High resolution spectroscopy of carboxylic acid in the gas phase: Observation of proton transfer in (DCOOH)2

A model proton-transfer system in the condensed phase: NH4(+)OOH(-), a crystal with short intermolecular H-bonds

The crystal structure of NH(4)(+)OOH(-) is determined from single-crystal x-ray data obtained at 150 K. The crystal belongs to the space group P2(1)/c and has four molecules in a unit cell. The structure consists of discrete NH(4)(+) and OOH(-) ions. The OOH(-) ions are linked by short hydrogen bonds (2.533 Å) to form parallel infinite chains. The ammonium ions form links between these chains (the N⋯O distances vary from 2.714 to 2.855 Å) giving a three-dimensional network. The harmonic IR spectrum and H-bond energies are computed at the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE)/6-31G(∗∗) level with periodic boundary conditions. A detailed analysis of the shared (bridging) protons' dynamics is obtained from the CPMD simulations at different temperatures. PBE functional with plane-wave basis set (110 Ry) is used. At 10 K the shared proton sits near the oxygen atom, only a few proton jumps along the chain are detected at 70 K while at 270 K numerous proton jumps exist in the trajectory. The local-minimum structure of the space group Cc is localized. It appears as a result of proton transfer along a chain. This process is endothermic (∼2 kJ/mol) and is described as P2(1)/c↔2Cc. The computed IR spectrum at 10 K is close to the harmonic one, the numerous bands appear at 70 K while at 270 K it shows a very broad absorption band that covers frequencies from about 1000 to 3000 cm(-1). The advantages of the NH(4)(+)OOH(-) crystal as a promising model for the experimental and DFT based molecular dynamics simulation studies of proton transfer along the chain are discussed.

Car-Parrinello and path integral molecular dynamics study of the hydrogen bond in the acetic acid dimer in the gas phase

In the paper are described studies of the double proton transfer (DPT) processes in the cyclic dimer of acetic acid in the gas phase using Car-Parrinello (CPMD) and path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD). Structures, energies and proton trajectories have been determined. The results show the double proton transfer in 450 K. In the classical dynamics (CPMD) a clear process mechanism can be identified, where asynchronized DPT arises due to coupling between the O-H stretching oscillator and several low energy intermolecular vibrational modes. The DPT mechanism is also asynchronic when quantum tunneling has been allowed in the simulation. It has been found that the calculated values of barrier height for the proton transfer depends very strongly on the used approaches. Barrier received from the free-energy profile at the CPMD level is around 4.5 kcal mol(-1) whereas at the PIMD level is reduced to 1 kcal mol(-1). The nature of bonding in acetic acid dimer and rearrangement of electron density due to the proton movement has been also studied by the topological analysis of Electron Localization Function and Electron Localizability Indicator function.

A simple explanation of the enhancement or depletion of the enantiomeric excess in the partial sublimation of enantiomerically enriched amino acids

In the partial sublimation of three enantiomerically enriched amino acids, the ee of the sublimates can be explained by the ratio between the saturated vapor pressures of the racemate and the pure enantiomers.

Reactions in condensed formic acid (HCOOH) induced by low energy (< 20 eV) electrons

The interaction of low energy (< 20 eV) electrons with a five monolayer (ML) film of formic acid (HCOOH) deposited on a cryogenically cooled monocrystalline Au substrate is studied by electron stimulated desorption (ESD) of negatively charged fragment ions. A comparison with results from gas phase experiments demonstrates the strong effect of the environment for negative ion formation via dissociative electron attachment (DEA). From condensed phase formic acid (FA) a strong H desorption signal from a resonant feature peaking at 9 eV is observed. In the gas phase, the dominant reaction is neutral hydrogen abstraction generating HCOO- within a low energy resonance, peaking at 1.25 eV. ESD studies on the isotopomers HCOOD and DCOOH indicate effective H/D exchange in the precursor ion at 9 eV prior to dissociation. The evolution of the desorption signals in the course of electron irradiation and the features in the thermal desorption spectra (TDS) of the electron irradiated film suggest the formation of CO2 at electron energies above 8 eV.

Mechanisms of Double Proton Transfer. Theory and Applications

An analytical two-dimensional (2D) potential-energy surface based on two equal hydrogen bonds coupled by a correlation term, recently introduced [J. Chem. Phys. 127 (2007) 174513] to describe the dynamics of double proton transfer, is reviewed and generalized. It is then applied to the evaluation of proton transfer dynamics in a number of realistic systems, namely several molecules and dimers that exhibit various degrees of correlation between the motions of the two protons. The three parameters required to generate this 2D potential are derived from electronic structure and force field calculations, such that they include implicitly the effect of coupled skeletal modes. It follows that explicit introduction of such coupled modes is not required to obtain the basic relations that define the stationary points of the 2D surface, and thereby the reaction mechanism. Based on these relations, a detailed analysis is reported of a variety of systems exhibiting double proton transfer, including, apart from previously investigated porphine and porphycene, representing weak correlation, and the formic and benzoic acid dimers, representing strong correlation, two newly investigated systems which shed light on the hitherto not represented intermediate correlation category, namely naphthazarin, and the 4-bromopyrazole dimer.

