Photogeneration of quinone methide from adamantylphenol in an ultrafast non-adiabatic dehydration reaction.

The ultrafast photochemical reaction of quinone methide (QM) formation from adamantylphenol was monitored in real time using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence upconversion in solution at room temperature. Experiments were complemented by theoretical studies simulating the reaction pathway and elucidating its mechanism. Excitation with sub-20 fs UV pulses and broadband probing revealed ultrafast formation of the long-lived QM intermediate directly in the ground state, occurring with a time constant of around 100 fs. UV-vis transient absorption data covering temporal dynamics from femtoseconds to hundreds of milliseconds revealed persistence of the absorption band assigned to QM and partially overlapped with other contributions tentatively assigned to triplet excited states of the adamantyl derivative and the phenoxyl radical that are clearly distinguished by their evolution on different time scales. Our data, together with the computations, provide evidence of a non-adiabatic photodehydration reaction, which leads to the formation of QM in the ground state via a conical intersection, circumventing the generation of a transient QM excited state.

Accurate gas-phase structure of para-dioxane by fs Raman rotational coherence spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

p-Dioxane is non-polar, hence its rotational constants cannot be determined by microwave rotational coherence spectroscopy (RCS). We perform high-resolution gas-phase rotational spectroscopy of para-dioxane-h8 and -d8 using femtosecond time-resolved Raman RCS in a gas cell at T = 293 K and in a pulsed supersonic jet at T∼130 K. The inertial tensor of p-dioxane-h8 is strongly asymmetric, leading to a large number of asymmetry transients in its RCS spectrum. In contrast, the d8-isotopomer is a near-oblate symmetric top that exhibits a much more regular RCS spectrum with few asymmetry transients. Fitting the fs Raman RCS transients of p-dioxane-h8 to an asymmetric-top model yields the ground-state rotational constants A0 = 5084.4(5) MHz, B0 = 4684(1) MHz, C0 = 2744.7(8) MHz, and (A0 + B0)/2 = 4884.5(7) MHz (±1σ). The analogous values for p-dioxane-d8 are A0 = 4083(2) MHz, B0 = 3925(4) MHz, C0 = 2347.1(6) MHz, and (A0 + B0)/2 = 4002.4(6) MHz. We determine the molecular structure with a semi-experimental approach involving the highly correlated coupled-cluster singles, doubles and iterated triples method and the cc-pCVXZ basis set series from double- to quadruple-zeta (X = D, T, Q). Combining the calculated vibrationally averaged rotational constants A0calc(X),B0calc(X),C0calc(X) for increasing basis-set size X with non-linear extrapolation to the experimental constants A0exp,B0exp,C0exp allows to determine the equilibrium ground state structure of p-dioxane. For instance, the equilibrium C-C and C-O bond lengths are re(CC) = 1.5135(3) Å and re(CO) = 1.4168(4) Å, and the four axial C-H bond lengths are 0.008 Å longer than the four equatorial ones. The latter is ascribed to the trans-effect (anomeric effect), i.e., the partial delocalization of the electron lone-pairs on the O atoms that are oriented trans, relative to the axial CH bonds.

The excited-state structure, vibrations, lifetimes, and nonradiative dynamics of jet-cooled 1-methylcytosine.

