Rotational spectra of mono-substituted asymmetric C6H6-H2O dimers

This paper reports the assignment of the rotational spectra of the m = 0 and 1 states of ¹³CC₅H₆-H₂O and C₆H₅D-H₂O dimers. The m = 1 progression was not identified or assigned for both ¹³CC₅H₆-H₂O and C₆H₅D-H₂O in the earlier work, though for the symmetric isotopomers (C₆H₆-H₂O/D₂O/H₂¹⁸O), they were identified [H.S. Gutowsky, T. Emilsson, E. Arunan, J. Chem. Phys. 99 (1993) 4883]. The m = 1 transitions for ¹³CC₅H₆-H₂O and C₆H₅D-H₂O were split into two, unlike that of the parent C₆H₆-H₂O isotopomer. The splitting varied, somewhat randomly, with quantum numbers J and K. The m = 0 lines of ¹³CC₅H₆-H₂O had significant overlap with the m = 1 lines of the parent isotopomer, clouding proper assignment, and leading to an rms deviation of about 200 kHz in the earlier work. The general semi-rigid molecular Hamiltonian coupled to an internal rotor, described recently by Duan et al. [Y.B. Duan, H.M. Zhang, K. Takagi, J. Chem. Phys. 104 (1996) 3914], is used in this work to assign both m = 0 and 1 states of ¹³CC₅H₆-H₂O and C₆H₅D-H₂O dimers. Consequently, the m = 0 fits for ¹³CC₅H₆-H₂O/D₂O have an rms deviation of only 4/7 kHz, comparable to experimental uncertainties. The fits for m = 1 transitions for ¹³CC₅H₆-H₂O and C₆H₅D-H₂O dimers have an rms deviation of about 200 kHz. However, it is of the same order of magnitude as that of the m = 1 state of the parent C₆H₆-H₂O dimer. The A rotational constants determined from the m = 0 fits for both ¹³CC₅H₆-H₂O and ¹³CC₅H₆-D₂O isotopomers are identical and very close to the C rotational constant for ¹³CC₅H₆. This provides a direct experimental determination for the C rotational constant of ¹³CC₅H₆, which has a negligible dipole moment.     

Perovskite ceramics and recent experimental progress in reactor design for chemical looping combustion application

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a novel method of carbon capture and sequestration. It facilitates CO₂ capture by lower energy penalties compared with other methods in this category. The major challenges encountered in CLC are oxygen carrier, reactor and fuel-type selection. A proper combination of these factors is required for an efficient CLC. There have been several studies with regard to oxygen carriers applicable to these processes: novel oxygen carriers, single perovskites and potential oxygen carriers, double perovskites, have been investigated for their oxygen capture and release properties in a number of studies. Different kinds of reactors have also been proposed for use in CLC processes. This paper presents information on the materials capable of oxygen storage and release and the different kinds of reactors investigated for CLC in different studies. It has been shown that, although there are several oxygen carriers and reactors with the desired function and efficiency for CLC, there remains the need for further improvement and optimisation in both areas. © 2014 Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences     

Microwave spectroscopic and theoretical studies on the phenylacetylene···H2O complex: C-H···O and O-H···π hydrogen bonds as equal partners

Rotational spectra of five isotopologues of the title complex, C(6)H(5)CCH···H(2)O, C(6)H(5)CCH···HOD, C(6)H(5)CCH···D(2)O, C(6)H(5)CCH···H(2)(18)O and C(6)H(5)CCD···H(2)O, were measured and analyzed. The parent isotopologue is an asymmetric top with κ = -0.73. The complex is effectively planar (ab inertial plane) and both 'a' and 'b' dipole transitions have been observed but no c dipole transition could be seen. All the transitions of the parent complex are split into two resulting from an internal motion interchanging the two H atoms in H(2)O. This is confirmed by the absence of such doubling for the C(6)H(5)CCH···HOD complex and a significant reduction in the splitting for the D(2)O analog. The rotational spectra, unambiguously, reveal a structure in which H(2)O has both O-H···π (π cloud of acetylene moiety) and C-H···O (ortho C-H group of phenylacetylene) interactions. This is in agreement with the structure deduced by IR-UV double resonance studies (Singh et al., J. Phys. Chem. A, 2008, 112, 3360) and also with the global minimum predicted by advanced electronic structure theory calculations (Sedlack et al., J. Phys. Chem. A, 2009, 113, 6620). Atoms in Molecule (AIM) theoretical analysis of the complex reveals the presence of both O-H···π and C-H···O hydrogen bonds. More interestingly, based on the electron densities at the bond critical points, this analysis suggests that both these interactions are equally strong. Moreover, the presence of both these interactions leads to significant deviation from linearity of both hydrogen bonds.     

