Investigating tautomeric polymorphism in crystalline anthranilic acid using terahertz spectroscopy and solid-state density functional theory.

Terahertz spectroscopy is sensitive to the interactions between molecules in the solid-state and recently has emerged as a new analytical tool for investigating polymorphism. Here, this technique is applied for the first time to the phenomenon of tautomeric polymorphism where the crystal structures of anthranilic acid (2-aminobenzoic acid) have been investigated. Three polymorphs of anthranilic acid (denoted Forms I, II and III) were studied using terahertz spectroscopy and the vibrational modes and relative polymorph stabilities analyzed using solid-state density functional theory calculations augmented with London dispersion force corrections. Form I consists of both neutral and zwitterionic molecules and was found to be the most stable polymorph as compared to Forms II and III (both containing only neutral molecules). The simulations suggest that a balance between steric interactions and electrostatic forces is responsible for the favoring of the mixed neutral/zwitterion solid over the all neutral or all zwitterion crystalline arrangements.

Terahertz spectroscopy of the explosive taggant 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane.

The terahertz spectrum of the crystalline explosive taggant 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (C(6)H(12)N(2)O(4)) has been investigated as an alternative means of detecting solid-state explosives. The room-temperature spectrum exhibits two broad absorption features centered at 38.3 and 49.2 cm(-1). Once the sample is cooled to liquid-nitrogen temperatures, the resolution of three additional peaks occurs, with absorption maxima now appearing at 40.1, 47.5, 56.6, 63.9, and 73.6 cm(-1). Solid-state density functional theory simulations, both with and without London force dispersion corrections, have been used for the assignment of the experimental cryogenic THz spectrum to specific molecular motions in the crystalline solid. The B3LYP hybrid density functional paired with the 6-311G(2d,2p) basis set provides an excellent reproduction of the experimental data revealing that the THz spectrum arises from a mixture of intramolecular torsional vibrations localized primarily in the nitro groups and intermolecular lattice vibrations composed of rigid molecular rotations.

Terahertz spectroscopy and solid-state density functional theory simulations of the improvised explosive oxidizers potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate.

Terahertz spectroscopy provides a noninvasive and nondestructive method for detecting and identifying concealed explosives. In this work, the room-temperature and cryogenic terahertz spectra of two common improvised explosive oxidizers, namely, potassium nitrate (KN) and ammonium nitrate (AN), are presented, along with detailed solid-state density functional theory (DFT) analyses of the crystalline structures and spectral features. At both 294 and 78 K, KN exhibits two terahertz absorption features below 100 cm(-1) that have been assigned through DFT simulations to arise from hindered nitrate rotations in the KN-II crystalline polymorph. The terahertz spectrum of AN exhibits a pronounced temperature dependence. The 294 K spectrum is free of any absorptions, whereas the 78 K spectrum consists of several narrow and intense peaks. The origin of this large difference is the polymorphic transition that occurs during cooling of AN, where room-temperature AN-IV is converted to AN-V at 255 K. The 78 K terahertz spectrum of AN is assigned here to various ion rotations and translations in the AN-V polymorph lattice. The analysis of the room-temperature AN-IV terahertz spectrum proved to be more complicated. The solid-state DFT simulations predicted that the room-temperature crystal structure of AN is not very well described using the standard Pmmn space-group symmetry as previously believed. The AN-IV polymorph actually belongs to the Pmn2(1) space group, and the perceived Pmmn symmetry results from vibrational averaging through nitrate rotations. This newly observed Pmn2(1) crystal symmetry for room-temperature AN is the reason for the absence of absorption features in the 294 K terahertz spectrum of AN and provides new insight into the polymorphic transitions of this ionic solid.

Investigation of the low-frequency vibrations of crystalline tartaric acid using terahertz spectroscopy and solid-state density functional theory.

The room temperature and cryogenic terahertz (THz) spectra (10-95 cm(-1)) of l-tartaric acid and dl-tartaric acid were investigated. At 293 K, the l-tartaric acid spectrum showed four absorption features at 36.4, 61.6, 78.7, and 87.3 cm(-1) in the experimental spectrum. Once cooled to 78 K, these features narrowed and shifted to 35.9, 63.4, 81.1, and 90.1 cm(-1). The THz spectrum of dl-tartaric acid is significantly different, containing only a single absorption at 79.9 cm(-1) at room temperature, which shifts to 82.9 cm(-1) at 78 K. Solid-state density functional theory calculations [B3LYP/6-311G(2d,2p)] were performed to simulate the crystalline structure of both molecular solids and to assign the observed spectral features to specific atomic motions. The THz spectrum of l-tartaric acid is particularly interesting in that it contains a theoretically unaccounted for spectral feature that may arise from second-order phonon processes and also exhibits an anomalous red-shifting absorption feature with cooling that is shown to originate from negative thermal expansion of the crystal.