High-resolution mass-selective UV spectroscopy of pseudoephedrine: evidence for conformer-specific fragmentation.

Using resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization spectroscopy with mass resolution of jet-cooled molecules, a low-resolution S(1) ← S(0) vibronic spectrum of pseudoephedrine was recorded at the mass channels of three distinct fragments with m/z = 58, 71, and 85. Two of the fragments, with m/z = 71 and 85, are observed for the first time for this molecule. The vibronic spectra recorded at different mass channels feature different patterns, implying that they originate from different conformers in the cold molecular beam, following conformer-specific fragmentation pathways. Highly resolved spectra of all prominent vibronic features were measured, and from their analysis based on genetic algorithms, the molecular parameters of the conformers giving rise to the respective bands have been determined. Comparing the experimental results with those obtained from high-level ab initio quantum chemistry calculations, the observed prominent vibronic bands have been assigned to originate from four distinct conformers. The conformers are separated into two groups that have different fragmentation pathways determined by the different intramolecular interactions.

A master equation approach to the dynamics of zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) states and ZEKE spectroscopy.

We have theoretically studied important dynamic processes involved in zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) spectroscopy using the density matrix method with the inverse Born-Oppenheimer approximation basis sets. In ZEKE spectroscopy, the ZEKE Rydberg states are populated by laser excitation (either a one- or two-photon process), which is followed by autoionizations and l-mixing due to a stray field. The discrimination field is then applied to ionize loosely bound electrons in the ZEKE states. This is followed by using the extraction field to extract electrons from the ZEKE levels which have a strength comparable to that of the extraction field. These extracted electrons are measured for the relative intensities of the ion states under investigation. The spectral positions are determined by the applied laser wavelength and modified by the extraction electric field. In this paper, all of these processes are conducted within the context of the density matrix method. The density matrix method can provide not only the dynamics of system's population and coherence (or phase) but also the rate constants of the processes involved in the ZEKE spectroscopy. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the theoretical treatments.

Water binding sites in 2-para- and 2-ortho-fluorophenylethanol: a high-resolution UV experiment and ab initio calculations.

The singly hydrated complexes of the flexible prototype molecules 2-para-fluorophenylethanol and 2-ortho-fluorophenylethanol have been investigated by combination of high-resolution resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization spectroscopy in a cold supersonic beam and quantum chemistry ab initio calculations. We have identified the conformational structures of the above complexes, which correspond to water binding to the most stable gauche monomer's conformers in both cases. No structural changes of the host molecules upon the attachment of a single water molecule have been found. For the 2-ortho-fluorophenylethanol-water complex we have observed an additional structure with one of the higher-in-energy gauche conformers of the monomer. This corroborates the assumption that the complexation with water stabilizes the higher-energy conformer of the monomer, precluding it from relaxation to the lowest-energy geometry.

Mass-analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopy of ortho fluorinated 2-phenylethanol: identification of an additional gauche conformer.

The cationic ground state of the ortho fluorinated 2-phenylethanol has been investigated by combination of mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and quantum chemistry ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing the hybrid functional M05 with cc-pVDZ basis set. The MATI spectra measured via vibronic bands in the S1 intermediate state of the most stable gauche conformer stabilized by an intramolecular OH···π hydrogen bond are structureless. The MATI spectrum recorded via a small band blueshifted by 3 cm−1 from the 0(0)(0) electronic origin of the gauche conformer features well-resolved peaks and is assigned to a cationic gauche structure without an OH···π bond. The ab initio calculations are qualitatively consistent with the experimental observations and show that the presumable conformer giving rise to the observed MATI spectrum retains its structure during ionization, whereas the lowest-energy gauche conformer undergoes a significant structural change resulting in a break of the OH···π bond, thus leading to unfavorable Franck−Condon factors for the threshold ionization.

Mass-analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopy of 2-phenylethanol: probing of conformational changes caused by ionization.

