Anharmonic vibrational properties by a fully automated second-order perturbative approach

Accurate Thermochemical and Kinetic Parameters at Affordable Cost by Means of the Pisa Composite Scheme (PCS)

A new strategy for the computation at an affordable cost of geometrical structures, thermochemical parameters, and rate constants for medium-sized molecules in the gas phase is proposed. The most distinctive features of the new model are the systematic use of cc-pVnZ-F12 basis sets, the addition of MP2 core-valence correlation in geometry optimizations by a double-hybrid functional, the separate extrapolation of MP2 and post-MP2 contributions, and the inclusion of anharmonic contributions in zero-point energies and thermodynamic functions. A thorough benchmark based on a wide range of prototypical systems shows that the new scheme outperforms the most well-known model chemistries without the need for any empirical parameter. Additional tests show that the computed zero-point energies and thermal contributions can be confidently used for obtaining accurate thermochemical and kinetic parameters. Since the whole computational workflow is translated in a black-box procedure, which can be followed with standard electronic structure codes, the way is paved for the accurate yet not prohibitively expensive study of medium- to large-sized molecules also by nonspecialists.

Preparation and Spectroscopic Identification of the Cyclic CO2 Dimer 1,2-Dioxetanedione

We report the preparation and infrared spectroscopic identification of 1,2-dioxetanedione, which is one of the two possible cyclic dimers of carbon dioxide. We prepared this hitherto experimentally incompletely characterized species in a solid nitrogen matrix at 3 K from the reaction of oxalyl dichloride with the urea·hydrogen peroxide complex. Surprisingly, irradiation at 254 nm does not lead to its dissociation into carbon dioxide but rather yields cyclic carbon trioxide. We further assert our spectroscopic assignments by 18O isotopic labeling and high-level N-electron valence state perturbation theory and coupled-cluster computations. The successful isolation of 1,2-dioxetanedione supports its viability as the postulated high-energy intermediate in the well-known and ubiquitously exploited "peroxyoxalate" chemiluminescent system.

Kinetics of the Simplest Criegee Intermediate Reaction with Water Vapor: Revisit and Isotope Effect

The kinetics of the simplest Criegee intermediate (CH2OO) reaction with water vapor was revisited. By improving the signal-to-noise ratio and the precision of water concentration, we found that the kinetics of CH2OO involves not only two water molecules but also one and three water molecules. Our experimental results suggest that the decay of CH2OO can be described as d[CH2OO]/dt = -kobs[CH2OO]; kobs = k0 + k1[water] + k2[water]2 + k3[water]3; k1 = (4.22 ± 0.48) × 10-16 cm3 s-1, k2 = (10.66 ± 0.83) × 10-33 cm6 s-1, k3 = (1.48 ± 0.17) × 10-50 cm9 s-1 at 298 K and 300 Torr with the respective Arrhenius activation energies of Ea1 = 1.8 ± 1.1 kcal mol-1, Ea2 = -11.1 ± 2.1 kcal mol-1, Ea3 = -17.4 ± 3.9 kcal mol-1. The contribution of the k3[water]3 term becomes less significant at higher temperatures around 345 K, but it is not ignorable at 298 K and lower temperatures. By quantifying the concentrations of H2O and D2O with a Coriolis-type direct mass flow sensor, the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) was investigated at 298 K and 300 Torr and KIE(k1) = k1(H2O)/k1(D2O) = 1.30 ± 0.32; similarly, KIE(k2) = 2.25 ± 0.44 and KIE(k3) = 0.99 ± 0.13. These mild KIE values are consistent with theoretical calculations based on the variational transition state theory, confirming that the title reaction has a broad and low barrier, and the reaction coordinate involves not only the motion of a hydrogen atom but also that of an oxygen atom. Comparing the results recorded under 300 Torr (N2 buffer gas) with those under 600 Torr, a weak pressure effect of k3 was found. From quantum chemistry calculations, we found that the CH2OO + 3H2O reaction is dominated by the reaction pathways involving a ring structure consisting of two water molecules, which facilitate the hydrogen atom transfer, while the third water molecule is hydrogen-bonded outside the ring. Furthermore, analysis based on dipole capture rates showed that the CH2OO(H2O) + (H2O)2 and CH2OO(H2O)2 + H2O pathways will dominate in the three water reaction.

Accurate Potential Energy Surfaces Using Atom-Centered Potentials and Minimal High-Level Data

We demonstrate that a Δ-density functional theory (Δ-DFT) approach based on atom-centered potentials (ACPs) represents a computationally inexpensive and accurate method for representing potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the HONO and HFCO molecules and vibrational frequencies derived therefrom. Using as few as 100 CCSD(T)-F12a reference energies, ACPs developed for use with B3LYP/def2-TZVPP are shown to produce PESs for HONO and HFCO with mean absolute errors of 27.7 and 5.8 cm-1, respectively. Application of the multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method with ACP-corrected B3LYP/def2-TZVPP PESs produces vibrational frequencies for cis- and trans-HONO with mean absolute percent errors (MAPEs) of 0.8 and 1.1, compared to 0.8 obtained for the two isomers with CCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVTZ-F12/MCTDH. For HFCO, the vibrational frequencies obtained using the present (Δ-DFT)/MCTDH approach give a MAPE of 0.1, which is the error obtained with CCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVTZ-F12/MCTDH. The ACP approach is therefore successful in representing a PES calculated at a high level of theory (CCSD(T)-F12a) and a promising method for the development of a general protocol for the representation of accurate molecular PESs and the calculation of molecular properties from them.

Size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in space: an old new light on the 11.2/3.3 μm intensity ratio

The intensity ratio of the 11.2/3.3 μm emission bands is considered to be a reliable tracer of the size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the interstellar medium (ISM). This paper describes the validation of the calculated intrinsic infrared (IR) spectra of PAHs that underlie the interpretation of the observed ratio. The comparison of harmonic calculations from the NASA Ames PAH IR spectroscopic database to gas-phase experimental absorption IR spectra reveals a consistent underestimation of the 11.2/3.3 μm intensity ratio by 34%. IR spectra based on higher level anharmonic calculations, on the other hand, are in very good agreement with the experiments. While there are indications that the 11.2/3.3 μm ratio increases systematically for PAHs in the relevant size range when using a larger basis set, it is unfortunately not yet possible to reliably calculate anharmonic spectra for large PAHs. Based on these considerations, we have adjusted the intrinsic ratio of these modes and incorporated this in an interstellar PAH emission model. This corrected model implies that typical PAH sizes in reflection nebulae such as NGC 7023 - previously inferred to be in the range of 50 to 70 carbon atoms per PAH are actually in the range of 40 to 55 carbon atoms. The higher limit of this range is close to the size of the C60 fullerene (also detected in reflection nebulae), which would be in line with the hypothesis that, under appropriate conditions, large PAHs are converted into the more stable fullerenes in the ISM.

