridine is comparable to that of a NO2- or a CN-substituted benzene ring except for the unpredictable substituent effects.     

Potential energy surface, van der Waals motions, and vibronic transitions in phenol-argon complex

The structure and intermolecular vibrational energy levels of the phenol-Ar complex are calculated from its potential energy surface. This surface is constructed from a large set of the interaction energy values computed using second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory with the augmented correlation consistent polarized valence double-zeta basis set. The global minimum in the potential energy surface corresponds to a cluster structure with Ar located over the geometric center of the phenol ring at a distance of 3.510 A and shifted by 0.1355 A towards oxygen. The calculated dissociation energy of 371 cm(-1) is in accordance with the experiment. Additional local minima higher in energy are with Ar placed in the phenol plane. However, they are too shallow to form the bound states corresponding to planar isomers. The deformation of the potential energy surface shape, created by the interaction of Ar with the phenolic oxygen, is responsible for a pronounced intermode mixing. As a result, a set of hybrid stretching-bending states appears which cannot be described in terms of the standard models. The intermode coupling is reflected in the vibronic structure of the S1-S0 electronic transition. The intensities of the vibronic bands are calculated from the electronic transition dipole moment surfaces determined using the ab initio single-excitation configuration interaction method. They allow us to correct and complete the assignment of the spectra observed in phenol-Ar, as well as in the analogous complexes of phenol with Kr and Xe.     

The fluorobenzene-argon S(1) excited-state intermolecular potential energy surface

We evaluate the first excited-state (S1) intermolecular potential energy surface for the fluorobenzene-Ar van der Waals complex using the coupled cluster method and the augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence double-zeta basis set extended with a set of 3s3p2d1f1g midbond functions. To calculate the S(1) interaction energies, we use ground-state interaction energies evaluated with the same basis set and the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) including connected triple excitations [CCSD(T)] model and interaction and excitation energies evaluated at the CCSD level. The surface minima are characterized by the Ar atom located above and below the fluorobenzene ring at a distance of 3.5060 A with respect to the fluorobenzene center of mass and at an angle of 5.89 degrees with respect to the axis perpendicular to the fluorobenzene plane. The corresponding interaction energy is -425.226 cm(-1). The surface is used in the evaluation of the intermolecular level structure of the complex, and the results are compared to the experimental data available and to those found in previous theoretical papers on ground-state potentials for similar complexes.     

Experimental and Theoretical Charge Density Study on Di‐2‐pyrazylamine (Hdpza) Molecule in Crystal

Electron density distribution of Di‐2‐pyrazylamine ( Hdpza ) is studied both by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction method at 100K and theoretical calculation. Structural determination reveals that Hdpza molecules crystalize in a syn‐anti conformation with an intramolecular C? H?N hydrogen bond between two pyrazine rings and then gather together via two intermolecular N? H?N and C? H?N hydrogen interaction and π? π stacking interaction between pyrazine rings. Charge density analysis is made in terms of deformation density (Δπ), Laplacian distribution and topological analysis of total electron density based on multipole model and theoretical calculation. The agreement between experiment and theory is good. The topological properties at bond critical points of C? C and C? N bonds reveal a covalent bond character, and those of intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds and π? π stacking interactions, reveal a closed‐shell interaction. The potential energy curve of Hdpza molecule shows that the syn‐anti conformation is the most stable one (global minima) than the other two of syn‐syn and anti‐anti conformations.     

