Benchmarking quantum chemical methods for accurate gas-phase structure predictions of carbonyl compounds: the case of ethyl butyrate.

High-resolution spectroscopy techniques play a pivotal role to validate and efficiently benchmark available methods from quantum chemistry. In this work, we analyzed the microwave spectrum of ethyl butyrate within the scope of a systematic investigation to benchmark state-of-the-art exchange-correlation functionals and ab initio methods, to accurately predict the lowest energy conformers of carbonyl compounds in their isolated state. Under experimental conditions, we observed two distinct conformers, one of Cs and one of C1 symmetry. As reported earlier in the cases of some ethyl and methyl alkynoates, structural optimizations of the most abundant conformer that exhibits a C1 symmetry proved extremely challenging for several quantum chemical levels. To probe the sensitivity of different methods and basis sets, we use the identified soft-degree of freedom in proximity to the carbonyl group as an order parameter. The results of our study provide useful insight for spectroscopists to select an adapted method for structure prediction of carbonyl compounds based on their available computational resources, suggesting a reasonable trade-off between accuracy and CPU cost. At the same time, our observations and the resulting sets of highly accurate experimental constants from high-resolution spectroscopy experiments give an appeal to theoretical groups to look further into this seemingly simple family of chemical compounds, which may prove useful for the further development and parametrization of theoretical methods in computational chemistry.

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.

Conformational sampling and large amplitude motion of methyl valerate.

The microwave spectrum of the fruit ester methyl valerate was recorded using two molecular jet Fourier transform spectrometers covering the frequency range from 2 to 40 GHz. Quantum chemical calculations yielded 11 minima for the anti ester configuration, among them two were identified in the experimental spectrum. The methyl group in the methoxy moiety undergoes internal rotation, leading to torsional splittings of all rotational transitions into doublets. The barrier to internal rotation of the methoxy methyl group was deduced to be 417.724(70) cm-1 and 418.059(27) cm-1 for the C1 and the Cs conformer, respectively, essentially the same values as those in methyl alkanoates with shorter alkyl chains, which are methyl acetate, methyl propionate and methyl butyrate. Geometry parameters such as the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants could be determined with very high accuracy. Optimisations at different levels of theory were performed for a comparison with the experimental results. The MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory failed to calculate reliable rotational constants to guide the assigment of the C1 conformer, while the MP2/cc-pVDZ level fully succeeded.

Local vs global approaches to treat two equivalent methyl internal rotations and 14N nuclear quadrupole coupling of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole.

The microwave spectrum of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole was recorded using a molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer operating in the frequency range from 2 to 26.5 GHz. Only one stable conformer was observed as expected and confirmed by quantum chemical calculations carried out to complement the experimental analysis. The two equivalent methyl groups cause each rotational transition to split into four torsional species, which is combined with the quadrupole hyperfine splittings in the same order of magnitude arising from the 14N nucleus. This results in a complicated spectrum feature. The spectral assignment was done separately for each torsional species. Two global fits were carried out using the XIAM code and the BELGI-C2v-2Tops-hyperfine code, a modified version of the BELGI-C2v-2Tops code, giving satisfactory root-mean-square deviations. The potential barriers to internal rotation of the two methyl groups were determined to be V3 = 317.208(16) cm-1. The molecular parameters were obtained with high accuracy, providing all necessary ground state information for further investigations in higher frequency ranges and on excited torsional-vibrational states.

Large Amplitude Motions in Fruit Flavors: The Case of Alkyl Butyrates.

To accurately characterize the large amplitude motions and soft degrees of freedom of isolated molecules, sampling their conformational landscape by molecular mechanics and quantum chemical calculations may provide a valuable insight into the structure and dynamics. However, the resulting models need to be validated by a reliable experimental counterpart. For ethyl pentanoates, which belong to the family of fruit esters, benchmark calculations at different levels of theory showed that the C-C bond in proximity to the ester carbonyl group exhibits a large amplitude motion that is extremely sensitive to the choice of quantum chemical method and basis set. In such cases, insights from high-resolution molecular jet techniques are ideal to accurately identify and characterize soft degrees of freedom. Here, we report on the most abundant conformer of ethyl 2-ethyl butyrate using Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy. We show that - unlike other structurally related pentanoates for which gas-phase and crystallographic data is available - ethyl 2-ethyl butyrate possesses a Cs symmetry plane under molecular jet conditions.

Internal Rotation of the Acetyl Methyl Group in Methyl Alkyl Ketones: The Microwave Spectrum of Octan-2-one.