Cryogenic Ion Vibrational Predissociation (CIVP) Spectroscopy of Aryl Cobinamides in the Gas Phase: How Good Are the Calculations for Vitamin B12 Derivatives?

Aryl corrins represent a novel class of designed B12 derivatives with biological properties of "antivitamins B12". In our previous study, we experimentally determined bond strength in a series of aryl-corrins by the threshold collision-induced dissociation experiments (T-CID) and compared the measured bond dissociation energies (BDEs) with those calculated with density functional theory (DFT). We found that the BDEs are modulated by the side chains around the periphery of the corrin unit. Given that aryl cobinamides have many side chains that increase their conformational space and that the question of a specific structure, measured in the gas phase, was important for further evaluation of our T-CID experiment, we proceeded to analyze structural properties of aryl cobinamides using cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation (CIVP) spectroscopy, static DFT, and Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamic (BOMD) simulations. We found that none of the examined DFT models could reproduce the CIVP spectra convincingly; both "static" DFT calculations and "dynamic" BOMD simulations provide a surprisingly poor representation of the vibrational spectra, specifically of the number, position, and intensity of bands assigned to hydrogen-bonded versus non-hydrogen-bonded NH and OH moieties. We conclude that, for a flexible molecule with ca. 150 atoms, more accurate approaches are needed before definitive conclusions about computed properties, specifically the structure of the ground-state conformer, may be made.

Approximating large-basis coupled-cluster theory vibrational frequencies using focal-point approximations

The focal-point approximation can be used to estimate a high-accuracy, slow quantum chemistry computation by combining several lower-accuracy, faster computations. We examine the performance of focal-point methods by combining second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) with coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] for the calculation of harmonic frequencies and that of fundamental frequencies using second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2). In contrast to standard CCSD(T), the focal-point CCSD(T) method approaches the complete basis set (CBS) limit with only triple-ζ basis sets for the coupled-cluster portion of the computation. The predicted harmonic and fundamental frequencies were compared with the experimental values for a set of 20 molecules containing up to six atoms. The focal-point method combining CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV(T + d)Z with CBS-extrapolated MP2 has mean absolute errors vs experiment of only 7.3 cm-1 for the fundamental frequencies, which are essentially the same as the mean absolute error for CCSD(T) extrapolated to the CBS limit using the aug-cc-pV(Q + d)Z and aug-cc-pV(5 + d)Z basis sets. However, for H2O, the focal-point procedure requires only 3% of the computation time as the extrapolated CCSD(T) result, and the cost savings will grow for larger molecules.

Accuracy of Different Electronic Basis Set Families for Anharmonic Molecular Vibrations: A Comprehensive Benchmark Study

In this work, the accuracy and convergence of different electronic basis set families for the computation of anharmonic molecular vibrational spectroscopic calculations are benchmarked. A series of 39 different basis sets from different families following their hierarchy are assessed on VSCF and VSCF-PT2 algorithms with commonly used MP2 and DFT based B3LYP-D potentials for a set of molecular systems. Such an effort has been validated in a previous work ( J. Phys. Chem. A 2020, 124, 9203-9221) with split-valence basis sets for fundamentals and intensities. Here, fundamental transitions, vibrationally excited states, and intensities are compared with the experimental data to estimate the accuracy for a series of Jensen, Dunning, Calendar, Karlsruhe, and Sapporo basis set families. The convergence of basis sets are also compared with the large ANO basis set. Comprehensive statistical error analysis in terms of accuracy and precision was carried out to assess the performance of each basis set. It is observed that the improvement for the calculated harmonic and anharmonic values from the smaller basis sets to the medium (i.e., triple-ξ) is considerable. Beyond this, from medium to large basis sets, the convergence is slow and mostly posits nearly converged values. Basis sets with and without diffuse functions offer characteristically different accuracies and convergence patterns. Finally, recommendations are given on the choice of basis set chosen as black-box which can balance between accuracy and computational time, estimation of the errors, and their selections especially for large molecules.

Finite-temperature many-body perturbation theory for anharmonic vibrations: Recursions, algebraic reduction, second-quantized reduction, diagrammatic rules, linked-diagram theorem, finite-temperature self-consistent field, and general-order algorithm

A unified theory is presented for finite-temperature many-body perturbation expansions of the anharmonic vibrational contributions to thermodynamic functions, i.e., the free energy, internal energy, and entropy. The theory is diagrammatically size-consistent at any order, as ensured by the linked-diagram theorem proved in this study, and, thus, applicable to molecular gases and solids on an equal footing. It is also a basis-set-free formalism, just like its underlying Bose-Einstein theory, capable of summing anharmonic effects over an infinite number of states analytically. It is formulated by the Rayleigh-Schrödinger-style recursions, generating sum-over-states formulas for the perturbation series, which unambiguously converges at the finite-temperature vibrational full-configuration-interaction limits. Two strategies are introduced to reduce these sum-over-states formulas into compact sum-over-modes analytical formulas. One is a purely algebraic method that factorizes each many-mode thermal average into a product of one-mode thermal averages, which are then evaluated by the thermal Born-Huang rules. Canonical forms of these rules are proposed, dramatically expediting the reduction process. The other is finite-temperature normal-ordered second quantization, which is fully developed in this study, including a proof of thermal Wick's theorem and the derivation of a normal-ordered vibrational Hamiltonian at finite temperature. The latter naturally defines a finite-temperature extension of size-extensive vibrational self-consistent field theory. These reduced formulas can be represented graphically as Feynman diagrams with resolvent lines, which include anomalous and renormalization diagrams. Two order-by-order and one general-order algorithms of computing these perturbation corrections are implemented and applied up to the eighth order. The results show no signs of Kohn-Luttinger-type nonconvergence.

The first HyDRA challenge for computational vibrational spectroscopy

Vibrational spectroscopy in supersonic jet expansions is a powerful tool to assess molecular aggregates in close to ideal conditions for the benchmarking of quantum chemical approaches. The low temperatures achieved as well as the absence of environment effects allow for a direct comparison between computed and experimental spectra. This provides potential benchmarking data which can be revisited to hone different computational techniques, and it allows for the critical analysis of procedures under the setting of a blind challenge. In the latter case, the final result is unknown to modellers, providing an unbiased testing opportunity for quantum chemical models. In this work, we present the spectroscopic and computational results for the first HyDRA blind challenge. The latter deals with the prediction of water donor stretching vibrations in monohydrates of organic molecules. This edition features a test set of 10 systems. Experimental water donor OH vibrational wavenumbers for the vacuum-isolated monohydrates of formaldehyde, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, tetrahydrothiophene, trifluoroethanol, methyl lactate, dimethylimidazolidinone, cyclooctanone, trifluoroacetophenone and 1-phenylcyclohexane-cis-1,2-diol are provided. The results of the challenge show promising predictive properties in both purely quantum mechanical approaches as well as regression and other machine learning strategies.

