Subtle hydrogen bond preference and dual Franck-Condon activity - the interesting pairing of 2-naphthol with anisole.

The hydrogen-bonded complexes between 2-naphthol (or ß-naphthol) and anisole are explored by detecting their IR absorption in the OH stretching range as well as their UV absorption by means of laser-induced fluorescence and resonance-enhanced two-photon UV ionisation. For the more stable cis and the metastable trans conformations of the OH group in 2-naphthol, hydrogen bonding to the oxygen atom of anisole is consistently detected in different supersonic jet expansions. Alternative hydrogen bonding to the aromatic ring of anisole remains elusive, although the majority of state-of-the-art hybrid DFT functionals with London dispersion correction and - less surprisingly - MP2 wavefunction theory predict it to be slightly more stable at zero-point level, unless three-body dispersion correction is added to the B3LYP-D3(BJ) approach. This changes at the CCSD(T) level, which forecasts an energy advantage of 1-3 kJ mol-1 for the classical hydrogen bond arrangement even after including (DFT) zero-point energy contributions. The UV and IR spectra of the cis complex exhibit clear evidence for intensity redistribution of the primary OH stretch oscillator to combination states with the same low-frequency intermolecular bending mode by Franck-Condon-type vertical excitation mechanisms. This rare case of dual (vibronic and vibrational) Franck-Condon activity of a low-frequency mode invites future studies of homologues where aromatic ring docking of the OH group may be further stabilised, e.g. through anisole ring methylation.

Conformational Study of the Jet-Cooled Diketopiperazine Peptide Cyclo Tyrosyl-Prolyl.

The conformational landscape of the diketopiperazine (DKP) dipeptide built on tyrosine and proline, namely, cyclo Tyr-Pro, is studied by combining resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization, double resonance infrared ultraviolet (IR-UV) spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations. Despite the geometrical constraints due the two aliphatic rings, DKP and proline, cyclo Tyr-Pro is a flexible molecule. For both diastereoisomers, cyclo LTyr-LPro and cyclo LTyr-DPro, two structural families coexist under supersonic jet conditions. In the most stable conformation, the aromatic tyrosine substituent is folded over the DKP ring (g+ geometry of the aromatic ring) as it is in the solid state. The other structure is completely extended (g- geometry of the aromatic ring) and resembles that proposed for the vapor phase. IR-UV results are not sufficient for unambiguous assignment of the observed spectra to either folded or extended conformations and the simulation of the vibronic pattern of the S0-S1 transition is necessary. Still, the comparison between IR-UV results and anharmonic calculations allows explanation of the minor structural differences between cyclo LTyr-LPro and cyclo LTyr-DPro in terms of different NH···π and CH···π interactions.

Effects of complexation with sulfuric acid on the photodissociation of protonated Cinchona alkaloids in the gas phase.

The effect of complexation with sulfuric acid on the photo-dissociation of protonated Cinchona alkaloids, namely cinchonidine (Cd), quinine (Qn) and quinidine (Qd), is studied by combining laser spectroscopy with quantum chemical calculations. The protonated complexes are structurally characterized in a room-temperature ion trap by means of infra-red multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy in the fingerprint and the ν(XH) (X = C, N, O) stretch regions. Comparison with density functional theory calculations including dispersion (DFT-D) unambiguously shows that the complex consists of a doubly protonated Cinchona alkaloid strongly bound to a bisulfate HSO4- anion, which bridges the two protonated sites of the Cinchona alkaloid. UV excitation of the complex does not induce loss of specific photo fragments, in contrast to the protonated monomer or dimer, for which photo-specific fragments were observed. Indeed the UV-induced fragmentation pattern is identical to that observed in collision-induced dissociation experiments. Analysis of the nature of the first electronic transitions at the second order approximate coupled-cluster level (CC2) explains the difference in the behavior of the complex relative to the monomer or dimer towards UV excitation.

Stereochemistry-dependent hydrogen bonds stabilise stacked conformations in jet-cooled cyclic dipeptides: (LD) vs. (LL) cyclo tyrosine-tyrosine.

Tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptides based on a diketopiperazine (DKP) ring are studied under jet-cooled conditions using resonance-enhanced multi-photon ionisation (REMPI), conformer-selective IR-UV double resonance vibrational spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The conformational landscape of the dipeptide containing natural L tyrosine (Tyr), namely c-LTyr-LTyr strongly differs from that of its diastereomer c-LTyr-DTyr. A similar family of conformers exists in both systems, with one aromatic ring folded on the dipeptide DKP ring and the other one extended. Weak NHπ and CHπ interactions are observed, which are slightly different in c-LTyr-LTyr and c-LTyr-DTyr. These structures are identical to those of LL and LD cyclo diphenylalanine, which only differ from c-Tyr-Tyr by the absence of hydroxyl on the benzene rings. While this is the only conformation observed for c-LTyr-DTyr, c-LTyr-LTyr exhibits an additional form stabilised by the interaction of the two hydroxyls, in which the two aromatic rings are in a stacked geometry. Stereochemical effects are still visible in the radical cation, for which one structure is observed for c-LTyr-DTyr, while the spectrum of the c-LTyr-LTyr radical cation is explained in terms of two co-existing structures.

Does the Residues Chirality Modify the Conformation of a Cyclo-Dipeptide? Vibrational Spectroscopy of Protonated Cyclo-diphenylalanine in the Gas Phase.

The structure of a protonated diketopiperazine dipeptide, cyclo-diphenylalanine, is studied by means of infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy combined with quantum chemical calculations. Protonation exclusively occurs on the oxygen site and, in the most stable conformer, results to an intramolecular OH···π interaction, accompanied by a CH···π interaction. Higher-energy conformers with free OH and NH···π interactions are observed as well, due to kinetic trapping. Optimization of the intramolecular interactions involving the aromatic ring dictates the geometry of the benzyl substituents. Changing the chirality of one of the residues has consequences on the CH···π interaction, which is of CαH···π nature for LD, while LL shows a CßH···π interaction. Higher-energy conformers also display some differences in the nature of the intramolecular interactions.

Photofragmentation mechanisms in protonated chiral cinchona alkaloids.

The photo-stability of protonated cinchona alkaloids is studied in the gas phase by a multi-technique approach. A multi-coincidence technique is used to demonstrate that the dissociation is a direct process. Two dissociation channels are observed. They result from the C8-C9 cleavage, accompanied or not by hydrogen migration. The branching ratio between the two photo-fragments is different for the two pseudo-enantiomers quinine and quinidine. Mass spectrometry experiments coupling UV photo-dissociation of the reactants and structural characterization of the ionic photo-products by Infra-Red Multiple Photo-Dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy provide unambiguous information on their structure. In addition, quantum chemical calculations allow proposing a reactive scheme and discussing it in terms of the ground-state geometry of the reactant.

Exotic Protonated Species Produced by UV-Induced Photofragmentation of a Protonated Dimer: Metastable Protonated Cinchonidine.

A metastable protonated cinchona alkaloid was produced in the gas phase by UV-induced photodissociation (UVPD) of its protonated dimer in a Paul ion trap. The infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectrum of the molecular ion formed by UVPD was obtained and compared to DFT calculations to characterize its structure. The protonation site obtained thereby is not accessible by classical protonation ways. The protonated monomer directly formed in the ESI source or by collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the dimer undergoes protonation at the most basic alkaloid nitrogen. In contrast, protonation occurs at the quinoline aromatic ring nitrogen in the UVPD-formed monomer.

Electronic and vibrational spectra of protonated benzaldehyde-water clusters, [BZ-(H2O)n≤5]H+: evidence for ground-state proton transfer to solvent for n ≥ 3.

