Infrared Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Investigations of the Reactivity of Titanium Atoms with Carbon Monoxide and Water Isolated in Solid Argon: Sequential Evolution from Triplet to Singlet State.

Thermally evaporated titanium atoms reacted with carbon monoxide and water in solid argon at 12 K to produce the HTiOH-CO and HTiOH-(CO)2 molecules, which were characterized using infrared spectroscopy on the basis of CO, Ti, and water concentration variations and of isotopic substitutions. The insertion product, HTiOH, resulting from the reaction of a titanium atom with a water molecule reacts with CO spontaneously to give the HTiOH-CO molecule, which in turn reacts with a second CO molecule to give HTiOH-(CO)2 The density functional theory calculations were performed to elucidate the geometrical and electronic structures and support the spectral assignments. The topological analysis of the charge density within the experimentally observed molecules allowed us to rationalize the coordination sphere as well as the electron pairing on the titanium center.

Infrared Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Investigations of PdTi Heterodimer Reactivity with Carbon Monoxide Isolated in Solid Argon.

The reactivity of diatomic palladium-titanium toward carbon monoxide has been studied in solid argon by infrared spectroscopy (Fourier transform infrared) in the carbonyl stretching frequency region. Our technique of sublimation of Ti and Pd atoms from two filaments heated separately allowed the identification of five new molecules. Small polynuclear carbonyl clusters, PdTi(CO) n ( n = 1-3), have been characterized on the basis of isotopic substitutions, metal atom and CO concentration variations, and irradiation effects. Selective irradiation in the visible region leads to conversion between two isomers distinguished by the stretching frequency of the diatomic CO: PdTiCO Ti-eo (νCO = 1908.4 cm-1) and PdTiCO Pd-eo (νCO = 2009.3 cm-1). The density functional theory calculations have been carried out to elucidate the geometrical and electronic structures and support the spectral assignments. The nature of the metal-carbon bonding has been discussed using the topology of the Laplacian of the electron density.

Conformational Landscape of the 1/1 Diacetyl/Water Complex Investigated by Infrared Spectroscopy and ab Initio Calculations.

The complexes of diacetyl with water have been studied experimentally by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy coupled to solid neon matrix and supersonic jet, and anharmonic ab initio calculations. The vibrational analysis of neon matrix spectra over the 100-7500 cm-1 infrared range confirms the existence of two nearly isoenergetic one-to-one (1/1) diacetyl-water S1 and S2 isomers already evidenced in a previous argon matrix study. A third form (S3) predicted slightly less stable ( J. Mol. Mod. 2015 , 21 , 214 ) is not observed. The correct agreement obtained between neon matrix and anharmonic calculated vibrational frequencies is exploited in several cases to derive band assignments for the vibrational modes of a specific isomer. Thereafter, theoretical xij anharmonic coupling constants are used for the attribution of combination bands and overtones relative to the 1/1 dimer. Finally, the most stable isomer of the one-to-two (1/2) diacetyl-water complex is identified in the OH stretching region of water on the grounds of comparison of experimental and calculated vibrational shifts between water dimer and the three most stable 1/2 isomers.

Synthesis, High-Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy, and Vibrational Structure of Cubane, C8H8.

Carbon-cage molecules have generated a considerable interest from both experimental and theoretical points of view. We recently performed a high-resolution study of adamantane (C10H16), the smallest hydrocarbon cage belonging to the diamandoid family ( Pirali , O. ; et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2012 , 136 , 024310 ). There exist another family of hydrocarbon cages with additional interesting chemical properties: the so-called platonic hydrocarbons that comprise dodecahedrane (C20H20) and cubane (C8H8). Both possess C-C bond angles that deviate from the tetrahedral angle (109.8°) of the sp(3) hybridized form of carbon. This generates a considerable strain in the molecule. We report a new wide-range high-resolution study of the infrared spectrum of cubane. The sample was synthesized in Bari upon decarboxylation of 1,4-cubanedicarboxylic acid thanks to the improved synthesis of literature. Several spectra have been recorded at the AILES beamline of the SOLEIL synchrotron facility. They cover the 600-3200 cm(-1) region. Besides the three infrared-active fundamentals (ν10, ν11, and ν12), we could record many combination bands, all of them displaying a well-resolved octahedral rotational structure. We present here a preliminary analysis of some of the recorded bands, performed thanks the SPVIEW and XTDS software, based on the tensorial formalism developed in the Dijon group. A comparison with ab initio calculations, allowing to identify some combination bands, is also presented.

Topological insights into the 1/1 diacetyl/water complex gained using a new methodological approach.