Accurate Structures and Spectroscopic Parameters of Guanine Tautomers in the Gas Phase by the Pisa Conventional and Explicitly Correlated Composite Schemes (PCS and PCS-F12)

A general strategy for the accurate computation of structural and spectroscopic properties of biomolecule building blocks in the gas phase is proposed and validated for tautomeric equilibria. The main features of the new model are the inclusion of core-valence correlation in geometry optimizations by a double hybrid functional and the systematic use of wave-function composite methods in conjunction with cc-pVnZ-F12 basis sets with separate extrapolation of MP2 and post-MP2 contributions. The resulting Pisa composite scheme employing conventional (PCS) or explicitly correlated (PCS-F12) approaches is applied to the challenging problem of guanine tautomers in the gas phase. The results are in remarkable agreement with the experimental structures, relative stabilities, and spectroscopic signatures of different tautomers. The accuracy of the results obtained at reasonable cost by means of black-box parameter-free approaches paves the way toward systematic investigations of other molecular bricks of life also by non-specialists.

Free Ethynylarsinidene and Ethynylstibinidene: Heavier Analogues of Nitrenes and Phosphinidenes

Until now, there has been very little experimental evidence for the existence of free arsinidenes and stibinidenes, apart from the hydrides, AsH and SbH. Here, we report on photogeneration of triplet ethynylarsinidene, HCCAs, and triplet ethynylstibinidene, HCCSb, from ethynylarsine and ethynylstibine, respectively, in solid argon matrices. The products were identified using infrared spectroscopy and the associated UV absorption spectra are interpreted with the aid of theoretical predictions.

A Multiconformational Transition State Theory Approach to OH Tropospheric Degradation of Fluorotelomer Aldehydes

Experimental work on the OH-initiated oxidation reactions of fluorotelomer aldehydes (FTALs) strongly suggests that the respective rate coefficients do not depend on the size of the Cx F2x+1 fluoroalkyl chain. FTALs hence represent a challenging test to our multiconformer transition state theory (MC-TST) protocol based on constrained transition state randomization (CTSR), since the calculated rate coefficients should not show significant variations with increasing values of x ${x}$ . In this work we apply the MC-TST/CTSR protocol to thex = 2 , 3 ${x={\rm 2,3}}$ cases and calculate both rate coefficients at 298.15 K with a value ofk = ( 2 . 4 ± 1 . 4 ) × 10 - 12 ${k=(2.4\pm 1.4)\times {10}^{-12}}$  cm3  molecule-1  s-1 , practically coincident with the recommended experimental value of kexp =( 2 . 8 ± 1 . 4 ) × 10 - 12 ${(2.8\pm 1.4)\times {10}^{-12}}$  cm3  molecule-1  s-1 . We also show that the use of tunneling corrections based on improved semiclassical TST is critical in obtaining Arrhenius-Kooij curves with a correct behavior at lower temperatures.

DFT Meets Wave-Function Composite Methods for Characterizing Cytosine Tautomers in the Gas Phase

A general strategy for the accurate computation of structural and spectroscopic properties of biomolecule building blocks in the gas phase has been further improved and validated with a special reference to tautomeric equilibria. The main improvements concern the use of the cc-pVTZ-F12 basis set in both DFT and CCSD(T)-F12 computations, the inclusion of core-valence correlation in geometry optimizations by double hybrid functionals, and the use of the cc-pVQZ-F12 basis set for complete basis set extrapolation at the MP2-F12 level. The resulting model chemistry is applied to the challenging problem of cytosine tautomers in the gas phase. The results are in remarkable agreement with experiment concerning both rotational and vibrational spectroscopic parameters and permit their unbiased interpretation in terms of structural and thermochemical features. Together with the intrinsic interest of the studied molecule, the accuracy of the results obtained at reasonable cost without any empirical parameter suggests that the proposed composite method can be profitably employed for accurate investigations of other molecular bricks of life.

Ab Initio Rovibrational Spectroscopy of the Acetylide Anion

In this work the rovibrational spectrum of the acetylide anion HCC- is investigated using high-level electronic structure methods and variational rovibrational calculations. Using a composite approach the potential energy surface and dipole surface is constructed from explicitly correlated coupled-cluster accounting for corrections due to core-valence correlation, scalar relativistic effects and higher-order excitation effects. Previous approaches for approximating the latter are critically evaluated. Employing the composite potential, accurate spectroscopic parameters determined from variational calculations are presented. In comparison to the few available reference data the present results show excellent agreement with ground state rotational constants within 0.005% of the experimental value. Intensities determined from the variational calculations suggest the bending fundamental transition ν2 around 510 cm-1 to be the best target for detection. The rather weak CD stretching fundamental ν1 in deuterated isotopologues show a second-order resonance with the (0,20,1) state and the consequences are discussed in some detail. The spectroscopic parameters and band intensities provided for a number of vibrational bands in isotopologues of the acetylide anion should facilitate future spectroscopic investigations.

Transient 2D IR Spectroscopy and Multiscale Simulations Reveal Vibrational Couplings in the Cyanobacteriochrome Slr1393-g3

Cyanobacteriochromes are bistable photoreceptor proteins with desirable photochemical properties for biotechnological applications, such as optogenetics or fluorescence microscopy. Here, we investigate Slr1393-g3, a cyanobacteriochrome that reversibly photoswitches between a red-absorbing (Pr) and green-absorbing (Pg) form. We applied advanced IR spectroscopic methods to track the sequence of intermediates during the photocycle over many orders of magnitude in time. In the conversion from Pg to Pr, we have revealed a new intermediate with distinct spectroscopic features in the IR, which precedes Pr formation using transient IR spectroscopy. In addition, stationary and transient 2D IR experiments measured the vibrational couplings between different groups of the chromophore and the protein in these intermediate states, as well as their structural disorder. Anharmonic QM/MM calculations predict spectra in good agreement with experimental 2D IR spectra of the initial and final states of the photocycle. They facilitate the assignment of the IR spectra that serve as a basis for the interpretation of the spectroscopic results and suggest structural changes of the intermediates along the photocycle.

Describing nuclear quantum effects in vibrational properties using molecular dynamics with Wigner sampling

In this work we discuss the generally applicable Wigner sampling and introduce a new, simplified Wigner sampling method, for computationally effective modeling of molecular properties containing nuclear quantum effects and vibrational anharmonicity. For various molecular systems test calculations of (a) vibrationally averaged rotational constants, (b) vibrational IR spectra and (c) photoelectron spectra have been performed. The performance of Wigner sampling has been assessed by comparing with experimental data and with results of other theoretical models, including harmonic and VPT2 approximations. The developed simplified Wigner sampling method shows advantages in application to large and flexible molecules.

