Rotationally resolved infrared spectrum of the Li+–D2 cation complex

Attaching molecular hydrogen to metal cations: perspectives from gas-phase infrared spectroscopy

In this perspective article we describe recent infrared spectroscopic investigations of mass-selected M(+)-H(2) and M(+)-D(2) complexes in the gas-phase, with targets that include Li(+)-H(2), B(+)-H(2), Na(+)-H(2), Mg(+)-H(2), Al(+)-H(2), Cr(+)-D(2), Mn(+)-H(2), Zn(+)-D(2) and Ag(+)-H(2). Interactions between molecular hydrogen and metal cations play a key role in several contexts, including in the storage of molecular hydrogen in zeolites, metal-organic frameworks, and doped carbon nanostructures. Arguably, the clearest view of the interaction between dihydrogen and a metal cation can be obtained by probing M(+)-H(2) complexes in the gas phase, free from the complicating influences of solvents or substrates. Infrared spectra of the complexes in the H-H and D-D stretch regions are obtained by monitoring M(+) photofragments as the excitation wavelength is scanned. The spectra, which feature full rotational resolution, confirm that the M(+)-H(2) complexes share a common T-shaped equilibrium structure, consisting essentially of a perturbed H(2) molecule attached to the metal cation, but that the structural and vibrational parameters vary over a considerable range, depending on the size and electronic structure of the metal cation. Correlations are established between intermolecular bond lengths, dissociation energies, and frequency shifts of the H-H stretch vibrational mode. Ultimately, the M(+)-H(2) and M(+)-D(2) infrared spectra provide a comprehensive set of benchmarks for modelling and understanding the M(+)···H(2) interaction.

Isotopic effects on stereodynamics for the two reactions: H + LiH+(v = 0, j = 0) --> H2 + Li+ and H+ + LiH(v = 0, j = 0) --> H2(+) + Li

The isotopic effects on stereodynamic properties for the title reactions occurring on the two lowest-lying electronic potential energy surfaces (PESs) of LiH(2)(+) are investigated in detail by means of the quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) method at a collision energy of 0.5 eV, using the ab initio potential energy surfaces (PESs) of Martinazzo et al. (J. Chem. Phys., 2003, 119, 11241). The corresponding reactions comprise: (i) H/D/T + LiH(+) --> HH/HD/HT + Li(+) and H + LiH(+)/LiD(+)/LiT(+) --> HH/HD/HT + Li(+); (ii) H(+)/D(+)/T(+) + LiH --> HH(+)/HD(+)/HT(+) + Li and H(+) + LiH/LiD/LiT --> HH(+)/HD(+)/HT(+) + Li. Differential cross sections (DCSs) and alignments of the product rotational angular momentum for all of these reactions are reported. The results illustrate that the reason for the abnormal behavior of the DCSs for the title reactions reported in the previous work is ascribed to the sensitive role of the projectile atomic mass, and indicate that the long-range interactions play a more important role than the mass factor in ion-molecule reactions. The current topic for this special mass combination system shows some new features of the stereodynamics differing from the previous studies for "typical" mass-combination reactions.

Spectroscopic study of the benchmark Mn+-H2 complex

We have recorded the rotationally resolved infrared spectrum of the weakly bound Mn+-H2 complex in the H-H stretch region (4022-4078 cm(-1)) by monitoring Mn+ photodissociation products. The band center of Mn+-H2, the H-H stretch transition, is shifted by -111.8 cm(-1) from the transition of the free H2 molecule. The spectroscopic data suggest that the Mn+-H2 complex consists of a slightly perturbed H2 molecule attached to the Mn+ ion in a T-shaped configuration with a vibrationally averaged intermolecular separation of 2.73 A. Together with the measured Mn+...H2 binding energy of 7.9 kJ/mol (Weis, P.; et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 1997, 101, 2809.), the spectroscopic parameters establish Mn+-H2 as the most thoroughly characterized transition-metal cation-dihydrogen complex and a benchmark for calibrating quantum chemical calculations on noncovalent systems involving open d-shell configurations. Such systems are of possible importance for hydrogen storage applications.

