Microwave investigation of sulfuric acid monohydrate

Partial Proton Transfer in the Gas Phase: A Spectroscopic and Computational Analysis of the Trifluoroacetic Acid - Trimethylamine Complex

The 1:1 complex formed from trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trimethylamine (TMA) has been observed in the gas phase by rotational spectroscopy and further investigated by DFT and MP2 methods. Spectra of both the parent form and the -OD isotopologue have been obtained. The complex is structurally similar to a hydrogen bonded system, with the O-H bond directed toward the nitrogen of the TMA. However, both the spectroscopic and computational results indicate that it is intermediate between a hydrogen bonded complex and a proton-transferred ion pair. Two metrics are used to assess the degree of proton transfer from the acid to the base. The first is based on experimental 14N nuclear quadrupole coupling constants. Specifically, the component of the 14N nuclear quadrupole coupling tensor along the c-inertial axis of the complex, χcc, is 31% of the way between that of free TMA (no proton transfer) and that of TMAH+ (complete proton transfer). A second metric, adapted from that of Kurnig and Scheiner [Int. J. Quantum Chem. Quantum Biol. Symp. 1987, 14, 47-56], is based on calculated O-H and H-N distances and corroborates this description. These results indicate that the degree of proton transfer in TFA-TMA is very similar to that in the TMA complex of HNO3, which has been previously studied and for which the proton affinity of the conjugate anion (NO3-) is almost identical to that of CF3COO-. While the solid salt, TMAH+·CF3COO-, is an ionic plastic above 307 K and exhibits free rotation of the ions, no such motion is observed in the cold 1:1 gas phase adduct.

How Water Interacts with the NOH Group: The Rotational Spectrum of the 1:1 N,N-diethylhydroxylamine·Water Complex

The rotational spectrum of the 1:1 N,N-diethylhydroxylamine-water complex has been investigated using pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in the 6.5-18.5 GHz frequency region. The most stable conformer has been detected as well as the 13C monosubstituted isotopologues in natural abundance and the 18O enriched water species, allowing to determine the nitrogen nuclear quadrupole coupling constants and the molecular structure in the vibrational ground state. The molecule has a Cs symmetry and the water lies in the bc symmetry plane forming two hydrogen bonds with the NOH frame with length: dHOH·NOH = 1.974 Å and dH2O·HON = 2.096 Å. From symmetry-adapted perturbation theory calculations coupled to atoms in molecule approach, the corresponding interaction energy values are estimated to be 24 and 13 kJ·mol-1, respectively. The great strength of the intermolecular interaction involving the nitrogen atom is in agreement with the high reactivity of hydroxylamine compounds at the nitrogen site.

Vacuum ultraviolet photochemistry of sulfuric acid vapor: a combined experimental and theoretical study

We present a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization study of the gas-phase sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) molecule in the 11-14 eV energy range by using the method of synchrotron radiation-based double imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence (i²PEPICO) spectroscopy complemented with accurate theoretical calculations. The slow photoelectron spectrum (SPES) of H₂SO₄ has been acquired and the three electronic states of H₂SO₄⁺, X²A, A²A and B²A have been populated and assigned. The adiabatic ionization energy of the H₂SO₄ molecule towards the X²A cationic ground state is measured at 11.684 ± 0.006 eV, in accordance with high-level calculated findings. With increasing photon energies, the H₂SO₄⁺ cation dissociates into HSO₃⁺ and OH fragments and their adiabatic appearance energy is measured at 13.498 ± 0.007 eV. Then, the enthalpies of formation for the species involved in the photoionization and dissociative photoionization have been determined through a thermochemical cycle.

Modifying conformational distribution of chiral tetrahydro-2-furoic acid through its interaction with water: a rotational spectroscopic and theoretical investigation

Rotational spectrum of a binary complex formed between tetrahydro-2-furoic acid (THFA) and water was measured using a chirped pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. A comprehensive theoretical conformational search procedure was carried out using CREST, a conformational searching tool, and DFT calculations to aid the spectral assignment and interpretation. The final conformer ensemble is classified into two structural groups: Type 1 conformers showing a classic carboxylic acid monohydrate structure with two strong hydrogen-bonds formed between the COOH group of cis-THFA and water, and the much less stable Type 2 conformers with trans-THFA and weaker intermolecular interactions with water. The 'cis-' and 'trans-' labels refer to the configurations where the carboxylic C[double bond, length as m-dash]O and OH functional groups are on the same or opposite side, respectively. Only the two most stable Type 2 conformers containing trans-THFA I and II were observed experimentally in a neon jet expansion with an abundance ratio of 1 : 1. This relative abundance observation differs greatly from that of the THFA monomer, i.e. with trans-THFA I : trans-THFA II : cis-THFA III of 10 : 1 : 1 in a neon jet expansion, reported previously. The observation indicates a kinetically controlled formation process of different types of the monohydrates in a jet expansion, whereas a thermodynamically controlled process dominates within each type of structures. The relative stability of the THFA ring conformations is altered by interaction with water, showing a noticeable water induced conformational preference.

