A density functional theory study of the conformational properties of 1,2-ethanediamine: protonation and solvent effects

 The structures and the conformational energies of nonprotonated, monoprotonated and diprotonated 1,2-ethanediamine have been investigated through density functional theory. The relative performance of local and gradient-corrected functionals is discussed. The existence of hydrogen-bond formation has been determined with electron localisation function calculations. Proton affinities for nonprotonated and monoprotonated 1,2-ethanediamine have been calculated and are in agreement with experimental data. The influence of solvation has been accounted for through the self-consistent isodensity polarisable continuum model. The results for the nonprotonated conformers show that solvation stabilises those conformers which have the lone pair in an antiperiplanar conformation. Solvation of the monoprotonated conformer stabilises significantly the “anti” conformation, which is unstable in the gas phase. For the di-protonated species, solvation stabilises slightly the gauche conformer, which is unstable in the gas phase. Received: 28 September 1999 / Accepted: 2 May 2000 / Published online: 27 September 2000     

Conformational analysis of cinnamanilides

The conformational analysis of cinnamanilides has been carried out using IR spectroscopy. All the anilides studied were found to exist as equilibrium mixtures ofs-cis ands-trans forms in benzene. Thes-cis form was predominant over thes-trans in all the anilides except in thep-nitro anilide in which thes-trans form was predominant. The relative stabilities of the conformers were found to depend upon the electrostatic repulsions between the anilide nitrogen and the β-carbon atom in thes-trans form and those between the π-electrons of the C=O and C=C bonds in thes-cis form.     

Investigation of the conformational transformations in some 7α-methyl-6-oxa-14β-analogs of steroidal estrogens by NMR spectroscopy

The stereochemical structure and conformational transformations of two 6-oxa-14β-estra-1,3,5(10), 8(9)-tetraenes having an α-methyl group at position 7 were investigated. It was found that the substituent at the C-17 atom has an effect on the formation of the conformers in solution. In the analog containing a C-17 keto group in solution there are two conformers, whereas the 17α-acetoxy derivative has only one conformer. In memory of Prof. A. A. Potekhin. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 82–834, June, 2008.     

A thermodynamic and kinetic study of the formation of C<Subscript>20</Subscript> compounds encapsulating H,He and Ne atoms

 Binding energies of helium, neon and atomic hydrogen encapsulated inside a C₂₀ cage were calculated using an ab initio method at the B3LYP/6-31+G⋆ level of theory. The standard equilibrium constants for the reactions of noble-gas atoms going into the C₂₀ molecular cage have also been studied. The transition states for the reactions of C₂₀ with hydrogen and helium were further obtained with an ab initio method at the B3LYP/6-31+G⋆ level and the rate constants were estimated by using conventional transition-state theory. It was found that the hydrogen and helium atoms are extremely difficult to put into the C₂₀ cage. Once inside the cage, a helium atom can hardly get out, while a hydrogen atom can easily escape from the cage. The results are expected to enrich fullerene science and be helpful for fullerene applications such as storage. Received: 2 November 2002 / Accepted: 19 December 2002 / Published online: 30 April 2003 Correspondence to: R. Q. Zhang, e-mail: aprqz@cityu.edu.hk Acknowledgements. The work described in this paper was jointly supported by a grant from the City University of Hong Kong (project no. 7001222) and a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (project no. 9040633/CityU, 1011/01P].     

Structure and conformational dynamics of the dicyclopropyl ketone in the ground electronic state

Geometric parameters, harmonic and anharmonic vibrational frequencies, conformer energy differences and barriers to internal rotation were obtained for dicyclopropyl ketone (DCPK) in the ground electronic state through MP2, DFT, CCSD and CCSD(T) calculations. VFPA was used to improve the estimations of conformer energy differences and heights of barriers to internal rotation. The ab initio calculations demonstrated that there are three stable conformations of DCPK: the cis–cis, the cis–trans and the gauche–gauche. The energy of the gauche–gauche conformer is noticeably higher than the energy of the two other conformers, so this conformer was not found experimentally. To study the conformational dynamics of the DCPK molecule, one- and two-dimensional sections of the potential energy surface corresponding to the rotations of the cyclopropyl groups were calculated. These sections were used to calculate torsion transition energies and vibrational wave functions in anharmonic approach. It was found that there is a strong coupling of large-amplitude torsion motions in the area of the cis–cis and gauche–gauche conformers.     

Modelization of vibrational spectra beyond the harmonic approximation from an iterative variation–perturbation scheme: the four conformers of the glycolaldehyde

This paper presents the computed anharmonic frequencies and IR intensities in the mid-infrared region for the four conformers of glycolaldehyde (Cis cis, Trans trans, Trans gauche and Cis trans forms). The fundamental transitions and their connected overtones and combination bands through strong anharmonic couplings (Fermi resonances) are provided. The results are stemmed from an iterative variational–perturbational resolution of the vibrational problem implemented in the VCI-P code. The four potential electronic surfaces are built as a Taylor series truncated to the fourth order around each minimum geometry. The second derivatives with respect to the normal coordinates were computed at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level, while the third and fourth derivatives were estimated with the B3LYP/6-31 + G(d,p) model chemistry. For the most stable Cc form, an average deviation of about 10 cm⁻¹ is obtained with respect to the unambiguous experimental values. Furthermore, some of the transitions observed in the CH stretchings region were reassigned. The theoretical values calculated for the Tt and Tg forms are compared to the experimental data obtained from the irradiation of the Cc conformer isolated in Ar matrix with an IR source.     