We have investigated the S0 → S1 UV vibronic spectrum and time-resolved S1 state dynamics of jet-cooled amino-keto 1-methylcytosine (1MCyt) using two-color resonant two-photon ionization, UV/UV holeburning and depletion spectroscopies, as well as nanosecond and picosecond time-resolved pump/delayed ionization measurements. The experimental study is complemented with spin-component-scaled second-order coupled-cluster and multistate complete active space second order perturbation ab initio calculations. Above the weak electronic origin of 1MCyt at 31 852 cm-1 about 20 intense vibronic bands are observed. These are interpreted as methyl group torsional transitions coupled to out-of-plane ring vibrations, in agreement with the methyl group rotation and out-of-plane distortions upon 1ππ∗ excitation predicted by the calculations. The methyl torsion and ν1' (butterfly) vibrations are strongly coupled, in the S1 state. The S0 → S1 vibronic spectrum breaks off at a vibrational excess energy Eexc ∼ 500 cm-1, indicating that a barrier in front of the ethylene-type S1⇝S0 conical intersection is exceeded, which is calculated to lie at Eexc = 366 cm-1. The S1⇝S0 internal conversion rate constant increases from kIC = 2 ⋅ 109 s-1 near the S1(v = 0) level to 1 ⋅ 1011 s-1 at Eexc = 516 cm-1. The 1ππ∗ state of 1MCyt also relaxes into the lower-lying triplet T1 (3ππ∗) state by intersystem crossing (ISC); the calculated spin-orbit coupling (SOC) value is 2.4 cm-1. The ISC rate constant is 10-100 times lower than kIC; it increases from kISC = 2 ⋅ 108 s-1 near S1(v = 0) to kISC = 2 ⋅ 109 s-1 at Eexc = 516 cm-1. The T1 state energy is determined from the onset of the time-delayed photoionization efficiency curve as 25 600 ± 500 cm-1. The T2 (3nπ∗) state lies >1500 cm-1 above S1(v = 0), so S1⇝T2 ISC cannot occur, despite the large SOC parameter of 10.6 cm-1. An upper limit to the adiabatic ionization energy of 1MCyt is determined as 8.41 ± 0.02 eV. Compared to cytosine, methyl substitution at N1 lowers the adiabatic ionization energy by ≥0.32 eV and leads to a much higher density of vibronic bands in the S0 → S1 spectrum. The effect of methylation on the radiationless decay to S0 and ISC to T1 is small, as shown by the similar break-off of the spectrum and the similar computed mechanisms.

Probing the Structure, Pseudorotation, and Radial Vibrations of Cyclopentane by Femtosecond Rotational Raman Coherence Spectroscopy.

Femtosecond time-resolved Raman rotational coherence spectroscopy (RCS) is employed to determine accurate rotational, vibration­rotation coupling constants, and centrifugal distortion constants of cyclopentane (C5H10). Its lowest-frequency vibration is a pseudorotating ring deformation that interconverts 10 permutationally distinct but energetically degenerate "twist" minima interspersed by 10 "bent" conformers. While the individual twist and bent structures are polar asymmetric tops, the pseudorotation is fast on the time scale of external rotation, rendering cyclopentane a fluxionally nonpolar symmetric top molecule. The pseudorotational level pattern corresponds to a one-dimensional internal rotor with a pseudorotation constant Bps ≈ 2.8 cm(-1). The pseudorotational levels are significantly populated up to l = ± 13 at 298 K; <10% of the molecules are in the l = 0 level. The next-higher vibration is the "radial" ν23 ring deformation mode at 273 cm­1, which is far above the pseudorotational fundamental. Femtosecond Raman RCS measurements were performed in a gas cell at T = 293 K and in a pulsed supersonic jet at T ≈ 90 K. The jet cooling reduces the pseudorotational distribution to l < ±8 and eliminates the population of ν23, allowing one to determine the rotational constant as A0 = B0 = 6484.930(11) MHz. This value is ∼300 times more precise than the previous value. The fit of the RCS transients reveals that the rotation­pseudorotation coupling constant αe,psB = −0.00070(1) MHz is diminutive, implying that excitation of the pseudorotation has virtually no effect on the B0 rotational constant of cyclopentane. The smallness of αe,psB can be realized when comparing to the vibration­rotation coupling constant of the ν23 vibration, αe,23B = -9.547(1) MHz, which is about 104 times larger.

Rotational constants and structure of para-difluorobenzene determined by femtosecond Raman coherence spectroscopy: A new transient type.

Femtosecond Raman rotational coherence spectroscopy (RCS) detected by degenerate four-wave mixing is a background-free method that allows to determine accurate gas-phase rotational constants of non-polar molecules. Raman RCS has so far mostly been applied to the regular coherence patterns of symmetric-top molecules, while its application to nonpolar asymmetric tops has been hampered by the large number of RCS transient types, the resulting variability of the RCS patterns, and the 10(3)-10(4) times larger computational effort to simulate and fit rotational Raman RCS transients. We present the rotational Raman RCS spectra of the nonpolar asymmetric top 1,4-difluorobenzene (para-difluorobenzene, p-DFB) measured in a pulsed Ar supersonic jet and in a gas cell over delay times up to ∼2.5 ns. p-DFB exhibits rotational Raman transitions with ΔJ = 0, 1, 2 and ΔK = 0, 2, leading to the observation of J -, K -, A -, and C-type transients, as well as a novel transient (S-type) that has not been characterized so far. The jet and gas cell RCS measurements were fully analyzed and yield the ground-state (v = 0) rotational constants A0 = 5637.68(20) MHz, B0 = 1428.23(37) MHz, and C0 = 1138.90(48) MHz (1σ uncertainties). Combining the A0, B0, and C0 constants with coupled-cluster with single-, double- and perturbatively corrected triple-excitation calculations using large basis sets allows to determine the semi-experimental equilibrium bond lengths re(C1-C2) = 1.3849(4) Å, re(C2-C3) = 1.3917(4) Å, re(C-F) = 1.3422(3) Å, and re(C2-H2) = 1.0791(5) Å.

