CH5+: the infrared spectrum observed

π-Complex Structure of Gaseous Benzene−NO Cations Assayed by IR Multiple Photon Dissociation Spectroscopy

[C(6)H(6)NO](+) ions, in two isomeric forms involved as key intermediates in the aromatic nitrosation reaction, have been produced in the gas phase and analyzed by IR multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy in the 800-2200 cm(-)(1) fingerprint wavenumber range, exploiting the high fluence and wide tunability of a free electron laser (FEL) source. The IRMPD spectra were compared with the IR absorption spectra calculated for the optimized structures of potential isomers, thus allowing structural information on the absorbing species. [C(6)H(6)NO](+) ions were obtained by two routes, taking advantage of the FEL coupling to two different ion traps. In the first one, an FT-ICR mass spectrometer, a sequence of ion-molecule reactions was allowed to occur, ultimately leading to an NO(+) transfer process to benzene. The so-formed ions displayed IRMPD features characteristic of a [benzene,NO](+) pi-complex structure, including a prominent band at 1963 cm(-)(1), within the range for the N-O bond stretching vibration of NO (1876 cm(-)(1)) and NO(+) (2344 cm(-)(1)). A quite distinct species is formed by electrospray ionization (ESI) of a methanol solution of nitrosobenzene. The ions transferred and stored in a Paul ion trap showed the IRMPD features of substituent protonated nitrosobenzene, the most stable among conceivable [C(6)H(6)NO](+) isomers according to computations. It is noteworthy that IRMPD is successful in allowing a discrimination between isomeric [C(6)H(6)NO](+) species, whereas high-energy collision-induced dissociation fails in this task. The [benzene,NO](+) pi-complex is characterized by IRMPD spectroscopy as an exemplary noncovalent ionic adduct between two important biomolecular moieties.

Three-Center−Two-Electron and Four-Center−Four-Electron Bonds. A Study by Electron Charge Density over the Structure of Methonium Cations

We study the electronic density charge topology of CH(5)(+) species 1 (C(s)()), 2 (C(s)()), and 3 (C(2)(v)) at ab initio level using the theory of atoms in molecules developed by Bader. Despite the reports of previous studies concerning carbocationic species, the methane molecule is protonated at the carbon atom, which clearly shows its pentacoordination. In addition to the fact that hydrogen atoms in the methonium molecule behave in a very fluxional fashion and that the energy difference among the species 1, 2, and 3 are very low, is important to point out that two different topological situations can be defined on the basis of our study of the topology of the electronic charge density. Then, the species 1 and 2 present a three-center-two-electron (3c-2e) bond of singular characteristics as compared with other carbocationic species, but in the species 3, the absence of a 3c-2e bond is noteworthy. This structure can be characterized through the three bond critical points found, corresponding to saddle points on the path bonds between the C-H(2,3,5) that lie in the same plane. These nuclei define a four-center interaction where the electronic delocalization produced among the sigma(C-H) bonds provide a stabilization of the three C-H bonds involved in this interaction (the remaining two C-H bonds are similar to those belonging to the nonprotonated species). Our results show that bonding situations with a higher number of atom arrays are possible in protonated hydrocarbons.

Evolution of Structure in CH5+ and Its Deuterated Analogues

Diffusion Monte Carlo simulations are used to investigate the effects of deuteration on the fluxionality of CH(5)(+) or CD(5)(+), using an ab initio potential surface, developed by Jin, Braams, and Bowman [J. Phys. Chem. 2006, 110, 1569]. We find that partial deuteration quenches the fluxional behavior. The spectral consequences are also investigated. We find that, while CH(5)(+) and CD(5)(+) are nearly spherical tops, partial deuteration breaks the rotational symmetry and the mixed isotopologues are generally better characterized as symmetric tops. In addition, we investigate the effects of deuteration on the low-resolution vibrational spectrum and anticipate that signatures of this delocalization will be observable in the vibrational spectrum.

Deuteration Effects on the Structure and Infrared Spectrum of CH5+

The CH5+ molecular ion is well-known for its large amplitude motions that lead to complete scrambling of the hydrogen atoms, even in the vibrational ground state. Experiments have been reported that probe the consequences of these large amplitude motions. We recently reported that quantum zero-point effects partially quench the scrambling when CH5+ is partially deuterated. Here, the consequences of this quantum localization are investigated through calculations of the low-resolution spectra of CH4D+, CHD4+, and CD5+. The spectra are obtained by convoluting stick spectra, evaluated for individual stationary points on an ab initio potential surface, multiplying them by Diffusion Monte Carlo ground state density at that stationary point, and taking the sum. The CH/D stretch regions of CH4D+ and CD5+ are red-shifted relative to CH5+, while the overall shape of the envelope remains unaffected. In contrast, for CHD4+, the shape of the spectral envelope in the CH/D stretch region differs from the other three isotopologs. These signatures of the quantum localization of the deuterium on the spectra are discussed.

