Prediction of the vibrational spectra of interacting water molecules

A system of computer programs has been developed to predict and interpret the infrared spectra of molecules, ions, radicals and of chemically interacting species. The frequency parameters (or force constants) and the intensity parameters (or atomic polar tensors (APTs)) are calculated using the Gaussian-76 program for $\text{ab}$$\text{initio}$ quantum mechanical calculations with a 4–31G basis set. The resultant wavenumbers and intensities have been used to predict the fundamental infrared spectra of water molecules interacting with different molecular species. The corresponding wavenumber shifts and intensity changes from the spectrum of the non-interacting water molecule are dependent upon both the geometrical orientation and the electron-donating properties of the interacting species. The intensity parameters can be further analyzed by using the charge-charge flux-overlap (CCFO) interpretation of the APTs. This interpretation is helpful in pinpointing the exact source of the perturbation that produces the intensity change. The significance is discussed of each of these CCFO terms in predicting the infrared intensities of molecules undergoing intermolecular interaction.