Complexes of HXeY with HX (Y, X = F, Cl, Br, I): Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory Study and Anharmonic Vibrational Analysis

A comprehensive analysis of the intermolecular interaction energy and anharmonic vibrations of 41 structures of the HXeY⋯HX (X, Y = F, Cl, Br, I) family of noble-gas-compound complexes for all possible combinations of Y and X was conducted. New structures were identified, and their interaction energies were studied by means of symmetry-adapted perturbation theory, up to second-order corrections: this provided insight into the physical nature of the interaction in the complexes. The energy components were discussed, in connection to anharmonic frequency analysis. The results show that the induction and dispersion corrections were the main driving forces of the interaction, and that their relative contributions correlated with the complexation effects seen in the vibrational stretching modes of Xe-H and H-X. Reasonably clear patterns of interaction were found for different structures. Our findings corroborate previous findings with better methods, and provide new data. These results suggest that the entire group of the studied complexes can be labelled as "naturally blueshifting", except for the complexes with HI.

Calculating Vibrational Excited State Absorptions with Excited State Constrained Minimized Energy Surfaces

The modeling and interpretation of vibrational spectra are crucial for studying reaction dynamics using vibrational spectroscopy. Most prior theoretical developments focused on describing fundamental vibrational transitions while fewer developments focused on vibrational excited state absorptions. In this study, we present a new method that uses excited state constrained minimized energy surfaces (CMESs) to describe vibrational excited state absorptions. The excited state CMESs are obtained similarly to the previous ground state CMES development in our group but with additional wave function orthogonality constraints. Using a series of model systems, including the harmonic oscillator, Morse potential, double-well potential, quartic potential, and two-dimensional anharmonic potential, we demonstrate that this new procedure provides good estimations of the transition frequencies for vibrational excited state absorptions. These results are significantly better than those obtained from harmonic approximations using conventional potential energy surfaces, demonstrating the promise of excited state CMES-based methods for calculating vibrational excited state absorptions in real systems.

Manipulating hydrogen bond dissociation rates and mechanisms in water dimer through vibrational strong coupling

The vibrational strong coupling (VSC) between molecular vibrations and cavity photon modes has recently emerged as a promising tool for influencing chemical reactivities. Despite numerous experimental and theoretical efforts, the underlying mechanism of VSC effects remains elusive. In this study, we combine state-of-art quantum cavity vibrational self-consistent field/configuration interaction theory (cav-VSCF/VCI), quasi-classical trajectory method, along with the quantum-chemical CCSD(T)-level machine learning potential, to simulate the hydrogen bond dissociation dynamics of water dimer under VSC. We observe that manipulating the light-matter coupling strength and cavity frequencies can either inhibit or accelerate the dissociation rate. Furthermore, we discover that the cavity surprisingly modifies the vibrational dissociation channels, with a pathway involving both water fragments in their ground vibrational states becoming the major channel, which is a minor one when the water dimer is outside the cavity. We elucidate the mechanisms behind these effects by investigating the critical role of the optical cavity in modifying the intramolecular and intermolecular coupling patterns. While our work focuses on single water dimer system, it provides direct and statistically significant evidence of VSC effects on molecular reaction dynamics.

Molecular Structures and Vibrational Spectra of trans- and cis-Polyacetylene and Their Oligoenes Revisited Using Density Functional Theory Calculations

Polyacetylene, the most representative synthetic conducting polymer, has attracted much attention because it exhibits high conductivity upon doping. In this paper, molecular structures, electronic excitation energies, and Raman and infrared spectra were calculated using density functional theory for trans- and cis-oligoenes with various chain lengths up to the number of C═C bonds (n) of 100 and trans- and cis-polyacetylenes under one-dimensional periodic boundary condition. The harmonic vibrational frequencies obtained at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level were scaled by the scaling factors determined with respect to the anharmonic vibrational frequencies using the B2PLYP method, in which the coefficients of the functional were optimized for trans-oligoenes. The calculated infrared and Raman frequencies reproduce reasonably well the observed frequencies for trans- and cis-polyacetylene. Based on the chain-length dependence of the calculated Raman spectra of trans-oligoenes, we proposed the possibility of longer conjugated trans-segments observed in the resonance Raman spectra of trans-polyacetylene excited at longer wavelengths of 647.1 and 1064 nm. We also elucidated the origin of the excitation-wavelength dependence of the resonance Raman spectra of trans-polyacetylene and the structure of isomerization intermediates from cis-form to trans-form. In addition, the previous assignments of Raman and infrared spectra of trans- and cis-polyacetylene were reexamined in the present study based on the chain-length dependence of the spectra.

Rovibrational Spectroscopy of Trans and Cis Conformers of 2-Furfural from High-Resolution Fourier Transform and QCL Infrared Measurements

The ortho-isomer 2-furfural (2-FF), which is a primary atmospheric pollutant produced from biomass combustion, is also involved in oxidation processes leading to the formation of secondary organic aerosols. Its contribution to radiative forcing remains poorly understood. Thus, monitoring 2-FF directly in the atmosphere or in atmospheric simulation chambers to characterize its reactivity is merited. The present study reports an extensive jet-cooled rovibrational study of trans and cis conformers of 2-FF in the mid-IR region using two complementary setups: a continuous supersonic jet coupled to a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer on the IR beamline of the SOLEIL synchrotron (JET-AILES), and a pulsed jet coupled to a mid-IR tunable quantum cascade laser spectrometer (SPIRALES). Firstly, jet-cooled spectra recorded at rotational temperatures ranging between 20 and 50 K were exploited to derive reliable excited-state molecular parameters of trans- and cis-2-FF vibrational bands in the fingerprint region. The parameters were obtained from global fits of 11,376 and 3355 lines distributed over eight and three vibrational states (including the ground state), respectively, with a root mean square of 12 MHz. In a second step, the middle resolution spectrum of 2-FF recorded at 298.15 K and available in the HITRAN database was reconstructed by extrapolating the data derived from our low-temperature high-resolution analyses to determine the cross sections of each vibrational band of both 2-FF conformers in the 700-1800 cm^-1 region. Finally, we clearly demonstrated that the contribution of hot bands observed in the room temperature 2-FF spectrum, estimated between 40 and 63% of the fundamental band, must be imperatively introduced in our simulation to correctly reproduce the HITRAN vibrational cross sections of 2-FF with a deviation smaller than 10%.

