Complexes of acetylene–fluoroform: A matrix isolation and computational study

Dominance of unique Pπ phosphorus bonding with π donors: evidence using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and computational methodology

Albeit the first account of hypervalentπ interactions has been reported with halogenπ interactions, the feasibility of their extension to other hypervalent atoms as possible Lewis acids is still open. In this work, the role of phosphorus as an acceptor from the π electron cloud (Pπ pnicogen or phosphorus bonding) in PCl3-C2H2 and PCl3-C2H4 heterodimers is explored, by combining matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy with ab initio and DFT computational methodologies. The respective potential energy surfaces of the PCl3-C2H2 and PCl3-C2H4 heterodimers reveal unique minima stabilized by a concert of reasonably strong to weak interactions, of which Pπ phosphorus bonding was energetically dominant. Heterodimers, trimers and tetramers bound primarily by this unique phosphorus bond were generated at low temperatures. The dominance of phosphorus bonding in the PCl3-C2H2 and PCl3-C2H4 heterodimers over other interactions (such as Hπ, HCl, HP, Clπ and lone pair-π interactions) was confirmed and substantiated using extended quantum theory of atoms in molecules, natural bond orbital, electrostatic potential mapping and energy decomposition analyses. The following inferences in correlation with results from non-covalent-interaction analysis offer a complete understanding of the nature of the Pπ phosphorus bonding interactions. The significance of electrostatic forces kinetically favoring the formation of phosphorus bonded heterodimers, in addition to thermodynamic stabilization, is demonstrated experimentally.

The infrared study of fluoroform + methyl fluoride mixtures in argon and nitrogen matrices. Evidence of nonlinear blue-shifting complex formation

The FTIR spectra of fluoroform + methyl fluoride mixtures trapped in argon and nitrogen matrices are studied at T~10-30 K. Spectroscopic changes observed in the region of the CH stretching mode of fluoroform are typical for weak blue shifting H - bonds of CH⋯F type. The degeneracy lifting effect found on E - type bands of fluoroform interacted with methyl fluoride suggests the complex formation of a nonlinear form. The experimental results are confirmed by ab initio calculations of fluoroform + methyl fluoride based on the second order Møller-Plesset theory of perturbations utilizing advanced basis set. Nonlinear complexes are stabilized by the basic CH⋯F interaction and additionally by van der Waals-type CD⋯FC contacts between deuterated methyl fluoride and fluoroform.

Experimental evidence for the blue-shifted hydrogen-bonded complexes of CHF3 with π-electron donors

Blue-shifted hydrogen-bonded complexes of fluoroform (CHF₃) with benzene (C₆H₆) and acetylene (C₂H₂) have been investigated using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and ab initio computations. For CHF₃-C₆H₆ complex, calculations performed at the B3LYP and MP2 levels of theory using 6-311++G (d,p) and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets discerned two minima corresponding to a 1:1 hydrogen-bonded complex. The global minimum correlated to a structure, where the interaction is between the hydrogen of CHF₃ and the π-electrons of C₆H₆ and a weak local minimum was stabilized through H…F interaction. For the CHF₃-C₂H₂ complex, computation performed at MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory yielded two minima, corresponding to the cyclic C-H…π complex A (global) and a linear C-H…F (n-σ) complex B (local). Experimentally a blue-shift of 32.3cm^-1 and 7.7cm^-1 was observed in the ν₁ C-H stretching mode of CHF₃ sub-molecule in Ar matrix for the 1:1 C-H…π complexes of CHF₃ with C₆H₆ and C₂H₂ respectively. Natural bond orbital (NBO), Atoms-in-molecule (AIM) and energy decomposition (EDA) analyses were carried out to explain the blue-shifting and the nature of the interaction in these complexes.

Non-covalent C-Cl…π interaction in acetylene-carbon tetrachloride adducts: Matrix isolation infrared and ab initio computational studies

Non-covalent halogen-bonding interactions between π cloud of acetylene (C2H2) and chlorine atom of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) have been investigated using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and quantum chemical computations. The structure and the energies of the 1:1 C2H2-CCl4 adducts were computed at the B3LYP, MP2 and M05-2X levels of theory using 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. The computations indicated two minima for the 1:1 C2H2-CCl4 adducts; with the C-Cl…π adduct being the global minimum, where π cloud of C2H2 is the electron donor. The second minimum corresponded to a C-H…Cl adduct, in which C2H2 is the proton donor. The interaction energies for the adducts A and B were found to be nearly identical. Experimentally, both C-Cl…π and C-H…Cl adducts were generated in Ar and N2 matrixes and characterized using infrared spectroscopy. This is the first report on halogen bonded adduct, stabilized through C-Cl…π interaction being identified at low temperatures using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy. Atoms in Molecules (AIM) and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analyses were performed to support the experimental results. The structures of 2:1 ((C2H2)2-CCl4) and 1:2 (C2H2-(CCl4)2) multimers and their identification in the low temperature matrixes were also discussed.

Experimental evidence for blue-shifted hydrogen bonding in the fluoroform-hydrogen chloride complex: a matrix-isolation infrared and ab initio study

The 1:1 hydrogen-bonded complex of fluoroform and hydrogen chloride was studied using matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy and ab initio computations. Using B3LYP and MP2 levels of theory with 6-311++G(d,p) and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets, the structures of the complexes and their energies were computed. For the 1:1 CHF3-HCl complexes, ab initio computations showed two minima, one cyclic and the other acyclic. The cyclic complex was found to have C-H · · · Cl and C-F · · · H interactions, where CHF3 and HCl sub-molecules act as proton donor and proton acceptor, respectively. The second minimum corresponded to an acyclic complex stabilized only by the C-F · · · H interaction, in which CHF3 is the proton acceptor. Experimentally, we could trap the 1:1 CHF3-HCl cyclic complex in an argon matrix, where a blue-shift in the C-H stretching mode of the CHF3 sub-molecule was observed. To understand the nature of the interactions, Atoms in Molecules and Natural Bond Orbital analyses were carried out to unravel the reasons for blue-shifting of the C-H stretching frequency in these complexes.