Investigation of the conformation of epoxychalcones by IR spectroscopy

Molecules of ketone oxides in the solid phase exist exclusively in the gauche form, whereas compounds of the open type form a mixture of cis and gauche conformers in solution. The effect of temperature on the conformational equilibrium was investigated.     

Spectra and structure of silicon-containing compounds. Part XXXVIII: Infrared and Raman spectra,vibrational assignment,conformational stability,and ab initio calculations of vinyldifluorosilane

Infrared spectra (3500-50 cm(-1)) of gaseous and solid, and Raman spectrum (3500-30 cm(-1)) of liquid vinyldifluorosilane, CH(2)z.dbnd6;CHSiF(2)H, are reported. Both the cis and gauche rotamers have been identified in the fluid phases. From temperature-dependent FT-infrared spectra of krypton solutions, it is shown that the cis conformer is more stable than the gauche form by 119+/-12 cm(-1) (1.42+/-0.14 kJ mol(-1)). At ambient temperature there is 53+/-2% of the gauche conformer present. Complete vibrational assignments are provided for the cis conformer and several modes are identified for the gauche form. Harmonic force constants, fundamental frequencies, infrared intensities, and Raman activities have been obtained from MP2/6-31G(d) calculations with full electron correlation. The optimized geometries and conformational stabilities have also been obtained from ab initio MP2/6-31G(d), MP2/6-311+G(d,p), and MP2/6-311+G(2d,2p) calculations with full electron correlation as well as from density functional theory calculations (DFT) by the B3LYP method. The SiH bond distances (r(0)) of 1.472 and 1.471 A have been obtained for the cis and gauche conformers, respectively, from the silicon-hydrogen stretching frequencies. These results are compared to the corresponding quantities of the corresponding carbon analogue as well as with some similar molecules.     

Argon-matrix-isolation Raman spectra and density functional study of 1,3-butadiene conformers

s-trans, s-cis and gauche conformers of 1,3-butadiene have been studied using density functional theory and the coupled-cluster method using double substitutions (CCD). Matrix isolation Raman and IR data for the minor conformer were obtained and are used in combination with the theoretical results to resolve earlier ambiguities in vibrational assignments. Based on high-quality Hessians, new harmonic stretching force constants are reported for the carbon backbone of s-trans-1,3-butadiene. For the minor conformer the best unscaled root mean square error of the calculated frequencies for the s-cis and gauche geometries are 17.5 cm⁻¹ and 7.4 cm⁻¹, respectively, primarily due to a better agreement of the gauche results for the vibrations at 983 cm⁻¹, 596 cm⁻¹ and 470 cm⁻¹ which depend strongly on the torsional angle. Although this points towards the gauche form rather than the s-cis form, the calculated transition dipole moment directions at the CCD/6-311G(d,p) level confirm the earlier conclusion that the minor conformer has C _{2 v} symmetry in the matrix. It is concluded that either the better agreement between the frequencies calculated for the gauche form and the observed values is coincidental, or that the molecule is indeed nonplanar in the matrix and tunnels very rapidly between the two mirror-image forms (or its lowest vibrational level lies above the barrier). Received: 1 July 1998 / Accepted: 26 October 1998 / Published online: 15 February 1999     

Infrared and Raman spectra, conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, normal-coordinate calculations and vibrational assignments for vinyl silyl bromide

The infrared (3200-30 cm(-1) spectra of gaseous and solid, the Raman spectra (3200-30 cm(-1)) of the liquid and solid vinyl silyl bromide, CH2CHSiH2Br, have been recorded. Additionally, quantitative depolarization values have been obtained. Both the gauche and cis conformers have been identified in the fluid phases but only the gauche conformer remains in the solid. Variable temperature studies from 0 to -87 degrees C of the Raman spectrum of the liquid was carried out. From these data, the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 22 +/- 6 cm(-1) (0.26 +/- 0.08 kJ/mol), with the gauche conformer being the more stable form. The predictions from the ab initio calculations up to MP2/6-311 + + G(2d,2p) basis set favor the gauche as the more stable form. A complete vibrational assignment is proposed for both the gauche and cis conformers based on infrared band contours, relative intensities, depolarization values and group frequencies. The vibrational assignments are supported by normal coordinate calculations utilizing the force constants from ab initio MP2/6-31G(d) calculations and the potential energy terms for the conformer interconversion have been obtained from the same calculations. Complete equilibrium geometries have been determined for both rotamers by ab initio calculations employing a variety of basis sets up to 6-311 + + G(2d,2p) at levels of restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) and/or Moller-Plesset (MP) to second order. The results are discussed and compared to those obtained for some similar molecules.