Far-Infrared Investigation of the Benzene-Water Complex: The Identification of Large-Amplitude Motion and Tunneling Pathways.

The far-infrared spectrum of the weakly OH···π hydrogen-bonded benzene-water complex has been studied in neon and argon matrices, below 30 K. The in-plane water libration has been observed in both neon and argon for H2O and D2O complexed with C6H6 and C6D6 but not for the corresponding complexes involving HDO. Both H2O and D2O can tunnel between the two possible hydrogen bonds. This is not possible for HDO. The reported far-infrared observations have implications for the interpretation of the previously obtained molecular beam microwave spectrum of the benzene-water complex.

Competition between weak OH⋯π and CH⋯O hydrogen bonds: THz spectroscopy of the C2H2-H2O and C2H4-H2O complexes.

THz absorption spectra have been recorded for the weakly bound molecular complexes of H2O with C2H4 and C2H2 embedded in cryogenic neon matrices at 2.8 K. The observation and assignment of a large-amplitude acceptor OH librational mode of the C2H2-H2O complex at 145.5 cm-1 confirms an intermolecular CH⋯O hydrogen-bonded configuration of C2v symmetry with the H2O subunit acting as the hydrogen bond acceptor. The observation and assignment of two large-amplitude donor OH librational modes of the C2H4-H2O complex at 255.0 and 187.5 cm-1, respectively, confirms an intermolecular OH⋯π hydrogen-bonded configuration with the H2O subunit acting as the hydrogen bond donor to the π-cloud of C2H4. A (semi)-empirical value for the change of vibrational zero-point energy of 4.0-4.1 kJ mol-1 is proposed and the combination with quantum chemical calculations at the CCSD(T)-F12b/aug-cc-pVQZ level provides a reliable estimate of 7.1 ± 0.3 kJ mol-1 for the dissociation energy D0 of the C2H4-H2O complex. In addition, tentative assignments for the two strongly infrared active OH librational modes of the ternary C2H4-HOH-C2H4 complex having H2O as a doubly OH⋯π hydrogen bond donor are proposed at 213.6 and 222.3 cm-1. The present findings demonstrate that the relative stability of the weak hydrogen bond motifs is not entirely rooted in differences of electronic energy but also to a large extent by differences in the vibrational zero-point energy contributions arising from the class of large-amplitude intermolecular modes.

Communication: THz absorption spectrum of the CO2-H2O complex: observation and assignment of intermolecular van der Waals vibrations.

Terahertz absorption spectra have been recorded for the weakly bound CO2-H2O complex embedded in cryogenic neon matrices at 2.8 K. The three high-frequency van der Waals vibrational transitions associated with out-of-plane wagging, in-plane rocking, and torsional motion of the isotopic H2O subunit have been assigned and provide crucial observables for benchmark theoretical descriptions of this systems' flat intermolecular potential energy surface. A (semi)-empirical value for the zero-point energy of 273 ± 15 cm(-1) from the class of intermolecular van der Waals vibrations is proposed and the combination with high-level quantum chemical calculations provides a value of 726 ± 15 cm(-1) for the dissociation energy D0.

The coupling between translation and rotation for monomeric water in noble gas matrices.

The rotation of water in noble gas matrices has been studied. It is shown that the rotation-translation coupling model of Friedmann and Kimel predicts rotation line spacings, which are close to the experimental observations for H2O, D2O, and HDO, when gas phase rotation constants are used. The model gives intensity estimates in reasonable agreement with the observations for the local oscillator bands, which accompany the rotation spectrum. It also predicts the intensity variations in the bending region of H2O between neon, argon, and krypton matrices.

Water tetramer, pentamer, and hexamer in inert matrices.

The infrared spectrum of water, isolated in inert matrices, has been studied in the interval from 60 to 4000 cm(-1). Experiments with partially deuterated water combined with DFT (density functional theory) calculations have been used to investigate the structure of matrix-isolated water tetramer. A few, strong intermolecular fundamentals of the water tetramer have been observed. Mid-infrared bands due to deuterated pentamers and hexamers have been observed and are used to discuss the assignments of these water clusters.

Observations of host guest interactions specific to molecular matrices: water monomers and dimers in hydrogen matrices.

