Molecular structure and conformational stability of allylisocyanate—post-Hartree–Fock and density functional theory studies

The molecular structure and conformational stability of allylisocyanate (CH₂CHCH₂NCO) molecule was studied using the ab initio and DFT methods. The geometries of possible conformers, C-gauche (δ=120°, θ=0°) (δ=C=C–C–N and θ=C–C–N=C) and C-cis N-trans (δ=0° and θ=180°) were optimized employing HF/6-31G^*, MP2/6-31G^* levels of theory of ab initio and BLYP, B3LYP, BPW91 and B3PW91 methods of DFT implementing the atomic basis set 6-311+G(d,p). The structural and physical parameters of the above conformers were discussed with the experimental and theoretical values of the related molecules, methylisocyanate and 3-fluoropropene. It has been found that the N=C=O bond angle is not linear as the experimental result for both the conformers and the theoretical bond angle is 173°. The rotational potential energy surfaces have been performed at the HF/6-31G^*, and MP2/6-31G^* levels of theory. The Fourier decomposition potentials were analysed at the HF/6-31G^*, and MP2/6-31G^* levels of theory. The HF/6-31G^* level of theory predicted that the C-gauche conformer is more stable than the C-cis N-trans conformer by 0.41 kJ/mol, but the MP2 and DFT methods predicted the C-cis N-trans conformer is found to be more stable than the C-gauche conformer. The calculated chemical hardness value at the HF/6-31G^* level of theory predicted the C-cis N-trans form is more stable than C-gauche form, whereas the chemical hardness value at the MP2/6-31G^* level of theory favours the slight preference towards the C-gauge conformer.     

Mixed uranium chloride fluorides UF6-nCln and methoxyuranium fluorides UF6-n(OCH3)n: a theoretical study of equilibrium geometries,vibrational frequencies,and the role of the f orbitals

The title compounds, the uranium (VI) fluoride chlorides (UF6-nCln, n = 0-6) and methoxyuranium (VI) fluorides [UF6-n(OCH3)n, n = 0-5], have been studied using relativistic density functional theory. Applying the B3LYP hybrid functional and an effective core potential on uranium, equilibrium geometries have been calculated for these molecules. In addition, harmonic vibrational frequencies have been computed for the chloride fluorides. Calculated frequencies have been compared to experiment where possible. All experimentally observed bands have been assigned, based on these calculations. The average deviation between theoretical and experimental frequencies is 15.6 cm-1 for 23 experimental modes. Theory always underestimates the experimental frequencies. This can be explained by the calculated bond lengths that are somewhat too long. The electronic structure of the uranium (VI) chloride fluorides has been investigated using scalar relativistic calculations and the PW91 functional. Periodic trends in the role and bonding contribution of the uranium 5f orbitals are discussed.     

Quantum chemical studies on structure, conformation and isomerization of nitroso, nitro substituted benzene and 1,3-cyclopentadiene

The molecular structure, conformational stability and isomerization of nitroso, nitro substituted benzene and 1,3-cyclopentadiene in gas phase have been investigated using ab initio and density functional theory methods. The molecular geometries and energetics of possible conformers were obtained by employing MP2, B3LYP and B3PW91 levels of theory implementing 6-31G* basis set. The relative stabilities of the conformations were evaluated from the energy differences of the structure. Chemical hardness (η) and chemical potential (μ) were calculated at HF/6-31G* level of theory for all the positional and geometrical isomers to study the maximum hardness principle. Each optimized structure has been tested against the imaginary frequencies at MP2/6-31G* level of theory in order to be sure they are located at energy minimum.     

Internal rotation of fluorinated butane compounds: The maximum hardness principle and carbon-carbon rotational barriers

A density functional study of the internal rotation, about the central carbon-carbon bond, of butane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane (PFB) and perfluorobutane (PerFB), has been investigated. The bond length, torsional potential energy and hardness profiles were obtained using the B3LYP density functional method with the basis set 6-311G. The maximum hardness principle (MHP) is only verified for butane. It was also found that for butane and PerFB there is a reciprocal relationship between the central carbon-carbon bond length variations and the hardness profile, being the agreement for butane excellent. This could provide an alternative approach for studying the MHP.     

