DFT computation and experimental analysis of vibrational and electronic spectra of phenoxy acetic acid herbicides

Molecular structure, vibrational spectroscopic, hyperpolarizability, natural bond orbital analysis, frontier molecular orbital analysis and thermodynamic properties of 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenylacetic acid

The FT-IR (4000-400cm(-)(1)) and FT-Raman spectra (3500-100cm(-)(1)) of 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenylacetic acid (PAA) have been recorded. Density functional theory calculation with LSDA/6-31+G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) basis sets have been used to determine ground state molecular geometries (bond lengths and bond angles), harmonic vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, Raman intensities and bonding features of the title compound. The assignments of the vibrational spectra have been carried out with the help of normal coordinate analysis (NCA) following the scaled quantum mechanical force field (SQMFF) methodology. The first order hyperpolarizability (β0) and related properties (β, α0 and Δα) of PAA are calculated using B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) method on the finite-field approach. The calculated first hyperpolarizability shows that the molecule is an attractive molecule for future applications in non-linear optics. The stability of molecule has been analyzed by using NBO analysis. The calculated HOMO and LUMO energies show that charge transfer occurs within this molecule. Mulliken population analysis on atomic charges is also calculated. Thermodynamic properties (heat capacity, enthalpy, Gibb's free energy and entropy) of the title compound at different temperatures were calculated.

Vibrational energy distribution analysis (VEDA): scopes and limitations

The principle of operations of the VEDA program written by the author for Potential Energy Distribution (PED) analysis of theoretical vibrational spectra is described. Nowadays, the PED analysis is indispensible tool in serious analysis of the vibrational spectra. To perform the PED analysis it is necessary to define 3N-6 linearly independent local mode coordinates. Already for 20-atomic molecules it is a difficult task. The VEDA program reads the input data automatically from the Gaussian program output files. Then, VEDA automatically proposes an introductory set of local mode coordinates. Next, the more adequate coordinates are proposed by the program and optimized to obtain maximal elements of each column (internal coordinate) of the PED matrix (the EPM parameter). The possibility for an automatic optimization of PED contributions is a unique feature of the VEDA program absent in any other programs performing PED analysis.