Intersystem crossing rates of S1 state keto-amino cytosine at low excess energy.

The amino-keto tautomer of supersonic jet-cooled cytosine undergoes intersystem crossing (ISC) from the v = 0 and low-lying vibronic levels of its S1((1)ππ(∗)) state. We investigate these ISC rates experimentally and theoretically as a function of S1 state vibrational excess energy Eexc. The S1 vibronic levels are pumped with a ∼5 ns UV laser, the S1 and triplet state ion signals are separated by prompt or delayed ionization with a second UV laser pulse. After correcting the raw ISC yields for the relative S1 and T1 ionization cross sections, we obtain energy dependent ISC quantum yields QISC (corr)=1%-5%. These are combined with previously measured vibronic state-specific decay rates, giving ISC rates kISC = 0.4-1.5 ⋅ 10(9) s(-1), the corresponding S1⇝S0 internal conversion (IC) rates are 30-100 times larger. Theoretical ISC rates are computed using SCS-CC2 methods, which predict rapid ISC from the S1; v = 0 state with kISC = 3 ⋅ 10(9) s(-1) to the T1((3)ππ(∗)) triplet state. The surprisingly high rate of this El Sayed-forbidden transition is caused by a substantial admixture of (1)nOπ(∗) character into the S1((1)ππ(∗)) wave function at its non-planar minimum geometry. The combination of experiment and theory implies that (1) below Eexc = 550 cm(-1) in the S1 state, S1⇝S0 internal conversion dominates the nonradiative decay with kIC ≥ 2 ⋅ 10(10) s(-1), (2) the calculated S1⇝T1 ((1)ππ(∗)⇝(3)ππ(∗)) ISC rate is in good agreement with experiment, (3) being El-Sayed forbidden, the S1⇝T1 ISC is moderately fast (kISC = 3 ⋅ 10(9) s(-1)), and not ultrafast, as claimed by other calculations, and (4) at Eexc ∼ 550 cm(-1) the IC rate increases by ∼50 times, probably by accessing the lowest conical intersection (the C5-twist CI) and thereby effectively switching off the ISC decay channels.

Accurate rotational constant and bond lengths of hexafluorobenzene by femtosecond rotational Raman coherence spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

The gas-phase rotational motion of hexafluorobenzene has been measured in real time using femtosecond (fs) time-resolved rotational Raman coherence spectroscopy (RR-RCS) at T = 100 and 295 K. This four-wave mixing method allows to probe the rotation of non-polar gas-phase molecules with fs time resolution over times up to ∼5 ns. The ground state rotational constant of hexafluorobenzene is determined as B0 = 1029.740(28) MHz (2σ uncertainty) from RR-RCS transients measured in a pulsed seeded supersonic jet, where essentially only the v = 0 state is populated. Using this B0 value, RR-RCS measurements in a room temperature gas cell give the rotational constants Bv of the five lowest-lying thermally populated vibrationally excited states ν7/8, ν9, ν11/12, ν13, and ν14/15. Their Bv constants differ from B0 by between -1.02 MHz and +2.23 MHz. Combining the B0 with the results of all-electron coupled-cluster CCSD(T) calculations of Demaison et al. [Mol. Phys. 111, 1539 (2013)] and of our own allow to determine the C-C and C-F semi-experimental equilibrium bond lengths re(C-C) = 1.3866(3) Å and re(C-F) = 1.3244(4) Å. These agree with the CCSD(T)/wCVQZ re bond lengths calculated by Demaison et al. within ±0.0005 Å. We also calculate the semi-experimental thermally averaged bond lengths rg(C-C)=1.3907(3) Å and rg(C-F)=1.3250(4) Å. These are at least ten times more accurate than two sets of experimental gas-phase electron diffraction rg bond lengths measured in the 1960s.

Gas-phase lifetimes of nucleobase analogues by picosecond pumpionization and streak techniques.