Conformational preferences and internal rotation in alkyl- and phenyl-substituted thiourea derivatives

Potential energy surfaces (PES) for rotation about the N-C(sp(3)) or N-C(aryl) bond and energies of stationary points on PES for rotation about the C(sp(2))-N bond are reported for methylthiourea, ethylthiourea, isopropylthiourea, tert-butylthiourea, and phenylurea, using the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ method. Analysis of alkylthioureas shows that conformations, with alkyl groups cis to the sulfur atom, are more stable (by 0.4-1.5 kcal/mol) than the trans forms. All minima adopt anti configurations with respect to nitrogen pyramidalization, whereas syn configurations are not stationary points on the MP2 potential surface. In contrast, analysis of phenylthiourea reveals that a trans isomer in a syn geometry is the global minimum, whereas a cis isomer in an anti geometry is a local minimum with a relative energy of 2.7 kcal/mol. Rotation about the C(sp(2))-N bond in alkyl and phenyl thioureas is slightly more hindered (9.1-10.2 kcal/mol) than the analogous motion in the unsubstituted molecule (8.6 kcal/mol). The maximum barriers to rotation for the methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, tert-butyl, and phenyl substituents are predicted to be 1.2, 8.9, 8.6, 5.3, and 0.9 kcal/mol, respectively. Corresponding PESs are consistent with the experimental dihedral angle distribution observed in crystal structures. The results of the electronic structure calculations are used to benchmark the performance of the MMFF94 force field. Systematic discrepancies between MMFF94 and MP2 results were improved by modification of selected torsion parameters and one of the van der Waals parameters for sulfur.     

Ar n HF van der Waals clusters revisited. I. New low-energy isomeric structures for n=6-13

New low-lying isomeric structures of Ar(n)HF clusters are reported for n=6-13. They were determined using simulated annealing and evolutionary programming, for pairwise additive intermolecular potential energy surfaces. New global minima were found for the clusters with n=7, 10, 11. The new lowest-energy structure of Ar(7)HF and several new local minima for n=6, 7 clusters have the HF bound on a threefold surface site, consistent with the recent spectroscopic data for Ar(n)HF clusters in helium nanodroplets. A new type of low-energy local minima were determined for n=9-13 clusters.     

Theoretical studies of the N2O van der Waals dimer: ab initio potential energy surface, intermolecular vibrations and rotational transition frequencies

Theoretical studies of the potential energy surface and bound states were performed for the N(2)O dimer. A four-dimensional intermolecular potential energy surface (PES) was constructed at the CCSD(T) level with aug-cc-pVTZ basis set supplemented with bond functions. Three co-planar local minima were found on this surface. They correspond to a nonpolar isomer with slipped-antiparallel planar structure and two equivalent polar isomers with slipped-parallel planar structures. The nonpolar isomer is energetically more stable than the polar ones by 162 cm(-1). To assign the fundamental vibrational frequencies for both isomers, more than 150 vibrational bound states were calculated based on this PES. The orientation of the nodal surface of the wave functions plays an important role in the assignment of disrotation and conrotation vibrational modes. The calculated vibrational frequencies are in good agreement with the available experimental data. We have also found a quantum tunneling effect between the two equivalent polar structures in the higher vibrational excited states. Rotational transition frequencies of the polar structure were also calculated. The accuracy of the PES is validated by the good agreement between theoretical and experimental results for the transition frequencies and spectroscopic parameters.     

Ab initio ground state phenylacetylene-argon intermolecular potential energy surface and rovibrational spectrum

We evaluate the phenylacetylene-argon intermolecular potential energy surface by fitting a representative number of ab initio interaction energies to an analytic function. These energies are calculated at a grid of intermolecular geometries, using the CCSD(T) method and the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set extended with a series of 3s3p2d1f1g midbond functions. The potential is characterized by two equivalent global minima where the Ar atom is located above and below the phenylacetylene plane at a distance of 3.5781 A? from the molecular center of mass and at an angle of 9.08° with respect to the axis perpendicular to the phenylacetylene plane and containing the center of mass. The calculated interaction energy is -418.9 cm(-1). To check further the potential, we obtain the rovibrational spectrum of the complex and the results are compared to the available experimental data.     