Water monomers and dimers have been studied at low temperatures in matrices of solid p-H(2), o-D(2), n-H(2), and n-D(2) using infrared spectroscopy. Our data demonstrate interaction mechanisms between host matrix and guest molecules that are different from the ones observed in atomic noble gas matrices. Notably both guest/host rotational--rotational interaction and matrix induced modifications of the guest libration modes are observed. We also show that different types of interaction influence the relaxation times of some of guest modes. Water rotates freely in p-H(2) and o-D(2) but librates in n-H(2) and n-D(2). Rotational relaxation is faster in o-D(2) than in p-H(2) and faster in p-H(2) than in Ne. This is attributed to interactions between water rotation and matrix molecule rotation in p-H(2) and o-D(2). In n-H(2) and n-D(2), a strong water libration band is observed in the far-infrared, and strong water monomer vibration bands have libration satellites. Water dimer bands, close to matrix rotation bands, are perturbed by the matrix motions. The H-bonded isomer H(2)O--HOD rapidly converts to the D-bonded form H(2)O-DOH in p-H(2) and in o-D(2) but slowly in n-H(2) and n-D(2).

On the structure of the matrix isolated water trimer.

Infrared spectra of partially deuterated water trimers have been investigated. It is found that HDO(H(2)O)(2) has a single, bound OD stretching fundamental, (HDO)(2)H(2)O two bound OD stretches. (HDO)(3) has a single, bound OD stretch and (H(2)O)(3) has a pair of bound OH stretches. Ab initio and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) calculations predict that the water trimer has C(1) symmetry with six different, isoenergetic minima. These calculations consequently give three numerically different OD stretches for HDO(H(2)O)(2), six for (HDO)(2)H(2)O, three for (HDO)(3), and three bound OH stretches for (H(2)O)(3). The connection between the observations and the pseudorotation of the trimer is discussed with the help of Wales' pseudorotation model. It is found that pseudorotation is sufficiently fast to average the effective symmetry of the A(3) trimer to C(3h) and to eliminate the difference between the different ab initio minima for A(2)B. The only exception is (H(2)O)(3) where the splitting between the different bound OH stretches is largest. Here a doublet is observed due to incomplete averaging. DFT calculations indicate that the D-bonded form of HDO(H(2)O)(2) is between 50 and 60 cm(-1) more stable than the H-bonded form. The energy difference is determined by differences in zero point vibration energy of intermolecular librations of the two forms. Attempts to measure the energy difference indicate that the energy difference is larger, of the order of 100 cm(-1).

Rotation of water in solid parahydrogen and orthodeuterium.

The far-infrared spectra of solid orthodeuterium and solid normal deuterium are presented and compared to the corresponding spectra of solid parahydrogen and solid normal hydrogen. Spectra of water in orthodeuterium are compared to spectra of water in parahydrogen. The water rotation constants in orthodeuterium are approximately 80% of the rotation constants of water in parahydrogen. The S(0)(0) band of orthodeuterium gets a strong satellite in the presence of water. The position and width of the satellite depends on the isotopic composition of the water present. If there is a corresponding satellite in parahydrogen it is weak and closer to the S(0)(0) band of the matrix. The conclusion of the paper is that interaction between guest rotation and the rotation of matrix molecules must be taken into account to explain the reduction of the rotation constants in orthodeuterium.

Acceptor switching and axial rotation of the water dimer in matrices, observed by infrared spectroscopy.

Several isotopologues of the water dimer have been studied in different matrices (Ne, Ar, Kr, and p-H(2)) at very low temperatures. A fine structure, which is more or less matrix independent and very similar for different intramolecular fundamentals of the same isotopologic dimer, is present on the high wavenumber side of the main component. The bound OD (OH) stretches of the donor have temperature dependent components. The fine structure and temperature dependency is interpreted as evidence for acceptor switching and rotation of the water dimer around its O-O axis in the matrices studied here. The slow nuclear spin equilibration in H(2)O inhibits the thermal equilibration between the acceptor switching states in H(2)O-DOH and H(2)O-DOD. The condensed environment slows down the acceptor switching rate compared to the gas phase. The antisymmetric stretch of the proton acceptor is assigned by combining information from different matrices with the rotation-acceptor switching model.

Complex formation of small molecules during isolation in low temperature matrices: water dimers in p-H2 and Ne matrices.

The concentrations of water dimer are compared in Ne and p-H(2) matrices at low temperatures, using infrared spectroscopy. Additional data are given for o-D(2) and Ar matrices. For a given monomer concentration, the dimer concentration is significantly higher in solid Ne (or Ar) than in solid p-H(2). In p-H(2), the dimer concentration is only slightly higher than expected for a random distribution of water in the matrix. The dimer concentration in o-D(2) matrices is intermediate between p-H(2) and noble gas matrices. This strongly suggests that most dimers form on the surface of the growing matrix, and not as the result of diffusion in the bulk of the matrix.

Intermolecular vibrations of different isotopologs of the water dimer: Experiments and density functional theory calculations.

