Theoretical prediction of new dipole-bound singlet states for anions of interstellar interest

Anions that exhibit dipole-bound singlet states have been proposed as a potential class of molecules that may be identified in the interstellar medium. Using high-level coupled cluster theory, we have computed the dipole moments, electron binding energies, and excited states of 14 neutral radicals and their corresponding closed-shell anions. We have calibrated our methods against experimental data for CH(2)CN(-) and CH(2)CHO(-) and demonstrated that coupled cluster theory can closely reproduce experimental dipole moments, electron binding energies, and excitation energies. Using these same methods, we predict the existence of dipole-bound excited states for six of the 14 previously unknown anions, including CH(2)SiN(-), SiH(2)CN(-), CH(2)SiHO(-), SiN(-), CCOH(-), and HCCO(-). In addition, we predict the existence of a valence-bound excited state of CH(2)SiN(-) with an excitation wavelength near 589 nm.     

Rydberg electron transfer to C6H5NO2: lifetimes and characteristics of the product C6H5NO2- ions

The nature of electron binding in C6H5NO2- ions produced by Rydberg electron transfer in K(np)C6H5NO2 collisions is investigated through measurements of the number and the lifetimes of the product ions and their dependence on Rydberg atom velocity and principal quantum number n in the range 12 相似文献   

Dipole-bound anions of highly polar molecules: ethylene carbonate and vinylene carbonate

Results of experimental and theoretical studies of dipole-bound negative ions of the highly polar molecules ethylene carbonate (EC, C3H4O3, mu=5.35 D) and vinylene carbonate (VC, C3H2O3, mu=4.55 D) are presented. These negative ions are prepared in Rydberg electron transfer (RET) reactions in which rubidium (Rb) atoms, excited to ns or nd Rydberg states, collide with EC or VC molecules to produce EC- or VC- ions. In both cases ions are produced only when the Rb atoms are excited to states described by a relatively narrow range of effective principal quantum numbers, n*; the greatest yields of EC- and VC- are obtained for n*(max)=9.0+/-0.5 and 11.6+/-0.5, respectively. Charge transfer from low-lying Rydberg states of Rb is characteristic of a large excess electron binding energy (Eb) of the neutral parent; employing the previously derived empirical relationship Eb=23/n*(max)(2.8) eV, the electron binding energies are estimated to be 49+/-8 meV for EC and 24+/-3 meV for VC. Electron photodetachment studies of EC- show that the excess electron is bound by 49+/-5 meV, in excellent agreement with the RET results, lending credibility to the empirical relationship between Eb and n*(max). Vertical electron affinities for EC and VC are computed employing aug-cc-pVDZ atom-centered basis sets supplemented with a (5s5p) set of diffuse Gaussian primitives to support the dipole-bound electron; at the CCSD(T) level of theory the computed electron affinities are 40.9 and 20.1 meV for EC and VC, respectively.     

Dipole-bound anions of beta-alanine: canonical and zwitterionic conformers

The remarkable stabilities of the dipole-bound anions of the canonical and zwitterionic conformers of beta-alanine are predicted at the high level of theories, in which the former is the global minimum and the latter, the anti zwitterionic anion, is the local minimum. In contrast to the dipole-bound anions of glycine, the gauche zwitterionic anion of beta-alanine is an unstable conformer. The vertical electron detachment energies for the canonical and anti zwitterionic anions are 58 and 1145 meV, respectively. The photodetachment electron spectrum of the canonical anion is theoretically simulated on the basis of the Franck-Condon factor calculations.     

