The spectroscopic (FTIR, FT-Raman and UV–Vis spectra), DFT and normal coordinate computations of m-nitromethylbenzoate

Abstract

A combined experimental and theoretical study on molecular structure, vibrational spectra, NBO and UV-spectral analysis of m-nitromethylbenzoate (MNMB) has been reported in the present work. The FT-IR solid phase (4000–400cm−1) and FT-Raman spectra (3500–100cm−1) of MNMB was recorded. The molecular geometry, harmonic vibrational frequencies and bonding features of MNMB in the ground-state have been calculated by using the density functional method B3LYP with 6-31G (d,p) and 6-31+G(d,p) basis sets. The assignments of the vibrational spectra have been carried out with the help of normal co-ordinate analysis (NCA) following the Scaled Quantum Mechanical Force Field Methodology (SQMFF). Stability of the molecule arising from hyperconjugative interactions, charge delocalization has been analyzed using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. The results show that charge in electron density (ED) in the σ∗ antibonding orbitals and E(2) energies confirms the occurrence of ICT (Intra-molecular Charge Transfer) within the molecule. The UV spectrum was measured in ethyl acetate solution. The energy and oscillator strength calculated by Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) result complements the experimental findings. The calculated HOMO and LUMO energies show that charge transfer occurs within the molecule. Finally the calculation results were applied to simulated infrared and Raman spectra of the title compound which show good agreement with observed spectra.