Methyl n-alkyl ketones form a class of molecules with interesting internal dynamics in the gas-phase. They contain two methyl groups undergoing internal rotations, the acetyl methyl group and the methyl group at the end of the alkyl chain. The torsional barrier of the acetyl methyl group is of special importance, since it allows for the discrimination of the conformational structures. As part of the series, the microwave spectrum of octan-2-one was recorded in the frequency range from 2 to 40 GHz, revealing two conformers, one with C1 and one with Cs symmetry. The barriers to internal rotation of the acetyl methyl group were determined to be 233.340(28) cm-1 and 185.3490(81) cm-1 , respectively, confirming the link between conformations and barrier heights already established for other methyl alkyl ketones. Extensive comparisons to molecules in the literature were carried out, and a small overview of general trends and rules concerning the acetyl methyl torsion is given. For the hexyl methyl group, the barrier height is 973.17(60) cm-1 for the C1 conformer and 979.62(69) cm-1 for the Cs conformer.

2-Propionylthiophene: planar, or not planar, that is the question.

The long-standing ambiguity of the molecular planarity when an alkyl group is attached to a system with conjugated double bonds is a great challenge for both experiments and theory. This also holds true for the case of 2-propionylthiophene (2PT) where a propionyl group is attached at the second position of the planar, aromatic thiophene ring. Results from quantum chemistry at the MP2 level of theory, showing that in the two conformers syn- and anti-2PT the ethyl group of the propionyl moiety is slightly tilted out of the thiophene ring plane, conflict with those from the other methods, stating that the ethyl group is in-plane with the thiophene ring. In the microwave spectrum, both syn- and anti-2PT were observed, and their geometry parameters such as the rotational and quartic centrifugal distortion constants were precisely determined. The experimental heavy atom skeleton obtained by isotopic substitutions revealed a tiny, but non-zero tilt angle of the ethyl group out of the thiophene plane, thereby convincingly confirming the non-planarity of 2-propionylthiophene. This conclusion was further supported by the inertial defects calculated from the experimental rotational constants. Finally, splittings arising from the internal rotation of the terminal methyl group were analysed, yielding torsional barriers of 806.94(54) cm-1 and 864.5(88) cm-1 for the two observed conformers, respectively.

Microwave Spectrum and Internal Rotations of Heptan-2-one: A Pheromone in the Gas Phase.

The microwave spectrum of heptan-2-one (CH3COC4H8CH3) was recorded in the frequency range from 2 to 40 GHz using two molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometers. The two energetically most favorable conformers could be identified and fitted with standard deviations close to measurement accuracy. The splittings arising from the internal rotations of two methyl groups, the acetyl methyl group CH3CO- and the pentyl methyl group -C4H8CH3, could be resolved. The barriers to internal rotation of the acetyl methyl group are 185.666(14) and 233.418(32) cm-1 for conformer I and II, respectively, and can be linked to their specific geometries. For the pentyl methyl group, the respective barrier heights are 982.22(86) and 979.2(21) cm-1.

The effects of proton tunneling, 14N quadrupole coupling, and methyl internal rotations in the microwave spectrum of ethyl methyl amine.

The spectra of N-ethyl methyl amine, CH3(NH)CH2CH3, were measured using a molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer in the frequency range of 2 GHz-26.5 GHz. Splittings due to proton inversion tunneling, Coriolis coupling, 14N quadrupole coupling, and methyl internal rotation were fully resolved. The experimentally deduced rotational constants are A = 25 934.717(21) MHz, B = 3919.8212(23) MHz, and C = 3669.530(21) MHz. The proton tunneling causes (+) ↔ (-) splittings of about 1980.9 MHz for all c-type transitions between the lowest symmetric and the higher anti-symmetric energy levels. The splittings of the (+) ← (+) and (-) ← (-) levels, mainly influenced by Coriolis coupling, were also observed and assigned for b-type transitions, yielding the coupling constants Fbc = 0.3409(71) MHz and Fac = 163.9(14) MHz. The 14N quadrupole coupling constants were determined to be χaa = 2.788 65(55) MHz and χbb - χcc = 4.630 45(91) MHz. Fine splittings arising from two inequivalent methyl rotors are in the order of 150 kHz, and the torsional barriers are determined to be 1084.62(41) cm-1 for the CH3NH methyl group and 1163.43(80) cm-1 for the CH2CH3 methyl group. The experimental results are in good agreement with those of quantum chemical calculations.

The microwave spectrum of 2-methylthiazole: 14N nuclear quadrupole coupling and methyl internal rotation.

The rotational spectrum of 2-methylthiazole was recorded using two pulsed molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometers operating in the frequency range of 2-40 GHz. Due to the internal rotation of the methyl group, all rotational transitions were split into A and E symmetry species lines, which were analyzed using the programs XIAM and BELGI-Cs-hyperfine, yielding a methyl torsional barrier of 34.796 75(18) cm-1. This value was compared with that found in other monomethyl substituted aromatic five-membered rings. The 14N quadrupole coupling constants were accurately determined to be χaa = 0.5166(20) MHz, χbb - χcc = -5.2968(50) MHz, and χab = -2.297(10) MHz by fitting 531 hyperfine components. The experimental results were supplemented by quantum chemical calculations.

