Intramolecular dynamics of RS-SR' systems (R, R' = H, F, Cl, CH3, C2 H5): torsional potentials, energy levels, partition functions.

The equilibrium and cis and trans geometric structures of a series of disulfides RS-SR' (HSSH, HSSF, HSSCl, HSSCH3, HSSC2H5, FSSF, ClSSCl, ClSSF, CH3SSCH3, C2H5SSC2H5) have been studied using both density functional theory (B3LYP/6-311++G(3df, 3pd)) and second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2(FU)/aug-cc-pVTZ). The effects of internal rotation on the structural parameters have been analyzed and the torsional potentials around the S-S bond have been compared with experimental and theoretical information, when available, as well as with the analogues of the peroxydic family. Torsional levels were calculated, and their distribution as a function of temperature was determined, obtaining partition functions. This information is of interest for statistical approaches to equilibrium properties and to rates of processes in which torsional anharmonicity is relevant. It is also required for recent atmospheric modeling studies and also for prototypical chiral separation experiments, in view of a possible dynamic mechanism for chirality exchange by molecular collisions. In general, barriers for such processes are higher than for the corresponding peroxides, and accordingly, rates for chirality change are estimated to be consistently smaller.

Level distributions, partition functions, and rates of chirality changing processes for the torsional mode around O-O bonds.

In view of the particular attention recently devoted to hindered rotations, we have tested reduced kinetic energy operators to study the torsional mode around the O-O bond for H(2)O(2) and for a series of its derivatives (HOOCl, HOOCN, HOOF, HOONO, HOOMe, HOOEt, MeOOMe, ClOOCl, FOOCl, FOOF, and FOONO), for which we had previously determined potential energy profiles along the dihedral ROOR(') angle [R,R(')=H,F,Cl,CN,NO,Me (=CH(3)), Et (=C(2)H(5))]. We have calculated level distributions as a function of temperature and partition functions for all systems. Specifically, for the H(2)O(2) system we have used two procedures for the reduction in the kinetic energy operator to that of a rigid-rotor-like one and the calculated partition functions are compared with previous work. Quantum partition functions are evaluated both by quantum level state sums and by simple classical approximations. A semiclassical approach, using a linear approximation of the classical path and a quadratic Feynman-Hibbs approximation of Feynman path integral, introduced in previous work and here applied to the torsional mode, is shown to greatly improve the classical approximations. Further improvement is obtained by the explicit introduction of the dependence of the moment of inertia from the torsional angle. These results permit one to discuss the characteristic time for chirality changes for the investigated molecules either by quantum mechanical tunneling (dominating at low temperatures) or by transition state theory (expected to provide an estimate of racemization rates in the high energy limit).