The vibrational structure of the ionic ground state of different conformers of the biologically relevant molecule 2-phenylethanol has been investigated by combination of two-photon two-color mass-analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopy (MATI) and quantum chemical calculations at M05, MP2, and coupled cluster (CC) levels of theory with extended basis sets. MATI spectra recorded via gauche vibronic bands are with poor structure and increasing background, whereas the ones measured via vibronic bands of the anti conformers feature well-resolved vibronic structure in the cation. Ab initio computations predict three stable conformers for the 2-phenylethanol cation out of five initial neutral structures. None of the theoretical structures in the cation features a nonclassical OH...pi hydrogen bond in conjunction with the analysis of the MATI spectra. This provides clear evidence that the OH...pi hydrogen bond stabilizing the lowest-energy gauche conformer in the neutral breaks upon ionization.

Mass analysed threshold ionisation spectroscopy of flexible 2-para-fluorophenylethanol conformers with and without an intramolecular OH...pi bond.

The cationic state of the prototype flexible molecule 2-para-fluorophenylethanol has been investigated by combination of mass-analysed threshold-ionisation (MATI) spectroscopy and quantum chemistry ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing two different functionals: the B3LYP functional and the new hybrid functional M05. The MATI spectra measured via vibronic bands in the S1 intermediate state belonging to the most stable gauche conformer stabilised by an intramolecular OH...pi hydrogen bond are structureless, while the spectra recorded via bands of the anti conformer feature well-resolved peaks. This result is in a good accord with our theoretical predictions showing that upon ionisation, the anti conformer retains its structure, while the lowest-energy gauche conformer undergoes a significant structural change resulting in a break of the OH...pi bond. This and the good agreement between the measured band positions and the theoretically predicted frequencies for the cationic anti conformer confirm the conformational assignment. The result for the cation provides clear evidence for the existence of a nonclassical intramolecular OH...pi hydrogen bond if the electron density in the aromatic ring is sufficiently high as is the case only for the neutral molecule.

Competition between pi and sigma hydrogen bonds and conformational probing of 2-orthofluorophenylethanol by low-and high-resolution electronic spectroscopy.

The flexible model molecule 2-orthofluorophenylethanol has been investigated by laser-induced fluorescence, and low- and high-resolution resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization spectroscopy in combination with high-level ab initio quantum chemistry calculations. One dominant conformation has been identified in the cold molecular beam corresponding to the most stable theoretically predicted gauche structure stabilized by an intramolecular OH...pi hydrogen bond. A tentative assignment of a higher-lying gauche conformer present in the molecular beam separated by high potential barriers from the most stable one has been made. The missing other higher-energy theoretically predicted conformations most likely relax to the most stable ones during the process of the adiabatic expansion. The good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results demonstrates that even in the case of a substitution with an electronegative atom at the ortho position, bringing about a significant redistribution of the electron density in the benzene ring and providing a convenient binding site for the formation of a competing OH...F sigma hydrogen bond, the nonclassical OH...pi bond remains the preferred binding motif for the most stable conformer.

Anharmonic effect on unimolecular reactions with application to the photodissociation of ethylene.

The importance of anharmonic effect on dissociation of molecular systems, especially clusters, has been noted. In this paper, we shall present a theoretical approach that can carry out the first principle calculations of anharmonic canonical and microcanonical rate constants of unimolecular reactions within the framework of transition state theory. In the canonical case, it is essential to calculate the partition function of anharmonic oscillators; for convenience, the Morse oscillator potential will be used for demonstration in this paper. In the microcanical case, which involves the calculation of the total number of states for the activated complex and the density of states for the reactant, we make use of the fact that both the total number of states and the density of states can be expressed in the inverse Laplace transformation of the partition functions and that the inverse Laplace transformation can in turn be carried out by using the saddle-point method. We shall also show that using the theoretical approach presented in this paper the total number of states and density of states can be determined from thermodynamic properties and the difference between the method used in this paper and the thermodynamic model used by Krems and Nordholm will be given. To demonstrate the application of our theoretical approach, we chose the photodissociation of ethylene at 157 and 193 nm as an example.

Specific and nonspecific interactions in a molecule with flexible side chain: 2-phenylethanol and its 1:1 complex with argon studied by high-resolution UV spectroscopy.