Computational investigations on covalent dimerization/oligomerization of polyacenes: Is it relevant to soot formation?

We have postulated a novel pathway that could assist in the nucleation of soot particles through covalent dimerization and oligomerizations of a variety of PAHs. DFT calculations were performed with the objective of obtaining the relative thermal stabilities and formation probabilities of oligomeric species that exploit the facile dimerization that is known to occur in linear oligoacenes. We propose that the presence of small stretches of linear oligoacence (tetracene or longer) in extended PAH, either embedded or tethered, would be adequate for enabling the formation of such dimeric and oligomeric adducts; these could then serve as nuclei for the growth of soot particles. Our studies also reveal the importance of π‐stacking interactions between extended aromatic frameworks in governing the relative stabilities of the oligomeric species that are formed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Switch-peptides: controlling self-assembly of amyloid beta-derived peptides in vitro by consecutive triggering of acyl migrations

The sequential triggering (Soff --> Son) of O, N-acyl migrations (AcM) by chemical and enzymatic methods (Ti) in peptides containing structure-disrupting switch-elements, S (switch-peptides), offers a novel tool for studying in statu nascendi the onset and inhibition of polypeptide folding and self-assembly as a key process in degenerative diseases.     

Ab initio and AIM Theoretical Analysis of Hydrogen‐Bond Radius of HD (D: F,Cl, Br,CN, HO,HS and CCH) Donors and Some Acceptors.

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Unpaired and sigma bond electrons as H, Cl, and Li Bond Acceptors: an anomalous one-electron blue-shifting chlorine bond

Ab initio, DFT, and AIM theoretical studies on H-, Cl-, and Li-bonded complexes have been carried out with typical lone pair (H2O), pi (C2H4) and sigma (H2) bonded pairs, and unpaired (CH3) electrons as acceptors and HF, ClF, and LiF as donors. Optimization and frequency calculations have been carried out at reasonably high levels (MP2, DFT(B3LYP), and QCISD) with large basis sets up to aug-cc-pVTZ. Not surprisingly, all HF complexes show red shift in stretching frequency and the shift is correlated to the binding energy. However, the FCl...CH3 complex shows a large blue shift (about 200 cm-1), which appears to be the largest blue shift predicted for any weakly bound complex yet. Analysis of the normal modes of the complex indicates that the shift is due to the mixing of modes between donor and acceptor and it is qualitatively different from the blue shifts reported thus far in hydrogen-bonded complexes. For Cl- and Li-bonded complexes, a correlation between frequency shift and binding energy is not found. However, AIM theoretical analysis shows the similarity in all these interactions. The electron density at the bond critical point shows a strong correlation with the binding energy for H-, Cl-, and Li-bonded complexes. This appears to be the first report on a one-electron chlorine bond.     

Direct infrared absorption spectroscopy of benzene dimer

The direct infrared (IR) absorption spectrum of benzene dimer formed in a free-jet expansion was recorded in the 3.3 μm region for the first time. This has led to the observation of the C-H stretching fundamental mode ν(13) (B(1u)), which is both IR and Raman forbidden in the monomer. Moreover, the IR forbidden and Raman allowed ν(7) (E(2g)) mode has been observed as well. These two modes were found to be red-shifted along with the IR allowed ν(20) (E(1u)) mode, as previously reported by Erlekam et al. [Erlekam; Frankowski; Meijer; Gert von Helden J. Chem. Phys.2006, 124, 171101], using ion-dip spectroscopy, contrary to the blue-shift predicted earlier by theoretical studies. The observation of the ν(13) band indicates that the symmetry is reduced in the dimer, confirming the T-shaped structure observed by Erlekam et al. Our experimental results have not provided any direct evidence for the presence of the parallel displaced geometry, the main objective of the present work, as predicted by theoretical calculations.