Multipole-bound states of succinonitrile and other dicarbonitriles

Very recently two anionic states of succinonitrile have been observed, and these two states have been interpreted as a dipole-bound state of the gauche and a quadrupole-bound state of the anti conformer. Here we study the electron binding properties of succinonitrile using high-level ab initio methods. While the dipole-bound state can be investigated using well established approaches, studying the quadrupole-bound state is more challenging owing to the multiconfiguration character of its wave function. The standard methods typically applied to dipole-bound anions fail, and we employ direct electron propagator based and equation-of-motion coupled-cluster methods. Since there is no experience with this type of quadrupole-bound state, various basis set related and methodological aspects are examined in detail. According to our results the quadrupole moment as such plays only a minor role in binding the extra electron, whereas electron correlation effects are decisive. Our best fixed-nuclei electron binding energy is 11 meV. In view of the small binding energy the influence of the nuclear motion on the electron binding properties is examined, in particular, the torsional motion around the central carbon-carbon bond, since it is a very soft mode and the dipole and quadrupole moment depend strongly on it. Our results provide a firm basis to interpret the experimental findings and support the experimental assignments. Moreover, we discuss molecules that possess only a quadrupole-bound state, and preliminary results for dicarbonitriles of bicyclopentane and cubane are presented.     

Photoelectron imaging spectroscopy of nitroethane anions

We present low-energy velocity map photoelectron imaging results for bare and Ar solvated nitroethane anions. We report an improved value for the adiabatic electron affinity of nitroethane of (191 ± 6) meV which is used to obtain a C-NO(2) bond dissociation energy of (0.589 ± 0.019) eV in nitroethane anion. We assign a weak feature at (27 ± 5) meV electron binding energy to the dipole-bound anion state of nitroethane. Photoelectron angular distributions exhibit increasing anisotropy with increasing kinetic energies. The main contributions to the photoelectron spectrum of nitroethane anion can be assigned to the vibrational modes of the nitro group. Transitions involving torsional motion around the CN bond axis lead to strong spectral congestion. Interpretation of the photoelectron spectrum is assisted by ab initio calculations and Franck-Condon simulations.     

Coupled-cluster and explicitly correlated perturbation-theory calculations of the uracil anion

A valence-type anion of the canonical tautomer of uracil has been characterized using explicitly correlated second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (RI-MP2-R12) in conjunction with conventional coupled-cluster theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations. At this level of electron-correlation treatment and after inclusion of a zero-point vibrational energy correction, determined in the harmonic approximation at the RI-MP2 level of theory, the valence anion is adiabatically stable with respect to the neutral molecule by 40 meV. The anion is characterized by a vertical detachment energy of 0.60 eV. To obtain accurate estimates of the vertical and adiabatic electron binding energies, a scheme was applied in which electronic energy contributions from various levels of theory were added, each of them extrapolated to the corresponding basis-set limit. The MP2 basis-set limits were also evaluated using an explicitly correlated approach, and the results of these calculations are in agreement with the extrapolated values. A remarkable feature of the valence anionic state is that the adiabatic electron binding energy is positive but smaller than the adiabatic electron binding energy of the dipole-bound state.     

Ab initio study of small acetonitrile cluster anions

Ab initio electronic structure calculations have been performed for (CH(3)CN)(2) (-) and (CH(3)CN)(3) (-) cluster anions using a diffuse basis set. We found both the dipole-bound structures and internal structures, where in the former structure an excess electron is mainly distributed on the surface of the cluster while an excess electron is internally trapped in the latter configuration. The optimized structures found for cluster anions were compared to those for neutral clusters. Potential-energy surfaces were also plotted as a function of appropriate internal coordinates in order to understand the interconversions of the optimized structures of clusters. The relative stabilities of the optimized confirmers have been discussed on the basis of the characteristics of these potential surfaces, relative energies, and electron vertical detachment energies.     

Predictions of the geometries and fluorescence emission energies of oxyluciferins

The complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) method and multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) have been used to study the structures and spectra of oxyluciferins (OxyLH2). The ground and lowest-lying singlet excited states geometries have been optimized using CASSCF. CASPT2 has been used to predict relaxed emission energies. The focus is on the lowest-lying singlet excited states of the anionic keto and enol forms of OxyLH2(-1) at the optimized excited-state geometries. The planar keto and enol forms of OxyLH2(-1) are minima on both the S0 and the S1 potential energy surfaces. The twisted keto and enol forms of OxyLH2(-1) are transition states on the S0 and S1 potential energy surfaces. The S1 --> S0 fluorescence emission energies are in the range of 54.2-58.4 kcal/mol for the anionic planar keto forms of OxyLH2, and in the range of 55.7-63.2 kcal/mol for the anionic enol forms of OxyLH2. S0 and S1 potential energy surfaces and thus are not implicated in the emission spectra in the gas phase.     

