Rotational spectra, conformational structures and dipole moments of 2-(ethylthio)ethanol by jet-cooled FTMW and ab initio calculations

The rotational spectra of three low-energy conformers of 2-(ethylthio)ethanol also known as ethyl 2-hydroxyethylsulfide or hydroxyethyl ethyl sulfide (HOEES), together with the monosubstituted ¹³C and ³⁴S isotopic forms of the two lowest energy conformers, have been measured in a molecular beam using a pulsed-nozzle Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer. To search for the likely conformational structures, ab initio calculations were performed at the MP2/6-31G* level for reduced dimensionality potential energy mapping and at the MP2=FULL/6-311G** and B3LYP=FULL/6-311G** levels for full structural optimization and electronic energy calculations of possible lower energy conformers. In all, five low-energy conformers, each of C₁ point group symmetry, were located in the ab initio search with complete information obtained on rotational constants, dipole moments, and structures. Rotational constants for three of the conformers agree well with the experimental observations, leaving the other two with no experimental partners. The three having experimental matches display relatively open “chain-like” structures corresponding to TG-, and GG-like forms, while the two with no experimental matches display relatively closed or “folded” structures with significantly different rotational constants. Although results using different ab initio level theories with and without zero point energy corrections alter the conformer energy ordering slightly, the no-match conformers always stay in the lower energy group, leaving an unsolved question as to why these lower energy conformers with “folded-like” structures were not observed in the jet-cooled FTMW spectra.