The phonon-assisted proton transfer between hydrazinium cations in (N2H5)2HMF6·2H2O (M∈{Ga, Al, Fe}) type compounds. FT IR and quantum theoretical study

FT IR spectra of a series of compounds with a general formula (N₂H₅)₂HMF₆·2H₂O (where M∈{Ga, Al, Fe}) were recorded at variable temperatures (from ∼100 to 300 K, at 10 K intervals). The appearance of the spectral region of ν(N-N) modes due to hydrazinium cations further supports the conclusions regarding the N₂H₅⁺?H⁺?N₂H₅⁺ hydrogen bond potential well based on Raman spectroscopic data [J. Raman Spectrosc. 28 (1997) 315]. The appearance of two bands corresponding to the ν(N-N) modes in the low temperature FT IR spectra that merge into one upon heating is a clear evidence of a symmetric potential well through which a phonon-assisted proton transfer (PAPT) occurs at higher temperatures. Ab initio MP2/6-311++G(2d,p) quantum chemical study of the proton transfer potential within the N₂H₅⁺?H⁺?N₂H₅⁺ cluster confirmed its double-minimum character. The first-order saddle point found on the MP2/6-311++G(2d,p) potential energy hypersurface corresponds to a centrosymmetric structure (C_2h symmetry), with the proton placed at the inversion center. The potential energy curve along the tunnelling coordinate was calculated by the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) methodology, leading to an adiabatic PT barrier height of 3.94 kcal mol⁻¹ and a tunneling rate of 1.98 s⁻¹. The corresponding MP4(SDTQ)/6-311++G(2d,p)//MP2/6-311++G(2d,p) value of the adiabatic PT barrier height is 4.26 kcal mol⁻¹.     

Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Li+ in aqueous solution: calculated first-shell anharmonic OH vibrations at 300 K

The anharmonic OH stretching vibrational frequencies, ν(OH), for the first-shell water molecules around the Li(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Al(3+) ions in dilute aqueous solutions have been calculated based on classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and quantum-mechanical (QM) calculations. For Li(+)(aq), Ca(2+)(aq), Mg(2+)(aq), and Al(3+)(aq), our calculated IR frequency shifts, Δν(OH), with respect to the gas-phase water frequency, are about -300, -350, -450, and -750?cm(-1), compared to -290, -290, -420, and -830?cm(-1) from experimental infrared (IR) studies. The agreement is thus quite good, except for the order between Li(+) and Ca(2+). Given that the polarizing field from the Ca(2+) ion ought to be larger than that from Li(+)(aq), our calculated result seems reasonable. Also the absolute OH frequencies agree well with experiment. The method we used is a sequential four-step procedure: QM(electronic) to make a force field+MD simulation+QM(electronic) for point-charge-embedded M(n+) (H(2)O)(y) (second?shell) (H(2)O)(z) (third?shell) clusters+QM(vibrational) to yield the OH spectrum. The many-body Ca(2+)-water force-field presented in this paper is new. IR intensity-weighting of the density-of-states frequency distributions was carried out by means of the squared dipole moment derivatives.     

Effect of partial fluorination on the Lewis sites of microcrystalline γ-alumina studied by adsorption of pyridine as a probe molecule: A quantum chemical cluster model study

The influence of fluorination of microcrystalline γ-alumina on the acidity of Lewis sites was studied by quantum chemical cluster model approach. B3LYP and HF/6-31++G(d,p) levels of theory were employed, considering the standard and counterpoise-corrected potential energy surfaces (PESs). Explicit inclusion of dynamical electron correlation effects along with the elimination of the basis set superposition effects in geometry optimization and harmonic vibrational analysis were found to be crucial to reproduce the experimental trends in the shifts of the pyridine ν_19b and ν_8a modes upon fluorination. The acidity of surface-exposed Al-sites was found to increase upon fluorination, which is manifested as a ~ 10% increase of the interaction energies, and also in the characteristics of the electronic density and density Laplacian at the intermolecular bond critical point. Bader analysis of the electronic density has shown that pyridine adsorption on pure and fluorinated γ-alumina can be classified as non-covalent interaction.     

