Brute Force Orientation of Matrix-Isolated Molecules: Reversible Reorientation of Formaldehyde in an Argon Matrix toward Perfect Alignment

Recent Progress in the Manipulation of Molecules with DC Electric Fields

The structure and reactivity of a molecule in the condensed phase are governed by its intermolecular interactions with the surrounding environment. The multipole expansion of each molecule in the condensed phase indicates that the intermolecular interactions are essentially electrostatic (e.g., ion-dipole, dipole-dipole, dipole-quadrupole, dipole-induced dipole). The electrostatic field is a fundamental language of intermolecular communications. Therefore, understanding the influence of the electrostatic field on a molecule, that is, the mechanisms by which an electrostatic field manipulates a molecule, from the perspective of molecular structure, energy states, and dynamics is indispensable for illustrating and, by extension, controlling the chemistry in molecular systems.In this Account, we describe the recent progress made in manipulation of molecular processes using an external DC electrostatic field. An electrostatic field with unprecedentedly high strength (≤4 × 10⁸ V/m) was applied in a controlled manner across a molecular film sample using the ice film nanocapacitor method. This field strength is comparable in magnitude to that of weak intermolecular interactions such as van der Waals interactions in the condensed phases. The samples were prepared using a thin film growing technique in vacuum to obtain the desired chemically tailored molecular systems. The examples of prepared systems included small molecules and molecular clusters isolated in cryogenic Ar matrices, frozen molecular films in amorphous or crystalline phase, and interfaces of multilayered molecular films. The response of the molecules to the external field was monitored by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy. This approach allowed us to investigate a variety of molecular systems with various intermolecular strength and environments under the influence of strong electrostatic fields. The range of observed molecular behaviors includes the manipulation of molecular orientation, intramolecular dynamics, and proton transfer reactions as an example of stereodynamic control of chemical reactivity. These observations improve our understanding of molecular behaviors in strong electric fields and broaden our perspective on electrostatic manipulation of molecules. This information is also relevant to a variety of research topics in physical and biological sciences where electric fields play a role in molecular and biological functions.

Electric Field Effect on Condensed-Phase Molecular Systems. X. Interconversion Dynamics and Vibrational Stark Effect of Hydrogen Chloride Clusters in an Argon Matrix

In this study, the effect of a strong (≤4 × 10⁸ V·m^-1) dc electric field on hydrogen chloride (HCl) dimers and trimers isolated in a solid argon matrix has been investigated using the ice film nanocapacitor and reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy methods. The H-Cl vibrational bands of the HCl dimers showed a linear Stark frequency shift and an increased intensity under the applied electric field, and these changes were reversible with the electric field strength. This behavior indicated that the dimers were reoriented by the applied electric field. The reorientation occurred via tunneling inversion of individual HCl subunits of the dimer, which interconverted the proton-accepting and -donating HCl subunits, as observed for the heterodimers HCl-DCl and DCl-HCl. The interconversion of dimers could occur even at low electric field strength (∼10⁷ V·m^-1) and was almost complete above the field strength of 1.0 × 10⁸ V·m^-1. In contrast, the asymmetric H-Cl stretching bands of the HCl trimers exhibited Stark broadening under the influence of the electric field without a shift in frequency or change in intensity. This behavior indicated that the cyclic structure of the HCl trimer was stable even when subjected to a strong electric field. The Stark sensitivity factor (Δμ) of H-Cl vibrations was deduced from the Stark effect analysis of the HCl dimer and trimer bands, which gave the following: Δμ_D1 = 2.3 ± 0.2 cm^-1/(10⁸ V·m^-1) for the proton-acceptor subunit of the dimer, Δμ_D2 = 5.1 ± 0.5 cm^-1/(10⁸ V·m^-1) for the proton-donor subunit of the dimer, and Δμ_T = 4.5 ± 0.5 cm^-1/(10⁸ V·m^-1) for the asymmetric stretching vibration of the cyclic trimer.

A Critical Evaluation of Vibrational Stark Effect (VSE) Probes with the Local Vibrational Mode Theory

Over the past two decades, the vibrational Stark effect has become an important tool to measure and analyze the in situ electric field strength in various chemical environments with infrared spectroscopy. The underlying assumption of this effect is that the normal stretching mode of a target bond such as CO or CN of a reporter molecule (termed vibrational Stark effect probe) is localized and free from mass-coupling from other internal coordinates, so that its frequency shift directly reflects the influence of the vicinal electric field. However, the validity of this essential assumption has never been assessed. Given the fact that normal modes are generally delocalized because of mass-coupling, this analysis was overdue. Therefore, we carried out a comprehensive evaluation of 68 vibrational Stark effect probes and candidates to quantify the degree to which their target normal vibration of probe bond stretching is decoupled from local vibrations driven by other internal coordinates. The unique tool we used is the local mode analysis originally introduced by Konkoli and Cremer, in particular the decomposition of normal modes into local mode contributions. Based on our results, we recommend 31 polyatomic molecules with localized target bonds as ideal vibrational Stark effect probe candidates.

The frequency-domain infrared spectrum of ammonia encodes changes in molecular dynamics caused by a DC electric field

Ammonia is special. It is nonplanar, yet in v = 1 of the umbrella mode (ν₂) its inversion motion is faster than J = 0↔1 rotation. Does the simplicity of the Chemist's concept of an electric dipole moment survive the competition between rotation, inversion, and a strong external electric field? NH₃ is a favorite pedagogical example of tunneling in a symmetric double-minimum potential. Tunneling is a dynamical concept, yet the quantitative characteristics of tunneling are expressed in a static, eigenstate-resolved spectrum. The inverting-umbrella tunneling motion in ammonia is both large amplitude and profoundly affected by an external electric field. We report how a uniquely strong (up to 10⁸ V/m) direct current (DC) electric field causes a richly detailed sequence of reversible changes in the frequency-domain infrared spectrum (the v = 0→1 transition in the ν₂ umbrella mode) of ammonia, freely rotating in a 10 K Ar matrix. Although the spectrum is static, encoded in it is the complete inter- and intramolecular picture of tunneling dynamics.

Electric Field Effect on Condensed-Phase Molecular Systems. VI. Field-Driven Orientation of Hydrogen Chloride in an Argon Matrix

The orientation state of hydrogen chloride (HCl) molecules in a solid argon matrix was reversibly controlled by applying an external electric field of up to 4 × 10⁸ V·m^-1 using the ice film capacitor method. The rovibrational transitions of the field-oriented HCl were measured by reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy with p-polarized light. Upon application of the external field, free rotation of HCl inside the matrix gradually changed to perturbed rotation and then to a pendular state harmonically bound in the Stark potential well. Further increase in the field strength increased the degree of dipole alignment along the field direction, approaching an asymptotically perfect orientation of the molecules with an average tilt angle of <30° at a field strength above 1 × 10⁸ V·m^-1.