Resonance Raman Study of the Short-Time Photodissociation Dynamics of the A-Band Absorption of Cyclopropyl Iodide in Cyclohexane Solution

Effect of the weak intermolecular C-H···O=C hydrogen bonding, solvent polarity and concentration on the frequency of the C=O stretch mode of 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde

The vibrational frequency shift in the C=O stretch mode of 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde (2TC) in the condensed phase is still not fully understood. In this paper, the vibrational spectra of 2TC were investigated using the FT-Raman, FT-IR and resonance Raman spectroscopies in conjunction with the density functional theory calculation. The pure compound (in the neat liquid) exhibits three vibrational bands 1658, 1672 and 1687 cm^-1 in the ν_C=O spectral region. It differs from the band pair 1672 and 1682 cm^-1 for 2-cyclohexene-1-one (CHO) and the single band 1700 cm^-1 for benzaldehyde. The relative intensities of observed bands vary with the polarity of aprotic solvents and the compound's concentration. In a diluted solution, the strongest band in the resonance Raman spectra of 2TC appears the C=O stretch mode at 1690 cm^-1 in cyclohexane and 1674/1675 cm^-1 in acetonitrile. The imparting factors that shift the C=O stretch mode frequency in the neat liquid and solvents with different polarities were examined. The spectral sources of the vibrational bands at 1658 and 1672 cm^-1 in the neat liquid and a dilute solution were determined, and the resonance Raman spectra were assigned. It is concluded that tetramers and monomer are the major sources of the bands at 1658 and 1672 cm^-1 in the neat liquid, respectively, while the monomer is the main source of the bands at 1674/1675 cm^-1 in acetonitrile and the band at 1690 cm^-1 in cyclohexane with a dilute concentration. The band's source at 1662/1663 cm^-1 in acetonitrile (a dilute concentration) can be either the dimers or 2TC-CH₃CN clusters. The C=O bond's electronic charge density is the main factor that shifts the vibrational frequency of the C=O stretch mode of 2TC monomer when an aprotic solvent is used. The larger the polarity of an aprotic solvent, the more negative the electronic charge-density of the C=O bond for the monomer, the lower the frequency of the C=O stretch mode.

Ab Initio Study of Decay Dynamics of 1-Nitronaphthalene Initiated from the S2(ππ* + nNOπ*) State

Irradiation of nitro-PAHs in solution at ambient conditions leads to formation of its lowest excited triplet, dissociation intermediates nitrogen oxide (NO^•) and aryloxy radical (Ar-O^•). Experimental and theoretical studies demonstrated that Franck-Condon excited singlet state S_FC(ππ*) to a receiver, higher-energy triplet state T_n(nπ*) controlled the ultrafast population of the triplet state and, hence, the slight fluorescence yield of nitronaphthalenes. However, the detailed information about the curve-crossings of potential energy surfaces and the major channels for forming T₁ species and Ar-O^• radical were unclear. Here, by using the CASSCF//CASPT2 method, an efficient decay channel is revealed: S_2-FC-1NN → S_2-MIN-1NN or S₂T_3-MIN-1NN → T_3-MIN-1NN or T₃T_2-MIN-1NN→ T_2-MIN-1NN or T₂T_1-MIN-1NN → T_1-MIN-1NN. This explains the high yield of T_1-1NN species and minor yield of Ar-O^• and NO^• radicals. The calculation results suggest the bifurcation processes take place predominantly after the internal conversion to the T_1-1NN state via T₂T_1-MIN-1NN, one leads to T_1-MIN-1NN, while the other to T_1-MIN-ISO to produce Ar-O^• and NO^• radicals.

Short-time dynamics and decay mechanism of 2(1H)-pyridinone upon excitation to the light-absorbing S4(21𝝅𝝅*) state

The excited-state structural dynamics and the decay mechanism of 2(1H)-pyridinone (NHP) after excitation to the S₄(2¹ππ^*) light-absorbing state were studied using resonance Raman spectroscopy and complete-active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) calculations. The B-band absorption cross-section and the corresponding absolute resonance Raman cross-sections were simulated using a simple model based on time-dependent wave-packet theory. The geometric structures of the singlet electronic excited states and their curve-crossing points were optimized at the CASSCF level of theory. The obtained short-time structural dynamics in easy-to-visualize internal coordinates were then compared with the CASSCF-predicted structural-parameter changes of S₄(2¹ππ^*)/S₃(2¹nπ^*)-MIN, S₄(2¹ππ^*)/S₁(1¹nπ^*)-MIN, and S₄(2¹ππ^*)-MIN. Our results indicate that the initial population of NHP in the S₄ state bifurcates in or near the Franck-Condon region, leading to two predominant (S₄S₃-MIN and S₄S₁-MIN) internal conversion pathways. The lowest-lying S₂(1¹ππ^*) excited state is finally formed via subsequent internal conversions S₃(2¹nπ^*)/S₂(1¹ππ^*)-MIN and S₁(1¹nπ^*)/S₂(1¹ππ^*)-MIN. The enol-keto tautomeric mechanism does not seem to play a role. The decay mechanism in the singlet realm is proposed.