Combinational Vibration Modes in H2O/HDO/D2O Mixtures Detected Thanks to the Superior Sensitivity of Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Scattering

Overtones and combinational modes frequently play essential roles in ultrafast vibrational energy relaxation in liquid water. However, these modes are very weak and often overlap with fundamental modes, particularly in isotopologues mixtures. We measured VV and HV Raman spectra of H₂O and D₂O mixtures with femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS) and compared the results with calculated spectra. Specifically, we observed the mode at around 1850 cm^-1 and assigned it to H-O-D bend + rocking libration. Second, we found that the H-O-D bend overtone band and the OD stretch + rocking libration combination band contribute to the band located between 2850 and 3050 cm^-1. Furthermore, we assigned the broad band located between 4000 and 4200 cm^-1 to be composed of combinational modes of high-frequency OH stretching modes with predominantly twisting and rocking librations. These results should help in a proper interpretation of Raman spectra of aqueous systems as well as in the identification of vibrational relaxation pathways in isotopically diluted water.

The primary photolysis of aqueous carbonate di-anions

We study the primary photolysis dynamics of aqueous carbonate, CO₃^2-(aq), and hydrogen carbonate, HCO₃^-(aq), when they are excited at λ = 200 nm. The photolysis is recorded with sub-picosecond time resolution using UV pump-Vis probe and UV pump-IR probe transient absorption spectroscopy and interpreted with the aid of density functional theory calculations. When CO₃^2- is excited via single photon absorption at λ = 200 nm, Φ(t = 20 ps) = 82 ± 5% of the excited di-anions either detach an electron or dissociate. The electron detachment takes place from the excited state in t < 1 ps and forms ground state CO₃˙^- and e_aq^-. Dissociation occurs from both the electronic ground and excited states of CO₃^2-. Dissociation from the CO₃^2- excited state is assisted by water molecules and forms CO₂˙^-, OH˙ and OH^-. The dissociation occurs both directly from the Franck-Condon region in t < 1 ps and indirectly with a time constant of τ = 13.9 ± 0.5 ps as the excited state relaxes. Dissociation of vibrationally excited CO₃^2- molecules in the electronic ground state is also assisted by water molecules and forms CO₂ and two OH^- anions. The dissociation and subsequent vibrational relaxation of CO₂ occur with a time constant of τ = 10.2 ± 0.5 ps. The residual 1 - Φ(t = 20 ps) = 18 ± 5% of the excited CO₃^2- di-anions return by internal conversion to the equilibrated CO₃^2- ground state with a time constant of τ = 4.0 ± 0.4 ps. The extinction coefficient of aqueous hydrogen carbonate HCO₃^-(aq) at λ = 200 nm is an order of magnitude smaller than that of carbonate, so even though the hydrogen carbonate anions dominate the carbonate di-anions in the hydrogen carbonate solution, the primary photolysis of hydrogen carbonate is obscured by the photo-products of carbonate. Hence, we are unable to assess the primary photolysis of hydrogen carbonate. However, the weak one-photon absorption facilitates two-photon ionization of water, which forms hydronium, H₃O⁺, cations. The sudden increase in the acidity induced by two-photon ionization protonates the ground state hydrogen carbonate molecules, thus offering a rare spectroscopic glimpse of aqueous carbonic acid.

Spectroscopy of Radicals, Clusters, and Transition States Using Slow Electron Velocity-Map Imaging of Cryogenically Cooled Anions

Slow electron velocity-map imaging of cryogenically cooled anions (cryo-SEVI) is a high-resolution variant of anion photoelectron spectroscopy that has been applied with considerable success over the years to the study of radicals, size-selected clusters, and transition states for unimolecular and bimolecular reactions. Cryo-SEVI retains the versatility of conventional anion photoelectron spectroscopy while offering sub-meV resolution, thereby enabling the resolution of vibrational structure in the photoelectron spectra of complex anions. This Feature Article describes recent experiments in our laboratory using cryo-SEVI, including a new research direction in which anions are vibrationally pre-excited with an infrared laser pulse prior to photodetachment.

pbqff: Push-Button Quartic Force Fields

pbqff is an open-source program for fully automating the production of quartic force fields (QFFs) and their corresponding anharmonic spectroscopic data. Rather than being a monolithic piece of code, it consists of several key modules including a generic interface to quantum chemistry codes and, notably, queuing systems; a molecular point group symmetry library; an internal-to-Cartesian coordinate conversion module; a module for the ordinary least-squares fitting of potential energy surfaces; and an improved second-order rotational and vibrational perturbation theory package for asymmetric and symmetric tops that handles type-1 and -2 Fermi resonances, Fermi resonance polyads, and Coriolis resonances. All of these pieces are written in Rust, a modern, safe, and performant programming language that has much to offer for scientific programming. This work introduces pbqff and its surrounding ecosystem, in addition to reporting new anharmonic vibrational data for c-(C)C₃H₂ and describing how the components of pbqff can be leveraged in other projects.

Accurate Structures and Spectroscopic Parameters of Phenylalanine and Tyrosine in the Gas Phase: A Joint Venture of DFT and Composite Wave-Function Methods

A general strategy for the accurate computation of conformational and spectroscopic properties of flexible molecules in the gas phase is applied to two representative proteinogenic amino acids with aromatic side chains, namely, phenylalanine and tyrosine. The main features of all the most stable conformers predicted by this computational strategy closely match those of the species detected in microwave and infrared experiments. Together with their intrinsic interest, the accuracy of the results obtained with reasonable computer times paves the route for accurate investigations of other flexible bricks of life.

Vibrational resonance analysis of linear molecules using resummation of divergent Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory series

The large order Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory (RSPT) was applied for calculating vibrational states of linear molecules. Two molecules (CO₂ and C₂H₂) were used as test cases with using of isomorphic Watson Hamiltonian and quartic force fields. For CO₂ the Sayvetz condition can remove all degeneracies for purely vibrational states and the non-degenerate perturbation theory can be applied. However, an existence of two degenerate modes in C₂H₂ requires using the upgraded degenerate version of RSPT that was employed in this context for the first time. The dominating divergent behavior of such series requires the resummation technique that mimics the multivalued nature of the underlying solutions, and the applied quartic Padé-Hermite approximants (QPHA) provided full solution of the problem. Moreover, some mathematical properties of QPHA proved to be an efficient tool for studying resonance effects through the Katz theorem that controls the singular points of the eigenvalues on the complex plane. In the case of C₂H₂, not only all earlier observed classical resonances were confirmed and quantified, but also subtle interpolyad resonances (K_2/55,K_3/4555), proposed recently by Herman (2011) were described as well. Following the analysis, we found several novel resonances, of which we proposed one independent interpolyad resonance K_2/4444. The complete analysis of such critical points provided the full resonance picture of all studied molecules.