The 1/1 diacetyl/water complex is of atmospheric relevance. Previous experimental and theoretical studies have focused on two isomeric forms, and geometry optimizations were carried out on them. Herein, we propose a six-step methodological approach based on topological properties to search for and characterize all of the isomeric forms of the 1/1 noncovalent diacetyl/water complex: (1) a molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) study to get an overview of the V min and V max regions on the molecular surfaces of the separate molecules (diacetyl and water); (2) a topological (QTAIM and ELF) study allowing thorough characterization of the electron densities (QTAIM) and irreducible ELF basins of the separate molecules; (3) full optimization of the predicted structures based on the interaction between complementary reaction sites; (4) energetic characterization based on a symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) analysis; (5) topological characterization of the optimized complexes; (6) analysis of the complexes in terms of orbital overlaps (natural bond orbitals, NBO analysis). Using this approach, in addition to achieving the topological characterization of the two isomeric forms already reported, a third possible isomer was identified and characterized. Graphical Abstract Topological tools to study monohydrated complexes.

A combined experimental and theoretical study of the Ti2 + N2O reaction.

The reactivity of diatomic titanium with nitrous oxide has been studied in solid neon. Two molecules with the same Ti2-N2O stoichiometry are identified from concentration, temperature, and irradiation effects. The more stable one is characterized by five fundamental vibrational transitions located below 1000 cm(-1), the high frequency one at 946 cm(-1) corresponding to a pure TiO stretching mode. Its structure, a rhombus OTiNTiN with the extra O atom fixed on one Ti, is confirmed by quantum chemical calculations, at the CCSD(T) level, which predict a Cs structure in the singlet state with a Ti-O bond length close to 1.66 Å, two nonequivalent Ti-N distances close to 1.94 and 1.75 Å, and a OTiTi angle of 119.2°. The second Ti2-N2O molecule, only observed after annealing, is easily converted into the first one upon irradiation above 12 000 cm(-1) and its kinetics of photoconversion allows vibrational transitions to be identified. The strongest one located at 2123.4 cm(-1) characterizes an N-N stretching mode. Corresponding ab initio calculations complete this picture with details on the electronic structure and allow us to identify a most adequate density functional to describe the spectroscopic properties of the studied species in a simpler broken-symmetry open-shell DFT context. The theoretical results predict the existence of a metastable product OTi2N2 and correctly account for the observed spectra of the various isotopic varieties.

Axial and equatorial hydrogen-bond conformers between (CH2)3S and H(D)F: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

The coexistence of axial and equatorial hydrogen-bonded conformers of 1 : 1 (CH(2))(3)S-HF (and -DF) has been observed in the same adiabatic expansion of a supersonic jet seeded with argon and in a static absorption cell at room temperature. High level calculations computed the axial conformer to be the most stable one with a small energy difference with respect to the equatorial one, in full agreement with previous microwave experiments. On the grounds of band contour simulations of FTIR spectra and ab initio energetic and anharmonic vibrational calculations, two pairs of ν(s) HF donor stretching bands, observed in a series of jet-FTIR spectra at 3457.9 and 3480.5 cm(-1) have been respectively assigned to the axial and equatorial forms of the 1 : 1 complex. In the jet-FTIR spectra series with HF, the assignment of an additional broad band (about 200 cm(-1) higher in frequency with respect to ν(s)) to a 1 : 2 complex has been supported by theoretical investigations. Experimental detection of both axial and equatorial forms of a cyclic trimer has been confirmed by calculated energetic and vibrational properties. The nature of hydrogen bonding has been examined within topological frameworks. The energetic partitioning within the 1 : 1 dimers has been elucidated with SAPT techniques. Interestingly, the interconversion pathway between two 1 : 1 structures has been explored and it was seen that the formation of the 1 : 1 complex affects the interconversion barrier on the ring puckering motion. The band contour analysis of gas phase FTIR experiments provided a consistent set of vibrational frequencies and anharmonic coupling constants, in good agreement with ab initio anharmonic vibrational calculations. Finally, from a series of cell-FTIR spectra recorded at different partial pressures of (CH(2))(3)S and HF monomers, the absorption signal of the 1 : 1 complex could be isolated which enabled to estimate the equilibrium constant K(p) = 0.023 at 298 K for the dimerization.

Bonding nature and vibrational signatures of oxirane:(water)(n=1-3). Assessment of the performance of the dispersion-corrected DFT methods compared to the ab initio results and Fourier transform infrared experimental data.