Infrared spectra of mass-selected Mg+-H2 and Mg+-D2 complexes

Rotationally resolved infrared spectra of Mg(+)-H(2) and Mg(+)-D(2) are recorded in the H-H (4025-4080 cm(-1)) and D-D (2895-2945 cm(-1)) stretch regions by monitoring Mg(+) photofragments. The nu(HH) and nu(DD) transitions of Mg(+)-H(2) and Mg(+)-D(2) are red-shifted by 106.2 +/- 1.5 and 76.0 +/- 0.1 cm(-1) respectively from the fundamental vibrational transitions of the free H(2) and D(2) molecules. The spectra are consistent with a T-shaped equilibrium structure in which the Mg(+) ion interacts with a slightly perturbed H(2) or D(2) molecule. From the spectroscopic constants, a vibrationally averaged intermolecular separation of 2.716 A (2.687 A) is deduced for the ground state of Mg(+)-H(2) (Mg(+)-D(2)), decreasing by 0.037 A (0.026 A) when the H(2) (D(2)) subunit is vibrationally excited.

Infrared spectra of the Li+–(H2)n (n=1–3) cation complexes

The Li+-(H2)n n=1-3 complexes are investigated through infrared spectra recorded in the H-H stretch region (3980-4120 cm-1) and through ab initio calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVQZ level. The rotationally resolved H-H stretch band of Li+-H2 is centered at 4053.4 cm-1 [a -108 cm-1 shift from the Q1(0) transition of H2]. The spectrum exhibits rotational substructure consistent with the complex possessing a T-shaped equilibrium geometry, with the Li+ ion attached to a slightly perturbed H2 molecule. Around 100 rovibrational transitions belonging to parallel Ka=0-0, 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3 subbands are observed. The Ka=0-0 and 1-1 transitions are fitted by a Watson A-reduced Hamiltonian yielding effective molecular parameters. The vibrationally averaged intermolecular separation in the ground vibrational state is estimated as 2.056 A increasing by 0.004 A when the H2 subunit is vibrationally excited. The spectroscopic data are compared to results from rovibrational calculations using recent three dimensional Li+-H2 potential energy surfaces [Martinazzo et al., J. Chem. Phys. 119, 11241 (2003); Kraemer and Spirko, Chem. Phys. 330, 190 (2006)]. The H-H stretch band of Li+-(H2)2, which is centered at 4055.5 cm-1 also exhibits resolved rovibrational structure. The spectroscopic data along with ab initio calculations support a H2-Li+-H2 geometry, in which the two H2 molecules are disposed on opposite sides of the central Li+ ion. The two equivalent Li+...H2 bonds have approximately the same length as the intermolecular bond in Li+-H2. The Li+-(H2)3 cluster is predicted to possess a trigonal structure in which a central Li+ ion is surrounded by three equivalent H2 molecules. Its infrared spectrum features a broad unresolved band centered at 4060 cm-1.

Rovibrational Spectra of LiH2+, LiHD+ and LiD2+ Determined from FCI Property Surfaces

Full configuration interaction (FCI) has been used in conjunction with the lithium [6s5p3d1f] (Iron, M. A.; et al. Mol. Phys. 2004, 101, 1345) and hydrogen aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets to construct an 83-point potential energy surface of the 1A1 ground state of 7LiH2+. Vibrational and rovibrational wave functions of the (6,7)LiH2+, (6,7)LiHD+, and (6,7)LiD2+ ground states were calculated variationally using an Eckart-Watson Hamiltonian. For (7)LiD2+, rovibrational transition frequencies for K = 0, 1, 2 and J < or = 10 are within ca. 0.1% of recent experimental values (Thompson, C. D.; et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 125, 044310). A 47-point FCI dipole moment surface was embedded in the rovibrational Hamiltonian to calculate vibrational and rovibrational radiative properties. At 296 K, with v < or = 4 and J < or = 4, the 2(02) <-- 3(03) rotational transition in the |001> band was found to have the greatest spectral intensity with respect to the ground electronic states of (6,7)LiH2+, (6,7)LiHD+, and (6,7)LiD2+. In each case, the most intense rovibrational transitions have been assigned unequivocally using the J, Ka, Kc assignment scheme.