Infrared multiple photon dissociation action spectroscopy of alkali metal cation–cyclen complexes: Effects of alkali metal cation size on gas-phase conformation

Abstract

The gas-phase structures of alkali metal cationized complexes of cyclen (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) are examined via infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy and electronic structure theory calculations. The measured IRMPD action spectra of four M+(cyclen) complexes are compared to IR spectra predicted for the stable low-lying conformers of these complexes calculated at the B3LYP/def2-TZVPPD level of theory to identify the structures accessed in the experiments. The IRMPD yields of the M+(cyclen) complexes investigated increase as the size of the alkali metal cation increases, in accordance with the decrease in the strength of alkali metal cation binding. The IRMPD spectrum of the Na+(cyclen) complex is relatively simple, and the features observed are retained for all of the other alkali metal cation–cyclen complexes. New spectral features begin to appear for K+(cyclen) and become very obvious for the Rb+(cyclen) and Cs+(cyclen) complexes. The IRMPD action spectra for the complexes of cyclen to K+, Rb+, and Cs+ are well reproduced by the calculated spectra predicted for the most stable conformations computed. Overall comparisons suggest that only the ground-state conformations of the M+(cyclen) complexes were accessed in the experiments for the complexes to Na+ and K+, whereas evidence for a very small population of the first excited conformers is observed for the complexes to Rb+ and Cs+.