Monohalogenated methyl- and methoxy-benzoic acids: A combined experimental and quantum chemical theoretical study on their structure, vibrational analysis and molecular parameters

Abstract

In this paper, the molecules 3-fluoro-2-methylbenzoic acid; 3-chloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid; and 3-bromo-2-methylbenzoic were investigated using experimental and quantum chemical theoretical approach for vibrational and electronic properties from the optimized structure. Becke three parameter Lee–Yang–Parr density functionals along with 6-311++G(d,p) basis set were employed to compute their geometric optimization, fundamental frequencies and molecular parameters. The detected FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra were compared with their simulated spectra and the rms error between the detected and simulated vibrational frequencies was found at 6.17, 7.22 and 6.76 cm−1 for FMA, CMA and BMA, respectively. All the vibrational fundamentals were assigned unequivocally using potential energy distribution (PED) obtained in the computations. 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts were evaluated by integrating the gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) method with DFT and compared with corresponding experimental values. TD-DFT approach was followed to compare the simulated absorption maxima (λmax) in DMSO-d6 solvent with observed values and interpreted in terms of HOMO and LUMO. The global reactive descriptors were estimated from the associated energies of HOMO and LUMO which describe the reactivity and stability of the molecules. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surface has been determined using the charge density distributions to demonstrate electrophilic and nucleophilic nature of the molecules. DFT computations also ascertained the applicability of the titled molecules as NLO materials from the computed values of dipole moment and hyperpolarizability. Thermodynamic parameters and rotational constants were also evaluated employing rigid rotor harmonic oscillator approximation. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis confirmed the charge delocalization due to intra-molecular interactions.