DFT study on the unsaturated germylenoid H2CGeNaF

The unsaturated germylenoid H₂CGeNaF was studied by using the DFT B3LYP method in conjunction with the 6-311+G(d, p) basis set. Geometry optimization calculations indicate that H₂CGeNaF has three equilibrium configurations, in which the p-complex is the lowest in energy and is the most stable structure. Two transition states for isomerization reactions of H₂CGeNaF are located and the energy barriers are calculated. For the most stable one, vibrational frequencies and infrared intensities have been predicted.     

Intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the binary mixture [(C2H5)2CO + CH3OH] probed by polarized Raman measurements and DFT calculations

The Raman spectra of neat (C₂H₅)₂CO (pentanone) and its binary mixtures with hydrogen donor solvent (CH₃OH), [(C₂H₅)₂CO + CH₃OH] having different mole fractions of the reference system, (C₂H₅)₂CO in the range 0.1-0.9 at a regular interval of 0.1 were recorded in the CO stretching region. In neat liquid, the Raman peak appears asymmetric. The asymmetric nature of the peak has been attributed to the CO stretching mode of the two conformers of (C₂H₅)₂CO having C₂ and C_2v point groups and the corresponding bands at ∼1711 and ∼1718 cm⁻¹, respectively. A careful analysis of the I_iso (isotropic component of the Raman scattered intensity) at different concentrations reveals that upon dilution with methanol, at mole fraction C = 0.6, an additional peak in the CO stretching region is observed at ∼1703 cm⁻¹ which is attributed to the hydrogen bonding with methanol. A peculiar feature in this study is that upon dilution, the peak at ∼1718 cm⁻¹ shows a minimum at C = 0.6, but on further dilution it shows a blue shift. However, the other peak at ∼1711 cm⁻¹ shows a continuous red shift with dilution as well as a maximum at C = 0.7 in the linewidth vs. concentration plot, which is essentially due to competition between motional narrowing and diffusion phenomena. A significant amount of narrowing in the Raman band at ∼1718 cm⁻¹ can be understood in terms of caging effect of the reference molecule by the solvent molecules at high dilution. A density functional theoretic (DFT) calculation on optimized geometries and vibrational frequencies of two conformers of neat (C₂H₅)₂CO in C₂ ad C_2v forms and the complexes with one and two CH₃OH molecules with both the conformers was performed. The experimental results and theoretical calculations together indicate a co-existence of two conformers as well as hydrogen bonded complex with methanol in the binary mixture, [(C₂H₅)₂CO + CH₃OH] at intermediate concentrations.     

Argon matrix effect on the geometry and infrared spectrum of H2CMH2 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf): A theoretical study

Within the framework of polarizable continuum model with integral equation formalism (IEF-PCM), an argon matrix effect on the geometry and infrared frequencies of the agostic H₂CMH₂ (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) methylidene complexes was investigated at B3LYP level of theory with the 6-311++G(3df,3pd) basis set for C, H, and Ti atoms and Stuttgart/Dresden ECPs MWB28 and MWB60 for the Zr and Hf atoms. At the B3LYP/IEF-PCM level of theory, H₂CTiH₂ was optimized to an energy minimum having a pyramidal structure. The calculated dipole moment of this structure is 3.06 D. The B3LYP/IEF-PCM simulations gave the three complexes’ agostic angle ∠HCM (°), distance r(H?M) (Å), and CM bond length r(CM) (Å) as follows: ∠HCTi = 87.4, r(H?Ti) = 2.079, r(CTi) = 1.803; ∠HCZr = 89.3, r(H?Zr) = 2.243, r(CZr) = 1.956; ∠HCHf = 94.7, r(H?Hf) = 2.343, r(CHf) = 1.972. As a comparison, the B3LYP simulations gave the values as follows: ∠HCTi = 91.5, r(H?Ti) = 2.150, r(CTi) = 1.811; ∠HCZr = 92.9, r(H?Zr) = 2.299, r(CZr) = 1.955; ∠HCHf = 95.6, r(H?Hf) = 2.352, r(CHf) = 1.967. As far as the MH₂ symmetric and asymmetric stretching and CH₂ wagging frequencies are concerned, the IEF-PCM calculated values are in better agreement with the experimental argon matrix ones than those calculated based on a gas phase model.     