Spectroscopic properties of 1:n complexes (n = 1, 2, and 3) formed between an oxirane molecule and water clusters have been evaluated using experimental techniques (FTIR spectroscopy using a new supersonic jet experiment coupled to the infrared AILES beamline of synchrotron SOLEIL and also cryogenic neon matrix device) and theoretical approaches (SAPT, ab initio, DFT, and topological analyses). From a systematic comparison between the theoretical results (obtained with both wave function based methods and several newly hydrogen bonded adapted functionals) with the available experimental results on the studied compounds, it was concluded that only the wave function based methods (particularly coupled clusters ones) are able to well describe these compounds, while the newly hydrogen bonded adapted functionals (long-range and/or dispersion-corrected ones and also double hybrids) cannot adequately describe all the spectroscopic properties in a systematic way. The MP2 method, although more expensive than DFT, still offers a reliable method to study both isolated molecules and hydrogen bonded complexes provided the contribution of the dispersion energy in total energy is properly taken into account. The nature of interaction between oxirane and water molecules has been analyzed using the symmetry adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) method. It was evidenced that the water-oxirane interaction corresponds to the hydrogen-bonded systems with a large contribution of the dispersion energy. The nature of the oxirane-water bonding has been studied using two topological methods: atoms in molecules and electron-localization function (ELF). Geometrical structures of the titled complexes were rationalized from the spatial arrangement of ELF attractors. Secondary interaction was also accounted for the bond critical points found at H(oxirane)···O(water) bond paths.

The (CH2)2O-H2O hydrogen bonded complex. Ab Initio calculations and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy from neon matrix and a new supersonic jet experiment coupled to the infrared AILES beamline of synchrotron SOLEIL.

A series of hydrogen bonded complexes involving oxirane and water molecules have been studied. In this paper we report on the vibrational study of the oxirane-water complex (CH(2))(2)O-H(2)O. Neon matrix experiments and ab initio anharmonic vibrational calculations have been performed, providing a consistent set of vibrational frequencies and anharmonic coupling constants. The implementation of a new large flow supersonic jet coupled to the Bruker IFS 125 HR spectrometer at the infrared AILES beamline of the French synchrotron SOLEIL (Jet-AILES) enabled us to record first jet-cooled Fourier transform infrared spectra of oxirane-water complexes at different resolutions down to 0.2 cm(-1). Rovibrational parameters and a lower bound of the predissociation lifetime of 25 ps for the v(OH)(b) = 1 state have been derived from the rovibrational analysis of the ν(OH)(b) band contour recorded at respective rotational temperatures of 12 K (Jet-AILES) and 35 K (LADIR jet).

Intermolecular vibrations of (CH2)2O-HF and -DF hydrogen bonded complexes investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

A series of Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) of the hydrogen bonded complexes (CH(2))(2)O-HF and -DF have been recorded in the 50-750 cm(-1) range up to 0.1 cm(-1) resolution in a static cell maintained at near room temperature. The direct observation of three intermolecular transitions enabled us to perform band contour analysis of congested cell spectra and to determine reliable rovibrational parameters such as intermolecular frequencies, rovibrational and anharmonic coupling constants involving two l(1) and l(2) librations and one σ stretching intermolecular motion. Inter-inter anharmonic couplings could be identified between ν(l(1)), ν(l(2)), ν(σ) and the two lowest frequency bending modes. The positive sign of coupling constants (opposite with respect to acid stretching intra-inter ones) reveals a weakening of the hydrogen bond upon intermolecular excitation. The four rovibrational parameters ν(σ) and x(σj) (j = σ, δ(1), δ(2)) derived in the present far-infrared study and also in a previous mid-infrared one [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2005, 1, 592] make deviations appear smaller than 1% for frequencies and 12% for coupling constants which gives confidence to the reliability of the data obtained. Anharmonic frequencies obtained at the MP2 level with Aug-cc-pvTZ basis set agree well with experimental values over a large set of frequencies and coupling constants. An estimated anharmonic corrected value of the dissociation energy D for both oxirane-HF (2424 cm(-1)) and -DF (2566 cm(-1)) has been derived using a level of theory as high as CCSD(T)/Aug-cc-pvQZ, refining the harmonic value previously calculated for oxirane-HF with the MP2 method and a smaller basis set. Finally, contrary to short predissociation lifetimes evidenced for acid stretching excited states, any homogeneous broadening related to vibrational dynamics of (CH(2))(2)O-HF and -DF has been observed within the three highest frequency intermolecular states, as expected with low excitation energies largely below the dissociation limit as well as a negligible IVR contribution.

Neon-matrix spectroscopic and theoretical studies of the reactivity of titanium dimer with diatomic ligands: comparison of reactions with nitrogen and carbon monoxide.

