A Rotational Study of 2-tert-Butylphenol and Its 1 : 1 Argon Complex.

The chirped-pulse Fourier Transform microwave spectrum of 2-tert-butylphenol, an industrial intermediate for the production of antioxidants, has been investigated in the 2-8 GHz frequency range. The spectral analysis has allowed obtaining precise structural information on the most stable conformer and its complex with argon. The conformation of the monomer reveals that the hydroxyl group is coplanar with the ring but points in the opposite direction to the tert-butyl group, reducing steric interactions. In the tert-butyl group one methyl group is coplanar and the other two are symmetrically staggered respect to the ring. The complex shows the rare gas sitting above the aromatic ring. Interestingly, neither the monomer nor the complex exhibit large-amplitude hydroxyl torsion motions, previously observed in 2,6-disubstituted phenols such as 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol or propofol. The experimental results are supported by computational calculations, validating the molecular structure. Additionally, symmetry-adapted perturbation theory has allowed determining the van der Waals intermolecular interaction energy of the complex.

Structure and dynamics of 3'-aminoacetophenone and 4'-aminoacetophenone from rotational spectroscopy.

The rotational spectra of 4'-aminoacetophenone, and those of two conformers (Z and E arrangement of the CO and NH2 groups) of 3'-aminoacetophenone and their 13C and 15N isotopologues were investigated both in the microwave (2-8 GHz) and millimetre (59.6-74.4 GHz) frequency regions using chirped pulse Fourier transform and free-jet absorption techniques, respectively. The spectra consist of µa and µb type lines that show a hyperfine structure due to both the nuclear quadrupole coupling of the 14N nucleus and the methyl internal rotation. Relative intensity measurements show that the Z form in 3'-aminoacetophenone is favoured with respect to E and the measured energy difference upper limit is about 5.5(1) kJ mol-1. Barriers to methyl internal rotation are V3 = 7.04(2) and 6.530(6) kJ mol-1 for 3'(Z)- and 4'-aminoacetophenone, respectively. Flexible model analyses of the amino inversion motion based on ab initio potential energy paths, suggest that the corresponding vibrational splitting increases up to 78% from aniline to 3'(E)-, 3'(Z), and 4-aminoacetophenone. However, due to supersonic expansion cooling, no splitting related to amine inversion is observed.

The Structure of 2,6-Di-tert-butylphenol-Argon by Rotational Spectroscopy.

The molecular structure of a van der Waals-bonded complex involving 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol and a single argon atom has been determined through rotational spectroscopy. The experimentally derived structural parameters were compared to the outcomes of quantum chemical calculations that can accurately account for dispersive interactions in the cluster. The findings revealed a π-bound configuration for the complex, with the argon atom engaging the aromatic ring. The microwave spectrum reveals both fine and hyperfine tunneling components. The main spectral doubling is evident as two distinct clusters of lines, with an approximate separation of 179 MHz, attributed to the torsional motion associated with the hydroxyl group. Additionally, each component of this doublet further splits into three components, each with separations measuring less than 1 MHz. Investigation into intramolecular dynamics using a one-dimensional flexible model suggests that the main tunneling phenomenon originates from equivalent positions of the hydroxyl group. A double-minimum potential function with a barrier of 1000 (100) cm-1 effectively describes this extensive amplitude motion. However, the three-fold fine structure, potentially linked to internal motions within the tert-butyl group, requires additional scrutiny for a comprehensive understanding.

Rotational Spectroscopy Probes Lone Pair···π-Hole Interactions in Hexafluorobenzene-Tertiary Alkylamines Complexes.

We employed microwave spectroscopy to investigate the 1:1 complexes of hexafluorobenzene with trimethylamine and quinuclidine, respectively. These complexes exhibit a C3v symmetry and are stabilized by nitrogen lone pair···π-hole interactions along the C3 axes. The N···π-center distances were determined to be 3.110(1) and 3.040(2) Å, respectively, which are shorter than that of hexafluorobenzene-ammonia at 3.2685(3) Å. Additionally, the strength of the intermolecular interaction increases with cluster size. While it was initially expected that the electron-donating effect of alkyl groups was responsible for changing the N···π interaction, the symmetry-adapted perturbation theory analysis revealed that, from hexafluorobenzene-ammonia to both hexafluorobenzene-alkylamines, electrostatic interaction actually decreases while dispersion interaction increases and becomes dominant. Interestingly, dispersion interaction decreases while electrostatic interaction increases from C6F6-N(CH3)3 to C6F6-NC7H13. The splitting pattern of the spectra indicates hexafluorobenzene rotates freely relative to its partners along the axis of the N···π-hole interactions.