Vibrational and electronic photodissociation spectra of mass-selected protonated benzaldehyde-(water)n clusters, [BZ-(H2O)n]H(+) with n ≤ 5, are analyzed by quantum chemical calculations to determine the protonation site in the ground electronic state (S0) and ππ(*) excited state (S1) as a function of microhydration. IR spectra of [BZ-(H2O)n]H(+) with n ≤ 2 are consistent with BZH(+)-(H2O)n type structures, in which the excess proton is localized on benzaldehyde. IR spectra of clusters with n ≥ 3 are assigned to structures, in which the excess proton is located on the (H2O)n solvent moiety, BZ-(H2O)nH(+). Quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP, MP2, and ri-CC2 levels support the conclusion of proton transfer from BZH(+) to the solvent moiety in the S0 state for hydration sizes larger than the critical value nc = 3. The vibronic spectrum of the S1 ← S0 transition (ππ(*)) of the n = 1 cluster is consistent with a cis-BZH(+)-H2O structure in both electronic states. The large blueshift of the S1 origin by 2106 cm(-1) upon hydration with a single H2O ligand indicates that the proton affinity of BZ is substantially increased upon S1 excitation, thus strongly destabilizing the hydrogen bond to the solvent. The adiabatic S1 excitation energy and vibronic structure calculated at the ri-CC2/aug-cc-pVDZ level agrees well with the measured spectrum, supporting the notion of a cis-BZH(+)-H2O geometry. The doubly hydrated species, cis-BZH(+)-(H2O)2, does not absorb in the spectral range of 23 000-27 400 cm(-1), because of the additional large blueshift of the ππ(*) transition upon attachment of the second H2O molecule. Calculations predict roughly linear and large incremental blueshifts for the ππ(*) transition in [BZ-(H2O)n]H(+) as a function of n. In the size range n ≥ 3, the calculations predict a proton transfer from the (H2O)nH(+) solvent back to the BZ solute upon electronic ππ(*) excitation.

Electronic spectra of the protonated indole chromophore in the gas phase.

The electronic spectroscopy of cold protonated indole was investigated experimentally and theoretically. Two isomers were observed by experiment: The first isomer corresponds to the lowest-energy isomer in the calculations, absorbing at ~350 nm and protonated on the C3 atom of the pyrrole ring. According to our calculations, the absorptions of the other isomers protonated on carbon atoms (C2, C4, C5, C6, and C7) are in the visible region. Indeed, the absorption of the second observed isomer starts at 488 nm and was assigned to protonation on the C2 carbon of the pyrrole ring. Because good agreement was obtained between the calculated and experimental transitions for the observed isomers, reasonable ab initio transition energies can also be expected for the higher-energy isomers protonated on other carbon atoms, which should also absorb in the visible region. Protonation on the nitrogen atom leads to a transition that is blue-shifted with respect to that of the most stable isomer.

Ground state proton transfer in phenol-(NH3)(n) (n ≤ 11) clusters studied by mid-IR spectroscopy in 3-10 µm range.

The infrared (IR) spectra of size-selected phenol-ammonia clusters, PhOH-(NH(3))(n) (n ≤ 11) in the 3-10 µm wavelength region were measured to investigate the critical number of solvent molecules necessary to promote the ground state proton transfer (GSPT) reaction. While the N-H stretching vibrations did not provide clear information, characteristic changes that are assigned to the GSPT reaction were observed in the skeletal vibrational region. The production of phenolate anion (PhO(-)), which is a product of the GSPT reaction, was established from the appearance of characteristic bands assignable to C-C stretching and C-H bending vibrations of PhO(-) and from the corresponding disappearance of C-O-H bending vibration of PhOH at n = 9. The mid-IR spectroscopy directly proves the structural change induced by the deprotonation from the O-H bond and thus establishes the GSPT reaction as complete at n = 9. No such absorptions were observed for n ≤ 5 in line with a previous report. For n = 6-8, both the proton transferred and the nontransferred signatures were observed in the spectra, showing coexistence of both species for the first time.

Photon induced isomerization in the first excited state of the 7-azaindole-(H2O)3 cluster.