Effect of excess electron and one water molecule on relative stability of the canonical and zwitterionic tautomers of glycine

The anionic and neutral complexes of glycine with water were studied at at the coupled cluster level of theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations. The most stable neutral complex has a relatively small dipole moment (1.74 D) and does not bind an electron. Other neutral complexes involve a polar conformer of canonical glycine and support dipole-bound anionic states. The most stable anion is characterized by an electron vertical detachment energy of 1576 cm(-1), in excellent agreement with the experimental result of 1573 cm(-1). The (Gly.H(2)O)(-) complex supports local minima, in which the zwitterionic glycine is stabilized by one water and one excess electron. They are, however, neither thermodynamically nor kinetically stable with respect to the dipole-bound states based on the canonical tautomers of glycine. The electron correlation contributions to excess electron binding energies are important, in particular, for nonzwitterionic complexes. Our results indicate that the condensation energies for Gly((0,-))+H(2)O-->(Gly.H(2)O)((0,-)) are larger than the adiabatic electron affinity of Gly.H(2)O. The above results imply that collisions of Gly(-) with H(2)O might effectively remove Gly(-) from the ion distribution. This might explain why formation of Gly(-) and (Gly.H(2)O)(-) is very sensitive to source conditions. We analyzed shifts in stretching mode frequencies that develop upon formation of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds and an excess electron attachment. The position of the main peak and a vibrational structure in the photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of (Gly.H(2)O)(-) are well reproduced by our theoretical results.     

Electron transfer from sodium to oriented nitromethane, CH3NO2: probing the spatial extent of unoccupied orbitals

Beams of sodium atoms with energies of a few eV are crossed with a beam of oriented CH3NO2 molecules to study the effect of collision energy and orientation on electron transfer. The electron transfer produces Na+ ions and free electrons, parent negative ions (CH)NO2-), and fragmentation ions NO2- and O- in proportions that depend on the collision energy. The steric asymmetry is very small or zero and suggests that production of all of the ions is favored by sideways attack with respect to the permanent dipole along the C-N axis. In these experiments, the electron appears to be transferred into the 2B1 state of the anion comprising mainly the pi*NO LUMO, producing a valence-bound state rather than a dipole-bound state.     

Photoelectron spectrum of valence anions of uracil and first-principles calculations of excess electron binding energies

The photoelectron spectrum (PES) of the uracil anion is reported and discussed from the perspective of quantum chemical calculations of the vertical detachment energies (VDEs) of the anions of various tautomers of uracil. The PES peak maximum is found at an electron binding energy of 2.4 eV, and the width of the main feature suggests that the parent anions are in a valence rather than a dipole-bound state. The canonical tautomer as well as four tautomers that result from proton transfer from an NH group to a C atom were investigated computationally. At the Hartree-Fock and second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory levels, the adiabatic electron affinity (AEA) and the VDE have been converged to the limit of a complete basis set to within +/-1 meV. Post-MP2 electron-correlation effects have been determined at the coupled-cluster level of theory including single, double, and noniterative triple excitations. The quantum chemical calculations suggest that the most stable valence anion of uracil is the anion of a tautomer that results from a proton transfer from N1H to C5. It is characterized by an AEA of 135 meV and a VDE of 1.38 eV. The peak maximum is as much as 1 eV larger, however, and the photoelectron intensity is only very weak at 1.38 eV. The PES does not lend support either to the valence anion of the canonical tautomer, which is the second most stable anion, and whose VDE is computed at about 0.60 eV. Agreement between the peak maximum and the computed VDE is only found for the third most stable tautomer, which shows an AEA of approximately -0.1 eV and a VDE of 2.58 eV. This tautomer results from a proton transfer from N3H to C5. The results illustrate that the characteristics of biomolecular anions are highly dependent on their tautomeric form. If indeed the third most stable anion is observed in the experiment, then it remains an open question why and how this species is formed under the given conditions.     