A Competition between Relative Stability and Binding Energy in Caffeine Phenyl-Glucose Aggregates: Implications in Biological Mechanisms.

Hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions are pivotal in biological mechanisms, although their proper characterisation within a molecular complex remains a difficult task. We used quantum mechanical calculations to characterise the complex between caffeine and phenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside, in which several functional groups of the sugar derivative compete with each other to attract caffeine. Calculations at different levels of theory (M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) and B3LYP-ED=GD3BJ/def2TZVP) agree to predict several structures similar in stability (relative energy) but with different affinity (binding energy). These computational results were experimentally verified by laser infrared spectroscopy, through which the caffeine·phenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside complex was identified in an isolated environment, produced under supersonic expansion conditions. The experimental observations correlate with the computational results. Caffeine shows intermolecular interaction preferences that combine both hydrogen bonding and stacking interactions. This dual behaviour had already been observed with phenol, and now with phenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside, it is confirmed and maximised. In fact, the size of the complex's counterparts affects the maximisation of the intermolecular bond strength because of the conformational adaptability given by the stacking interaction. Comparison with the binding of caffeine within the orthosteric site of the A2A adenosine receptor shows that the more strongly bound caffeine·phenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside conformer mimics the interactions occurring within the receptor.

How Water Interacts with the NOH Group: The Rotational Spectrum of the 1:1 N,N-diethylhydroxylamine·Water Complex.

The rotational spectrum of the 1:1 N,N-diethylhydroxylamine-water complex has been investigated using pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in the 6.5-18.5 GHz frequency region. The most stable conformer has been detected as well as the 13C monosubstituted isotopologues in natural abundance and the 18O enriched water species, allowing to determine the nitrogen nuclear quadrupole coupling constants and the molecular structure in the vibrational ground state. The molecule has a Cs symmetry and the water lies in the bc symmetry plane forming two hydrogen bonds with the NOH frame with length: dHOH·NOH = 1.974 Å and dH2O·HON = 2.096 Å. From symmetry-adapted perturbation theory calculations coupled to atoms in molecule approach, the corresponding interaction energy values are estimated to be 24 and 13 kJ·mol-1, respectively. The great strength of the intermolecular interaction involving the nitrogen atom is in agreement with the high reactivity of hydroxylamine compounds at the nitrogen site.

Characterizing the Interactions of Dimethyl Sulfoxide with Water: A Rotational Spectroscopy Study.

The interaction of dimethyl sulfoxide with water has been investigated by Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy of the 1:1 complex and its isotopologues, complemented with quantum chemical calculations. The rotational spectra of 34S and 13C isotopologues in natural abundance and the H218O and deuterated water enriched isotopologues have been measured, allowing a partial structure determination and establishing the position of water in the complex. In the most stable conformation water was found to be the donor of a primary OH···OS bond to the oxygen atom of dimethyl sulfoxide and acceptor of two weak CH···OH bonds with the methyl hydrogen atoms of dimethyl sulfoxide. From the structural determination confirmed by quantum chemical calculations, the water molecule lies in the symmetry plane of dimethyl sulfoxide, and the complex has an overall Cs symmetry. The experimental findings are supported by atoms in molecules and symmetry-adapted perturbation theories, which allowed for determining the hydrogen bond and intermolecular interaction energies, respectively.

Spectroscopic and quantum mechanical study of a scavenger molecule: N,N-diethylhydroxylamine.