Experimental and theoretical study of the polarized infrared spectra of the hydrogen bond in 3-thiophenic acid crystal

This article presents the results of experimental and theoretical studies of the v(O-H) and v(O-D) band shapes in the polarized infrared spectra of 3-thiophenic acid crystals measured at room temperature and at 77 K. The line shapes are studied theoretically within the framework of the anharmonic coupling theory, Davydov coupling, Fermi resonance, direct and indirect damping, as well as the selection rule breaking mechanism for forbidden transitions. The adiabatic approximation allowing to separate the high-frequency motion from the slow one of the H-bond bridge is performed for each separate H-bond bridge of the dimer and a strong nonadiabatic correction is introduced via the resonant exchange between the fast-mode excited states of the two moieties. The spectral density is obtained within the linear response theory by Fourier transform of the damped autocorrelation functions. The approach correctly fits the experimental line shape of the hydrogenated compound and predicts satisfactorily the evolution in the line shapes with temperature and the change in the line shape with isotopic substitution.

Tunneling splittings in the S0 and S1 states of the benzoic acid dimer determined by high-resolution UV spectroscopy

Five different isotopologues of the benzoic acid dimer and a vibronic band located 57 cm(-1) above the electronic origin, which is assigned to the out-of-plane butterfly motion, are studied by rotationally resolved UV spectroscopy. From these measurements a ground-state structure with C(2h) symmetry is deduced, whereas the symmetry is lowered to C(s) in the S(1) state. The increase in the center-of-mass distance between the two monomers that is found on electronic excitation indicates a decrease in hydrogen-bond strength. The tunneling splittings in the S(0) and S(1) states are 1385.2+/-0.7 and 271.2+/-0.7 MHz, respectively, corresponding to an increase in barrier height by 7.2% on electronic excitation.

Spectral-luminescent properties of 12-oximino derivatives of 8-AZA-D-homogona-12,17a-diones and their concentration dependence

This paper presents the results of the investigation of the spectral-luminescent characteristics of 12-oximino derivative of 8-aza-D-homogona-12,17a-dion, its hydrochloride, and their dependences on the concentration. It has been shown that the form and position of the absorption spectrums of 16,16-dimethyl-12-oximino-8-aza-D-homogona-1,3,5(10),13-tetraene-17a-one in all solvents used are independent of its concentration. At the same time, for its hydrochloride in ethanol and water, a strong dependence of the absorption spectrum on its concentration has been revealed. On the basis of the experimental data it has been concluded that in these solvents dimers of investigated substance, whose bonding force is chelate hydrogen bonds, are formed. The investigation of the luminescence has shown that these substances practically do not fluoresce. Only in ethanol and water we managed to register a very weak luminescence, whose excitation spectrum is close to the absorption spectrum.

Ground and asymmetric CO-stretch excited state tunneling splittings in the formic acid dimer

There has been some controversy concerning the assignment of measured tunneling splittings for the formic acid dimer in the vibrational ground state and the asymmetric CO-stretching excited state. The discussion is intimately related to the question whether the fundamental excitation of the CO-vibration promotes or hinders tunneling. Here we will address this issue on the basis of a five-dimensional reaction space Hamiltonian which includes three large amplitude coordinates as well as two harmonic modes whose linear superposition reproduces the asymmetric CO-vibrational mode. Within density functional theory using the B3LYP functional together with a 6-311++G(3df,3pd) basis set we obtain a ground state tunneling splitting which is about 2.4 larger than the one for the CO-stretching excited state.

Proton Transfer in (HCOOH)2: An IR High-Resolution Spectroscopic Study of the Antisymmetric C−O Stretch†

We report the fully analyzed high-resolution spectrum of the carboxylic acid dimer (HCOOH)2 in the gas phase. High-resolution IR spectra in the region of the antisymmetric C-O stretch vibration have been recorded at 1221.0-1226.7 cm(-1). The data could be fit within experimental uncertainty to a rigid rotor Watson S-reduced Hamiltonian. The vibrational frequency of the C-O vibration is 1225.3430(3) cm(-1). On the basis of the measurement of a tunneling splitting of 0.0158(4)cm(-1) for the lower state and 0.0100(3) cm(-1) for the upper state, we determine a proton-transfer time of 1.0 and 1.7 ns for the ground and the vibrationally excited state, respectively.