Exploring the possibilities to control the molecular switching properties and dynamics: A field-switchable rotor-stator molecular system

A bistable, dipolar stator-rotor molecular system-candidate for molecular electronics is investigated. We demonstrate that it is possible to control the intramolecular torsional states and dynamics in this system by applying an appropriate additional electric field (instead of biasing one), achieving fine tuning and modulation of the relevant properties. The electric field effects on the quantities responsible for torsional dynamics (potential energy surface, potential barrier height, quantum and classical transition probabilities, correlation time, HOMO-LUMO gap) are studied from first principles. Our results indicate that it is possible to artificially stabilize the metastable conformational state of the studied molecule. The importance of this is evident, as the current-voltage characteristics of the metastable state are clearly distinguishable from the current-voltage characteristics of the two stable states. We report for the first time exact calculations related to the possibilities to control the thermally induced stochastic switching, and reduce the noise in a practical application. Thus, we believe that the molecule studied in this paper could operate as a field-switchable molecular device under real conditions.     

Infrared spectra of permanganate anions in potassium perchlorate matrices: vibrational anharmonicity,effective symmetry and vibrational mode mixing effects

Fourier transform infrared spectra of MnO4- anions isomorphously isolated in potassium perchlorate matrices were recorded at room and low temperature (LT, approximately 100 K). On the basis of the detected second-order vibrational transitions involving the dopant species nu3 mode components, anharmonicity constants and harmonic eigenvalues for these modes were calculated. Despite the fact that, rigorously speaking, the appearance of the spectra of dopant permanganate anions may be explained in terms of a Cs site symmetry, the nu3 stretching region resembles an approximate A1+E splitting (characteristic for a local C3nu or even higher symmetry), which is not expected, even within the latent symmetry approach. We explain such spectral patterns on the basis of vibrational mode mixing (a 'Fermi-like' resonance) of the MnO4- nu1 mode with the nu3, site-group component. With the results of degenerate case stationary perturbation theory, we show that in the present case the Fermi-like resonance is predominantly responsible for the observed spectral features. The appearance of the region of second-order vibrational transitions in the spectra of dopant permanganate anions may be better explained in terms of the (rigorous) crystallographic Cs site group (corresponding to the crystallographic Pnma space group), instead of the 'latent' (effective) symmetry site group C2nu (corresponding to the latent symmetry space group Imma).     

Splitting of Spectra in Anharmonic Oscillators Described by Kratzer Potential Function

A perturbation theory model that describes splitting of the spectra in highly symmetrical molecular species in electrostatic field is proposed. An anahrmonic model of a two-dimensional oscillator having Kratzer potential energy functionis used to model the molecular species and to represent the unperturbed system. A selection rule for the radial quantum number of the oscillator is derived. The eigenfunctions of a two-dimensional anharmonic oscillator in cylindrical coordinates are used for the matrix elements representing the probability for energy transitions in dipole approximation to be calculated. Several forms of perturbation operators are proposed to model the interactionbetween the polyatomic molecular species and an electrostatic field. It is found that the degeneracy is removed in the presence of the electric field and spectral splitting occurs. Anharmonic approximation for the unperturbed system is more accurate and reliable representation of a real polyatomic molecular species.     