Excess electrons bound to small ammonia clusters

Dipole-bound anions of small water clusters (H2O) N- (N >or= 2) are well-known from experiment and theory. In contrast, the smallest ammonia cluster anion detected so far is the 13-mer (NH3)13-. Here dipole-bound states of small ammonia clusters (NH3)N- (N = 2, 3, 4) are investigated using coupled-cluster ab initio methods. The trimer is found to be the smallest ammonia cluster able to form a dipole bound state, and its vertical detachment energy is predicted to be 27 meV, somewhat smaller than that of the water dimer. For the ammonia tetramer dipole-bound states with triple-acceptor monmers are identified akin to the well-studied double-acceptor binding motif of water cluster anions. Moreover, a (NH3)6-)hexamer that has been considered as a model for a cavity-bound state is examined. Ab initio results for this system challenge the notion that an electron localized in an ammonia cavity can be thought of as a delocalized radical anion.     

Negative ions of nitroethane and its clusters

Valence and dipole-bound negative ions of the nitroethane (NE) molecule and its clusters are studied using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), Rydberg electron transfer (RET) techniques, and ab initio methods. Valence adiabatic electron affinities (EA(a)s) of NE, C(2)H(5)NO(2), and its clusters, (C(2)H(5)NO(2))(n), n=2-5, are estimated using vibrationally unresolved PES to be 0.3+/-0.2 eV (n=1), 0.9+/-0.2 eV (n=2), 1.5+/-0.2 eV (n=3), 1.9+/-0.2 eV (n=4), and 2.1+/-0.2 eV (n=5). These energies were then used to determine stepwise anion-neutral solvation energies and compared with previous literature values. Vertical detachment energies for (C(2)H(5)NO(2))(n)(-) were also measured to be 0.92+/-0.10 eV (n=1), 1.63+/-0.10 eV (n=2), 2.04+/-0.10 eV (n=3), and 2.3+/-0.1 eV (n=4). RET experiments show that Rydberg electrons can be attached to NE both as dipole-bound and valence bound anion states. The results are similar to those found for nitromethane (NM), where it was argued that the diffuse dipole state act as a "doorway state" to the more tightly bound valence anion. Using previous models for relating the maximum in the RET dependence of the Rydberg effective principle number n(max)(*), the dipole-bound electron affinity is predicted to be approximately 25 meV. However, a close examination of the RET cross section data for NE and a re-examination of such data for NM finds a much broader dependence on n(*) than is seen for RET in conventional dipole bound states and, more importantly, a pronounced [l] dependence is found in n(max)(*) (n(max)(*) increases with [l]). Ab initio calculations agree well with the experimental results apart from the vertical electron affinity value associated with the dipole bound state which is predicted to be 8 meV. Moreover, the calculations help to visualize the dramatic difference in the distributions of the excess electron for dipole-bound and valence states, and suggest that NE clusters form only anions where the excess electron localizes on a single monomer.     

