Spectral Signatures of Hydrogen Thioperoxide (HOSH) and Hydrogen Persulfide (HSSH): Possible Molecular Sulfur Sinks in the Dense ISM

Theoretical Rotational and Vibrational Spectral Data for the Hypermagnesium Oxide Species Mg2O and Mg2O. Chemphyschem 2024:e202400479. [PMID: 38801234 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202400479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

While magnesium is astronomically observed in small molecules, it largely serves as a contributor to silicate grains, though how these grains form is not well-understood. The smallest hypermagnesium oxide compounds (Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O/Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O+ ${{}^{+}}$ ) may play a role in silicate formation, but little vibrational reference data exist. As such, anharmonic spectroscopic data are computed forX ˜ 1 Σ g + ${{{\tilde{\rm {X}}}}^1 {\rm{\Sigma }}_g^+ }$ Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O,a ˜ 1 Σ u + ${{{\tilde{\rm {a}}}}^1 {\rm{\Sigma }}_u^+ }$ Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O, andX ˜ 2 Σ g + ${{{\tilde{\rm {X}}}}^2 {\rm{\Sigma }}_g^+ }$ Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O+ ${{}^{+}}$ using quartic force fields (QFFs). Explicitly-correlated coupled-cluster QFFs for the neutral species perform well, implying that full multireference treatment may not be necessary for such systems if enough electron correlation is included. Equation-of-motion ionization potential (EOMIP) methods forX ˜ 2 Σ g + ${{{\tilde{\rm {X}}}}^2 {\rm{\Sigma }}_g^+ }$ Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O+ ${{}^{+}}$ QFFs circumvent previous symmetry breaking issues even in explicitly-correlated coupled-cluster results, motivating the need for EOMIP treatments at minimum for such systems. All three species are found to have high-intensity vibrational frequencies. Even so, the highly intense frequency (X ˜ 1 Σ g + ${{{\tilde{\rm {X}}}}^1 {\rm{\Sigma }}_g^+ }$ Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O: 894.7 cm-1/11.18 μm;a ˜ 1 Σ u + ${{{\tilde{\rm {a}}}}^1 {\rm{\Sigma }}_u^+ }$ Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O: 915.0 cm-1/10.91 μm) for either neutral state may be astronomically obscured by the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 11.2 μm band. Mg2 ${{}_{2}}$ O+ ${{}^{+}}$ may be less susceptible to such obfuscation, and itsν 1 ${{\nu }_{1}}$ intensity is computed to be a massive 4793 km mol-1.

Spectroscopy and Photochemistry of OAlNO and Implications for New Metal Chemistry in the Atmosphere

A new aluminum-bearing species, OAlNO, which has the potential to impact the chemistry of the Earth's upper atmosphere, is characterized via high-level, ab initio, spectroscopic methods. Meteor-ablated aluminum atoms are quickly oxidized to aluminum oxide (AlO) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT), where a steady-state layer of AlO then builds up. Concurrent formation of nitric oxide (NO) in the same region of the atmosphere will lead to the bimolecular formation of the OAlNO molecule. Molecular orbital analysis provides fundamental insights into the chemical bonding and energetic arrangement of the triplet (1 3A″) ground state and singlet (1 1A') excited-state species of OAlNO. Additionally, unpaired electrons on the terminal oxygen atom of triplet (1 3A″) OAlNO cause it to be reactive to atmospheric species, potentially impacting climate science and high-altitude chemistry. The triplet (1 3A″) ground-state species exhibits a large permanent dipole moment useful for rotational spectroscopic detection; however, similar rotational constants to the singlet (1 1A') excited-state species will hamper differentiation in a spectrum. Strong infrared intensities will assist in detection and discrimination of the different spin states and isomers. Repulsive electronic excited states of OAlNO will lead to photolysis of the Al-N bond and formation of various electronic states of AlO + NO through nonadiabatic pathways. Reaction through the OAlNO intermediate represents a means for the production of electronically excited AlO, leading to new chemistry in the atmosphere. Excitation to higher-lying electronic states will lead to fluorescence with a minor Stokes shift, useful for laboratory investigation. Such physical properties of this molecule will allow for new, unexplored chemical pathways in the MLT to be considered.

Hyperfine-resolved spectra of HDS together with a global ro-vibrational analysis

Despite their chemical simplicity, the spectroscopic investigation of light hydrides, such as hydrogen sulfide, is challenging due to strong hyperfine interactions and/or anomalous centrifugal-distortion effects. Several hydrides have already been detected in the interstellar medium, and the list includes H2S and some of its isotopologues. Astronomical observation of isotopic species and, in particular, those bearing deuterium is important to gain insights into the evolutionary stage of astronomical objects and to shed light on interstellar chemistry. These observations require a very accurate knowledge of the rotational spectrum, which is so far limited for mono-deuterated hydrogen sulfide, HDS. To fill this gap, high-level quantum-chemical calculations and sub-Doppler measurements have been combined for the investigation of the hyperfine structure of the rotational spectrum in the millimeter- and submillimeter-wave region. In addition to the determination of accurate hyperfine parameters, these new measurements together with the available literature data allowed us to extend the centrifugal analysis using a Watson-type Hamiltonian and a Hamiltonian-independent approach based on the Measured Active Ro-Vibrational Energy Levels (MARVEL) procedure. The present study thus permits to model the rotational spectrum of HDS from the microwave to far-infrared region with great accuracy, thereby accounting for the effect of the electric and magnetic interactions due to the deuterium and hydrogen nuclei.