The reactivity of diatomic titanium with molecular carbon monoxide has been investigated in solid neon at very low temperature. In contrast to the spontaneous reaction observed between Ti(2) and N(2), our results show that the formation of dititanium oxycarbide (OTi(2)C) from the condensation of effusive beams of Ti and CO in neon matrices involves several intermediate steps including one metastable intermediate. In the absence of electronic excitation, only formation of a Ti(2)(CO) complex occurs spontaneously during the reaction at 9 K of ground state Ti(2) and CO, as reported in solid argon by Xu, Jiang and Tsumori (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2005, 44, 4338). However, during deposition or following electronic excitation, this species rearranges into a new species: the more stable, OTi(2)C oxycarbide form. Several low-lying excited states of OTi(2)C are also observed between 0.77 and 0.89 eV above the ground state, leading to a complex sequence of interacting vibronic transitions, merging into a broad continuum above 1 eV. Observations of Ti(2)(12)C(16)O, Ti(2)(13)C(16)O and Ti(2)(12)C(18)O and natural titanium isotopic data enable the identification of four fundamental vibrations in the ground electronic state and two others in the first two excited states. Quantum chemical calculations predict an open-shell (1)A(g) ground state with Ti-C and Ti-O distances close to 184 pm, and 91 degrees for the TiCTi and TiOTi bond angles, and give fundamental frequencies in good agreement with observation. The reaction paths of the Ti(2) + N(2) --> Ti(2)N(2) and Ti(2) + CO --> Ti(2)(CO) --> OTi(2)C have been investigated and a reaction scheme is proposed accounting for the similarities in nature and properties of the final products, as well as explaining the observation of a coordination complex with Ti(2) only in the case of the carbonyl ligand.

Pd(2)N(2), a proteiform molecule: Matrix isolation spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations.

The formation of Pd(2)N(2) from the cocondensation of effusive beams of Pd and N(2) in neon and argon matrices is evidenced by absorptions in the range of 2200-1800 cm(-1). In argon, selective irradiation in the near-infrared and visible ranges leads to interconversions between three structures, distinguished by the stretching frequency of the diatomic N(2): Bridged T-shaped (nu(NN) at 1990 cm(-1)), side on (nu(NN) at 2178 cm(-1)) and parallel (nu(NN) at 1823 cm(-1)). For the first two structures, the nu(NN) mode is also accompanied by another signal below 500 cm(-1). An extra feature close to 490 cm(-1), not sensitive to irradiation at lambda(irr)>400 nm and also assignable to a molecule with the same Pd:N(2) stoichiometry (2:1), corresponds to a centrosymmetrical Pd-N-N-Pd structure with an inactive nu(NN) mode close to 2141 cm(-1), as deduced from the observation of a weak signal close to 2630 cm(-1) associated with this species and assignable to the combination nu(NN)+nu(PdN). All these experimental data and their structural implications are fully supported by theoretical calculations [density functional theory (DFT)]. On the basis of this comparative study, we have obtained a reliable theoretical description of the spectroscopic data using the metageneralized gradient approximation functional within the unrestricted DFT (UDFT) formalism for all spin multiplets. We have also searched a stable electronic solution for each multiplet (particularly for the singlet state), in order to account for the nondynamic correlations.

Evidence of an isomeric pair in furan...HCl: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

For the first time the coexistence of a sigma- and a pi-complex in the C(4)H(4)O:HCl system has been observed, in the same supersonic expansion of a molecular jet seeded with argon (or helium) or in a flow-cooled cell at 240 K. This is an exception to the third of the Legon-Miller rules which claims the sigma-structure to be the only one to exist. On the grounds of energetic considerations and band contour simulations, two observed bands at 2787.7 and 2795.5 cm(-1) of the nu(s) HCl stretching frequency are assigned to the two complexes, recorded as Fourier transform infrared spectra with a resolution between 0.2 and 0.5 cm(-1). Complementary calculations show that the use of the standard second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory may be erroneous for such a complex, due of the overestimation of the dispersion contribution with respect to the electrostatic term. It is finally established that only a balanced version of the second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation method, spin-component scaled-MP2, or a higher level of theory like a coupled-cluster approach, can provide a reliable energetic analysis for this complex.

Gas-phase diatomic trications of Se2(3+), Te2(3+), and LaF3+.

Three gas-phase diatomic trications Se(2) (3+), Te(2) (3+), and LaF(3+) have been produced by Ar(+) ion beam sputtering of Se, Te, and LaF(3) surfaces, respectively. These exotic molecular ions were detected at noninteger m/z values in a magnetic sector mass spectrometer for ion flight times of >/=13 micros that correspond to lower limits of their respective lifetimes. Se(2) (3+) and Te(2) (3+) were unambiguously identified by their characteristic isotopic abundances. Ab initio calculations of the electronic structures of Se(2) (3+), Te(2) (3+), and LaF(3+) show that these molecular trications are metastable with respect to dissociation into fragment ions of Se(2+)+Se(+), Te(2+)+Te(+), and La(2+)+F(+), respectively. Their barrier heights are about 0.49, 0.29, and 0.53 eV, and the equilibrium internuclear distances (bond lengths) are about 0.23, 0.27, and 0.26 nm, respectively. The gas-phase diatomic dications Se(2) (2+) and Te(2) (2+) were also observed and unambiguously identified. They were found to be long-lived metastable molecules as well, whereas LaF(2+) is thermochemically stable.