Structure and conformational stability of CH2CHCH2X (X=F, Cl and Br) molecules—post Hartree–Fock and density functional theory methods

The molecular structure and conformational stability of CH₂CHCH₂X (X=F, Cl and Br) molecules were studied using ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) methods. The molecular geometries of 3-fluoropropene were optimized employing BLYP and B3LYP levels of theory of DFT method implementing 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. The MP2/6-31G^*, BLYP and B3LYP levels of theory of ab initio and DFT methods were used to optimize the 3-chloropropene and 3-bromopropene molecules. The structural and physical parameters of the molecules are discussed with the available experimental values. The rotational potential energy surface of the above molecules were obtained at MP2/6-31G^* and B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) levels of theory. The Fourier decomposition of the rotational potentials were analyzed. The HF/6-31G^* and MP2/6-31G^* levels of theory have predicted the cis conformer as the minimum energy structure for 3-fluoropropene, which is in agreement with the experimental values, whereas the BLYP/6-311+G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) levels of theory reverses the order of conformation. The ΔE values calculated for 3-chloropropene at MP2/6-31G^*, BLYP/6-311+G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) levels of theory show that the gauche form is more stable than the cis form, which is in agreement with the experimental value. The same levels of theory have also predicted that the gauche form is stable than cis for 3-bromopropene molecule. The maximum hardness principle has been able to predict the stable conformer of 3-fluoropropene at HF/6-31G^* level of theory, but the same level of theory reverses the conformational stability of 3-chloropropene and 3-bromopropene molecules and MP2/6-31G^* level of theory predicted the stable conformer correctly.     

Ab initio study of anomeric effect in 2,2-difluoroglycine

The optimized molecular structures of seven conformations of 2,2-difluoroglycine have been obtained from ab initio calculations. For conformers in which the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen are antiperiplanar to one of the C–F bonds, that C–F bond is longer than the other C–F bond, which is synperiplanar to the lone pair of electrons. Conformers which have these features are the most stable conformers of those examined. This observation is explained in terms of an anomeric effect of the 1p(N)→σ^*(C–F). At the MP2/6-31G^* level of calculation, conformers IV and V are 21.5 and 18.7 kJ/mol, respectively, more stable than the least stable conformer, VI, which does not exhibit an anomeric effect. Conformer VII was found to be exceptionally stable, in addition to an anomeric effect, this conformer also exhibits features of a FH–O hydrogen bond.     

Molecular modeling of oxaphosphetane intermediates of wittig olefination reactions

The literature reveals that the structures of four unusual oxaphosphetanes have been established by x-ray diffraction studies, and the structure of one mythical oxaphosphetane ( 6 ) has been deduced by theoretical calculations. We have used these known structures to calibrate the MMX87 force field, the only necessary modification being the stretching term for the P-O bond. The bond length, 1_o, was set at 1.80Å, which is an “average” of the P-O axial bond distances of the stable oxaphosphetanes. The AMPAC (Ver. 1.0) molecular orbital package utilizing the MNDO hamiltonian was also applied to the same problem, starting with the minimized geometries of the modified MMX87 force field. Fixed bond lengths and full minimizations were performed. The computed geometries of the four-member ring of each of the four oxaphosphetanes of known structures were found to be in very good agreement with the values obtained by x-ray diffraction. Furthermore, the method was applied to the mythical oxaphosphetane, and the results of MMX87 and MNDO calculations were found to be in very good agreement with the results of ab initio calculations. The MMX force field and the MNDO semiempirical method have been used to calculate the geometries and the steric energies (or heats of formation) of diastereomeric oxaphosphetanes formed in a theoretically real Wittig reaction.     

Ab initio molecular orbital study of dialuminum-ethylene complexes

The geometries of the various isomeric dialuminum-ethylene complexes Al₂C₂H₄ have been optimized using the STO-3G, 3-21G^(*) and 6-31G^(**) basis sets. Vibrational frequency calculations show that only two out of the six structures examined are thermodynamically stable. Unlike the case of Li₂C₂H₄, 1,2-dialuminoethane is most stable and more ethane-like than 1,2-dilithioethane perhaps due to the larger covalent character of the C---Al bond. Besides, 1,2-dialuminoethane has been found, in contrast to ethane and 1,2-dilithioethane, to have no stable gauche conformer.     

Maximum hardness in P6 isomers

Parr and Chattaraj proposed a principle of maximum hardness for stable molecular structures. Pearson and Palke used ab initio SCF MO calculations for ammonia and ethane to demonstrate the operation of the principle. In this paper, we present ab initio SCF MO results for five isomeric forms of the homoatomic P⁶ cluster as further support for the principle of maximum hardness. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structure and stability of XeF6 isomers: density functional theory study and the maximum hardness principle

The geometrical configurations of the four possible isomers with C_3v, O_h, C_s and C_2v symmetry on the potential energy surface of the XeF₆ molecule are optimized by using DFT-LDA/NL. Their relative energies, vibration frequencies, electronic chemical potential and hardness have been calculated. It is found that the C_2v configuration has one imaginary frequency. The relative energies of the four isomers increase in order of C_3v, O_h, C_s and C_2v, and the hardness values in same order. The isomer stability obeys the maximum hardness principle (MHP), while their hardness values are very close to each other. It is quite evident that the very close hardness is the main reason for the structure fluxionality of XeF₆.     