We report a combination of quantum mechanical calculations and a range of spectroscopic measurements in the gas phase of N,N-diethylhydroxylamine, an important scavenger compound. Three conformers were observed by pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in the 6.5-18.5 GHz frequency range. They are characterized by the hydroxyl hydrogen atom being in trans orientation with respect to the bisector of the CNC angle while the side alkyl chains can be both trans (global minimum, Cs symmetry, A = 7608.1078(4), B = 2020.2988(2) and C = 1760.5423(2) MHz) or one trans and the other gauche (second energy minimum, A = 5302.896(1), B = 2395.9822(4) and C = 1804.8567(3) MHz) or gauche' (third energy minimum, A = 5960.8025(6), B = 2273.6627(4) and C = 1975.8074(4) MHz). For the global minimum, the 13Cα,13Cß and 15N isotopologues were observed in natural abundance, allowing for an accurate partial structure determination. Moreover, several lines were detected by free jet absorption millimeter wave spectroscopy in the 59.6-74.4 GHz spectral range. The electron binding energies of the highest occupied molecular orbital and the next-to-highest occupied molecular orbital, determined by photoelectron spectroscopy, are 8.95 and 10.76 eV, respectively. Supporting calculations evidence that, (i) upon ionization of the HOMO, the molecular structure changes from an amine to an N-oxoammonium arrangement and (ii) the 0-0 of the HOMO-1 photoionization is 10.46 eV. The K-shell binding energies, determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, are 290.42 eV (Cß), 291.45 eV (Cα), 405.98 eV (N) and 538.75 eV (O). The Fourier transform near infrared spectrum is reported and a tentative assignment is proposed. The equilibrium wavenumber (ω̃ = 3811 cm-1) and the anharmonicity constant (ω̃χ = -87.5 cm-1) of the hydroxyl stretching mode were estimated using a quadratic model.

Skeletal Torsion Tunneling and Methyl Internal Rotation: The Coupled Large Amplitude Motions in Phenyl Acetate.

The rotational spectrum of phenyl acetate, CH3COOC6H5, is measured using a free jet absorption millimeter-wave spectrometer in the range from 60 to 78 GHz and two pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometers covering a total frequency range from 2 to 26.5 GHz. The features of two large amplitude motions, the methyl group internal rotation and the skeletal torsion of the CH3COO group with respect to the phenyl ring C6H5 (tilted at about 70°), characterize the spectrum. The vibrational ground state is split into four widely spaced sublevels, labeled as A0, E0, A1, and E1, each of them with its set of rotational transitions and with additional interstate transitions. A global fit of the line frequencies of the four sublevels leads to the determination of 51 spectroscopic parameters, including the ΔEA0/A1 and ΔEE0/E1 vibrational splittings of ~36.4 and ~33.5 GHz, respectively. The V3 barrier to methyl internal rotation (~136 cm-1) and the skeletal torsion B2 barrier to the orthogonality of the two planes (~68 cm-1) are deduced.

The Shapes of Sulfonamides: A Rotational Spectroscopy Study.

Benzenesulfonamides are a class of molecules of extreme interest in the biochemical field because many of them are active against a variety of diseases. In this work, the pharmacophoric group benzensulfonamide, its derivatives para-toluensulfonamide and ortho-toluensulfonamide, and the bioactive molecule sulfanilamide, were investigated using rotational spectroscopy to determine their conformations and the influence of different substituents on their structures. For all species, the hyperfine structure due to the 14N atom was analyzed, and this provided crucial information for the unambiguous identification of the observed conformation of all molecules. In addition, for ortho-toluensulfonamide, the vibration-rotation hyperfine structure related to the methyl torsion was analyzed, and the methyl group rotation barrier was determined. For benzensulfonamide, partial rS and r0 structures were established from the experimental rotational constants of the parent and two deuterated isotopic species. In all compounds except ortho-toluensulfonamide, the amino group of the sulfonamide group lies perpendicular to the benzene plane with the aminic hydrogens eclipsing the oxygen atoms. In ortho-toluensulfonamide, where weak attractive interactions occur between the nitrogen lone pair and the methyl hydrogen atoms, the amino group lies in a gauche orientation, retaining the eclipsed configuration with respect to the SO2 frame. A comparison of the geometrical arrangements found in the PDB database allowed us to understand that the bioactive conformations are different from those found in isolated conditions. The conformations within the receptor are reached with an energy cost, which is balanced by the interactions established in the receptor.

How Aromatic Fluorination Exchanges the Interaction Role of Pyridine with Carbonyl Compounds: The Formaldehyde Adduct.

The rotational spectrum of the weakly bound complex pentafluoropyridine⋅⋅⋅formaldehyde has been investigated using Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. From the analysis of the rotational parameters of the parent species and of the 13 C and 15 N isotopologues, the structural arrangement of the adduct has been unambiguously established. The full ring fluorination of pyridine has a dramatic effect on its binding properties: It alters the electron density distribution at the π-cloud of pyridine creating a π-hole and changing its electron donor-acceptor capabilities. In the complex, formaldehyde lies above the aromatic ring with one of the oxygen lone pairs, as conventionally envisaged, pointing toward its centre. This lone pair⋅⋅⋅π-hole interaction, reinforced by a weak C-H⋅⋅⋅N interaction, indicates an exchange of the electron-acceptor roles of both molecules when compared to the pyridine⋅⋅⋅formaldehyde adduct. Tunnelling doublets due to the internal rotation of formaldehyde have also been observed and analysed leading to a discussion on the competition between lone pair⋅⋅⋅π-hole and π⋅⋅⋅π stacking interactions.