Valence and dipole-bound anions of the most stable tautomers of guanine

Anionic states of guanine, which is the only nucleic acid base of which the anions have not yet been studied in either photoelectron spectroscopic (PES) or Rydberg electron transfer (RET) experiments, have been characterized for the four most stable tautomers of neutral guanine using a broad spectrum of electronic structure methods from the density functional theory, with the B3LYP exchange-correlation functional, to the coupled-cluster method, with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations. Both valence and dipole-bound anionic states were addressed. We identified some of the difficulties facing future PES or RET experiments on the anion of guanine. Even if guanine is successfully transferred to the gas phase without thermal decomposition, it is critical to have the canonical amino-oxo (G) and both amino-hydroxy (GH and GHN7H) tautomers in the beam, not only the most stable, a noncanonical, amino-oxo tautomer (GN7H), as the latter does not support an adiabatically bound anionic state. We also suggested a scheme for enrichment of gas-phase guanine with the canonical tautomer, which is not the most stable in the gas phase, but which is of main interest due to its biological relevance. The tautomers G, GN7H, and GHN7H support vertically bound valence anionic states with the CCSD(T) value of vertical detachment energy of +0.58, +0.21, and +0.39 eV, respectively. These anionic states are, however, adiabatically unbound and thus metastable. The vertical electronic stability of these valence anionic states is accompanied by serious "buckling" of the molecular skeleton. The G and GHN7H tautomers support dipole-bound states with the CCSD(T) values of adiabatic electron affinity of 65 and 36 meV, respectively. A contribution from higher-than-second-order correlation terms represents, respectively, 48 and 68% of the total vertical electron detachment energy determined at the CCSD(T) level.     

Bound anionic states of DNA and RNA nucleobases: An EOM-CCSD investigation

In this article, we have studied the bound anionic states of DNA and RNA nucleobases using the newly developed bt-PNO-EOM-CCSD method and extended basis sets. All of the five nucleobases have a single bound anionic state, which is dipole bound in nature. The electron affinity corresponding to the dipole-bound state is found to be extremely sensitive to the used basis set, and a proper agreement with the available experimental data requires a large basis set with a sufficient number of diffuse functions. Electron correlation plays a major role in stabilizing the bound anionic states of nucleobases. No valence-bound anionic states are observed for any of the nucleobases.     

Magnetic-Bottle and Velocity-Map Imaging Photoelectron Spectroscopy of APS- (A=C14H10 or Anthracene): Electron Structure,Spin-Orbit Coupling of APS·, and Dipole-Bound State of APS-

Gaseous dibenzo-7-phosphanorbornadiene P-sulfide anions APS^-(A=C₁₄H₁₀ or anthracene) were generated via electrospray ionization, and characterized by magnetic-bottle photoelectron spectroscopy, velocity-map imaging (VMI) photoelectron spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations. The electron affinity (EA) and spin-orbit (SO) splitting of the APS^· radical are determined from the photoelectron spectra and Franck-Condon factor simulations to be EA=(2.62±0.05) eV and SO splitting=(43±7) meV. VMI photoelectron images show strong and sharp peaks near the detachment threshold with an identical electron kinetic energy (eKE) of 17.9 meV at three different detachment wavelengths, which are therefore assigned to autodetachment from dipole-bound anion states. The B3LYP/6-31++G(d, p) calculations indicate APS^· has a dipole moment of 3.31 Debye, large enough to support a dipole-bound electron.     

On the unusual stability of valence anions of thymine based on very rare tautomers: A computational study

We characterized anionic states of thymine using various electronic structure methods, with the most accurate results obtained at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory followed by extrapolations to complete basis set limits. We found that the most stable anion in the gas phase is related to an imino-oxo tautomer, in which the N1H proton is transferred to the C5 atom. This valence anion, aT(c5)(nl), is characterized by an electron vertical detachment energy (VDE) of 1251 meV and it is adiabatically stable with respect to the canonical neutral nT(can) by 2.4 kcal/mol. It is also more stable than the dipole-bound (aT(dbs)(can)), and valence anion aT(val)(can) of the canonical tautomer. The VDE values for aT(dbs)(can)and T(val)(can) are 55 and 457 meV, respectively. Another, anionic, low-lying imino-oxo tautomer with a VDE of 2458 meV has a proton transferred from N3H to C5 aT(c5)(n3). It is less stable than aT(val)(can) by 3.3 kcal/mol. The mechanism of formation of anionic tautomers with the carbons C5 or C6 protonated may involve intermolecular proton transfer or dissociative electron attachment to the canonical neutral tautomer followed by a barrier-free attachment of a hydrogen atom to C5. The six-member ring structure of the anionic tautomers with carbon atoms protonated is unstable upon an excess electron detachment. Within the PCM hydration model, the low-lying valence anions become adiabatically bound with respect to the canonical neutral; becomes the most stable, being followed by aT(c5)(nl), aT(c5)(n3), aT(can), and aT(c5)(nl).     