Vibrational spectroscopy of Cu+(H2)4: about anharmonicity and fluxionality

The vibrational spectra of the copper(I) cation-dihydrogen complexes Cu⁺(H₂)₄, Cu⁺(D₂)₄ and Cu⁺(D₂)₃H₂ are studied using cryogenic ion trap vibrational spectroscopy in combination with quantum chemical calculations. The infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectra (2500-7300 cm^-1) are assigned based on a comparison to IR spectra calculated using vibrational second-order perturbation theory (VPT2). The IRPD spectra exhibit ≈60 cm^-1 broad bands that lack rotational resolution, indicative of rather floppy complexes even at an ion trap temperature of 10 K. The observed vibrational features are assigned to the excitations of dihydrogen stretching fundamentals, combination bands of these fundamentals with low energy excitations as well as overtone excitations of a minimum-energy structure with C_s symmetry. The three distinct dihydrogen positions present in the structure can interconvert via pseudorotations with energy barriers less than 10 cm^-1, far below the zero-point vibrational energy. Ab initio Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations confirm the fluxional behavior of these complexes and yield an upper limit for the timeframe of the pseudorotation on the order of 10 ps. For Cu⁺(D₂)₃H₂, the H₂ and D₂ loss channels yield different IRPD spectra indicating non-ergodic behavior.

Bringing Machine-Learning Enhanced Quantum Chemistry and Microwave Spectroscopy to Conformational Landscape Exploration: the Paradigmatic Case of 4-Fluoro-Threonine

A combined experimental and theoretical study has been carried out on 4-fluoro-threonine, the only naturally occurring fluorinated amino acid. Fluorination of the methyl group significantly increases the conformational complexity with respect to the parent amino acid threonine. The conformational landscape has been characterized in great detail, with special attention given to the inter-conversion pathways between different conformers. This led to the identification of 13 stable low-energy minima. The equilibrium population of so many conformers produces a very complicated and congested rotational spectrum that could be assigned through a strategy that combines several levels of quantum chemical calculations with the principles of machine learning. Twelve conformers out of 13 could be experimentally characterized. The results obtained from the analysis of the intra-molecular interactions can be exploited to accurately model fluorine-substitution effects in biomolecules.

Benchmark Structures and Conformational Landscapes of Amino Acids in the Gas Phase: A Joint Venture of Machine Learning, Quantum Chemistry, and Rotational Spectroscopy

The accurate characterization of prototypical bricks of life can strongly benefit from the integration of high resolution spectroscopy and quantum mechanical computations. We have selected a number of representative amino acids (glycine, alanine, serine, cysteine, threonine, aspartic acid and asparagine) to validate a new computational setup rooted in quantum-chemical computations of increasing accuracy guided by machine learning tools. Together with low-lying energy minima, the barriers ruling their interconversion are evaluated in order to unravel possible fast relaxation paths. Vibrational and thermal effects are also included in order to estimate relative free energies at the temperature of interest in the experiment. The spectroscopic parameters of all the most stable conformers predicted by this computational strategy, which do not have low-energy relaxation paths available, closely match those of the species detected in microwave experiments. Together with their intrinsic interest, these accurate results represent ideal benchmarks for more approximate methods.

Molecular structure and spectroscopic properties of two radicals of C4H2N: a DFT study

CONTEXT

The cyano propargyl radical (CH₂C₃N and HC₃HCN) is important reaction intermediate in both combustion flames and extraterrestrial environments such as cold molecular clouds and circumstellar envelopes of carbon stars. The acquisition of spectroscopic constants and anharmonic effect facilitates a more in-depth study of this radical. However, the data available in the literature do not allow the precise predictions for it in the interstellar medium. In this work, complete spectroscopic parameters as well as anharmonic constants of two radicals of C₄H₂N have been evaluated by different DFT methods. The calculated results show that it is reasonable to study the molecular spectroscopic properties of C₄H₂N by wB97XD/6-311++G theoretical level. On this basis, the sextic centrifugal distortion constants, anharmonic constants, vibration-rotation interaction constants, and so on are predicted for the study of high-precision rovibrational spectrum. In addition, the relationship between the anharmonic effect and vibration mode of CH₂C₃N and HC₃HCN and their infrared spectroscopic characteristics are discussed.

METHODS

The calculation of the anharmonic force fields and spectroscopy properties was performed using B3LYP, B3PW91, CAM-B3LYP, and wB97XD methods combined with the 6-311++G and aug-ccpVTZ basis sets, respectively, by the Gaussian16 program suite. The IR spectra were performed with Multiwfn3.8.

Matrix-isolation and cryosolution-VCD spectra of α-pinene as benchmark for anharmonic vibrational spectra calculations

The inclusion of anharmonicity in vibrational spectral analyis remains associated to small molecular systems with up to a dozen of atoms, with half a dozen of non-hydrogen atoms, typically thesize of propylene oxide. One may see two reasons for this: first of all, larger systems are often thought to be computationally too demanding (high computational costs) for a full anharmonic vibrational analysis. Second, the identification of resonances and their correction is often considered something only expert theoreticians could address because of the lack of unequivocal criteria. In this contribution, we illustrate that resonances can indeed become a complex problem, which can be handled almost transparently thanks to recent advances in vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2). The study also emphasizes the importance and the central role played by experiment in benchmarking novel theoretical approaches. In fact, we herein provide the currently highest resolution VCD spectra available for α- and β-pinene obtained under matrix-isolation conditions and in liquid Xenon as solvent. They are interpreted by VPT2 with novel tests for the identification of resonances. Hence, the study demonstrates the mutual stimulation of advances in both experimental techniques and computational models.

Rethinking Vibrational Stark Spectroscopy: Peak Shifts, Line Widths, and the Role of Non-Stark Solvent Coupling

A vibration's transition frequency is partly determined by the first-order Stark effect, which accounts for the electric field experienced by the mode. Using ultrafast infrared pump-probe and FT-IR spectroscopies, we characterized both the 0 → 1 and 1 → 2 vibrational transitions' field-dependent peak positions and line widths of the CN stretching mode of benzonitrile (BZN) and phenyl selenocyanate (PhSeCN) in ten solvents. We present a theoretical model that decomposes the observed line width into a field-dependent Stark contribution and a field-independent non-Stark solvent coupling contribution (NSC). The model demonstrates that the field-dependent peak position is independent of the line width, even when the NSC dominates the latter. Experiments show that when the Stark tuning rate is large compared to the NSC (PhSeCN), the line width has a field dependence, albeit with major NSC-induced excursions from linearity. When the Stark tuning rate is small relative to the NSC (BZN), the line width is field-independent. BZN's line widths are substantially larger for the 1 → 2 transition, indicating a 1 → 2 transition enhancement of the NSC. Additionally, we examine, theoretically and experimentally, the difference in the 0 → 1 and 1 → 2 transitions' Stark tuning rates. Second-order perturbation theory combined with density functional theory explain the difference and show that the 1 → 2 transition's Stark tuning rate is ∼10% larger. The Stark tuning rate of PhSeCN is larger than BZN's for both transitions, consistent with the theoretical calculations. This study provides new insights into vibrational line shape components and a more general understanding of the vibrational response to external electric fields.