Raman jet spectroscopy of formic acid dimers: low frequency vibrational dynamics and beyond

The vibrational dynamics of formic acid dimer is quite regular at low fundamental excitation frequencies, whereas it evolves into a complex and irregular vibrational signature in the OH stretching region. This is evidenced by the first Raman investigation of the jet-cooled formic acid dimer and its three deuterated isotopomers. Subtle isotope effects in the inter-monomer stretching mode, which is directly observed for the first time at 194 cm(-1), find an interpretation based on hydrogen bond weakening due to quantum delocalization of the protons. The reported high-frequency jet spectra should provide essential experimental stepping stones towards a more complete understanding of this planar prototype for strong double hydrogen bonding.

Furan−Formic Acid Dimers: An ab Initio and Matrix Isolation Study

The dimers formed by formic acid (FA) and furan are investigated by ab initio methods and matrix isolation spectroscopy. Nine complexes with binding energies between -3.91 and -0.82 kcal/mol (MP2/6-311++G(d,p) + ZPE + BSSE) are identified. Another five weaker bound complexes are localized at lower level of theory only. The binding in the furan-FA dimers can be described in terms of OH...O, C=O...H, HO...H, CH...O, OH...pi, and CH...pi interactions. Therefore, the furan-FA complexes are classified in two types: (1) the dimers where the OH hydrogen of formic acid interacts with the furan molecule and (2) the dimers where the main interactions of FA with the furan molecule are via the less acidic CH hydrogen. Duning's and Pople's triple and double basis sets were used to study the dependence of the geometries and energies of the complexes from the basis set. BSSE (basis set superposition error) counterpoise corrections (CP) were included during the geometry optimizations of all dimers at the MP2/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. Matrix isolation spectroscopy allowed us to record the IR spectrum of aggregates between FA and furan. By comparison of the experimental IR spectrum with calculated IR spectra of a variety of complexes, it was possible to identify the most stable furan-FA dimer as the major product of the aggregation.

Double hydrogen tunneling revisited: the breakdown of experimental tunneling criteria

Formic acid dimer was chosen as a model system to investigate synchronous double proton transfer by means of variational transition state theory (VTST) for various isotopically modified hydrogen species. The electronic barrier for the double proton transfer was evaluated to be 7.9 kcal/mol, thus being significantly lower than it was determined in previous studies. The tunneling probabilities were evaluated at temperatures from 100 up to 400 K and typical Arrhenius behavior with enhancement by tunneling is observed. When comparing the transmission factors kappa in dependence of the mass of the tunneling hydrogen, it was found that there are two maxima, one at very low masses (e.g., 0.114 amu, corresponding to the muonium entity) and one maximum at around 2 amu (corresponding to deuterium). With the knowledge of the VTST-hydrogen transfer rates and the corresponding tunneling corrections, various tunneling criteria were tested (e.g., Swain-Schaad exponents) and were shown to fail in this reaction in predicting the extent of tunneling. This finding adds another aspect in the ongoing "Tunneling-Enhancement by Enzymes" discussion, as the used tunneling criteria based on experimental reaction rates may fail to predict tunneling behavior correctly.

Ground and Excited States of the Monomer and Dimer of Certain Carboxylic Acids

The ground-state properties of the monomer and the dimer of formic acid, acetic acid, and benzoic acid have been investigated using Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT) methods using the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. Some of the low-lying excited states have been studied using the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with LDA and B3LYP functionals and also employing complete-active-space-self-consistent-field (CASSCF) and multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) methodologies. DFT calculations predict the ground-state geometries in quantitative agreement with the available experimental results. The computed binding energies for the three carboxylic acid dimers are also in accord with the known thermodynamic data. The TDDFT predicted wavelengths corresponding to the lowest energy n-pi* transition in formic acid (214 nm) and acetic acid (214 nm) and the pi-pi* transition in benzoic acid (255 nm) are comparable to the experimentally observed absorption maxima. In addition, TDDFT calculations predict qualitatively correctly the blue shift (4-5 nm) in the excitation energy for the pi-pi* transition in going from the monomer to the dimer of formic acid and acetic acid and the red shift (approximately 19 nm) in pi-pi* transition in going from benzoic acid monomer to dimer. This also indicates that the electronic interaction arising from the hydrogen bonds between the monomers is marginal in all three carboxylic acids investigated.

Concerted proton motion in hydrogen-bonded trimers: A spontaneous Raman scattering perspective

Raman active symmetric O-H stretching modes are detected and assigned for the first time in isolated methanol, ethanol and methyl lactate trimers, providing insights into cluster structure, vibrational assignments and hydrogen-bond mediated couplings.