Characterizing hydrogen and tetrel bonds in clusters of CO2 with carboxylic acids.

The interaction between carbon dioxide and planar carboxylic acids has been investigated through the analysis of the microwave spectrum of the acrylic acid·CO2 complex and quantum chemical modeling of the R-COOH·(CO2)1,16 clusters, where R = H, CH2CH. As regards the 1 : 1 compounds, two species, involving the s-cis and s-trans conformers of acrylic acid were observed. For both of them, a similar bidentate interaction arises between the carbonyl group of CO2 and the carboxylic group of the organic acid, leading to the formation of a planar six-membered ring. The binding energy is estimated to be De ≃ 21 kJ mol-1, 1/3 being the energy contributions of the tetrel to hydrogen bonds, respectively. In the 1 : 16 clusters, the ring arrangement is broken, allowing for the interaction of the acid with several CO2 molecules. The CO2 molecules completely surround formic acid, whereas, in the case of acrylic acid, they tend to avoid the allyl chain.

σ-Hole activation and structural changes upon perfluorination of aryl halides: direct evidence from gas phase rotational spectroscopy.

Enhancement of the σ-hole on the halogen atom of aryl halides due to perfluorination of the ring is demonstrated by use of the Extended Townes-Dailey (ETD) model coupled to a Natural Atomic Orbital Bond analysis on two perfluorinated aryl halides (C6F5Cl and C6F5Br) and their hydrogenated counterparts. The ETD analysis, which quantifies the halogen p-orbitals populations, relies on the nuclear quadrupole coupling constants which in this work are accurately determined experimentally from the rotational spectra. The rotational spectra investigated by Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy performed in supersonic expansion are reported for the parent species of C6F5Cl and C6F5Br and their 13C, 37Cl or 81Br substituted isotopologues observed in natural abundance. The experimentally determined rotational constants combined with theoretical data at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level provide precise structural information from which an elongation of the ring along its symmetry axis due to perfluorination is proved.

Cellular remains in a ~3.42-billion-year-old subseafloor hydrothermal environment.

Subsurface habitats on Earth host an extensive extant biosphere and likely provided one of Earth's earliest microbial habitats. Although the site of life's emergence continues to be debated, evidence of early life provides insights into its early evolution and metabolic affinity. Here, we present the discovery of exceptionally well-preserved, ~3.42-billion-year-old putative filamentous microfossils that inhabited a paleo-subseafloor hydrothermal vein system of the Barberton greenstone belt in South Africa. The filaments colonized the walls of conduits created by low-temperature hydrothermal fluid. Combined with their morphological and chemical characteristics as investigated over a range of scales, they can be considered the oldest methanogens and/or methanotrophs that thrived in an ultramafic volcanic substrate.

Interplay of Rotational and Pseudorotational Motions in Flexible Cyclic Molecules.

Solutions to the time-independent nuclear Schrödinger equation associated with the pseudorotational motion of three flexible cyclic molecules are presented and discussed. Structural relaxations related to the pseudorotational motion are described as functions of a pseudorotation angle ϕ which is formulated according to the definition of ring-puckering coordinates originally proposed by Cremer and Pople ( J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1975, 97 (6), 1354-1358). In order to take into account the interplay between pseudorotational and rotational motions, the rovibrational Hamiltonian matrices are formulated for the rotational quantum numbers J = 0 and J = 1. The rovibrational Hamiltonian matrices are constructed and diagonalized using a Python program developed by the authors. Suitable algorithms for (i) the construction of one-dimensional cuts of potential energy surfaces along the pseudorotation angle ϕ and (ii) the assignment of the vibrorotational wave functions (which are needed for the automatic calculation of rotational transition energies J = 0 → J = 1) are described and discussed.

Characterizing the lone pairπ-hole interaction in complexes of ammonia with perfluorinated arenes.