Active Thermochemical Tables: Enthalpies of Formation of Bromo- and Iodo-Methanes, Ethenes and Ethynes

The thermochemistry of halocarbon species containing iodine and bromine is examined through an extensive interplay between new Feller-Peterson-Dixon (FPD) style composite methods and a detailed analysis of all available experimental and theoretical determinations using the thermochemical network that underlies the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT). From the computational viewpoint, a slower convergence of the components of composite thermochemistry methods is observed relative to species that solely contain first row elements, leading to a higher computational expense for achieving comparable levels of accuracy. Potential systematic sources of computational uncertainty are investigated, and, not surprisingly, spin-orbit coupling is found to be a critical component, particularly for iodine containing molecular species. The ATcT analysis of available experimental and theoretical determinations indicates that prior theoretical determinations have significantly larger uncertainties than originally reported, particularly in cases where molecular spin-orbit effects were ignored. Accurate and reliable heats of formation are reported for 38 halogen containing systems, based on combining the current computations with previous experimental and theoretical work via the ATcT approach.

A Computational Study on Closed-Shell Molecular Hexafluorides MF6 (M=S, Se, Te, Po, Xe, Rn, Cr, Mo, W, U) - Molecular Structure, Anharmonic Frequency Calculations, and Prediction of the NdF6 Molecule

Quantum chemical methods were used to study the molecular structure and anharmonic IR spectra of the experimentally known closed-shell molecular hexafluorides MF₆ (M=S, Se, Te, Xe, Mo, W, U). First, the molecular structures and harmonic frequencies were investigated using Density Functional Theory (DFT) with all-electron basis sets and explicitly considering the influence of spin-orbit coupling. Second, anharmonic frequencies and IR intensities were calculated with the CCSD(T) coupled cluster method and compared, where available, with IR spectra recorded by us. These comparisons showed satisfactory results. The anharmonic IR spectra provide means for identifying experimentally too little studied or unknown MF₆ molecules with M=Cr, Po, Rn. To the best of our knowledge, we predict the NdF₆ molecule for the first time and show it to be a true local minimum on the potential energy surface. We used intrinsic bond orbital (IBO) analyses to characterize the bonding situation in comparison with the UF₆ molecule.

Toward Accurate yet Effective Computations of Rotational Spectroscopy Parameters for Biomolecule Building Blocks

The interplay of high-resolution rotational spectroscopy and quantum-chemical computations plays an invaluable role in the investigation of biomolecule building blocks in the gas phase. However, quantum-chemical methods suffer from unfavorable scaling with the dimension of the system under consideration. While a complete characterization of flexible systems requires an elaborate multi-step strategy, in this work, we demonstrate that the accuracy obtained by quantum-chemical composite approaches in the prediction of rotational spectroscopy parameters can be approached by a model based on density functional theory. Glycine and serine are employed to demonstrate that, despite its limited cost, such a model is able to predict rotational constants with an accuracy of 0.3% or better, thus paving the way toward the accurate characterization of larger flexible building blocks of biomolecules.

The ionic and ground states of gamma-pyrone. The photoionization spectrum studied by synchrotron radiation and interpreted by configuration interaction and density functional calculations

A synchrotron-based photoionization spectrum up to 27 eV represents a considerable improvement in resolution over early He(I) and He(II) spectra. Symmetry-adapted coupled cluster calculations of the ionic state sequence give the sequence of state vertical ionization energies (VIE) as 1²B₂ < 1²B₁ < 1²A₂ < 2²B₁ < 1²A₁. Generally, these symmetry-adapted cluster configuration interactions VIE match reasonably well with the experimental spectrum over this wide energy range. Density functional calculations of the corresponding adiabatic terms (AIE) were also performed. Higher energy ionic states were determined by complete active space self-consistent field methods; these include all π-ionizations and some σ-ionic states. These were analyzed by Franck-Condon (FC) procedures and compared with an experiment. The spectral onset is complex, where two states, later shown to be the 1²B₂ and 1²B₁ states, are strongly overlapping. The superposition of the FC vibrational structure in the 1²B₂ and 1²B₁ states accounts for most of the peaks arising at the onset of the photoelectron spectra. However, the small separation between these two ionic states makes vibronic interaction fairly inevitable. In the absence of Herzberg-Teller analyses for ionic states, we have sought and determined a transition state between the 1²B₂ and 1²B₁ states, showing that vibronic coupling does occur. The lack of degradation in the vibrational envelope of the higher of the two states contrasts with our previous work on the halogenobenzenes, where overlapping state envelopes led to considerable widening of the line width at half-height of the higher energy states.

Bromine Pentafluoride BrF5 , the Formation of [BrF6 ]- Salts, and the Stereochemical (In)activity of the Bromine Lone Pairs

BrF₅ can be prepared by treating BrF₃ with fluorine under UV light in the region of 300 to 400 nm at room temperature. It was analyzed by UV-Vis, NMR, IR and Raman spectroscopy. Its crystal structure was redetermined by X-ray diffraction, and its space group was corrected to Pnma. Quantum-chemical calculations were performed for the band assignment of the vibrational spectra. A monoclinic polymorph of BrF₅ was quantum chemically predicted and then observed as its low-temperature modification in space group P2₁ /c by single crystal X-ray diffraction. BrF₅ reacts with the alkali metal fluorides AF (A=K, Rb) to form alkali metal hexafluoridobromates(V), A[BrF₆ ] the crystal structures of which have been determined. Both compounds crystallize in the K[AsF₆ ] structure type (R 3 ‾ ${\bar 3}$ , no. 148, hR24). For the species [BrF₆ ]⁺ , BrF₅ , [BrF₆ ]^- , and [IF₆ ]^- , the chemical bonds and lone pairs on the heavy atoms were investigated by means of intrinsic bond orbital analysis.

Perturb-Then-Diagonalize Vibrational Engine Exploiting Curvilinear Internal Coordinates

The present paper is devoted to the implementation and validation of a second-order perturbative approach to anharmonic vibrations, followed by variational treatment of strong couplings (GVPT2) based on curvilinear internal coordinates. The main difference with respect to the customary Cartesian-based formulation is that the kinetic energy operator is no longer diagonal, and has to be expanded as well, leading to additional terms which have to be taken into proper account. It is, however, possible to recast all the equations as well-defined generalizations of the corresponding Cartesian-based counterparts, thus achieving a remarkable simplification of the new implementation. Particular attention is paid to the treatment of Fermi resonances with significant number of test cases analyzed fully, validating the new implementation. The results obtained in this work confirm that curvilinear coordinates strongly reduce the strength of inter-mode couplings compared to their Cartesian counterparts. This increases the reliability of low-order perturbative treatments for semi-rigid molecules and paves the way toward the reliable representation of more flexible molecules where small- and large-amplitude motions can be safely decoupled and treated at different levels of theory.