水和甲醇混合溶剂氢键相互作用及对高分子链溶解能力的理论研究

用密度泛函理论对水和甲醇混合溶剂体系的氢键结构进行了详细研究.通过构象和频率分析发现在水团簇中五聚体和六聚体环状结构最为稳定,同时发现一个全新的特征,即甲醇分子能与水五聚体和六聚体形成双氢键.根据各相互作用的稳定化能,分析了水和甲醇混合溶剂对PNIPAM溶解能力的影响,并对实验现象给予了合理解释.     

Ab initio study of some peroxides. HOOH, CH3OOH and, CH3OOCH3

The geometries of HOOH, CH₃OOH, and CH₃OOCH₃, were optimized with different basis sets (3-21G, 6-31G^*(*) and D95^**) at different levels of theory (HF, MP2, MP4, and CI). HF/3-21G optimizations result in planar trans conformations for all three peroxides. HF/6-31G^** calculations predict skew conformations for HOOH and CH₃OOH, but a planar trans struture for CH₃OOCH₃. For the larger basis set the calculated bond lengths, especially the O-O bonds, are too short. Optimizations for HOOH including electron correlation at the MP2, MP3, MP4, CI, and CCD level improve the agreement for bond lengths and the OOH angle, but result in dihedral angles Which are too large by 3– 8°. In the case of CH₃OOCH₃, similar calculations at the MP2 and CI level predict planar trans structures instead of the experimentally observed skew conformation. On the other hand, MP4 single point calculations at MP2 optimized parameters result in a correct skew structure. For all three peroxides a computationally “economic” method, i.e., single point calculations at MP2 or MP4 level with HF/3-21G optimized parameters, result in close agreement between calculated and experimental structures.     

A computational study of adducts between atomic chlorine and carbon dioxide, carbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide

The geometries and vibrational frequencies of the adducts ClCO₂, ClCOS and ClCS₂ were derived at the Hartree-Fock (HF) 3-21G (^*) level. The C_a, structure of ClCO₂ corresponds to one C-O bond and one C=O bond. Similarly, C_a, ClCS₂ has one C-S and one C=S bond, and ClCOS has one C-S and one C-O bond. Single-point spin-projected fourth-order Møller-Plesset (MP4) 3-21G (^*) calculations at these geometries were used in bond-separation reactions to derive ΔH^o₀ for adduct formation, which is calculated to be about 39 kJ mol⁻¹ exothermic for ClCOS and ClCS₂, but about 39 kJ mol⁻¹ endothermic for ClCO₂. The C_2v structures for ClCO₂ and ClCS₂ were also characterized. The geometry of ClCS₂ has not been determined experimentally; comparison with an available measured entropy for ClCS₂ suggests that the C_2v structure is the one formed by addition of Cl to CS₂, although the energy relative to the C_a form is not reliably calculated because of instability in the HF wavefunction.     

SiOM(M=Li,Be,B,Na,Mg,Al)分子结构的DFT研究

利用Gaussian-94计算程序,B3LYP方法,6-311+G(2d)6d基组,对SiOM(M=Li,Be,B,Na,Mg,Al)诸体系的几何结构进行优化.结果表明,M既可与SiO中的Si键合,也可与O键合.第一和第二主族的SiOM体系以折线形构型为最稳定构型,而第三主族则以近直线形或直线形构型为最稳定构型.从Si-O间键长R_SiO、力常数f_SiO及自然键轨道分析可知,第一主族的SiOLi和SiONa的最稳定构型中SiO-M间的离子键成分较大,可近似看作离子键;而对SiOLi,SiOBe,SiOB和SiOMg体系的以Si为中心的构型,M-SiO间的离子键成分很小,不能看作离子键,可认为M与SiO之间存在着弱相互作用     

Tautomerism and the maximum hardness principle

Through the application of the atom–bond electronegativity equalization method (ABEEM) to the calculation of the hardnesses of more than 300 tautomers, it can be seen that the maximum hardness principle is nearly useless to account for their relative stabilities. Moreover, by calculating the energies of these tautomers with the HF, B3LYP, B3PW91, and MP2 methods at the 6‐31G, 6‐31G*, 6‐31G**, 6‐31+G**, 6‐311G**, or 6‐311++G** level, it is found that all these methods may not be always reliable in predicting their relative stabilities. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006     

Are neutral oxocarbons stable?