When hydrogen is completely replaced by fluorine, arenes become prone to forming a lone pairπ-hole non-covalent bond with ligands presenting electron rich regions. Such a species is ammonia, which confirms this behavior engaging its lone pair as the electron donor counterpart in the 1 : 1 adducts with hexafluorobenzene and pentafluoropyridine. In this work, the geometrical parameters of the interaction have been unambiguously identified through the detection, by means of Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy, of the rotational spectra of both normal species and their 15NH3 isotopologues. An accurate analysis of the experimental data, including internal dynamics effects, endorsed by quantum chemical calculations, both with topological analysis and energy decomposition method, extended to the hydrogenated arenes and their water complexes, proved the ability of ammonia to create a stronger and more flexible lone pairπ-hole interaction than water. Interestingly, the higher binding energies of the ammonia lone pairπ-hole interactions correspond to larger intermolecular distances.

Chlorination and tautomerism: a computational and UPS/XPS study of 2-hydroxypyridine ⇌ 2-pyridone equilibrium.

The prototropic tautomeric equilibrium in 2-hydroxypyridine serves as a prototype model for the study of nucleobases' behaviour. The position of such an equilibrium in parent and chlorine monosubstituted 2-hydroxypyridine compounds in the gas phase was determined using synchrotron based techniques. The lactim tautomer is dominant for the 5- and 6-substituted compounds, whereas the parent, 3- and 4-substituted isomers have comparable populations for both tautomers. Information was obtained by measuring valence band and core level photoemission spectra at the chlorine L-edge and carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen K-edges. The effect of chlorine on the core ionization potentials of the atoms in the heterocycle was evaluated and reasonable agreement with a simple model was obtained. Basic considerations of resonance structures correctly predicts the tautomeric equilibrium for the 5- and 6-substituted compounds. The vibrationally resolved structure of the low energy portion of the valence band photoionization spectra is assigned based on quantum-chemical calculations of the neutral and charged species followed by simulation of the vibronic structure. It is shown that the first ionization occurs from a π orbital of similar shape for both tautomers. In addition, the highly distinctive vibronic structure observed just above the first ionization of the lactim, for three of the five species investigated, is assigned to the second ionization of the lactam.

Structure, Dynamics, and Accurate Laboratory Rotational Frequencies of the Acrylonitrile-Methanol Complex.

The hydrogen-bonded complex between acrylonitrile (CH2═CHCN) and methanol has been characterized spectroscopically in the millimeter wave range (59.6-74.4 GHz) using a free jet absorption millimeter wave spectrometer. Precise values of the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants were obtained from the measured frequencies of the complex of acrylonitrile with CH3OH and CD3OD. The analysis of the splittings of the rotational lines due to the hindered internal rotation of the methanol methyl group led to the determination of a V3 value of 221.9(7) and 218(5) cm-1 for the complexes of CH3OH and CD3OD, respectively, and these values are about 40% lower than that of free methanol. The structure of the observed conformation is in agreement with the global minimum determined at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of calculation, and the counterpoise corrected intermolecular binding energy, obtained at the same theoretical level, is De = 26.3 kJ mol-1.

Terpenoids: shape and non-covalent interactions. The rotational spectrum of cis-verbenol and its 1 : 1 water complex.

Verbenols are aromatic terpenoids whose bioactivity is attracting considerable experimental efforts. Exploiting the chirped-pulse Fourier transform technique, the rotational spectra of cis-verbenol, its hydroxyl deuterated form, and all 13C-monosubstituted isotopologues have been assigned, allowing for the structure determination, as the knowledge of its shape is crucial to understanding its molecular activity. Unlike in the solid state, in the gas phase, the most stable conformer exhibits an anti HO-CH arrangement, analogous to that of simpler allyl alcohol compounds. Observation of the 1 : 1 water complex showed that the conformation of cis-verbenol is still anti where water not only acts mainly as a proton donor to the hydroxyl group, but also as a proton acceptor, forming a secondary C-HO interaction with the hydrogen atom of alkyl verbenol.

Atmospherically relevant acrolein-water complexes: spectroscopic evidence of aldehyde hydration and oxygen atom exchange.

Direct spectroscopic evidence of a reaction occurring between acrolein and water and involving the exchange of an oxygen atom has been obtained by characterizing the non-covalently bound water complexes and their isotopic forms, via rotational spectroscopy. The experimental geometries of the binary and ternary water complexes have been determined, and other stationary points on the reaction path have been characterized using ab initio quantum chemical methods at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level. These results can enhance the understanding of the water-mediated atmospherically important reactions involving acrolein.