An ab initio and matrix isolation infrared study of the 1:1 C 2H 2–CHCl 3 adduct

Abstract

The details of weak C–H⋯ π interactions that control several inter and intramolecular structures have been studied experimentally and theoretically for the 1:1 C 2H 2–CHCl 3 adduct. The adduct was generated by depositing acetylene and chloroform in an argon matrix and a 1:1 complex of these species was identified using infrared spectroscopy. Formation of the adduct was evidenced by shifts in the vibrational frequencies compared to C 2H 2 and CHCl 3 species. The molecular structure, vibrational frequencies and stabilization energies of the complex were predicted at the MP2/6-311+G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) levels. Both the computational and experimental data indicate that the C 2H 2–CHCl 3 complex has a weak hydrogen bond involving a C–H⋯ π interaction, where the C 2H 2 acts as a proton acceptor and the CHCl 3 as the proton donor. In addition, there also appears to be a secondary interaction between one of the chlorine atoms of CHCl 3 and a hydrogen in C 2H 2. The combination of the C–H⋯ π interaction and the secondary Cl⋯H interaction determines the structure and the energetics of the C 2H 2–CHCl 3 complex. In addition to the vibrational assignments for the C 2H 2–CHCl 3 complex we have also observed and assigned features owing to the proton accepting C 2H 2 submolecule in the acetylene dimer.