Sensing the Molecular Structures of Hexan-2-one by Internal Rotation and Microwave Spectroscopy.

Using two molecular jet Fourier transform spectrometers, the microwave spectrum of hexan-2-one, also called methyl n-butyl ketone, was recorded in the frequency range from 2 to 40 GHz. Three conformers were assigned and fine splittings caused by the internal rotations of the two terminal methyl groups were analyzed. For the acetyl methyl group CH3 COC3 H6 CH3 , the torsional barrier is 186.9198(50) cm-1 , 233.5913(97) cm-1 , and 182.2481(25) cm-1 for the three observed conformers, respectively. The value of this parameter could be linked to the structure of the individual conformer, which enabled us to create a rule for predicting the barrier height of the acetyl methyl torsion in ketones. The very small splittings arising from the internal rotation of the butyl methyl group CH3 COC3 H6 CH3 could be resolved as well, yielding the respective torsional barriers of 979.99(88) cm-1 , 1016.30(77) cm-1 , and 961.9(32) cm-1 .

Conformational Effect on the Large Amplitude Motions of 3,4-Dimethylanisole Explored by Microwave Spectroscopy.

The microwave spectrum of 3,4-dimethylanisole, a molecule containing three methyl groups allowing for internal rotation, was recorded using a pulsed molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer operating in the frequency range from 2.0 to 26.5 GHz. Quantum chemical calculations yielded two conformers with an  anti and a syn configuration of the methoxy group, both of which were assigned in the experimental spectrum. Torsional splittings due to the internal rotations of two methyl groups attached to the aromatic ring were resolved and analyzed. The rotational-torsional transitions could be reproduced to measurement accuracy, yielding well-determined rotational and internal rotation parameters. The torsional barriers of the methyl groups at the meta and para position were deduced to be 430.00(37) and 467.90(17) cm-1, respectively, for the syn-conformer. The respective values for the anti-conformer are 499.64(26) and 533.54(22) cm-1. A labeling scheme for the G18 group written as the semidirect product ( C3 I ⊗ C3 I) (× C s was introduced.

Low torsional barrier challenges in the microwave spectrum of 2,4-dimethylanisole.

Low barriers to internal rotations are especially challenging for both the experimental and theoretical determinations because they result in large tunneling splittings which are hard to assign and in potential functions that can be difficult to model. In the present work, the internal rotations of two methyl groups of 2,4-dimethylanisole were analyzed and modeled using a newly developed computer code, called ntop, adapted for fitting the high-resolution torsion-rotation spectra of molecules with two or more methyl rotors. The spectrum was measured using a pulsed molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer operating in the frequency range of 2.0-26.5 GHz, revealing internal rotation tunneling quintets with splittings of up to several gigahertz. The V3 potential barriers are 441.139(23) cm-1 and 47.649(30) cm-1 for the o- and p-methyl groups, respectively. Quantum chemical calculations predicted only one conformer with the methoxy group in the anti position related to the neighboring o-methyl group. While the results from geometry optimizations were reliable, ab initio calculations at the MP2 level did not reproduce the low torsional barriers, calling for further experiments on related systems and additional theoretical models.

Interplay Between Microwave Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction: The Molecular Structure and Large Amplitude Motions of 2,3-Dimethylanisole.

To determine the structural properties of 2,3-dimethylanisole, a multidisciplinary approach was carried out where gas phase rotational spectroscopy recording a spectrum from 2 to 26.5 GHz using a pulsed molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer was combined with solid-state X-ray diffraction. Both methods revealed that only one conformer with a planar heavy-atom structure exists. In the solid state, the packing in the monoclinic space group is P21 /n with Z=4. In the gas phase spectrum, torsional splittings due to the internal rotations of two methyl groups attached to the phenyl ring were resolved and analyzed, providing an estimate of the barriers to methyl internal rotation of V3 =26.9047(5) and 518.7(12) cm-1 for the methyl groups at the ortho- and meta-position, respectively. The coupling between the two internal rotations is modeled on a two-dimensional potential energy surface, which was obtained by quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory.

Acetyl Methyl Torsion in Pentan-2-one As Observed by Microwave Spectroscopy.

The rotational spectra of two conformers of pentan-2-one (also known as methyl propyl ketone) were recorded in the frequency range from 2 to 40 GHz using two molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometers. Fine splittings due to the internal rotations of the acetyl methyl group CH3CO- and the butyryl methyl group -COCH2CH2CH3 were resolved and analyzed with high accuracy. The torsional barriers of the acetyl and the butyryl methyl groups are 238.14 and 979 cm-1, respectively, for the lowest energy conformer, as well as 188.384 and 1032 cm-1, respectively, for the other one. From the results obtained for the acetyl methyl group, a general rule to predict its torsional barrier in ketones based on the molecular symmetry is proposed.