Multidimensional Quantum Dynamical Simulation of Infrared Spectra under Polaritonic Vibrational Strong Coupling

Recent experimental and theoretical studies demonstrate that the chemical reactivity of molecules can be modified inside an optical cavity. Here, we provide a theoretical framework for conducting multidimensional quantum simulations of the infrared (IR) spectra for molecules interacting with cavity modes. A single water molecule under polaritonic vibrational strong coupling serves as an illustrative example. Combined with accurate potential energy and dipole moment surfaces, our cavity vibrational self-consistent field/virtual state configuration interaction (cav-VSCF/VCI) approach can predict the IR spectra when the molecule is inside or outside the cavity. The spectral signatures of Rabi splittings and shifts of certain bands are found to be strongly dependent on the frequency and polarization direction of the cavity modes. Analyses of the simulated spectra show that polaritonic vibrational strong coupling can induce unconventional couplings among the molecule's vibrational modes, suggesting that intramolecular vibrational energy transfer can be significantly accelerated by the cavity.

Formation of the acenaphthylene cation as a common C2H2-loss fragment in dissociative ionization of the PAH isomers anthracene and phenanthrene

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are thought to be a major constituent of astrophysical environments, being the carriers of the ubiquitous aromatic infrared bands (AIBs) observed in the spectra of galactic and extra-galactic sources that are irradiated by ultraviolet (UV) photons. Small (2-cycles) PAHs were unambiguously detected in the TMC-1 dark cloud, showing that PAH growth pathways exist even at low temperatures. The processing of PAHs by UV photons also leads to their fragmentation, which has been recognized in recent years as an alternative route to the generally accepted bottom-up chemical pathways for the formation of complex hydrocarbons in UV-rich interstellar regions. Here we consider the C12H8+ ion that is formed in our experiments from the dissociative ionization of the anthracene and phenanthrene (C14H10) molecules. By employing the sensitive action spectroscopic scheme of infrared pre-dissociation (IRPD) in a cryogenic ion trap instrument coupled to the free-electron lasers at the FELIX Laboratory, we have recorded the broadband and narrow line-width gas-phase IR spectra of the fragment ions (C12H8+) and also the reference spectra of three low energy isomers of C12H8+. By comparing the experimental spectra to those obtained from quantum chemical calculations we have identified the dominant structure of the fragment ion formed in the dissociation process to be the acenaphthylene cation for both isomeric precursors. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are presented to elucidate the fragmentation process. This result reinforces the dominant role of species containing a pentagonal ring in the photochemistry of small PAHs.

Spectroscopic and quantum mechanical study of a scavenger molecule: N,N-diethylhydroxylamine

We report a combination of quantum mechanical calculations and a range of spectroscopic measurements in the gas phase of N,N-diethylhydroxylamine, an important scavenger compound. Three conformers were observed by pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in the 6.5-18.5 GHz frequency range. They are characterized by the hydroxyl hydrogen atom being in trans orientation with respect to the bisector of the CNC angle while the side alkyl chains can be both trans (global minimum, C_s symmetry, A = 7608.1078(4), B = 2020.2988(2) and C = 1760.5423(2) MHz) or one trans and the other gauche (second energy minimum, A = 5302.896(1), B = 2395.9822(4) and C = 1804.8567(3) MHz) or gauche' (third energy minimum, A = 5960.8025(6), B = 2273.6627(4) and C = 1975.8074(4) MHz). For the global minimum, the ¹³C_α,¹³C_β and ¹⁵N isotopologues were observed in natural abundance, allowing for an accurate partial structure determination. Moreover, several lines were detected by free jet absorption millimeter wave spectroscopy in the 59.6-74.4 GHz spectral range. The electron binding energies of the highest occupied molecular orbital and the next-to-highest occupied molecular orbital, determined by photoelectron spectroscopy, are 8.95 and 10.76 eV, respectively. Supporting calculations evidence that, (i) upon ionization of the HOMO, the molecular structure changes from an amine to an N-oxoammonium arrangement and (ii) the 0-0 of the HOMO-1 photoionization is 10.46 eV. The K-shell binding energies, determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, are 290.42 eV (C_β), 291.45 eV (C_α), 405.98 eV (N) and 538.75 eV (O). The Fourier transform near infrared spectrum is reported and a tentative assignment is proposed. The equilibrium wavenumber (ω̃ = 3811 cm^-1) and the anharmonicity constant (ω̃χ = -87.5 cm^-1) of the hydroxyl stretching mode were estimated using a quadratic model.

Theoretical-Computational Modeling of Gas-State Thermodynamics in Flexible Molecular Systems: Ionic Liquids in the Gas Phase as a Case Study

A theoretical-computational procedure based on the quasi-Gaussian entropy (QGE) theory and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is proposed for the calculation of thermodynamic properties for molecular and supra-molecular species in the gas phase. The peculiarity of the methodology reported in this study is its ability to construct an analytical model of all the most relevant thermodynamic properties, even within a wide temperature range, based on a practically automatic sampling of the entire conformational repertoire of highly flexible systems, thereby bypassing the need for an explicit search for all possible conformers/rotamers deemed relevant. In this respect, the reliability of the presented method mainly depends on the quality of the force field used in the MD simulations and on the ability to discriminate in a physically coherent way between semi-classical and quantum degrees of freedom. The method was tested on six model systems (n-butane, n-butane, n-octanol, octadecane, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic pairs), which, being experimentally characterized and already addressed by other theoretical-computational methods, were considered as particularly suitable to allow us to evaluate the method's accuracy and efficiency, bringing out advantages and possible drawbacks. The results demonstrate that such a physically coherent yet relatively simple method can represent a further valid computational tool that is alternative and complementary to other extremely efficient computational methods, as it is particularly suited for addressing the thermodynamics of gaseous systems with a high conformational complexity over a large range of temperature.

The impact of the electric field of metal ions on the vibrations and internal hydrogen bond strength in alkali metal ion di- and triglycine complexes

Using infrared predissociation spectroscopy of cryogenic ions, we revisit the vibrational spectra of alkali metal ion (Li+, Na+, K+) di- and triglycine complexes. We assign their most stable conformation, which involves metal ion coordination to all C=O groups and an internal NH⋯NH2 hydrogen bond in the peptide backbone. An analysis of the spectral shifts of the OH and C=O stretching vibrations across the different metal ions and peptide chain lengths shows that these are largely caused by the electric field of the metal ion, which varies in strength as a function of the square of the distance. The metal ion–peptide interaction also remotely modulates the strength of internal hydrogen bonding in the peptide backbone via the weakening of the amide C=O bond, resulting in a decrease in internal hydrogen bond strength from Li+ > Na+ > K+.