Far infrared spectra of seven different isotopologs of the water dimer have been measured in neon matrices at 2.8 K. The experiments are interpreted with the aid of density functional theory calculations, in particular the calculated harmonic isotopic shifts were utilized. All six intermolecular vibrational modes of the water dimer and the fully deuterated water dimer are assigned based the isotopic shifts induced. 31 of a total of 42 intermolecular fundamental modes of the seven different H, D, and (18)O containing water dimers have been experimentally observed and assigned accordingly. The overall agreement between the calculations and the experiments of all isotopologs results in a complete and consistent description of these modes.

Observation and rovibrational analysis of the intermolecular HCl libration band upsilon6(1) of HCN-HCl, DCN-HCl and H13CN-HCL.

The high-resolution far-infrared absorption spectrum of the intermolecular HC1 libration band upsilon6(1) (upsilonB) of the gaseous molecular complex H12CN-HCl and the two isotopically substituted species H13CN-HCl and D12CN-HCl is recorded by means of static gas-phase Fourier transform far-infrared spectroscopy at 205 K using an electron storage ring source. The rotational structure of the upsilon6(1) band has the typical appearance of a perpendicular type band of a linear polyatomic molecule. The structure is analyzed using a standard semi-rigid linear molecule model including l-type doubling to yield the band origin upsilon0, together with values for the upper state rotational constant B', the upper state quartic centrifugal distortion constant D'j and the value for the l-type doubling constant q6. The values for the ground-state spectroscopic constants B" and D"j for D12CN-H35Cl and H13CN-H35Cl are determined for the first time by ground state combination difference analyses. A number of upsilon6(1) + upsilon7(1) - upsilon7(1) and upsilon6(1) + 2upsilon7(2) - 2upsilon7(2) hot bands are observed in the spectra and the sum of the anharmonicity constants X(6,7) + g(6,7) is estimated. The observed decrease of the rotational constant B together with the simultaneous increase of the quartic centrifugal distortion constant Dj upon excitation of the HCl libration mode indicate that the hydrogen bond in the molecular complex is significantly destabilized upon intermolecular vibrational excitation. The calculated harmonic force constants for the intermolecular hydrogen bond stretching vibration upsilon(sigma) for the ground state and the excited HCl libration state indicate that the excitation of the HCl libration mode destabilizes the intermolecular interaction between HCN and HCl by almost 20%. The hydrogen bond is elongated by 0.030 A upon excitation of the upsilon6(1) mode.

Observation and rovibrational analysis of the intermolecular NH3 libration band nu9(1) of H3N-HCN.

The high-resolution far-infrared absorption spectrum of the gaseous molecular complex H(3)N-HCN is recorded by means of static gas-phase Fourier transform far-infrared spectroscopy at 247 K, using a synchrotron radiation source. The spectrum contains distinct rotational structures which are assigned to the intermolecular NH(3) libration band nu9(1) (nu(B)) of the pyramidal H(3)N-HCN complex. A rovibrational analysis based on a standard semirigid symmetric top molecule model yields the band origin of 260.03(10) cm(-1), together with values for the upper state rotational constant B' and the upper state quartic centrifugal distortion constants D'(J) and D'(JK). The values for the upper state spectroscopic constants indicate that the hydrogen bond in the H(3)N-HCN complex is destabilized by 5% and elongates by 0.010 A upon excitation of a quantum of libration of the hydrogen bond acceptor molecule.

The vibrational spectrum of H2O3.

This report presents positive infrared spectroscopic identification of H2O3, a higher oxide of hydrogen of importance for the understanding of the chain formation ability of atomic oxygen and a possible intermediate in hydrogen oxygen radical chemistry. All fundamental vibrations of H2O3, isolated in an argon matrix, have been observed. In addition, several bands of HDO3, D2O3, and H2(16)O2(18)O have been measured. One particular mode, the antisymetric O-O stretch at 776 cm-1, should be observable even in the presence of high water concentrations.

The nu5 Band of HClO4

The high-resolution infrared spectrum of perchloric acid has been observed in the 700-750 cm-1 region using the infrared beamline at the MAX-I electron storage ring in Lund, Sweden. The spectrum displays extensive rotational structure due to a type a band and is assigned to nu5, the HO-ClO3 stretch. Approximately 1100 transitions in H35ClO4 and ca. 300 in H37ClO4 have been fitted using single subband analysis, generating constants for transitions having the same K. The origin of H35ClO4 K = 3t series is found to be 726.9971(4) cm-1. Rotationally resolved infrared line positions are now available for the identification of HClO4 in the atmosphere, which may be produced by the heterogeneous oxidation of chlorine containing species in the stratosphere. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.