Local structure and orientational ordering in liquid bromoform

Deconstructing the Local Intermolecular Ordering and Dynamics of Liquid Chloroform and Bromoform

Local intermolecular structure and dynamics of the polar molecular liquids chloroform and bromoform are studied by molecular dynamics simulation. Structural distribution functions, including 1- and 2-D pair correlations and dipole contour plots allow direct comparison and show agreement with recent analyses of diffraction experiments. Studies of the haloforms' reorientational dynamics and longevity of structural features resulting from intermolecular interaction extend previous work toward deeper understanding of the factors controlling these features. Analyses of ensemble average structures and dynamical properties isolate mass, electrostatics, and steric packing as driving forces or contributing factors for the observed ordering and dynamics.

Phase Stability of Chloroform and Dichloromethane at High Pressure

Chloroform (CHCl3) and dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) are model systems for the study of intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds and halogen–halogen interactions. Here we report a joint computational (density-functional perturbation theory (DFPT) modelling) and experimental (Raman scattering) study on the behaviour of the crystals of these compounds up to a pressure of 32 GPa. Comparing the experimental information on the Raman band positions and intensities with the results of calculations enabled us to characterize the pressure-induced evolution of the crystal structure of both compounds. We find that the previously proposed P63 phase of CHCl3 is in fact a metastable structure, and that up to 32 GPa the ambient-pressure Pnma structure is the ground state polymorph of this compound. For CH2Cl2 we confirm the stability of the ambient-pressure Pbcn structure up to 32 GPa. We show that the high-pressure evolution of the crystal geometry of CHCl3 in the Pnma structure is a result of the subtle balance between dipole–dipole interactions, hydrogen bonds and Cl···Cl contacts. For CH2Cl2 (Pbcn structure) the dipole–dipole interactions and hydrogen bonds are the main factors influencing the pressure-induced changes in the geometry.