Using high-resolution resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization spectroscopy in combination with genetic-algorithm-based computer-aided rotational fit analysis and ab initio quantum chemistry calculations we determined the conformational structure and transition moment orientation in 2-phenylethanol and its 1:1 clusters with argon. The results clearly demonstrate that the gauche structure of 2-phenylethanol, which is stabilized by the intramolecular pi-hydrogen bond between the folded side chain and the benzene ring, is the most abundant in the cold molecular beam. In this conformer the transition moment is rotated by 18 degrees from the short axis of the aromatic ring. Two distinct 1:1 complexes of 2-phenylethanol with argon in a cis- and trans-configuration with respect to the side chain have been found. Employing the Kraitchman [Am. J. Phys. 21, 17 (1953)] analysis we have found that the structure of the 2-phenylethanol moiety and the orientation of the transition moment do not change after the complexation with argon within the experimental accuracy. From the measured band intensities we conclude that in addition to the dispersion interaction of the argon atom with the aromatic ring a hydrogen-bond-type interaction with the terminal -OH group of the side chain stabilizes the cis-structure of the 1:1 complex of 2-phenylethanol with argon.

High-resolution ultraviolet spectroscopy of p-fluorostyrene-water: evidence for a sigma-type hydrogen-bonded dimer.

Ab initio calculations predict four stable conformational structures of the singly hydrated cluster of p-fluorostyrene: two out of plane with pi- and two in plane with sigma-type intermolecular hydrogen bonding between p-fluorostyrene and water. We employed mass-selective resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization high-resolution (70-MHz FWHM laser bandwidth) spectroscopy to partially resolve the rotational structure of the 0(0) (0) origin band of the S(1) <--S(0) electronic transition. A computer-aided fit based on genetic algorithms was used to analyze the experimental high-resolution spectrum and to determine the observed conformational structure. The good agreement between the experimental and the simulated spectra of the 0(0) (0) band and the assignment of the other prominent bands as inter- and intramolecular vibrational progressions clearly demonstrates that the anti in-plane conformer is the most abundant one in the molecular beam. The existence of the sigma-type hydrogen bond between p-fluorostyrene and water manifests that the electron attracting effect of fluorine dominates over the releasing mesomeric effect of the vinyl group and thus a pi-type hydrogen bonding with the aromatic ring is not favored in this case.

Fragmentation and conformation study of ephedrine by low- and high-resolution mass selective UV spectroscopy.

The neurotransmitter molecule, ephedrine, has been studied by mass-selective low- and high-resolution UV resonance enhanced two-photon ionization spectroscopy. Under all experimental conditions we observed an efficient fragmentation upon ionization. The detected vibronic peaks in the spectrum are classified according to the efficiency of the fragmentation, which leads to the conclusion that there exist three different species in the molecular beam: ephedrine-water cluster and two distinct conformers. The two-color two-photon ionization experiment with a decreased energy of the second photon leads to an upper limit of 8.3 eV for the ionization energy of ephedrine. The high-resolution (70 MHz) spectrum of the strongest vibronic peak in the spectrum measured at the fragment (m/z=58) mass channel displays a pronounced and rich rotational structure. Its analysis by the use of a specially designed computer-aided rotational fit process yields accurate rotational constants for the S(0) and S(1) states and the transition moment ratio, providing information on the respective conformational structure.

Mass analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopy of p-fluorostyrene.

Adiabatic ionization energy (AIE) and two-color threshold ion vibrational spectra of p-fluorostyrene have been measured by mass analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) method via three different intermediate levels in the first excited state, vibrationless S1 origin, 42(1)41(1), and 23(1) vibronic levels. Features of the ion vibrational spectra indicates that the geometry of the molecular ion including the conformation of the vinyl chain in the ionic ground state (D0) is almost identical to that of its neutral ground state (S0), and ionization has very little effect on the vibrational potentials of the aromatic ring modes. Comparison of the AIE with the reported value of styrene shows that fluorination at the para position of the aromatic ring has little effect on energy of the electron ejected in ionization process from the styrene chromophore.