Conformational effect on the almost free internal rotation in 4-hexyn-3-ol studied by microwave spectroscopy and quantum chemistry.

The microwave spectrum of 4-hexyn-3-ol, CH3-C≡C-CH(OH)-CH2CH3, was recorded in the frequency range of 2-26.5 GHz by molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. The conformational analysis based on quantum chemical calculations yielded nine conformers exhibiting C1 symmetry, of which three could be assigned in the experimental spectrum. The propynyl methyl group CH 3 -C≡C- experiences internal rotation with a very low barrier due to the presence of the cylindrically symmetric -C≡C- group serving as a spacer to the rest of the molecule, which is 7.161 012(7) cm-1, 4.236 5(26) cm-1, and 7.901 6(39) cm-1 for the three assigned conformers, respectively. The spectrum was analyzed with the program XIAM using the combined axis method and the program BELGI-C 1 using the rho axis method and a very flexible Hamiltonian which yields fits with root-mean-square deviations within the measurement accuracy.

Conformational effects on the torsional barriers in m-methylanisole studied by microwave spectroscopy.

The microwave spectrum of m-methylanisole (also known as 3-methylanisole, or 3-methoxytoluene) was measured using a pulsed molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer operating in the frequency range of 2-26.5 GHz. Quantum chemical calculations predicted two conformers with the methoxy group in trans or cis position related to the ring methyl group, both of which were assigned in the experimental spectrum. Due to the internal rotation of the ring methyl group, all rotational transitions introduced large A-E splittings up to several GHz, which were analyzed with a newly developed program, called aixPAM, working in the principal axis system. There are significant differences in the V3 potential barriers of 55.7693(90) cm-1 and 36.6342(84) cm-1 determined by fitting 223 and 320 torsional components of the cis and the trans conformer, respectively. These values were compared with those found in other m-substituted toluenes as well as in o- and p-methylanisole. A comparison between the aixPAM and the XIAM code (using a combined axis system) was also performed.

Methyl Internal Rotation in the Microwave Spectrum of o-Methyl Anisole.

The microwave spectrum of o-methyl anisole (2-methoxytoluene), CH3 OC6 H4 CH3, has been measured by using a pulsed molecular jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer operating in the frequency range 2-26.5 GHz. Conformational analysis using quantum chemical calculations at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory yields only one stable conformer with a Cs structure, which was assigned in the experimental spectrum. A-E splittings due to the internal rotation of the ring methyl group could be resolved and the barrier to internal rotation was determined to be 444.05(41) cm-1 . The experimentally deduced molecular parameters such as rotational and centrifugal distortion constants as well as the torsional barrier of the ring methyl group are in agreement with the calculated values.

Favored Conformations of Carbonyl Compounds: A Structural Study of n-Octanal.

We report on the molecular structures of the two most abundant conformers of n-octanal observed by molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Next to limonene, which is the main component of citrus-oil, octanal and other n-alkyl aldehydes strongly enhance the typical fresh smell of lemon-oil. Due to the high flexibility of its n-alkyl chain and the high number of possible conformers, different semi-empirical methods (AM1, PM3, MMFF94) were used to sample the conformational space of octanal before performing more sophisticated quantum chemical calculations at the MP2 level of theory. This technique has previously been shown to be an ideal tool to characterize relevant odorant structures in fragrance chemistry. The structure of octanal and structurally related molecules is discussed in the context of the most abundant chain conformations and the potential use of the microwave validated structures for further studies in biological media.

At-line validation of a process analytical technology approach for quality control of melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin in composite wood-panel production using near infrared spectroscopy.

The reactivity of melamine-urea-formaldehyde resins is of key importance in the manufacture of engineered wood products such as medium density fibreboard (MDF) and other wood composite products. Often the MDF manufacturing plant has little available information on the resin reactivity other than details of the resin specification at the time of batch manufacture, which often occurs off-site at a third-party resin plant. Often too, fresh resin on delivery at the MDF plant is mixed with variable volume of aged resin in storage tanks, thereby rendering any specification of the fresh resin batch obsolete. It is therefore highly desirable to develop a real-time, at-line or on-line, process analytical technology to monitor the quality of the resin prior to MDF panel manufacture. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been calibrated against standard quality methods and against 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measures of molecular composition in order to provide at-line process analytical technology (PAT), to monitor the resin quality, particularly the formaldehyde content of the resin. At-line determination of formaldehyde content in the resin was made possible using a six-factor calibration with an R 2(cal) value of 0.973, and R 2(CV) value of 0.929 and a root-mean-square error of cross-validation of 0.01. This calibration was then used to generate control charts of formaldehyde content at regular four-hourly periods during MDF panel manufacture in a commercial MDF manufacturing plant.