Chlorodifluoroacetyl cyanide, ClF2CC(O)CN: synthesis, structure, and spectroscopic characterization

The novel molecule difluorochloroacetyl cyanide, ClF(2)CC(O)CN, has been characterized by IR (gas phase, Ar matrix), Raman (liquid), (19)F and (13)C NMR, and photoelectron (PES) spectroscopies; photoionization mass spectrometry (PIMS); and gas electron diffraction (GED). The conformational properties of ClF(2)CC(O)CN have been studied by joint application of vibrational spectroscopy, GED, and quantum chemical calculations. The existence of two conformers is detected in the gas and liquid phases, in which the C-Cl bond adopts gauche and syn orientations with respect to the C═O group. The computed enthalpy difference is in harmony with the experimental results of the gauche being more stable than the syn conformer by ΔH° = 1.3 kcal mol(-1) (MP2/cc-pVTZ). The valence electronic properties and the possible ionization and dissociation processes of the title compound are studied using the PES and PIMS. The experimental first vertical ionization energy of 12.0 eV corresponds to the ejection of an electron of the oxygen lone pairs. Taking into account the properties and broad applications of acyl cyanides, ClF(2)CC(O)CN is a promising new precursor in preparative chemistry.     

Ab initio calculations, potential representation and vibrational dynamics of He2Br2 van der Waals complex

An intermolecular potential energy surface for He(2)Br(2) complex in the ground state is calculated at the levels of fourth-order (MP4) Moller-Plesset and coupled-cluster [CCSD(T)] approximations, using large-core pseudopotential for Br atoms and the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set for He. The surface is characterized by three minima and the minimum energy pathways through them. The global minimum corresponds to a linear He-Br(2)-He configuration, while the two other ones to "police-nightstick" and tetrahedral structures. The corresponding well depths are -90.39/-89.18, -81.23/-80.78 and -74.40/-74.02 cm(-1), respectively, at MP4/CCSD(T) levels of theory. It is found that results obtained by summing three-body parametrized HeBr(2) interactions and the He-He interaction are in very good accord with the corresponding MP4/CSSD(T) configuration energies of the He(2)Br(2). Variational calculations using a sum of three-body interactions are presented to study the bound states of the vdW He(2)Br(2) complex. The binding energy D(0) and the corresponding vibrationally averaged structure are determined for different isomers of the cluster and their comparison with the available experimental data is discussed.     

Conformational analysis of methylphenidate: comparison of molecular orbital and molecular mechanics methods

Summary Methylphenidate (MP) binds to the cocaine binding site on the dopamine transporter and inhibits reuptake of dopamine, but does not appear to have the same abuse potential as cocaine. This study, part of a comprehensive effort to identify a drug treatment for cocaine abuse, investigates the effect of choice of calculation technique and of solvent model on the conformational potential energy surface (PES) of MP and a rigid methylphenidate (RMP) analogue which exhibits the same dopamine transporter binding affinity as MP. Conformational analysis was carried out by the AM1 and AM1/SM5.4 semiempirical molecular orbital methods, a molecular mechanics method (Tripos force field with the dielectric set equal to that of vacuum or water) and the HF/6-31G* molecular orbital method in vacuum phase. Although all three methods differ somewhat in the local details of the PES, the general trends are the same for neutral and protonated MP. In vacuum phase, protonation has a distinctive effect in decreasing the regions of space available to the local conformational minima. Solvent has little effect on the PES of the neutral molecule and tends to stabilize the protonated species. The random search (RS) conformational analysis technique using the Tripos force field was found to be capable of locating the minima found by the molecular orbital methods using systematic grid search. This suggests that the RS/Tripos force field/vacuum phase protocol is a reasonable choice for locating the local minima of MP. However, the Tripos force field gave significantly larger phenyl ring rotational barriers than the molecular orbital methods for MP and RMP. For both the neutral and protonated cases, all three methods found the phenyl ring rotational barriers for the RMP conformers/invertamers (denoted as cte, tte, and cta) to be: cte, tte> MP > cta. Solvation has negligible effect on the phenyl ring rotational barrier of RMP. The B3LYP/6-31G* density functional method was used to calculate the phenyl ring rotational barrier for neutral MP and gave results very similar to those of the HF/6-31G* method.