Unexpected quenching effect on new particle formation from the atmospheric reaction of methanol with SO3

Despite the high abundance in the atmosphere, alcohols in general and methanol in particular are believed to play a small role in atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) largely due to the weak binding abilities of alcohols with the major nucleation precursors, e.g., sulfuric acid (SA) and dimethylamine (DMA). Herein, we identify a catalytic reaction that was previously overlooked, namely, the reaction between methanol and SO₃, catalyzed by SA, DMA, or water. We found that alcohols can have unexpected quenching effects on the NPF process, particularly in dry and highly polluted regions with high concentrations of alcohols. Specifically, the catalytic reaction between methanol and SO₃ can convert methanol into a less-volatile species--methyl hydrogen sulfate (MHS). The latter was initially thought to be a good nucleation agent for NPF. However, our simulation results suggest that the formation of MHS consumes an appreciable amount of atmospheric SO₃, disfavoring further reactions of SO₃ with H₂O. Indeed, we found that MHS formation can cause a reduction of SA concentration up to 87%, whereas the nucleation ability of MHS toward new particles is not as good as that of SA. Hence, a high abundance of methanol in the atmosphere can lower the particle nucleation rate by as much as two orders of magnitude. Such a quenching effect suggests that the recently identified catalytic reactions between alcohols and SO₃ need to be considered in atmospheric modeling in order to predict SA concentration from SO₂, while also account for their potentially negative effect on NPF.

Density functional theory study with and without COSMO of H2 SO4 reactions in an aqueous environment for metal extraction

In a recent study investigating the suitability of solvent extraction (SX) for the separation of Ta and Nb, it was shown that speciation data would be required to help explain the data obtained. As traditional speciation techniques cannot be readily applied for Ta and Nb, it was decided to determine the suitability of molecular modeling for this purpose. During the SX experiments the aqueous phase consisted of sulfuric acid (H₂ SO₄ ), water, and metal species. In this study density functional theory (DFT) modeling was used to calculate the formation energy of five possible reactions of H₂ SO₄ and H₂ O. Different functional and basis set combinations were compared as well as the effect of infinite dilution by using the conductor-like screening model (COSMO), which simulates infinite dilution of solvents of varying polarity and includes the short-range interactions of the solute particles. The results obtained were used to determine whether it is possible to predict the reactions and mechanism when H₂ SO₄ and H₂ O interact during SX. According to the results, the deprotonation of H₂ SO₄ was endothermic in a 1:1 acid-water ratio, while being both exothermic in the 1:5 and 1:10 acid-water ratio forming HSO₄ ^- and SO₄ ^2- respectively. Furthermore, it was seen that the hydration and dehydration of H₂ SO₄ in a bulk H₂ O solution was a continuous process. From the energy calculations it was determined that although the H₂ SO₄ ●H₂ O, HSO₄ ^- ●H₂ O, and H₂ SO₄ ●2H₂ O species could form, they would most likely react with H₂ O molecules to form HSO₄ ^- , H₃ O⁺ , and H₂ O. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A systematic ab initio optimization of monohydrates of HCl•HNO3•H2SO4 aggregates

Hydrates of HCl, HNO₃ and H₂SO₄ involved in polar stratospheric clouds capture the attention of researchers due to the mixtures composed with them. The molecular aggregates generated with these strong acids show different behaviors, geometries and nucleation reactions at atmospheric temperatures. Here is presented a systematic ab initio optimization study of monohydrates of HCl•HNO₃•H₂SO₄ using the Density Functional Theory, by means of geometry optimizations carried out with B3LYP hybrid method and aug-cc-pVTZ basis set, a high level of theory, within Gaussian 09 program. This systematic optimization procedure consists to situate systematically the H₂O molecule around the cluster in study, on the favorable positions to develop higher quantity of hydrogen bonds as possible, in order to obtain major quantity of different electronic structures of these monohydrates. Applying this systematic optimization methodology over previously optimized complexes of HCl, HNO₃ and H₂SO₄, the present theoretical approach provides thirty-two different optimized electronic structures of monohydrates that were yielded from seven initial groups of (HCl•HNO₃•H₂SO₄)-complex, placing the H₂O in eight positions around them. Moreover, their Infrared spectra have been predicted for all (HCl•HNO₃•H₂SO₄)-monohydrates achieved. Likewise, It is shown the outcomes of the electronic energies, relative Gibbs free energies, Infrared spectra, the wavenumbers of hydrogen bonds, inter-monomeric parameters, electronic structures of (HCl•HNO₃•H₂SO₄)-monohydrates. These monohydrates could be considered precursors of the atmospheric heterogeneous nucleation reactions. These results can be useful to experimentalists of Catalysis, Astrophysics, Corrosion of metals and ceramics, aromatic compounds reactions, even environmental pollution and industrial smog.