A set of novel oligomeric polycyclic neutral oxocarbons has been computed at the B3LYP level of density functional theory. On the basis of the calculated dissociation enthalpies, the most stable structures are C(9)O(9) and C(12)O(12) with benzene-like central ring, in agreement with the experimental finding, and the enhanced stability is due to their aromaticity. Several other oxocarbons also have been identified as stable and are targets for further experimental investigations.     

(Al16Ti)n± (n=0-3)离子团簇中Ti原子对电子结构及其与H2O分子相互作用的显著影响

用密度泛函理论结合全电子自旋极化方法构建并优化出了最稳定的(Al₁₆Ti)^n± (n=0-3)离子团簇, 研究了其几何结构、稳定性和电子结构. 同时研究了水分子在(Al₁₆Ti)^n± (n=0-3)离子团簇表面的吸附结构和吸附能. 研究结果与纯(Al₁₇Ti)^n± (n=0-3)离子团簇的电子结构及其与H₂O分子的相互作用规律做了对比. 通过电子最高占据轨道和最低空轨道的空间分布, 发现大部分的活性电子占据在Ti 原子位置, 少量电子根据曲率从大到小的顺序依次占据. 通过分析最稳定的(Al₁₆TiH₂O)^n± (n=0-3)吸附化合物的几何结构可以看出, 水分子都倾向于吸附在Ti原子上, 并且为亲氧吸附. 在所有的吸附化合物中, (Al₁₆TiH₂O)⁺具有最短的平均O―H键长, 比孤立H₂O分子中的O―H键约长0.0003 nm, 然后随着电子数的增加或减少, O―H键都会进一步被拉长. 研究结果表明, Al 团簇离子中Ti 原子的掺杂可以有效提高H₂O分子的解离效率. 另外, 在金属团簇的几何结构效应与杂质效应共同出现时, 杂质的影响占据了主导地位.     

Quantum chemical studies on molecular structural conformations and hydrated forms of salicylamide and O‐hydroxybenzoyl cyanide

Ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) methods have been employed to study the molecular structural conformations and hydrated forms of both salicylamide (SAM) and O‐hydroxybenzoyl cyanide (OHBC). Molecular geometries and energetics have been obtained in the gaseous phase by employing the Møller–Plesset type 2 MP2/6‐311G(2d,2p) and B3LYP/6‐311G(2d,2p) levels of theory. The presence of an electron‐releasing group (SAM) leads to an increase in the energy of the molecular system, while the presence of an electron‐withdrawing group (OHBC) drastically decreases the energy. Chemical reactivity parameters (η and μ) have been calculated using the energy values of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) obtained at the Hartree–Fock (HF)/6‐311G(2d,2p) level of theory for all the conformers and the principle of maximum hardness (MHP) has been tested. The condensed Fukui functions have been calculated using the atomic charges obtained through the natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis scheme for all the optimized structures at the B3LYP/6‐311G(2d,2p) level of theory, and the most reactive sites of the molecules have been identified. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies have been carried out at the B3LYP/6‐311G(2d,2p) level of theory for all the conformers in the gaseous phase on the basis of the method of Cheeseman and coworkers. The calculated chemical shift values have been used to discuss the delocalization activity of the electron clouds. The dimeric structures of the most stable conformers of both SAM and OHBC in the gaseous phase have been optimized at the B3LYP/6‐311G(2d,2p) level of theory, and the interaction energies have been calculated. The most stable conformers of both compounds bear an intramolecular hydrogen bond, which gives rise to the formation of a pseudo‐aromatic ring. These conformers have been allowed to interact with the water molecule. Special emphasis has been given to analysis of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds of the hydrated conformers. Self‐consistent reaction field (SCRF) theory has been employed to optimize all the conformers in the aqueous phase (ε = 78.39) at the B3LYP/6‐311G(2d,2p) level of theory, and the solvent effect has been studied. Vibrational frequency analysis has been performed for all the optimized structures at MP2/6‐311G(2d,2p) level of theory, and the stationary points corresponding to local minima without imaginary frequencies have been obtained for all the molecular structures. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005     

Density functional calculations of Ni5 and Ni6 clusters

Density functional calculations on the electronic structure and magnetic properties of Ni₅ and Ni₆ clusters are presented in this work. The geometry and spin state of clusters are optimized for several starting symmetries. Moreover, those calculations are followed by a vibrational analysis to discriminate between real minima and saddle-points on the potential energy surface of clusters. Equilibrium geometries, electronic configurations, binding energies, magnetic moments, and harmonic frequencies of stable Ni₅ and Ni₆ clusters are reported.