Theoretical studies on the imine germylenoid HNGeNaF and its insertion reaction with R-H (R = F, OH, NH2, CH3)

The geometries and isomerization of the imine germylenoid HNGeNaF as well as its insertion reactions with R-H (R = F, OH, NH₂, CH₃) have been systematically investigated at the B3LYP/6-311+G^∗ level of theory. The potential barriers of the four insertion reactions are 117.2, 172.6, 219.7, and 322.3 kJ/mol, respectively. Here, all the mechanisms of the four reactions are identical to each other, i.e., an intermediate has been formed first during the insertion reaction. Then, the intermediate could dissociate into the substituted germylene (HNGeHR) and NaF with a barrier corresponding to their respective dissociation energies. Correspondingly, the reaction energies for the four reactions are 185.0, 208.1, 224.4, and 266.9 kJ/mol, respectively, which are linearly correlated with the calculated barrier heights. Compared with the insertion reaction of HNGe: and R-H, the introduction of NaF makes the insertion reaction occur easily though it is more difficult to proceed than that of insertion reaction between H₂GeNaF and R-H. Furthermore, the effects of halogen (F, Cl, Br) substitution and inorganic salts employed on the reaction activity have also been discussed. As a result, the relative reactivity among the four insertion reactions should be as follows: H-F > H-OH > H-NH₂ > H-CH₃.     

Ruthenium carbene complexes containing bidentate and tridentate PO ligands

Treatment of [Ru(CHR)Cl₂(PCy₃)₂] (Cy = cyclohexyl) with Tl[N(Pr₂ⁱPO)₂] and AgL_OEt (L_OEt⁻ = [CpCo{P(O)(OEt)₂}₃]⁻) afforded the Ru carbene complexes [Ru(CHPh)(PCy₃)Cl{N(Pr₂ⁱPO)₂}] (1) and [L_OEtRu(CHR)(PCy₃)Cl] (2), respectively. Chloride abstraction of complex 2 with TlPF₆ in MeCN afforded [L_OEtRu(CHPh)(PCy₃)(MeCN)][PF₆] (3). Complexes 1 and 2 are capable of catalyzing ring-closing metathesis of diethyl 1,2-diallylmalonate. The crystal structure of complex 2 has been determined.     

Effects of dipole interaction and solvation on the CO stretching band of N,N-dimethylacetamide in nonpolar solutions: Infrared, isotropic and anisotropic Raman measurements

The concentration dependence of the CO stretching (ν_CO) band of N,N-dimethylacetamide (NdMA) in cyclohexane, n-hexane, and CCl₄ has been investigated by infrared (IR) and polarized Raman spectroscopy. For the neat liquid of NdMA, the noncoincidence of the aniso- and isotropic Raman wavenumbers is evident. In the 0.47 M cyclohexane solution of NdMA, the noncoincidence effect almost disappears and the ν_CO envelopes in both the Raman and IR spectra are asymmetric to the low-wavenumber side. When the concentration of NdMA decreases from 0.33 to 0.023 M, the peak of these bands slightly shifts to a higher wavenumber and the band shape becomes symmetric. The shape of the ν_CO envelope does not show any significant change below 0.023 M. These results suggest that the asymmetric shape of the ν_CO band observed for the 0.33 M cyclohexane solution is associated with the intermolecular interaction among NdMA molecules, which vanishes at around 0.02 M. Spectral changes for the CCl₄ solution of NdMA show a similar tendency. However, the shape and peak wavenumber of the ν_CO band observed in a highly diluted CCl₄ solution (≤0.023 M) indicate that the solvation effect of CCl₄ is more complicated than those of cyclohexane and n-hexane. The analyses of the ν_CO band, which is sensitive to the intermolecular interaction between solutes and between solute and solvent for NdMA dissolved in nonpolar solvents, would serve to clarify the electronic property of the molecule in a solution.