A detailed hydrogen bonding analysis on the compositions of H2SO4/HNO3/H2O ternary systems: A computational study

Hydrogen bonding properties of H₂SO₄/HNO₃/H₂O ternary molecular clusters have been studied by means of structural, energetic, topological, and spectroscopic perspectives. The roles of the hydrogen bonds in the formation of these clusters are considered according to the molecule positions (proton donor or proton acceptor) in the clusters. 33 stable conformers were identified on the potential energy surface. The global minimum one was obtained when HNO₃ donates a proton to H₂SO₄, however, the cooperativity effect contribution was found to be significant for the cluster where HNO₃ acts as a proton donor to an H₂O molecule.

Effects of Global and Local Anharmonicities on the Thermodynamic Properties of Sulfuric Acid Monohydrate

We use state-of-the-art electronic structure calculation methods and large basis sets to obtain reliable values for the thermodynamic properties of sulfuric acid monohydrate and study the effects of vibrational anharmonicity on these properties. We distinguish between two forms of vibrational anharmonicity: local anharmonicity, which refers to the anharmonicity of the vibrational modes of a given cluster conformer, and global anharmonicity, which originates from accounting for the presence of different conformers in the first place. In our most accurate approach, we solve the nuclear Schrödinger equation variationally for the intermolecular large-amplitude motions, thus quantum-mechanically accounting for the presence of higher-energy conformers for both reactants and products, while using the standard vibrational perturbational approach for the other vibrational modes. This results in a value of -11.0 kJ/mol for the reaction Gibbs free energy at 298.15 K. When standard vibrational perturbational approaches are employed, the effects of local anharmonicity depend heavily on the choice of the electronic structure calculation basis set. In fact, better results can often be achieved by combining a simple harmonic treatment for the vibrational partition function with a statistical mechanical accounting of global anharmonicity. Thus, we recommend that future studies that intend to include anharmonicity start by accounting for the presence of higher-energy conformers and only then consider whether local anharmonicity calculations are feasible and necessary.

Sulphur Kβ emission spectra reveal protonation states of aqueous sulfuric acid

In this paper we report an X-ray emission study of bulk aqueous sulfuric acid. Throughout the range of molarities from 1 M to 18 M the sulfur Kβ emission spectra from H2SO4 (aq) depend on the molar fractions and related deprotonation of H2SO4. We compare the experimental results with results from emission spectrum calculations based on atomic structures of single molecules and structures from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. We show that the S Kβ emission spectrum is a sensitive probe of the protonation state of the acid molecules. Using non-negative matrix factorization we are able to extract the fractions of different protonation states in the spectra, and the results are in good agreement with the simulation for the higher part of the concentration range.

Disulfuric acid dissociated by two water molecules: ab initio and density functional theory calculations

We have studied geometries, energies and vibrational spectra of disulfuric acid (H2S2O7) and its anion (HS2O7(-)) hydrated by a few water molecules, using density functional theory (M062X) and ab initio theory (SCS-MP2 and CCSD(T)). The most noteworthy result is found in H2S2O7(H2O)2 in which the lowest energy conformer shows deprotonated H2S2O7. Thus, H2S2O7 requires only two water molecules, the fewest number of water molecules for deprotonation among various hydrated monomeric acids reported so far. Even the second deprotonation of the first deprotonated species HS2O7(-) needs only four water molecules. The deprotonation is supported by vibration spectra, in which acid O-H stretching peaks disappear and specific three O-H stretching peaks for H3O(+) (eigen structure) appear. We have also kept track of variations in several geometrical parameters, atomic charges, and hybrid orbital characters upon addition of water. As the number of water molecules added increases, the S-O bond weakens in the case of H2S2O7, but strengthens in the case of HS2O7(-). It implies that the decomposition leading to H2SO4 and SO3 hardly occurs prior to the 2nd deprotonation at low temperatures.