Quantum Deconstruction of the Infrared Spectrum of CH5+

We present two quantum calculations of the infrared spectrum of protonated methane (CH5+) using full-dimensional, ab initio-based potential energy and dipole moment surfaces. The calculated spectra compare well with a low-resolution experimental spectrum except below 1000 cm(-1), where the experimental spectrum shows no absorption. The present calculations find substantial absorption features below 1000 cm(-1), in qualitative agreement with earlier classical calculations of the spectrum. The major spectral bands are analyzed in terms of the molecular motions. Of particular interest is an intense feature at 200 cm(-1), which is due to an isomerization mode that connects two equivalent minima. Very recent high-resolution jet-cooled spectra in the CH stretch region (2825 to 3050 cm(-1)) are also reported, and assignments of the band origins are made, based on the present quantum calculations.

Understanding hydrogen scrambling and infrared spectrum of bare CH5+based on ab initio simulations

A comprehensive study of the properties of protonated methane obtained from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations is presented. Comparing computed infrared spectra to the measured one gives further support to the high fluxionality of bare CH(5)(+). The computational trick to partially freezing out large-amplitude motion, in particular hydrogen scrambling and internal rotation of the H(2) moiety, leads to an understanding of the measured IR spectrum despite the underlying rapid hydrogen scrambling motion that interconverts dynamically structures of different symmetry and chemical bonding pattern. In particular, the fact that C-H stretching modes involving the carbon nucleus and those protons that form the H(2) moiety and the CH(3) tripod, respectively, result in distinct peaks is arguably experimental support for three-center two-electron bonding being operative at experimental conditions. It is proposed that hydrogen scrambling is associated with the softening of a mode that involves the bending of the H(2) moiety relative to the CH(3) tripod, which characterizes the C(s) ground-state structure. The potential energy surface that is mapped on to a two dimensional subspace of internal coordinates provides insight into the dynamical mechanism for exchange of hydrogens between CH(3) tripod and the three-center bonded H(2) moiety that eventually leads to full hydrogen scrambling.

Nucleophilic identity substitution reactions. The reaction between hydrogen fluoride and protonated alkyl fluorides

The gas phase reactions between HF and the protonated alkyl fluorides MeFH+, EtFH+, Pr(i)FH+, and Bu(t)FH+ have been studied using ab initio methods. The potential energy profiles for both nucleophilic substitution (S(N)2) and elimination (E2) pathways have been investigated. Both backside Walden inversion and frontside nucleophilic substitution reaction profiles have been generated. Backside substitution is very favourable, but shows relatively little variation with the alkyl group. Frontside substitution reaction barriers are only slightly higher than the barrier for backside substitution for HF + MeFH+, and the difference in barrier heights for frontside and backside displacement seems negligible for the larger alkyl groups. Reaction barrier trends have been analysed and compared with the results of similar studies of the H2O/ROH2+ and NH3/RNH3+ systems (R = Me, Et, Pr(i), and Bu(t)). Compared to the two other classes, protonated fluorides have extreme structures which, with the exception of the Me substrate, are weakly bound complexes between an alkyl cation and HF. The results nourish the idea that nucleophilic substitution reactions are better understood in view of competition between frontside and backside substitution than from the traditional S(N)1/S(N)2 perspective.

An ab Initio Based Global Potential Energy Surface Describing CH5+ → CH3+ + H2

A full-dimensional, ab initio based potential energy surface (PES) for CH(5)(+), which can describe dissociation is reported. The PES is a precise fit to 36173 coupled-cluster [CCSD(T)] calculations of electronic energies done using an aug-cc-pVTZ basis. The fit uses a polynomial basis that is invariant with respect to permutation of the five H atoms, and thus describes all 120 equivalent minima. The rms fitting error is 78.1 cm(-1) for the entire data set of energies up to 30,000 cm(-1) and a normal-mode analysis of CH(5)(+) also verifies the accuracy of the fit. Two saddle points have been located on the surface as well and compared with previous theoretical work. The PES dissociates correctly to the fragments CH(3)(+) + H(2) and the equilibrium geometry and normal-mode analyses of these fragments are also presented. Diffusion Monte Carlo calculations are done for the zero-point energies of CH(5)(+) (and some isotopologs) as well as for the separated fragments of CH(5)(+), CH(3)(+) + H(2) and those of CH(4)D(+), CH(3)(+) + HD and CH(2)D(+) + H(2). Values of D(0) are reported for these dissociations. A molecular dynamics calculation of CH(4)D(+) dissociation at one total energy is also performed to both validate the applicability of the PES for dynamics studies as well as to test a simple classical statistical prediction of the branching ratio of the dissociation products.

