Interpretation of the i.r. and Raman spectrum of acetonitrile solutions of electrolytes in the CN stretching region

Vibrational spectroscopic properties of hydrogen bonded acetonitrile studied by DFT

Vibrational properties (band position, Infrared and Raman intensities) of the acetonitrile C[triple bond]N stretching mode were studied in 27 gas-phase medium intensity (length range: = 1.71-2.05 angstroms; -deltaE range = 13-48 kJ/mol) hydrogen-bonded 1:1 complexes of CH3CN with organic and inorganic acids using density functional theory (DFT) calculations [B3LYP-6-31++G(2d,2p)]. Furthermore, general characteristics of the hydrogen bonds and vibrational changes in the OH stretching band of the acids were also considered. Experimentally observed blue-shifts of the C[triple bond]N stretching band promoted by the hydrogen bonding, which shortens the triple bond length, are very well reproduced and quantitatively depend on the hydrogen bond length. Both predicted enhancement of the infrared and Raman nu(C[triple bond]N) band intensities are in good agreement with the experimental results. Infrared band intensity increase is a direct function of the hydrogen bond energy. However, the predicted increase in the Raman band intensity increase is a more complex function, depending simultaneously on the characteristics of both the hydrogen bond (C[triple bond]N bond length) and the H-donating acid polarizability. Accounting for these two parameters, the calculated nu(C[triple bond]N) Raman intensities of the complexes are explained with a mean error of +/- 2.4%.

Raman spectroscopic study of hydrogen bonding in benzenesulfonic acid/acrylonitrile solutions

Solutions of benzenesulfonic acid (BSA) in acrylonitrile in the range 1.02-6.53 mol dm(-3) were studied by FT-Raman spectroscopy. Spectra in the region of the acid SOH and benzenesulfonate anion SO3 stretching bands were analysed by band-fitting procedures in order to ascertain the degree of acid dissociation. This parameter changes from 0.42 (1.02 M solution) to 0.185 (6.53 M solution) despite the strong character of the acid. Interaction of acrylonitrile with undissociated BSA produces a new band in the nu(C[triple bond]N) Raman spectral region, displaced +21.4 cm(-1) and assigned to acrylonitrile molecules H-bonded to BSA. This displacement is in accord with the strong H-donor character of the acid. From the concentration of H-bonded acrylonitrile, the mean number of H-bonds in which each solvent molecule participates can be calculated. This number changes from ca. 0.2 in the less concentrated solution up to ca. 2.4 in the most concentrated solution. These results suggest that BSA-acrylonitrile complexes of fixed stoichiometry do not occur in the range of concentrations studied here.

Solvation of AlCl3 in deuterated acetonitrile studied by means of vibrational spectroscopy

Large blue shifts of the nu2 C=N stretch, nu4 Cz.sbnd;C stretch, and nu8 CCN deformation bands of CD3CN are observed in the infrared and Raman spectra of CD3CN solution of AlCl3, resulting from the donor-acceptor interactions of CD3CN with the Lewis acid. The Raman spectrum in the nu2 region shows further details; two new bands emerge on the blue side of the nu2 band of free CD3CN, and the ratio in intensity of the two bands also changes with concentration. Parallel to the nu2 region, similar new bands are observed on the blue sides of the nu4 and nu8 bands of free CD3CN. The solvation number of AlCl3, determined from the Raman intensities of the C=N stretch bands for free and coordinated CD3CN, increases from 1.54 to about 1.7 with decreasing concentration, indicating that various complexes with different numbers of coordinated acetonitrile coexist in the solution. The strong hydrogen bonds formed between the CD3 group and the chlorine atoms of the solute result in a large band appearing on the low frequency side of the nu1 CD3 symmetric stretch of free CD3CN.

Solvation of LiClO4 and NaClO4 in deuterated acetonitrile studied by means of infrared and Raman spectroscopy

Vibrational characteristics of CD3CN solutions of LiClO4 and NaClO4 have been studied by means of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Blue shifts of 22 and 11 cm(-1) of the v2 C[triple bond]N stretch are observed resulting from interaction of CD3CN with Li+ and Na+, respectively. The number of primary solvation sites of both Li+ and Na+ in acetonitrile is believed to be four from the comparison of the Raman intensities of the C[triple bond]N stretch for free CD3CN and those coordinated to Li+ and Na+. Evidently formation of contact ion pairs of the cation (Li+ or Na+) and anion (ClO4-) is more probable at a higher concentration of the salt. The characteristics of the v2 C[triple bond]N stretch, v4 C-C stretch, and v8 CCN deformation bands vary substantially upon coordination, while other vibrational bands are relatively immune to the donor-acceptor interaction. DFT calculations have also been performed at the BLYP/6-31 + G(2d,p) level to examine the structures and vibrational characteristics of CD3CN coordinated to Li+ and Na+. The calculated results are in good agreement with the observed vibrational characteristics.