Vibronic transitions from coupled-cluster response theory: Theory and application to HSiF and H[sub 2]O

Nonadiabatic effects in C–Br bond scission in the photodissociation of bromoacetyl chloride

Bromoacetyl chloride photodissociation has been interpreted as a paradigmatic example of a process in which nonadiabatic effects play a major role. In molecular beam experiments by Butler and co-workers [J. Chem. Phys. 95, 3848 (1991); J. Chem. Phys. 97, 355 (1992)], BrCH2C(O)Cl was prepared in its ground electronic state (S0) and excited with a laser at 248 nm to its first excited singlet state (S1). The two main ensuing photoreactions are the ruptures of the C-Cl bond and of the C-Br bond. A nonadiabatic model was proposed in which the C-Br scission is strongly suppressed due to nonadiabatic recrossing at the barrier formed by the avoided crossing between the S1 and S2 states. Recent reduced-dimensional dynamical studies lend support to this model. However, another interpretation that has been given for the experimental results is that the reduced probability of C-Br scission is a consequence of incomplete intramolecular energy redistribution. To provide further insight into this problem, we have studied the energetically lowest six singlet electronic states of bromoacetyl chloride by using an ab initio multiconfigurational perturbative electronic structure method. Stationary points (minima and saddle points) and minimum energy paths have been characterized on the S0 and S1 potential energy surfaces. The fourfold way diabatization method has been applied to transform five adiabatic excited electronic states to a diabatic representation. The diabatic potential energy matrix of the first five excited singlet states has been constructed along several cuts of the potential energy hypersurfaces. The thermochemistry of the photodissociation reactions and a comparison with experimental translational energy distributions strongly suggest that nonadiabatic effects dominate the C-Br scission, but that the reaction proceeds along the energetically allowed diabatic pathway to excited-state products instead of being nonadiabatically suppressed. This conclusion is also supported by the low values of the diabatic couplings on the C-Br scission reaction path. The methodology established in the present study will be used for the construction of global potential energy surfaces suitable for multidimensional dynamics simulations to test these preliminary interpretations.

A variational approach for calculating Franck-Condon factors including mode-mode anharmonic coupling

We have implemented our new procedure for computing Franck-Condon factors utilizing vibrational configuration interaction based on a vibrational self-consistent field reference. Both Duschinsky rotations and anharmonic three-mode coupling are taken into account. Simulations of the first ionization band of ClO(2) and C(4)H(4)O (furan) using up to quadruple excitations in treating anharmonicity are reported and analyzed. A developer version of the MIDASCPP code was employed to obtain the required anharmonic vibrational integrals and transition frequencies.

Density functional calculations of the vibronic structure of electronic absorption spectra

Calculations of the vibronic structure in electronic spectra of large organic molecules based on density functional methods are presented. The geometries of the excited states are obtained from time-dependent density functional (TDDFT) calculations employing the B3LYP hybrid functional. The vibrational functions and transition dipole moment derivatives are calculated within the harmonic approximation by finite difference of analytical gradients and the transition dipole moment, respectively. Normal mode mixing is taken into account by the Duschinsky transformation. The vibronic structure of strongly dipole-allowed transitions is calculated within the Franck-Condon approximation. Weakly dipole-allowed and dipole-forbidden transitions are treated within the Franck-Condon-Herzberg-Teller and Herzberg-Teller approximation, respectively. The absorption spectra of several organic pi systems (anthracene, pentacene, pyrene, octatetraene, styrene, azulene, phenoxyl) are calculated and compared with experimental data. For dipole-allowed transitions in general a very good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained. This indicates the good quality of the optimized geometries and harmonic force fields. Larger errors are found for the weakly dipole-allowed S0 --> S1 transition of pyrene which can tentatively be assigned to TDDFT errors for the relative energies of excited states close to the target state. The weak bands of azulene and phenoxyl are very well described within the Franck-Condon approximation which can be explained by the large energy gap (>1.2 eV) to higher-lying excited states leading to small vibronic couplings. Once corrections are made for the errors in the theoretical 0-0 transition energies, the TDDFT approach to calculate vibronic structure seems to outperform both widely used ab initio methods based on configuration interaction singles or complete active space self-consistent field wave functions and semiempirical treatments regarding accuracy, applicability, and computational effort. Together with the parallel computer implementations employed, the present approach appears to be a valuable tool for a quantitative description and detailed understanding of electronic excitation processes in large molecules.

Franck–Condon simulation of the single vibronic level emission spectra of HSiF and DSiF including anharmonicity

Potential energy functions (PEFs) of the X (1)A(') and A (1)A(") states of HSiF have been computed using the coupled-cluster single-double plus perturbative triple excitations and complete-active-space self-consistent-field multireference internally contracted configuration interaction methods, respectively, employing augmented correlation-consistent polarized-valence quadruple-zeta basis sets. For both electronic states of HSiF and DSiF, anharmonic vibrational wavefunctions and energies of all three modes have been calculated variationally with the ab initio PEFs and using Watson's Hamiltonian for nonlinear molecules. Franck-Condon factors between the two electronic states, allowing for Duschinsky rotation, were computed using the calculated anharmonic vibrational wavefunctions. These Franck-Condon factors were used to simulate the single vibronic level (SVL) emission spectra recently reported by Hostutler et al. in J. Chem. Phys. 114, 10728 (2001). Excellent agreement between the simulated and observed spectra was obtained for the A (1)A(")(1,0,0)-->X (1)A(') SVL emission of HSiF. Discrepancies between the simulated and observed spectra of the A (1)A(")(0,1,0) and (1,1,0) SVL emissions of HSiF have been found. These are most likely, partly due to experimental deficiencies and, partly to inadequacies in the ab initio levels of theory employed in the calculation of the PEFs. Based on the computed Franck-Condon factors, minor revisions of previous vibrational assignments are suggested. The calculated anharmonic wave functions of higher vibrational levels of the X (1)A(') state show strong mixings between the three vibrational modes of HSi stretching, bending, and SiF stretching.