Computational Study of the Ion−Molecule Reactions Involving Fluxional Cations: CH4+ + H2 → CH5+ + H and Isotope Effect

Potential energy surfaces for the reactions of CH4+ with H2, HD, and D2 have been calculated using high-level ab initio methods, including coupled cluster theory, complete active space self-consistent field, and multireference configuration interaction. The energies are extrapolated to the complete basis set limit using the basis sets aug-cc-pVXZ (X = D, T, Q, 5, 6). The CH4+ + H2 reaction produces CH5+ and H exclusively. Three types of reaction mechanisms have been found, namely, complex-forming abstraction, scrambling, and S(N)2 displacement. The abstraction occurs via a very minor barrier and it is dominant. The other two mechanisms are negligible because of the significant barriers involved. Quantum phase space theory and variational transition state theory are used to calculate the rate coefficients as a function of temperatures in the range of 5-1000 K. The theoretical rate coefficients are compared with the available experimental data and the discrepancy is discussed. The significance of isotope effect, tunneling effect, and nuclear spin effect is investigated. The title reaction is predicted to be slightly exothermic with DeltaHr = -12.7 +/- 5.2 kJ/mol at 0 K.

Large amplitude quantum mechanics in polyatomic hydrides. I. A particles-on-a-sphere model for XHn

A framework is presented for converged quantum mechanical calculations on large amplitude dynamics in polyatomic hydrides (XH(n)) based on a relatively simple, but computationally tractable, "particles-on-a-sphere" (POS) model for the intramolecular motion of the light atoms. The model assumes independent two-dimensional (2D) angular motion of H atoms imbedded on the surface of a sphere with an arbitrary interatomic angular potential. This assumption permits systematic evolution from "free rotor" to "tunneling" to "quasi-rigid" polyatomic molecule behavior for small, but finite, values of total angular momentum J. This work focuses on simple triatom (n=2) and tetratom (n=3) systems as a function of interatomic potential stiffness, with explicit consideration of H2O, NH3, and H3O+ as limiting test cases. The POS model also establishes the necessary mathematical groundwork for calculations on dynamically much more challenging XH(n) species with n>3 (e.g., models of CH5+) where such a reduced dimensionality approach offers prospects for being quantum mechanically tractable at low J values (i.e., J=0, 1, 2) characteristic of supersonic jet expansion conditions.

Understanding the Infrared Spectrum of Bare CH5+

Protonated methane, CH5+, continues to elude definitive structural assignment, as large-amplitude vibrations and hydrogen scrambling challenge both theory and experiment. Here, the infrared spectrum of bare CH5+ is presented, as detected by reaction with carbon dioxide gas after resonant excitation by the free electron laser at the FELIX facility in the Netherlands. Comparison of the experimental spectrum at approximately 110 kelvin to finite-temperature infrared spectra, calculated by ab initio molecular dynamics, supports fluxionality of bare CH5+ under experimental conditions and provides a dynamical mechanism for exchange of hydrogens between CH3 tripod positions and the three-center bonded H2 moiety, which eventually leads to full hydrogen scrambling. The possibility of artificially freezing out scrambling and internal rotation in the simulations allowed assignment of the infrared spectrum despite this pronounced fluxionality.

CH5+: Chemistry's Chameleon Unmasked

The nuclear vibrational wave function and zero-point vibrational energy of CH5(+) are calculated using quantum diffusion Monte Carlo techniques on an interpolated potential energy surface constructed from CCSD(T)/aug'-cc-pVTZ ab initio data. From this multidimensional wave function, the vibrationally averaged rotational constants and radial distribution functions for atom-atom distances within the molecule are constructed. It is found that the distributions of all 10 H-H distances are bimodal and identical. The radial distribution functions obtained for the five C-H distances are also identical, but unimodal. The three rotational constants were found to be 3.78, 3.80, and 3.83 cm(-1). These values indicate that the ground state of CH5(+) is significantly more symmetric than its global minimum energy structure. We conclude that the zero-point motion of CH5(+) renders all five protons equivalent in the ground state and precludes the assignment of a unique structure to the molecule.

Quantum corrections to classical time-correlation functions: Hydrogen bonding and anharmonic floppy modes

Several simple quantum correction factors for classical line shapes, connecting dipole autocorrelation functions to infrared spectra, are compared to exact quantum data in both the frequency and time domain. In addition, the performance of the centroid molecular dynamics approach to line shapes and time-correlation functions is compared to that of these a posteriori correction schemes. The focus is on a tunable model that is able to describe typical hydrogen bonding scenarios covering continuously phenomena from tunneling via low-barrier hydrogen bonds to centered hydrogen bonds with an emphasis on floppy modes and anharmonicities. For these classes of problems, the so-called "harmonic approximation" is found to perform best in most cases, being, however, outperformed by explicit centroid molecular dynamics calculations. In addition, a theoretical analysis of quantum correction factors is carried out within the framework of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. It can be shown that the harmonic approximation not only restores the detailed balance condition like all other correction factors, but that it is the only one that also satisfies the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. Based on this analysis, it is proposed that quantum corrections of response functions in general should be based on the underlying Kubo-transformed correlation functions.