Products of the addition of water molecules to Al3O3- clusters: structure, bonding, and electron binding energies in Al3O4H2-, Al3O5H4-, Al3O4H2, and Al3O5H4

Two stable products of reactions of water molecules with the Al3O3- cluster, Al3O4H2- and Al3O5H4-, are studied with electronic structure calculations. There are several minima with similar energies for both anions and the corresponding molecules. Dissociative absorption of a water molecule to produce an anionic cluster with hydroxide ions is thermodynamically favored over the formation of Al3O3-(H2O)n complexes. Vertical electron detachment energies of Al3O4H2- and Al3O5H4- calculated with ab initio electron propagator methods provide a quantitative interpretation of recent anion photoelectron spectra. Contrasts and similarities in these spectra may be explained in terms of the Dyson orbitals associated with each transition energy.     

Observation of dihalide elimination upon electron attachment to oxalyl chloride and oxalyl bromide, 300-550 K

Rate coefficients have been measured for electron attachment to oxalyl chloride [ClC(O)C(O)Cl] and oxalyl bromide [BrC(O)C(O)Br] in He gas at 133 Pa pressure over the temperature range of 300-550 K. With oxalyl chloride, the major ion product of attachment is Cl2(-) at all temperatures (66% at 300 K); its importance increases slightly as temperature increases. Two other product ions formed are Cl- (18% at 300 K) and the phosgene anion CCl2O- (16% at 300 K) and appear to arise from a common mechanism. With oxalyl bromide, the Br2(-) channel represents almost half of the ion product of attachment, independent of temperature. Br- accounts for the remainder. For oxalyl chloride, the attachment rate coefficient is small [(1.8 +/- 0.5) x 10(-8) cm3 s(-1) at 300 K], and increases with temperature. The attachment rate coefficient for oxalyl bromide [(1.3 +/- 0.4) x 10(-7) cm3 s(-1) at 300 K] is nearly collisional and increases only slightly with temperature. Stable parent anions C2Cl2O2(-) and C2Br2O2(-) and adduct anions Cl- (C2Cl2O2) and Br- (C2Br3O2) were observed but are not primary attachment products. G2 and G3 theories were applied to determine geometries of products and energetics of the electron attachment and ion-molecule reactions studied. Electron attachment to both oxalyl halide molecules leads to a shorter C-C bond and longer C-Cl bond in the anions formed. Trans and gauche conformers of the neutral and anionic oxalyl halide species have similar energies and are more stable than the cis conformer, which lies 100-200 meV higher in energy. For C2Cl2O2, C2Cl2O2(-), and C2Br2O2(-), the trans conformer is the most stable conformation. The calculations are ambiguous as to the oxalyl bromide geometry (trans or gauche), the result depending on the theoretical method and basis set. The cis conformers for C2Cl2O2 and C2Br2O2 are transition states. In contrast, the cis conformers of the anionic oxalyl halide molecules are stable, lying 131 meV above trans-C2Cl2O2(-) and 179 meV above trans-C2Br2O2(-). Chien et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 103, 7918 (1999)] and Kim et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 122, 234313 (2005)] found that the potential energy surface for rotation about the C-C bond in C2Cl2O2 is "extremely flat." Our computational data indicate that the analogous torsional surfaces for C2Br2O2, C2Cl2O2(-), and C2Br2O2(-) are similarly flat. The electron affinity of oxalyl chloride, oxalyl bromide, and phosgene were calculated to be 1.91 eV (G3), and 2.00 eV (G2), and 1.17 eV (G3), respectively.