The picosecond (ps) timescale is relevant for the investigation of many molecular dynamical processes such as fluorescence, nonradiative relaxation, intramolecular vibrational relaxation, molecular rotation and intermolecular energy transfer, to name a few. While investigations of ultrafast (femtosecond) processes of biological molecules, e.g. nucleobases and their analogues in the gas phase are available, there are few investigations on the ps time scale. We have constructed a ps pump-ionization setup and a ps streak camera fluorescence apparatus for the determination of lifetimes of supersonic jet-cooled and isolated molecules and clusters. The ps pump-ionization setup was used to determine the lifetimes of the nucleobase analogue 2-aminopurine (2AP) and of two 2AP˙(H2O)n water cluster isomers with n=1 and 2. Their lifetimes lie between 150 ps and 3 ns and are strongly cluster-size dependent. The ps streak camera setup was used to determine accurate fluorescence lifetimes of the uracil analogue 2-pyridone (2PY), its self-dimer (2PY)2, two isomers of its trimer (2PY)3 and its tetramer (2PY)4, which lie in the 7-12 ns range.

NH3 as a strong H-bond donor in singly- and doubly-bridged ammonia solvent clusters: 2-pyridone·(NH3)(n), n = 1-3.

Mass- and isomer-selected infrared spectra of 2-pyridone·(NH3)n clusters with n = 1-3 were measured in the NH and CH stretch fundamental region (2400-3700 cm(-1)) using infrared (IR) laser depletion spectroscopy combined with resonant two-photon ionization UV laser detection. The IR depletion spectra reveal three different H-bonding topologies of these clusters: The n = 1 and 2 clusters form ammonia bridges stretching from the N-H to the C═O group of the cis-amide function of 2-pyridone (2PY), giving rise to intense and strongly red-shifted (2PY)NH and ammonia NH stretch bands. For n = 3, two isomers (3X and 3Y) are observed in the IR spectra: The spectrum of 3X is compatible with an ammonia-bridge structure like n = 2, with the third NH3 accepting an H-bond from C(6)-H of 2PY. The IR spectrum of 3Y exhibits a broad IR band in the 2500-3000 cm(-1) range and is characteristic of a bifurcated double-bridged structure in which the first NH3 accepts an H-bond from the (2PY)NH and donates two H-bonds to the other two ammonias, both of which donate to the C═O group of 2PY. This double-donor/double-bridge H-bonding pattern increases the acceptor strength of the first ammonia and dramatically lowers the (2PY)NH stretching frequency to ∼2700 cm(-1). For all clusters the ammonia 2ν4 HNH bend overtones in the 3180-3320 cm(-1) region gain intensity by anharmonic coupling (Fermi resonance) to the hydrogen-bonded ammonia NH stretches, which are red-shifted into the 3250-3350 cm(-1) region. The experimental results are supported by optimized structures, vibrational frequencies, and IR intensities calculated using density-functional theory with the B3LYP and PW91 functionals, as well as with the more recent functionals B97-D and M06-2X, which are designed to include long-range dispersive interactions.

Photoinduced asymmetric charge trapping in a symmetric tetraazapyrene-fused bis(tetrathiafulvalene) conjugate.

In fused donor-acceptor (D-A) ensembles, rapid charge recombination often occurs because the D and A units are spatially close and strongly coupled. To the best of our knowledge, a long-lived charge separated (CS) state is still elusive in such systems. The results presented here show that symmetric annulation of two tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) donors to a central tetraazapyrene (TAP) acceptor via two quinoxaline units leads to a CS state lifetime of a few ns. A detailed study of the electronic interactions between TTF and TAP units in the ground and excited states was performed and compared with the asymmetric counterpart by cyclic voltammetry, optical absorption and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the photoinduced asymmetric charge trapping between two TTFs significantly stabilizes the CS state, which is also verified theoretically.

Intermolecular clamping by hydrogen bonds: 2-pyridone⋠NH3.

