Quantum theory of atoms in molecules/charge-charge flux-dipole flux models for fundamental vibrational intensity changes on H-bond formation of water and hydrogen fluoride

A Charge-Charge Flux-Dipole Flux Analysis of Simple Molecular Systems with Halogen Bonds

The presence of halogen bonds (R-X···B; R = substituent group, X = halogen, and B = Lewis base) provides quite amazing molecular systems for electronic structure investigations, presenting unique characteristics of fundamental relevance to supramolecular chemistry among other areas. Here, we use a double-hybrid approach from Density Functional Theory and triple-ζ basis sets augmented with diffuse functions (B2PLYP/def2-TZVPD) to deal with a large group of simple molecular systems containing halogen bonds (XBs), focusing on geometrical structures, binding energies, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and fundamental infrared intensities. Next, the electron densities and their variations on vibrations are carefully studied with the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) formalism and the charge-charge flux-dipole flux (CCFDF) model. We notice that the R-X stretching mode usually shows vibrational frequency decrements and infrared intensifications during the XB formation. Such features were also observed in hydrogen bonds, although the explanation for the band strengthening is different. Surprisingly, the most important contribution to these intensity increments due to complexation is now the interaction term between the charge flux and dipole flux (CF × DF). Thus, the use of atomic dipoles is mandatory to fully understand this phenomenon. In fact, the huge charge flux contributions to changes in dipole moment derivatives of R-X stretchings on halogen bonding are no longer accompanied by opposite variations of similar magnitudes in polarizations described by atomic dipole fluxes, which provided nearly unaltered values during the XB formation. Thus, the electronic charge flux direction change that takes place in complexes (from B to R) now reinforces dipole moment derivative terms from such atomic polarizations (mainly from the X atom). This intermolecular charge flux seems to be responsible for the unusual features noticed in the R-X stretching mode with the CCDDF/QTAIM model.

Variable temperature FTIR spectra of polycrystalline purine nucleobases and estimating strengths of individual hydrogen bonds

In the first part of this work, we report the FTIR spectra of pure NH and isotopically substituted ND (10-15% D and 80-90% D) polycrystalline hypoxanthine, xanthine, adenine and guanine recorded in the 400-4000 cm^-1 range, as a function of temperature (10-300 K). We provide assignments of the stretching and out-of-plane bending amine (NH₂) and imine (NH) bands to the distinct H-bonds present in the crystal, based on the temperature sensitivity and isotopic exchange behavior. Empirical correlations between spectral and thermodynamic or structural parameters enabled us to estimate the energies and lengths of H-bonds in the studied nucleobase crystals and to correlate them with literature data. The empirical H-bonding energies are compared with H-bonding and stacking energies computed for hypoxanthine. In the second part, strategies for using the empirical correlations together with information extracted from quantum mechanical data (in particular from the Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules, QTAIM) for the evaluation of hydrogen bonding properties are discussed, and their advantages and drawbacks pointed out. The justification for a cooperative use of quantum-mechanical calculations with empirical spectra-energy correlations is discussed.

Characteristic infrared intensities of carbonyl stretching vibrations

The experimental infrared fundamental intensities of gas phase carbonyl compounds obtained by the integration of spectral bands in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) spectral database are in good agreement with the intensities reported by other laboratories having a root mean square error of 27 km mol(-1) or about 13% of the average intensity value. The Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules/Charge-Charge Transfer-Counterpolarization (QTAIM/CCTCP) model indicates that the large intensity variation from 61.7 to 415.4 km mol(-1) is largely due to static atomic charge contributions, whereas charge transfer and counterpolarization effects essentially cancel one another leaving only a small net effect. The Characteristic Substituent Shift Model estimates the atomic charge contributions to the carbonyl stretching intensities within 30 km mol(-1) or 10% of the average contribution. However, owing to the size of the 2 × C × CTCP interaction contribution, the total intensities cannot be estimated with this degree of accuracy. The dynamic intensity contributions of the carbon and oxygen atoms account for almost all of the total stretching intensities. These contributions vary over large ranges with the dynamic contributions of carbon being about twice the size of the oxygen ones for a large majority of carbonyls. Although the carbon monoxide molecule has an almost null dipole moment contrary to the very polar bond of the characteristic carbonyl group, its QTAIM/CCTCP model is very similar to those found for the carbonyl compounds.

Atomic charge transfer-counter polarization effects determine infrared CH intensities of hydrocarbons: a quantum theory of atoms in molecules model

Atomic charge transfer-counter polarization effects determine most of the infrared fundamental CH intensities of simple hydrocarbons, methane, ethylene, ethane, propyne, cyclopropane and allene. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules/charge-charge flux-dipole flux model predicted the values of 30 CH intensities ranging from 0 to 123 km mol(-1) with a root mean square (rms) error of only 4.2 km mol(-1) without including a specific equilibrium atomic charge term. Sums of the contributions from terms involving charge flux and/or dipole flux averaged 20.3 km mol(-1), about ten times larger than the average charge contribution of 2.0 km mol(-1). The only notable exceptions are the CH stretching and bending intensities of acetylene and two of the propyne vibrations for hydrogens bound to sp hybridized carbon atoms. Calculations were carried out at four quantum levels, MP2/6-311++G(3d,3p), MP2/cc-pVTZ, QCISD/6-311++G(3d,3p) and QCISD/cc-pVTZ. The results calculated at the QCISD level are the most accurate among the four with root mean square errors of 4.7 and 5.0 km mol(-1) for the 6-311++G(3d,3p) and cc-pVTZ basis sets. These values are close to the estimated aggregate experimental error of the hydrocarbon intensities, 4.0 km mol(-1). The atomic charge transfer-counter polarization effect is much larger than the charge effect for the results of all four quantum levels. Charge transfer-counter polarization effects are expected to also be important in vibrations of more polar molecules for which equilibrium charge contributions can be large.

Dynamic atomic contributions to infrared intensities of fundamental bands

Dynamic atomic intensity contributions to fundamental infrared intensities are defined as the scalar products of dipole moment derivative vectors for atomic displacements and the total dipole derivative vector of the normal mode.

An atom in molecules study of infrared intensity enhancements in fundamental donor stretching bands in hydrogen bond formation

A semi-quantitative explanation for infrared intensity enhancements in hydrogen bonding is provided by a charge–charge flux interaction contribution.

The hydrogen bond – practice and QTAIM theory

IR intensities in the spectra of H-complexes as a source of electron-density data ρ(r_c) (e a⁻³) = 10⁻²(ΔA^1/2) (A, 10⁻⁴ cm mmol^−1/2).