Theoretical Characterization of Dimethyl Carbonate at Low Temperatures

Computational analysis of the far infrared spectral region of various deuterated varieties of ethylene glycol

The far infrared spectra of three deuterated isotopologues of ethylene glycol, CH2OD-CH2OD, CH2OD-CH2OH and CH2OH-CH2OD, where the latter two species differ in their intramolecular hydrogen-bonding arrangement, are studied using highly correlated ab initio methods, vibrational second order perturbation theory and a variational procedure of reduced dimensionality. New subroutines suitable for the study of large systems with more than two interacting large amplitude motions were implemented and applied. The molecular symmetry of ethylene glycol decays by the formation of weak intramolecular bonds producing very asymmetrical stable structures. Three internal rotations contribute to the formation of a very anisotropic potential energy surface and to the puzzling distribution of the rovibrational energy levels. The ground vibrational state rotational constants and the centrifugal distortion constants (S-reduction, Ir representation) corresponding to the aGg' (G1) and gGg' (G2) forms are provided for the studied isotopologues. The low-lying vibrational levels up to 550 cm-1 are obtained variationally for J = 0. Two series of sublevels of the ground vibrational state are obtained: eight components localized in G1 lying between 0.0 and 0.3 cm-1 and eight sublevels localized in G2 lying between 138.1 and 138.4 cm-1. The gap between both sets is lower in CH2OD-CH2OD and more dispersed in the monodeuterated variety.

Infrared intensities and molar refraction of amorphous dimethyl carbonate – comparisons to four interstellar molecules

The first measurements of infrared (IR) band intensities of solid dimethyl carbonate are presented along with measurements of this compound's refractive index and density near 15 K, neither of which has been reported.

Adsorption Characteristics of Bixin on Acid- and Alkali-Treated Kaolinite in Aprotic Solvents

The adsorption of bixin in aprotic solvents onto acid- and alkali-treated kaolinite was investigated. Kaolinite was treated three times, for 6 h each, with 8 M HCl or 5 M KOH. The adsorbents were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, EDS, and BET-N₂. The effects of contact time and dye concentration on adsorption capacity and kinetics, electronic transition of bixin before and after adsorption, and also mechanism of bixin-kaolinite adsorption were investigated. Dye adsorption followed pseudo-second order kinetics and was faster in acetone than in dimethyl carbonate. The best adsorption results were obtained for KOH-treated kaolinite. In both of the solvents, the adsorption isotherm followed the Langmuir model and adsorption capacity was higher in dimethyl carbonate (q_m = 0.43 mg/g) than in acetone (0.29 mg/g). The adsorption capacity and kinetics of KOH-treated kaolinite (q_m = 0.43 mg/g, k₂ = 3.27 g/mg·min) were better than those of HCl-treated kaolinite (q_m = 0.21 mg/g, k₂ = 0.25 g/mg·min) and natural kaolinite (q_m = 0.18 mg/g, k₂ = 0.32 g/mg·min). There are shift in the band position of maximum intensity of bixin after adsorption on this adsorbent. Adsorption in this system seemed to be based essentially on chemisorption due to the electrostatic interaction of bixin with the strong basic and reducing sites of kaolinite.

Structural and spectroscopic characterization of methyl isocyanate, methyl cyanate, methyl fulminate, and acetonitrile N-oxide using highly correlated ab initio methods

Various astrophysical relevant molecules obeying the empirical formula C₂H₃NO are characterized using explicitly correlated coupled cluster methods (CCSD(T)-F12). Rotational and rovibrational parameters are provided for four isomers: methyl isocyanate (CH₃NCO), methyl cyanate (CH₃OCN), methyl fulminate (CH₃ONC), and acetonitrile N-oxide (CH₃CNO). A CH₃CON transition state is inspected. A variational procedure is employed to explore the far infrared region because some species present non-rigidity. Second order perturbation theory is used for the determination of anharmonic frequencies, rovibrational constants, and to predict Fermi resonances. Three species, methyl cyanate, methyl fulminate, and CH₃CON, show a unique methyl torsion hindered by energy barriers. In methyl isocyanate, the methyl group barrier is so low that the internal top can be considered a free rotor. On the other hand, acetonitrile N-oxide presents a linear skeleton, C_3v symmetry, and free internal rotation. Its equilibrium geometry depends strongly on electron correlation. The remaining isomers present a bend skeleton. Divergences between theoretical rotational constants and previous parameters fitted from observed lines for methyl isocyanate are discussed on the basis of the relevant rovibrational interaction and the quasi-linearity of the molecular skeleton.

Weak intramolecular interaction effects on the torsional spectra of ethylene glycol, an astrophysical species

An elaborate variational procedure of reduced dimensionality based on explicitly correlated coupled clusters calculations is applied to understand the far infrared spectrum of ethylene-glycol, an astrophysical species. This molecule can be classified in the double molecular symmetry group G8 and displays nine stable conformers, gauche and trans. In the gauche region, the effect of the potential energy surface anisotropy due to the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds is relevant. For the primary conformer, stabilized by a hydrogen bond, the ground vibrational state rotational constants are computed to be A0 = 15 369.57 MHz, B0 = 5579.87 MHz, and C0 = 4610.02 MHz corresponding to differences of 6.3 MHz, 7.2 MHz, and 3.5 MHz from the experimental parameters. Ethylene glycol displays very low torsional energy levels whose classification is not straightforward and requires a detailed analysis of the torsional wavefunctions. Tunneling splittings are significant and unpredictable due to the anisotropy of the potential energy surface PES. The ground vibrational state splits into 16 sublevels separated ∼142 cm(-1). The splitting of the "G1 sublevels" was calculated to be ∼0.26 cm(-1) in very good agreement with the experimental data (0.2 cm(-1) = 6.95 MHz). Transitions corresponding to the three internal rotation modes allow assignment of previously observed Q branches. Band patterns, calculated between 362.3 cm(-1) and 375.2 cm(-1), 504 cm(-1) and 517 cm(-1), and 223.3 cm(-1) and 224.1 cm(-1), that correspond to the tunnelling components of the v21 fundamental (v21 = OH-torsional mode), are assigned to the prominent experimental Q branches.