A combined spectroscopic and ab initio theoretical study of the doubly hydrogen-bonded complex of 2-pyridone (2PY) with NH(3) has been performed. The S(1)←S(0) spectrum extends up to ≈1200 cm(-1) above the 0(0) (0) band, close to twice the range observed for 2PY. The S(1) state nonradiative decay for vibrations above ≈300 cm(-1) in the NH(3) complex is dramatically slowed down relative to bare 2PY. Also, the Δv=2, 4,… overtone bands of the ν(1) ' and ν(2) ' out-of-plane vibrations that dominate the low-energy spectral region of 2PY are much weaker or missing for 2PY⋅NH3, which implies that the bridging (2PY)NH⋅⋅⋅NH(3) and H(2) NH⋅⋅⋅O=C H-bonds clamp the 2PY at a planar geometry in the S(1) state. The mass-resolved UV vibronic spectra of jet-cooled 2PY⋅NH(3) and its H/D mixed isotopomers are measured using two-color resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy. The S(0) and S(1) equilibrium structures and normal-mode frequencies are calculated by density functional (B3LYP) and correlated ab initio methods (MP2 and approximate second-order coupled-cluster, CC2). The S(1)←S(0) vibronic assignments are based on configuration interaction singles (CIS) and CC2 calculations. A doubly H-bonded bridged structure of C(S) symmetry is predicted, in agreement with that of Held and Pratt [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 9718]. While the B3LYP and MP2 calculated rotational constants are in very good agreement with experiment, the calculated H(2) NH⋅⋅⋅O=C H-bond distance is ≈0.7 Å shorter than that derived by Held and Pratt. On the other hand, this underlines their observation that ammonia can act as a strong H-bond donor when built into an H-bonded bridge. The CC2 calculations predict the H(2) NH⋅⋅⋅O distance to increase by 0.2 Å upon S(1)←S(0) electronic excitation, while the (2PY)NH⋅⋅⋅NH(3) H-bond remains nearly unchanged. Thus, the expansion of the doubly H-bonded bridge in the excited state is asymmetric and almost wholly due to the weakening of the interaction of ammonia with the keto acceptor group.

N-H···π hydrogen-bonding and large-amplitude tipping vibrations in jet-cooled pyrrole-benzene.

The N-H···π hydrogen bond is an important intermolecular interaction in many biological systems. We have investigated the infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectra of the supersonic-jet cooled complex of pyrrole with benzene and benzene-d(6) (Pyr·Bz, Pyr·Bz-d(6)). DFT-D density functional, SCS-MP2 and SCS-CC2 calculations predict a T-shaped and (almost) C(s) symmetric structure with an N-H···π hydrogen bond to the benzene ring. The pyrrole is tipped by ω(S(0)) = ±13° relative to the surface normal of Bz. The N···ring distance is 3.13 Å. In the S(1) excited state, SCS-CC2 calculations predict an increased tipping angle ω(S(1)) = ±21°. The IR depletion spectra support the T-shaped geometry: The NH stretch is redshifted by -59 cm(-1), relative to the "free" NH stretch of pyrrole at 3531 cm(-1), indicating a moderately strong N-H···π interaction. The interaction is weaker than in the (Pyr)(2) dimer, where the NH donor shift is -87 cm(-1) [Dauster et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2008, 10, 2827]. The IR C-H stretch frequencies and intensities of the Bz subunit are very similar to those of the acceptor in the (Bz)(2) dimer, confirming that Bz acts as the acceptor. While the S(1)←S(0) electronic origin of Bz is forbidden and is not observable in the gas-phase, the UV spectrum of Pyr·Bz in the same region exhibits a weak 0 band that is red-shifted by 58 cm(-1) relative to that of Bz (38 086 cm(-1)). The origin appears due to symmetry-breaking of the π-electron system of Bz by the asymmetric pyrrole NH···π hydrogen bond. This contrasts with (Bz)(2), which does not exhibit a 0 band. The Bz moiety in Pyr·Bz exhibits a 6a band at 0 + 518 cm(-1) that is about 20× more intense than the origin band. The symmetry breaking by the NH···π hydrogen bond splits the degeneracy of the ν(6)(e(2g)) vibration, giving rise to 6a' and 6b' sub-bands that are spaced by ∼6 cm(-1). Both the 0 and 6 bands of Pyr·Bz carry a progression in the low-frequency (10 cm(-1)) excited-state tipping vibration ω', in agreement with the change of the ω tipping angle predicted by SCS-MP2 and SCS-CC2 calculations.

S0 and S1 state structure, methyl torsional barrier heights, and fast intersystem crossing dynamics of 5-methyl-2-hydroxypyrimidine.