The crystal and molecular structure of N2H5[M(N2H3COO)3]·H2O (M∈{Co, Zn}) isomorphic compounds—an X-ray crystallographic, vibrational spectroscopic and quantum-chemical study

A systematic study of N₂H₅[M(N₂H₃COO)₃]·H₂O (M∈{Co, Zn}) type of compounds, which are typical model systems for transition metal complexes with α-amino acids (the latter are not obtainable in crystalline form), was carried out. The crystal structures of these compounds were solved by X-ray crystallographic methods. FTIR spectra at room and low temperature (∼100 K) as well as Raman spectra at room temperature were recorded, and analyzed in details. Also, the geometries of the Zn(N₂H₃COO)₃⁻ and N₂H₅⁺ species were fully optimized at ab initio HF and B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory, and subsequent vibrational analyses were performed on the basis of which several important reassignments of the IR and Raman bands were proposed. In order to study the binding energetics and the ligand-cation charge-transfer interactions within the Zn(N₂H₃COO)₃⁻ complex, NBO analysis was carried out, employing the second-order perturbation theory analysis of the Fock matrix (i.e., its Kohn-Sham analog) within the NBO basis.     

Computational investigation of the weakly bound dimers HOX...SO(3) (X = F, Cl, Br)

The electronic structure and thermochemical stability of the HOX-SO(3) (X = F, Cl, Br) complexes is studied using second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2). The calculated dissociation energies of the HOF-SO(3), HOCl-SO(3), and HOBr-SO(3) complexes are 5.43, 6.02, and 5.98 kcal mol(-1) at MP2/6-311++G(3df,3pd) level, respectively. Anharmonic OH stretching frequencies of the HOX (X = F, Cl, Br) moieties along with the frequency shifts upon complex formation are calculated at the MP2/6-311++G(2df,2p) level. AIM and NBO analyses were also performed. Theoretical data strongly encourage performing of matrix-isolation studies of the title complexes and their spectroscopic identification.     

Interaction of acetonitrile with alkaline metal cations: A density functional,coupled‐cluster,and quadratic configuration interaction study

A systematic quantum chemical study of CH₃CN and its CH₃CN?M⁺ 1:1 model adducts (M⁺∈{Li⁺, Na⁺}) is presented, with respect to binding energetics, structural and vibrational force field changes. Several gradient‐corrected density functional levels of theory were employed (of both “pure” and “hybrid” character), together with the coupled cluster including double substitutions from the Hartree–Fock determinant (CCD) and quadratic configuration interaction including single and double substitutions (QCISD) methods [with the rather large 6‐311G(d,p) basis set], and their performances compared. The binding energy decompositions according to the Kitaura–Morokuma scheme and the reduced variational space self‐consistent field (RVS‐SCF) method have shown that the electrostatic plus polarization interaction terms are primarily responsible for overall stabilization, while the charge‐transfer term is negligibly small and virtually identical for both adducts. The computed harmonic vibrational frequencies for acetonitrile correlate excellently with the experimental ones (r²>0.9998 for almost all cases, while for the BLYP level, r²=1). It is shown for the first time that the experimentally observed blue shifts of the ν_CN mode are caused even by formation of 1:1 adducts, contrary to the previously accepted opinions. The CCD and QCISD, as well as the BPW91 and BP86 levels of theory predict almost excellently the ν_CN mode blue shift upon adduct formation, while the BLYP and B3LYP levels perform significantly poorer. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001     

Synthesis,characterisation and thermal decomposition of double sulfate

Upon evaporation at room temperature of an aqueous mixture containing Al(III) sulfate and trishydroxymethyl-ammoniummethane sulfate in a molar ratio 1:2, double sulfate as crystalline product was obtained. The stoichiometry of the obtained compound was determined by means of elemental and TG analysis. For identification, IR-spectra and X-ray powder diffraction patterns were done. It was found that the general formula of the obtained compound is Al(HOCH₂)₃CNH₃(SO₄)₂·₆H₂O. as revealed by TG, DTG and DTA analysis, the dehydration of the AL-compound takes place in one step which points out that the six water molecules are bonded in the same way. The thermal decomposition of the anhydrous compound starts at about 260°C and is very complex. This process takes place in many steps which are not well resolved. The pathway of the thermal decomposition is also supposed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.