A picosecond pump and probe experiment has been applied to study the excited state dynamics of 7-azaindole-water 1 ∶ 2 and 1 ∶ 3 clusters [7AI(H(2)O)(2,3)] in the gas phase. The vibrational-mode selective Excited-State-Triple-Proton Transfer (ESTPT) in 7AI(H(2)O)(2) proposed from the frequency-resolved study has been confirmed by picosecond decays. The decay times for the vibronic states involving the ESTPT promoting mode σ(1) (850-1000 ps) are much shorter than those for the other vibronic states (2100-4600 ps). In the (1 + 1) REMPI spectrum of 7AI(H(2)O)(3) measured by nanosecond laser pulses, the vibronic bands with an energy higher than 200 cm(-1) above the origin of the S(1) state become very weak. In contrast, the vibronic bands in the same region emerge in the (1 + 1') REMPI spectrum of 7AI(H(2)O)(3) with picosecond pulses. The decay times drastically decrease when increasing the vibrational energy above 200 cm(-1). Ab initio calculations show that a second stable "cyclic-nonplanar isomer" exists in addition to a "bridged-planar isomer", and that an isomerization from a bridged-planar isomer to a cyclic-nonplanar isomer is most probably responsible for the short lifetimes of the vibronic states of 7AI(H(2)O)(3).

Microhydration effects on the electronic spectra of protonated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: [naphthalene-(H2O)(n = 1,2)]H+.

Vibrational and electronic spectra of protonated naphthalene (NaphH(+)) microsolvated by one and two water molecules were obtained by photofragmentation spectroscopy. The IR spectrum of the monohydrated species is consistent with a structure with the proton located on the aromatic molecule, NaphH(+)-H(2)O. Similar to isolated NaphH(+), the first electronic transition of NaphH(+)-H(2)O (S(1)) occurs in the visible range near 500 nm. The doubly hydrated species lacks any absorption in the visible range (420-600 nm) but absorbs in the UV range, similar to neutral Naph. This observation is consistent with a structure, in which the proton is located on the water moiety, Naph-(H(2)O)(2)H(+). Ab initio calculations for [Naph-(H(2)O)(n)]H(+) confirm that the excess proton transfers from Naph to the solvent cluster upon attachment of the second water molecule.

Electronic spectra of protonated benzaldehyde clusters with Ar and N2: effect of ππ* excitation on the intermolecular potential.

Electronic spectra of the S(1)←S(0) transition of dimers of protonated benzaldehyde (BZH(+)) with Ar and N(2) are recorded by resonance-enhanced photodissociation in a tandem mass spectrometer. The S(1) origins observed are shifted to higher frequency upon complexation with Ar (ΔS(1) = 300 cm(-1)) and N(2) (ΔS(1) = 628 cm(-1)). Ab initio calculations at the CC2/aug-cc-pVDZ level suggest an assignment to H-bonded dimers of L = Ar and N(2) binding to the cis isomer of O-protonated BZH(+), yielding values of ΔS(1) = 242 and 588 cm(-1) for cis-BZH(+)-L(H). Electronic ππ* excitation results in a substantial increase of the proton affinity of BZH(+), which in turn destabilizes the intermolecular H-bonds to the inert ligands by 35%. The drastic effects of electronic ππ* excitation on the geometric and electronic structure as well as the strength and anisotropy of the intermolecular potential (H-bonding and π-bonding) are investigated.

Role of the charge-transfer state in the electronic absorption of protonated hydrocarbon molecules.

The vibrationally resolved electronic spectra of isolated protonated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)--naphthalene, anthracene, and tetracene--have been recorded via neutral photofragment spectroscopy. The S1←S0 transitions are all in the visible region and do not show a monotonic red shift as a function of the molecular size, as observed for the neutral analogues. Comparison with ab initio calculations indicates that this behavior is due to the nature of the excited state, which has a pronounced charge-transfer character for protonated linear PAHs with an even number of aromatic rings.

Effect of protonation on the electronic structure of aromatic molecules: naphthaleneH+.

Protonated naphthalene, the smallest protonated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon cation, absorbs in the visible, around 500 nm, which corresponds to an unusually large red shift with respect to the neutral naphthalene counterpart.

Protonated benzene dimer: an experimental and ab initio study.

The excitation spectrum of the protonated benzene dimer has been recorded in the 415-600 nm wavelength range. In contrast to the neutral iso-electronic benzene dimer, its absorption spectrum extends in the visible spectral region. This huge spectral shift has been interpreted with ab initio calculations, which indicate that the first excited states should be charge transfer states.