We report the analysis of the S1<--S0 rotational band contours of jet-cooled 5-methyl-2-hydroxypyrimidine (5M2HP), the enol form of deoxythymine. Unlike thymine, which exhibits a structureless spectrum, the vibronic spectrum of 5M2HP is well structured, allowing us to determine the rotational constants and the methyl group torsional barriers in the S0 and S1 states. The 0(0)(0), 6a(0)(1), 6b(0)(1), and 14(0)(1) band contours were measured at 900 MHz (0.03 cm(-1)) resolution using mass-specific two-color resonant two-photon ionization (2C-R2PI) spectroscopy. All four bands are polarized perpendicular to the pyrimidine plane (>90% c type), identifying the S1<--S0 excitation of 5M2HP as a 1nπ* transition. All contours exhibit two methyl rotor subbands that arise from the lowest 5-methyl torsional states 0A" and 1E". The S0 and S1 state torsional barriers were extracted from fits to the torsional subbands. The 3-fold barriers are V3" = 13 cm(-1) and V3' = 51 cm(-1); the 6-fold barrier contributions V6" and V6' are in the range of 2-3 cm(-1) and are positive in both states. The changes of A, B, and C rotational constants upon S1 <--S0 excitation were extracted from the contours and reflect an "anti-quinoidal" distortion. The 0(0)(0) contour can only be simulated if a 3 GHz Lorentzian line shape is included, which implies that the S1(1nπ*) lifetime is ~55 ps. For the 6a(0)(1) and 6b(0)(1) bands, the Lorentzian component increases to 5.5 GHz, reflecting a lifetime decrease to ~30 ps. The short lifetimes are consistent with the absence of fluorescence from the 1nπ* state. Combining these measurements with the previous observation of efficient intersystem crossing (ISC) from the S1 state to a long-lived T1 (3nπ*) state that lies ~2200 cm(-1) below [S. Lobsiger, S. et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2010, 12, 5032] implies that the broadening arises from fast intersystem crossing with k(ISC) ≈ 2 × 10(10) s(-1). In comparison to 5-methylpyrimidine, the ISC rate is enhanced by at least 10 000 by the additional hydroxy group in position 2.

Femtosecond rotational Raman coherence spectroscopy of cyclohexane in a pulsed supersonic jet.

We combine the technique of femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing (fs-DFWM) with a high repetition-rate pulsed supersonic jet source to obtain the rotational coherence spectrum (RCS) of cold cyclohexane (C(6)H(12)) with high signal/noise ratio. In the jet expansion, the near-parallel flow pattern combined with rapid translational cooling effectively eliminate dephasing collisions, giving near-constant RCS signal intensities over time delays up to 5 ns. The vibrational cooling in the jet eliminates the thermally populated vibrations that complicate the RCS coherences of cyclohexane at room temperature [Brügger, G.; et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2011, 115, 9567]. The rotational cooling reduces the high-J rotational-state population, yielding the most accurate ground-state rotational constant to date, B(0) = 4305.859(9) MHz. Based on this B(0), a reanalysis of previous room-temperature gas-cell RCS measurements of cyclohexane gives improved vibration-rotation interaction constants for the ν(32), ν(6), ν(16), and ν(24) vibrational states. Combining the experimental B(0)(C(6)H(12)) with CCSD(T) calculations yields a very accurate semiexperimental equilibrium structure of the chair isomer of cyclohexane.

Accurate determination of the structure of cyclohexane by femtosecond rotational coherence spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

We combine femtosecond time-resolved rotational coherence spectroscopy with high-level ab initio theory to obtain accurate structural information for the nonpolar molecules cyclohexane (C(6)H(12)) and cyclohexane-d(12) (C(6)D(12)). We measured the rotational B(0) and centrifugal distortion constants D(J), D(JK) of the v = 0 states of C(6)H(12) and C(6)D(12) to high accuracy, for example, B(0)(C(6)H(12)) = 4306.08(5) MHz, as well as B(v) for the vibrationally excited states ν(32), ν(6), ν(16) and ν(24) of C(6)H(12) and additionally ν(15) for C(6)D(12). To successfully reproduce the experimental RCS transient, the overtone and combination levels 2ν(32), 3ν(32), ν(32) + ν(6), and ν(32) + ν(16) had to be included in the RCS model calculations. The experimental rotational constants are compared to those obtained at the second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) level. Combining the experimental and calculated rotational constants with the calculated equilibrium bond lengths and angles allows determination of accurate semiexperimental equilibrium structure parameters, for example, r(e)(C-C) = 1.526 ± 0.001 Å, r(e)(C-H(axial)) = 1.098 ± 0.001 Å, and r(e)(C-H(equatorial)) = 1.093 ± 0.001 Å. The equilibrium C-C bond length of C(6)H(12) is only 0.004 Å longer than that of ethane. The effect of ring strain due to the unfavorable gauche interactions is mainly manifested as small deviations from the C-C-C, C-C-H(axial), and C-C-H(equatorial) angles from the tetrahedral value.

