Rotational spectra, structure and barrier to internal rotation of N-methylpyrrole and its argon complexes

Strong Torsion-Vibration Interaction in N-Methylpyrrole Observed by Far-Infrared Spectroscopy

An interaction between methyl torsion and the low-lying out-of-plane methyl wag vibration has been observed in toluene, p-fluorotoluene, and m-fluorotoluene, contravening the traditional assumption used when analyzing spectra that methyl torsion can be treated independently of the small-amplitude vibrations. When a methyl group is attached to a planar frame, out-of-plane methyl wag vibrations always occur, and hence this type of interaction between methyl torsion and vibration is potentially extensive. To probe whether this coupling occurs beyond toluene and its derivatives, we have studied the far-infrared absorption band for the out-of-plane methyl wagging mode in N-methylpyrrole. The torsional sequence structure reveals a particularly strong torsion-vibration interaction. Spectral simulations yield a torsion-vibration coupling matrix element of 34.0 cm^-1, over twice the value for toluene. The large torsion-vibration coupling constant implies that there is a significant tilting of the methyl group out of plane. Quantum chemistry calculations reveal a much larger out-of-plane methyl tilt angle in N-methylpyrrole compared to toluene, qualitatively consistent with this expectation. This is the first nontoluene derivative for which this type of torsion-vibration interaction has been reported and shows that the effect extends beyond toluenes. When present, this interaction links small-amplitude vibrations to the methyl torsion, providing a mechanism to bring the increased density of states into play and accelerate the rate of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution.

Internal dynamics features in the free jet rotational spectrum of the acetaldehyde-Kr molecular complex

The structure and the dynamics of internal motions in the complex formed between acetaldehyde and Kr are studied by free jet absorption microwave spectroscopy performed in the range 60-78 GHz. The fourfold structure of each rotational line is evidence of the vibration-rotation coupling between the overall rotation of the complex, a tunneling motion of the Kr atom between two equivalent positions and the internal rotation of the methyl group in the acetaldehyde moiety. The four sets of transitions could be fitted with a coupled Hamiltonian which allows for the Coriolis interaction obtaining the energy separation between the vibrational energy levels related to the tunneling motion, while the observed splittings due to the methyl group internal rotation were analyzed independently with an appropriate model. The potential energy barriers for the tunneling motion and the internal rotation of the methyl group have been calculated and the interaction of the rare gas atom with the acetaldehyde moiety is reflected in the change of the V(3) barrier to internal rotation in going from the molecule to the weakly bound complex.

The Microwave Spectrum of m-Tolunitrile: Methyl Internal Rotation and (14)N Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling

The microwave spectrum of m-tolunitrile (3-methylbenzonitrile, m-C(6)H(4)CH(3)CN) has been investigated in the frequency range from 1 to 4 and 8 to 26.5 GHz. The spectra in the two lowest states of internal methyl rotation (m = 0, +/-1) were recorded by means of pulsed molecular beam Fourier transform microwave (MB-FTMW) spectrometers. The interpretation of the spectra was based on an asymmetric frame-symmetric top Hamiltonian with inclusion of centrifugal distortion terms and first-order contributions from (14)N nuclear quadrupole coupling. A least-squares analysis yielded the rotational constants A = 3295.9103(10) MHz, B = 1199.1188(2) MHz, C = 883.9223(1) MHz, all elements of the nuclear quadrupole coupling tensor chi(aa) = -3.626(1) MHz, chi(bb) = 1.684(1) MHz, chi(cc) = 1.943(1) MHz, and chi(ab) = -1.870(3) MHz, as well as the threefold barrier to internal rotation, V(3) = 14.2 cm(-1), and the angle between the internal rotor axis and the principal moment of inertia a axis, θ = 42.66 degrees, using fixed values for the sixfold barrier term V(6) (-11 cm(-1)) and the moment of inertia of the methyl top I(alpha) (3.16 u Å(2)). Copyright 2000 Academic Press.