Facet shapes and thermo-stabilities of H₂SO₄•HNO₃ hydrates involved in polar stratospheric clouds

The nucleation, ice crystal shapes and thermodynamic stability of polar stratospheric clouds particles are interesting concerns owing to their implication in the ozone layer destruction. Some of these particles are formed by conformers of H2O, HNO3, and H2SO4. We carried out calculations using density functional theory (DFT) to obtain optimized structures. Several stable trimers are achieved -divided in two groups, one with HNO3 moiety, second with H2SO4 moiety- after pre-optimization at B3LYP/6-31G and subsequently optimization at B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. For both most stable conformers five H2O molecules are added to their optimized trimers to calculate hydrated geometries. The OH stretching harmonic frequencies are provided for all aggregates. The zero-point energy correction (ZEPC), relative electronic energies (∆E), relative reaction Gibbs free energies ∆(∆G)k-relative, and cooling constant (K cooling ) are reported at three temperatures: 188 K, 195 K, and 210 K. Shapes given in our calculations are compared with various experimental shapes as well as comparisons with their thermo-stabilities.

Formation of HNCO from carbon monoxide and atomic nitrogen in their fundamental states. Investigation of the reaction pathway in conditions relevant to the interstellar medium

Formation of HNCO from carbon monoxide and atomic nitrogen in their fundamental states.

Quantum chemical study of atmospheric aggregates: HCl•HNO3•H2SO4

HCl, HNO3 and H2SO4 are implicated in atmospheric processes in areas such as polar stratospheric clouds in the stratosphere. Ternary complexes of HCl, HNO3 and H2SO4 were investigated by ab initio calculations at B3LYP level of theory with aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets, taking into account basis set superposition error (BSSE). The results were assessed in terms of structures (five hexagonal cyclic structures and two quasi-pentagonal cyclic structures), inter-monomeric parameters (all ternary complexes built three hydrogen bonds), energetics (seven minima obtained), infrared harmonic vibrational frequencies (red shifting of complexes from monomers), and relative stability of complexes, which were favorable when the temperature decreases under stratospheric conditions, from 298 K to 188 K, and in concrete, at 210 K, 195 K and 188 K.

C-Cl activation by group IV metal oxides in solid argon matrixes: matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and theoretical investigations of the reactions of MOx (M = Ti, Zr; x = 1, 2) with CH3Cl

Reactions of the ground-state titanium and zirconium monoxide and dioxide molecules with monochloromethane in excess argon matrixes have been investigated in solid argon by infrared absorption spectroscopy and density functional theoretical calculations. The results show that the ground-state MOx (M = Ti, Zr; x = 1, 2) molecules react with CH3Cl to first form the weakly bound MO(CH3Cl) and MO2(CH3Cl) complexes. The MO(CH3Cl) complexes can rearrange to the CH3M(O)Cl isomers with the Cl atom of CH3Cl coordination to the metal center of MO upon UV light irradiation (λ < 300 nm). Theoretical calculations indicate that the electronic state crossings exist from the MO + CH3Cl reaction to the more stable CH3M(O)Cl molecules via the MO(CH3Cl) complexes traversing their corresponding transition states. The MO2(CH3Cl) complexes can isomerize to the more stable CH3OM(O)Cl molecules with the addition of the C-Cl bond of CH3Cl to one of the O═M bonds of MO2 upon annealing after broad-band light irradiation. The C-Cl activation by the MOx mechanism was interpreted by the calculated potential energy profiles.

Complexes of sulfuric acid with N,N-dimethylformamide: An ab initio investigation

The (H2SO4)2, H2SO4-DMF, and (H2SO4)2-DMF complexes have been investigated, using the B3LYP functional with cc-pVQZ basis set. The characteristics of structure and energetics for binary complexes of sulfuric acid with dimethylformamide (DMF) have been obtained for the first time. The H-bond formation both between molecules of sulfuric acid as well as sulfuric acid-DMF were studied, on the basis of Weinhold’s natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. It was shown that the H-bond formation between sulfuric acid and DMF molecules is stronger than ones for the acids dimer. The value of charge transfer from lone pair (LP) orbitals of DMF oxygen to the antibonding orbital of acid OH-bond significantly exceeds the criterion of H-bond existance (0.01 e). As follows from energy, among the complexes under investigation the most preferable one was found to be (H2SO4)2-DMF in which sulfuric acid molecules are linked with each other by three H-bonds.

Matrix isolation infrared spectrum of the sulfuric acid-monohydrate complex: new assignments and resolution of the "missing H-Bonded v(OH) band" issue

The matrix isolation infrared spectra of "dry" and "wet" vapors of sulfuric acid have been investigated as trapped in solid argon matrices. The availability of a spectrum of trapped anhydrous acid vapor and its comparison with the spectra of trapped water containing vapors of the acid allowed the identification of the hydrogen-bonding shifted hydroxyl bands for both the acid and the water moieties of the monohydrated H(2)SO(4).H(2)O complex. The experimental results are compared to the various theoretically calculated wavenumber values of the acid and its monohydrated complex. The complex stabilization energies, as obtained from calculations and empirical correlations, are compared.