Supersonic jet UV spectrum and nonradiative processes of the thymine analogue 5-methyl-2-hydroxypyrimidine.

We investigate the infrared and electronic absorption spectra and the excited-state nonradiative processes of supersonic jet-cooled 5-methyl-2-hydroxypyrimidine (5M2HP), the enol form of deoxythymine, using two-color resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) and infrared-UV depletion spectroscopies. Unlike uracil and thymine, which exhibit structureless electronic absorption spectra, the vibronic spectrum of 5M2HP is structured with narrow vibronic bands, allowing for the first time to probe the excited state of a thymine analogue. The S(0) state infrared depletion spectrum shows an O-H and no N-H stretch band, identifying the spectrum as that of the enol tautomer. The S(1)<--S(0) electronic transition is (1)npi*, as evidenced by the rotational contour of the 0 band. Vibronic excitations of the in-plane benzene-type vibrations nu'(6a), nu'(6b), nu'(14) and nu'(15) are observed, while none are observed for the out-of plane fundamental excitations, implying that the (1)npi* excited state of 5M2HP has a planar pyrimidine frame. From 1200 to 3600 cm(-1) the vibronic bands become steadily broader, signaling a coupling to a lower-lying electronic state that increases with increasing energy. At approximately 3600 cm(-1) above the origin, the R2PI spectrum broadens completely, indicating that the two states are strongly mixed. Delayed ionization measurements show that the coupled electronic state has a >5 micros lifetime. No fluorescence has been observed from the (1)npi* state, implying relaxation to the lower-lying long-lived state is very efficient. Separate ionization potentials are measured for the (1)npi* state (9.178 eV) and for the long-lived state (approximately 9.46 eV), hence the latter lies approximately 2200 cm(-1) below the (1)npi* state. Time-dependent B3LYP calculations of the excited states of 5M2HP indeed predict the S(1) state to be (1)npi* with a planar hydroxypyrimidine moiety. The T(1) ((3)pipi*) state is calculated to lie 3000 cm(-1) below the S(1) state, in excellent agreement with the experiment.

Large-amplitude vibrations of an N-H...pi hydrogen bonded cis-amide-benzene complex.

The ground-state N-H...pi interaction of 2-pyridone.benzene (2PY.Bz) has been studied by infrared-UV depletion spectroscopy of the supersonic-jet cooled complex [P. Ottiger et al., J. Phys. Chem. B (2009) 113, 2937]. Here, we investigate the large-amplitude vibrations of 2PY.Bz and its d(1)-2PY and benzene-d(6) isotopologues in the S(1) state, using two-color resonant two-photon ionization and UV-holeburning spectroscopies, complemented by RI-CC2 and SCS-RI-CC2 calculations of the S(1) state. The latter predict a tilted T-shaped structure with an N-H...pi hydrogen bond to the benzene ring, similar to the S(0) state. The binding energy is predicted to increase by 1.5 kJ mol(-1) upon S(1)<--S(0) excitation, in close agreement with the experimental value of 1.2 kJ mol(-1). The vibronic band structure up to 60 cm(-1) above the 0 band is dominated by large-amplitude delta tilting excitations, reflecting a change in the tilt angle of the T-shaped complex. The S(0) and S(1) state delta potentials were fitted to experiment, yielding a single minimum in the S(0) state and a double-minimum S(1) potential with delta(min) = +/-13 degrees. The second large-amplitude vibration is the theta twisting or benzene internal-rotation mode. Due to the C(6) symmetry of the benzene moiety the S(0) and S(1) state theta potentials are sixfold symmetric. Analysis of the theta band structure reveals that the S(0) and S(1)theta potentials are mutually aligned and that the internal rotation barriers are V(6)(S(0)) < 0.2 kJ mol(-1) and V(6)(S(1)) = 0.10(1) kJ mol(-1), in close agreement with the calculations. Weaker excitations of the totally symmetric intermolecular vibrations chi (shear), omega (bend) and sigma (stretch) vibrations are also observed. The 2PY intramolecular nu(1) overtone, corresponding to an 2PY amide out-of-plane twist distortion, lies approximately 30% higher than in bare 2PY, reflecting the hindrance of this motion by the strong N-H...pi interaction.

