A density functional study of M–C2H4 complexes (M=Li, Na, K): Singularity of the Li atom

Abstract

Quantum chemical calculations on the Li–C2H4 complex have been performed with coupled-cluster and density functional methods. For both methods the electronic ground state of the complex is calculated to be 2B2, with a C2v symmetry equilibrium structure, and the calculated binding energy is quite small (around 2 kcal/mol), and therefore very much basis set dependent. The vibrational spectrum has been calculated at the harmonic approximation, including 13C/12C, 7Li/6Li, and H/D isotopic substitutions. The agreement between experimental and calculated infrared frequencies is correct, except for the low frequency symmetric Li–C stretching mode. These calculations also allow to propose an assignment for the observed C–H/C–D stretching modes. The observed blue-shift of the symmetric CH2 bending mode as well as the red-shift of the antisymmetric CH2 bending, CD2 bending, and C–C stretching modes with respect to the free ethylene have been confirmed by the density functional calculations. The Na...C2H4 complex has been found to be unstable in its 2B2 electronic state. The study of the 2A1 electronic state for both Na...C2H4 and K...C2H4 complexes show that they are at most very weak van der Waals complexes. This result confirms the conclusions of matrix isolation experiments.