Variational Calculations of Vibrational Energies and IR Spectra of trans- and cis-HOCO Using New ab Initio Potential Energy and Dipole Moment Surfaces

Efficient vibrationally correlated calculations using n-mode expansion-based kinetic energy operators

Due to its efficiency and flexibility, the n-mode expansion is a frequently used tool for representing molecular potential energy surfaces in quantum chemical simulations. In this work, we investigate the performance of n-mode expansion-based models of kinetic energy operators in general polyspherical coordinate systems. In particular, we assess the operators with respect to accuracy in vibrationally correlated calculations and their effect on potential energy surface construction with the adaptive density guided approach. Our results show that the n-mode expansion-based operator variants are reliable and systematically improvable approximations of the full kinetic energy operator. Moreover, we introduce a workflow to generate the n-mode expanded kinetic energy operators on-the-fly within the adaptive density guided approach. This scheme can be applied in studies of species and coordinate systems, for which an analytical form of the kinetic energy operator is not available.

Derivation of ρ-dependent coordinate transformations for nonrigid molecules in the Hougen-Bunker-Johns formalism

In this paper, we report a series of transformations for the construction of a Hamiltonian model for nonrigid polyatomic molecules in the framework of the Hougen-Bunker-Johns formalism (HBJ). This model is expressed in normal mode coordinates for small vibrations and in a specific coordinate ρ to describe the large amplitude motion. For the first time, a general procedure linking the "true" curvilinear coordinates to ρ is proposed, allowing the expression of the potential energy part in the same coordinate representation as the kinetic energy operator, whatever the number of atoms. A Lie group-based method is also proposed for the derivation of the reference configuration in the internal axis system. This work opens new perspectives for future high-resolution spectroscopy studies of nonrigid, medium-sized molecules using HBJ-type Hamiltonians. Illustrative examples and computation of vibrational energy levels on semirigid and nonrigid molecules are given to validate this method.

Full-dimensional quantum mechanics calculations for the spectroscopic characterization of the isomerization transition states of HOCO/DOCO systems

Full-dimensional quantum mechanics calculations were performed to determine the vibrational energy levels of HOCO and DOCO based on an accurate potential energy surface. Almost all of the vibrational energy levels up to 3500 cm^-1 from the vibrational ground state were assigned, and the calculated energy levels in this work are well in agreement with the reported results by Bowman. The corresponding full dimensional wavefunctions present some special features. When the energy level approaches the barrier height, the trans-HOCO and cis-HOCO states strongly couple through tunneling interactions, and the tunneling interaction and Fermi resonance were observed in the DOCO system. The energy level patterns of trans-HOCO, cis-HOCO and trans-DOCO provide a reasonable fitted barrier height using the fitting formula of Field et al., however, a discrepancy exists for the cis-DOCO species which is considered as a random event. Our full-dimensional calculations give positive evidence for the accuracy of the spectroscopic characterization model of the isomerization transition state reported by Field et al., which was developed from one-dimensional model systems. Furthermore, the special case of cis-DOCO in this work means that the isotopic substitution can solve the problem of the accidental failure of Field's spectroscopic characterization model.

The Rovibrational Spectra of trans- and cis-HOCO, Calculated by MULTIMODE with ab Initio Potential Energy and Dipole Moment Surfaces

The code MULTIMODE is used in its reaction path version, along with ab initio potential energy and dipole moment surfaces introduced earlier, to predict the infrared spectra of both trans and cis forms of HOCO at temperatures 296 and 15 K. All six fundamentals are isolated for each isomer and temperature, and their main features examined, paying particular attention to the OH stretch fundamental, whose spectrum has been reported experimentally for trans-HOCO. The current spectra for cis-HOCO, while not of "spectroscopic" accuracy, should be sufficient to aid in new experimental efforts to record the spectrum of this isomer.

Limited rotational and rovibrational line lists computed with highly accurate quartic force fields and ab initio dipole surfaces

In this work, computational procedures are employed to compute the rotational and rovibrational spectra and line lists for H2O, CO2, and SO2. Building on the established use of quartic force fields, MP2 and CCSD(T) Dipole Moment Surfaces (DMSs) are computed for each system of study in order to produce line intensities as well as the transition energies. The computed results exhibit a clear correlation to reference data available in the HITRAN database. Additionally, even though CCSD(T) DMSs produce more accurate intensities as compared to experiment, the use of MP2 DMSs results in reliable line lists that are still comparable to experiment. The use of the less computationally costly MP2 method is beneficial in the study of larger systems where use of CCSD(T) would be more costly.

Sub-Doppler spectroscopy of the trans-HOCO radical in the OH stretching mode

Rovibrational spectroscopy of the fundamental OH stretching mode of the trans-HOCO radical has been studied via sub-Doppler high-resolution infrared laser absorption in a discharge slit-jet expansion. The trans-HOCO radical is formed by discharge dissociation of H2O to form OH, which then combines with CO and cools in the Ne expansion to a rotational temperature of 13.0(6) K. Rigorous assignment of both a-type and b-type spectral transitions is made possible by two-line combination differences from microwave studies, with full rovibrational analysis of the spectrum based on a Watson asymmetric top Hamiltonian. Additionally, fine structure splittings of each line due to electron spin are completely resolved, thus permitting all three ε(aa), ε(bb), ε(cc) spin-rotation constants to be experimentally determined in the vibrationally excited state. Furthermore, as both a- and b-type transitions for trans-HOCO are observed for the first time, the ratio of transition dipole moment projections along the a and b principal axes is determined to be μ(a)/μ(b) = 1.78(5), which is in close agreement with density functional quantum theoretical predictions (B3LYP/6-311++g(3df,3pd), μ(a)/μ(b) = 1.85). Finally, we note the energetic possibility in the excited OH stretch state for predissociation dynamics (i.e., trans-HOCO → H + CO2), with the present sub-Doppler line widths providing a rigorous upper limit of >2.7 ns for the predissociation lifetime.