Quantum and classical studies of vibrational motion of CH5+ on a global potential energy surface obtained from a novel ab initio direct dynamics approach

We report a full dimensional, ab initio based potential energy surface for CH(5) (+). The ab initio electronic energies and gradients are obtained in direct-dynamics calculations using second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory with the correlation consistent polarized valence triple zeta basis. The potential energy and the dipole moment surfaces are fit using novel procedures that ensure the full permutational symmetry of the system. The fitted potential energy surface is tested by comparing it against additional electronic energy calculations and by comparing normal mode frequencies at the three lowest-lying stationary points obtained from the fit against ab initio ones. Well-converged diffusion Monte Carlo zero-point energies, rotational constants, and projections along the CH and HH bond lengths and the tunneling coordinates are presented and compared with the corresponding harmonic oscillator and standard classical molecular dynamics ones. The delocalization of the wave function is analyzed through comparison of the CH(5) (+) distributions with those obtained when all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by (2)H and (3)H. The classical dipole correlation function is examined as a function of the total energy. This provides a further probe of the delocalization of CH(5) (+).

Ab initio molecular dynamics with density functional theory

Recent applications of density functional theory base ab initio molecular dynamics in chemical relevant systems are reviewed. The emphasis is on the dynamical aspect in the study of structures, reaction mechanisms, and electronic properties in both the molecular and condensed phases. Examples were chosen from fluxional molecules, solution reactions, and biological systems to illustrate the broad potential applications and unique information that can be obtained from ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. Recent advances in the development of efficient numerical algorithms for the prediction of spectroscopic properties are highlighted.

Computational chemistry: a useful (sometimes mandatory) tool in mass spectrometry studies

In this review, we present a brief summary of the theoretical methods most frequently used in gas-phase ion chemistry. In subsequent sections, the performance of these methods is analyzed, paying attention to the reliability of geometries, vibrational frequencies, energies, and entropies. The possible pathologies of the different methods, in the form of instabilities of the wave function or spin contamination problems, are discussed. Several examples are presented to illustrate the usefulness of ab initio or density functional theory (DFT) methods to predict the existence of elusive molecules and/or to characterize non-conventional structures, and to rationalize the charge redistributions normally associated with ion-molecule interactions and which result in bond-weakening or bond-reinforcement effects. Finally, the role of non-classical structures in ion-molecule interactions is also illustrated with different examples.

Solvated CH5+ in liquid superacid

The transition states for methane activation in liquid superacid have been studied by experimentally determined secondary kinetic deuterium isotope effects (SKIEs) and computational chemistry. For the first time, the SKIEs on hydrogen/deuterium exchange of methane have been measured by using the methane isotopologues in homogeneous liquid superacid (2HF/SbF5). To achieve high accuracy of the SKIEs, the rate constants for pairs of methane isotopologues were simultaneously measured in the same superacid solution by using NMR spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) and high-level ab initio methods have been employed to model possible intermediates and transition states, assuming that the superacids involved in the exchange reactions are H2F+ ions solvated by HF. Only the unsolvated superacid H2F+ is found to be strong enough to protonate methane, yielding the methonium ion solvated by HF as a potential energy minimum. In contrast, the (HF)x-solvated H2F+ superacids (x = 1-4) do not appear to be strong enough to yield stable solvated methonium ions. However, such ions show up as parts of the transition states of the exchange in which the methonium ions are solvated by (HF)x. The calculated DFT activation barrier is in good agreement with that experimentally observed.

Unsaturated Ru(0) species with a constrained bis-phosphine ligand: [Ru(CO)2(tBu2PCH2CH2PtBu2)]2. Comparison to [Ru(CO)2(PtBu2Me)2]

The synthesis of Ru(C2H4)(CO)2(dtbpe) (dtbpe = tBu2PC2H4PtBu2), then green [Ru(CO)2(dtbpe)]n is described. In solution, n = 1, while in the solid state, n = 2; the dimer has two carbonyl bridges. DFTPW91, MP2, and CCSD(T) calculations show that the potential energy surface for bending one carbonyl out of the RuP2C(O) plane is essentially flat. Ru(CO)2(dtbpe) reacts rapidly in benzene solution to oxidatively add the H-E bond of H2, HCl, HCCR (R = H, Ph), [HOEt2]BF4, and HSiEt3. The H-C bond of C6HF5 oxidatively adds at 80 degrees C. CO adds, as does the C=C bond of H2C=CHX (X = H, F, Me). The following do not add: N2, THF, acetone, H3COH, and H2O.