Locating Cytosine Conical Intersections by Laser Experiments and Ab Initio Calculations.

The decay mechanism of S0 → S1 excited cytosine (Cyt) and the effect of substitution are studied combining jet-cooled spectroscopy (nanosecond resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) and picosecond lifetime measurements) with CASPT2//CASSCF computations for eight derivatives. For Cyt and five derivatives substituted at N1, C5, and C6, rapid internal conversion sets in at 250-1200 cm-1 above the 000 bands. The break-off in the spectra correlates with the calculated barriers toward the "C5-C6 twist" conical intersection, which unambiguously establishes the decay mechanism at low S1 state vibrational energies. The barriers increase with substituents that stabilize the charge shifts at C4, C5, and C6 following (1ππ*) excitation. The R2PI spectra of the clamped derivatives 5,6-trimethyleneCyt (TMCyt) and 1-methyl-TMCyt (1M-TMCyt), which decay along an N3 out-of-plane coordinate, extend up to +3500 and +4500 cm-1.

Jet-cooled 2-aminopyridine dimer: conformers and infrared vibrational spectra.

The 2-aminopyridine dimer, (2AP)(2), is linked by two N-H...N hydrogen bonds, providing a model for the Watson-Crick configurations of the adenine or cytosine self-dimers. Structure optimization of (2AP)(2) at the MP2 level with the aug-cc-pVQZ basis set establishes the existence of two nearly degenerate conformers with C(i) and C(2) symmetry. Adding complete basis set extrapolation and DeltaCCSD(T) corrections gives binding energies D(e) = 10.70 and 10.72 kcal/mol, respectively. Both isomers are chiral, each giving rise to a pair of enantiomers. The potential energy surface of (2AP)(2) is calculated along the 2AP amino flip coordinates, revealing a 4-fold minimum low-energy region with a planar C(2h) symmetric and four asymmetric transition structures. The mass-selective resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) spectra of supersonically cooled (2AP)(2) were remeasured. Three different species (A-C) were separated and characterized by UV/UV depletion spectroscopy and by infrared (IR) depletion spectroscopy in the 2600-3800 cm(-1) range. The R2PI and IR spectra of species A and B are very similar, in agreement with the prediction of two conformers of (2AP)(2). The IR bands are assigned to the H-bonded N-H(b) stretch, the N-H(2) bend overtone, and the free N-H(f) stretch of (2AP)(2), based on the calculated IR spectra, thereby extending and correcting previous assignments. Conformer A is tentatively assigned as the C(2) conformer. The UV spectrum of species C is very different from those of A and B, its IR spectrum exhibiting additional O-H stretching bands. C is assigned to the (2AP)(2).H(2)O cluster, based on the agreement of its IR spectrum with calculated IR spectra. Complete dissociation into the (2AP)(2)(+) ion occurs upon ionization.

Accurate determination of the structure of cyclooctatetraene by femtosecond rotational coherence spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

We combine femtosecond time-resolved rotational coherence spectroscopy with high-level ab initio theory to obtain accurate structural information for the nonpolar antiaromatic molecule 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene (C8H8, COT) and its perdeuterated isotopomer COT-d8 (C8D8). We measure the rotational B0 and centrifugal distortion constants D(J), D(JK) of the v = 0 states of COT and COT-d8 to high accuracy, e.g. B0 (COT) = 2710.329(56) MHz, as well as B(v) for the v = 1 states nu6, nu11, nu17, nu22, and nu41/nu42 of COT. The experimental rotational constants are compared to those obtained from calculations at the coupled-cluster with single, double, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] level. The latter also take into account vibrational averaging effects of the ground and vibrationally excited states. Combining the experimental and calculated rotational constants with the calculated equilibrium bond lengths and angles allows us to determine accurate equilibrium structure parameters, e.g., r(e) (C-C) = 147.0 +/- 0.05 pm, r(e) (C=C) = 133.7 +/- 0.1 pm, and r(e) (C-H) = 107.9 +/- 0.1 pm. The equilibrium C-C and C=C bond lengths of COT are compared to those of 1,3-butadiene. The expected effect of decreased pi-electron delocalization due to the twisting of adjacent C=C double bonds in COT relative to butadiene is observed for the C-C bonds but not for the C=C bonds.