Solvent-dependent dynamics of hydrogen bonding structure 5-(methylthio)-1, 3, 4-thiadiazole-2(3H)-thione as determined by Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculation

The vibration spectra of 5-(methylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2(3H)-thione (MTTN) in acetonitrile (CH₃CN), methanol (CH₃OH) and water (H₂O) solvents were collected and evaluated via deuterium isotopic substitution Raman spectroscopic experiments. These experiments were combined with the quantum chemical theoretical calculations using the PCM solvent model and normal mode analysis. The results confirmed that the MTTN in CH₃CN, CH₃OH and H₂O have hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) MTTN(solvent)_n clusters that produce significantly different Raman intensity patterns in different solvents. Combined with the normal Raman assignment, most resonance Raman spectra were assigned to the vibration modes of the H-bonding MTTN(CH₃CN), MTTN(CH₃OH)₃ and MTTN(H₂O)₃ clusters in CH₃CN, CH₃OH and H₂O. The theoretically-predicted frequencies and intensities in different surrounding environments enabled reliable assignments of Raman bands. The intermolecular>NH⋯O and >NH⋯N H-bonding interactions are key constituents of stable thione structures in MTTN. This underlines the significant structural differences of MTTN in CH₃CN, CH₃OH and H₂O. H-bonding perturbation of MTTN reveal important insights about the intermolecular excited state proton transfer (ESPT) reaction mechanisms in the Franck-Condon region structural dynamics of the thione→thiol tautomer in CH₃OH and H₂O.

Decay dynamics of α,β-carboxylic methyl esters (CH3OCOCH:CHR) in the lower-lying excited states--resonance Raman and complete active space self-consistent field calculation study

The photophysics of two α,β-carboxylic methyl esters after excitation to the light absorbing S2(ππ(*)) state were studied by using the resonance Raman spectroscopy and complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) method calculations. The vibrational spectra were assigned on the basis of the experimental measurements and the B3LYP/6-31G(d) computations, as well as the normal mode analysis. The A-band resonance Raman spectra of methyl 2,4-pentadienoate (M24PDA) and methyl trans cronoate (MTCA) were measured to probe the structural dynamics in Franck-Condon region. CASSCF calculations were done to obtain the minimal excitation energies and geometric structures of the lower-lying singlet and triplet excited states, and the curve-crossing points. It was revealed that the short-time structural dynamics of M24PDA was dominated by the Cα=Cβ-C4=C5 stretch coordinate, while that of MTCA was mostly along the Cα=Cβ and the C=O stretch motion. Comparison of the structural dynamics of M24PDA and MTCA with that of 3-methyl-3-pentene-2-one (3M3P2O) indicated that the structural dynamics of MTCA is similar to that of 3M3P2O but different than that of M24PDA in that the variation of the Raman intensity ratios for ν7/ν8, (ν7+ν8)/2ν8, (ν7+2ν8)/3ν8, (ν7+3ν8)/4ν8 of MTCA is similar to that of 3M3P2O but different from that of M24PDA. It is found that the substitution of methyl group in the α(')-position of α,β-enones by methoxyl group does not substantially affect the short-time structural dynamics, while the substitution of vinyl group in the β-position changes significantly the short-time structural dynamics and the subsequent decay processes. A detailed decay mechanism is proposed. Two sub-processes which consider the reconjugation and the subsequent charge-transfer reaction of O=C-Cα=Cβ chromophore were postulated to describe the variation of short-time structural dynamics with the different substitution.

Resonance Raman and density functional study of the excited state structural dynamics of 3-amino-2-cyclohexen-1-one in water and acetonitrile solvents

FT-Raman and/or FT-IR spectra of 3-amino-2-cyclohexen-1-one (ACyO) in solid state and/or in solvents of water and acetonitrile were obtained. Density functional theory calculations were done to help elucidate the vibrational band assignments. The A-band resonance Raman spectra of ACyO were acquired in water and acetonitrile solvents to examine the excited state structural dynamics and the state-mixing or curve-crossing tuned by solvents. A preliminary resonance Raman intensity analysis using the time-dependent wave-packet theory and simple model was done for ACyO in acetonitrile solvent. Resonance Raman spectroscopic probing of the excited state curve-crossing or state-mixing was proposed.

Resonance Raman spectroscopic and theoretical investigation of the excited state proton transfer reaction dynamics of 2-thiopyridone

The resonance Raman spectra were obtained for both 2-thiopyridone (2TP) and its proton-transfer tautomer 2-mercaptopyridine (2MP) in water solution. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to help elucidate their ultraviolet electronic transitions and vibrational assignments of the resonance Raman spectra associated with their B-band absorptions. The nanosecond time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopic experiment was carried out to further confirm the assignment that the transient species was the ground state 2MP. The different short-time structural dynamics were examined for both 2TP and 2MP in terms of their resonance Raman intensity patterns. The transition barriers between 2TP and 2MP for S(0), T(1), and S(1) states are determined by using (U)B3LYP-TD and CASSCF level of theory computations, respectively. The excited state proton transfer (ESPT) reaction mechanism is proposed and briefly discussed.

Resonance Raman Investigation of the Short-Time Photodissociation Dynamics of the Charge-Transfer Absorption of the I2−Benzene Complex in Benzene Solution

Resonance Raman spectra were obtained for the I2-benzene complex in benzene solvent with excitation wavelengths in resonance with the CT-band absorption. These spectra indicate that the Franck-Condon region photodissociation dynamics have multidimensional character with motion mainly along the nominal I-I stretch mode nu(18), the nominal symmetric benzene ring stretch mode nu5, and the nominal symmetric CCH bending nu7. There is also a small contribution from the nominal out-of-plane CH oop wag nu15. A preliminary resonance Raman intensity analysis was done, and the results for the I2-benzene complex were compared to results previously reported for the 1-hexene-I2 complex. We briefly discuss the differences and similarities in the CT-band absorption excitation of an I2-benzene complex relative to those of an I2-alkene complex.