Vibrational Predissociation Spectra Research Articles

Predissociation spectroscopy of cold CN−H2 and CN−D2

The vibrational predissociation spectra of the CN–H2 and CN–D2 complexes are measured in regions between 450 and 3100 cm in an ion trap at different temperatures at the free electron lasers for infrared experiments (FELIX) Laboratory. Strong differences between the vibrational spectra of the two para and ortho nuclear spin isomers (CN–(p-H2) or CN–(o-H2) and CN–(p-D2) or CN–(o-D2)) are detected. In the case of CN–H2 we could assign the observed bands with the help of an accurate quantum calculation. The spectrum is dominated by the first overtone of the hindered H2 rotation in combination with the hindered CN rotation of the CN–(o-H2) nuclear spin isomer. The energetically higher-lying CN–(p-H2) isomer was not observed due to efficient ortho-para ligand exchange. The C–N stretching mode was recorded at 2040(1) cm. For the CN–D2 system several vibrational modes of both spin isomers overlap in their low-lying intermonomer streching and bending region, but the main observed bands are attributed to the more stable CN–(p-D2) spin isomer. The D–D stretching vibration was found to be at 2898(1) cm.

Chain Length Dependence of Hydrogen Bond Linkages between Cationic Constituents in Hydroxy-Functionalized Ionic Liquids: Tracking Bulk Behavior to the Molecular Level with Cold Cluster Ion Spectroscopy.

Hydroxy functionalization of cations in ionic liquids (ILs) can lead to formation of contacts between their OH groups [so-called (c-c) interactions]. One class ofthese linkages involves cooperatively enhanced hydrogen bonds to anionic partners that are sufficiently strong to overcome the repulsion between two positively charged centers. Herein, we clarify how the propensity for the formation of (c-c) contacts depends on the alkyl chain length between two cationic rings and their OH groups by analyzing the temperature-dependent IR spectra of bulk ILs as well as the vibrational predissociation spectra of ∼35 K complexes comprised of two cations and one anion. This study compares the behavior of two cationic derivatives with ethyl and propyl chains complexed with two different anions: bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and tetrafluoroborate. Only the bulk ILs with the longer chain propyl derivative [HPMPip+ = 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1-methylpiperidinium] display (c-c) interactions. Molecular-level aspects of this docking arrangement are revealed by analyzing the OH stretching fundamentals displayed by the ternary complexes.

Characterization of the primary hydration shell of the hydroxide ion with H2 tagging vibrational spectroscopy of the OH- ⋅ (H2O)n=2,3 and OD- ⋅ (D2O)n=2,3 clusters.

We report the isotope-dependent vibrational predissociation spectra of the H2-tagged OH- ⋅ (H2O)n=2,3 clusters, from which we determine the strongly coordination-dependent energies of the fundamentals due to the OH groups bound to the ion and the intramolecular bending modes of the water molecules. The HOH bending fundamental is completely missing in the delocalized OH- ⋅ (H2O) binary complex but is recovered upon adding the second water molecule, thereby establishing that the dihydrate behaves as a hydroxide ion solvated by two essentially intact water molecules. The energies of the observed OH stretches are in good agreement with the values predicted by Takahashi and co-workers [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 17, 25505 (2015); 15, 114 (2013)] with a theoretical model that treats the strong anharmonicities at play in this system with explicit coupling between the bound OH groups and the O-O stretching modes on an extended potential energy surface. We highlight a surprising similarity between the spectral signatures of OH- ⋅ (H2O)3 and the excess proton analogue, H3O+ ⋅ (H2O)3, both of which correspond to completed hydration shells around the proton defect. We discuss the origin of the extreme solvatochromicity displayed by both OH- and H+ in the context of the anomalously large "proton polarizabilities" of the H5O2+ and H3O2- binary complexes.

Water network-mediated, electron-induced proton transfer in [C5H5N ⋅ (H2O)n](-) clusters.

The role of proton-assisted charge accommodation in electron capture by a heterocyclic electron scavenger is investigated through theoretical analysis of the vibrational spectra of cold, gas phase [Py ⋅ (H2O)n=3-5](-) clusters. These radical anions are formed when an excess electron is attached to water clusters containing a single pyridine (Py) molecule in a supersonic jet ion source. Under these conditions, the cluster ion distribution starts promptly at n = 3, and the photoelectron spectra, combined with vibrational predissociation spectra of the Ar-tagged anions, establish that for n > 3, these species are best described as hydrated hydroxide ions with the neutral pyridinium radical, PyH((0)), occupying one of the primary solvation sites of the OH(-). The n = 3 cluster appears to be a special case where charge localization on Py and hydroxide is nearly isoenergetic, and the nature of this species is explored with ab initio molecular dynamics calculations of the trajectories that start from metastable arrangements of the anion based on a diffuse, essentially dipole-bound electron. These calculations indicate that the reaction proceeds via a relatively slow rearrangement of the water network to create a favorable hydration configuration around the water molecule that eventually donates a proton to the Py nitrogen atom to yield the product hydroxide ion. The correlation between the degree of excess charge localization and the evolving shape of the water network revealed by this approach thus provides a microscopic picture of the "solvent coordinate" at the heart of a prototypical proton-coupled electron transfer reaction.

Thermodynamics of water dimer dissociation in the primary hydration shell of the iodide ion with temperature-dependent vibrational predissociation spectroscopy.

The strong temperature dependence of the I(-)·(H2O)2 vibrational predissociation spectrum is traced to the intracluster dissociation of the ion-bound water dimer into independent water monomers that remain tethered to the ion. The thermodynamics of this process is determined using van't Hoff analysis of key features that quantify the relative populations of H-bonded and independent water molecules. The dissociation enthalpy of the isolated water dimer is thus observed to be reduced by roughly a factor of three upon attachment to the ion. The cause of this reduction is explored with electronic structure calculations of the potential energy profile for dissociation of the dimer, which suggest that both reduction of the intrinsic binding energy and vibrational zero-point effects act to weaken the intermolecular interaction between the water molecules in the first hydration shell. Additional insights are obtained by analyzing how classical trajectories of the I(-)·(H2O)2 system sample the extended potential energy surface with increasing temperature.

Vibrational predissociation of aniline(pyrrole)(water)2+ and aniline(pyrrole)(water)3+: Structures and dissociation dynamics

Vibrational predissociation spectra of aniline(pyrrole)(water)2+ and aniline(pyrrole)(water)3+ clusters were taken at 2700–4000cm−1 to verify their most stable structures. One NH of aniline was bonded to the π electron of pyrrole while the other NH was bonded to water. Pyrrole molecule was arranged in such a way that NH of pyrrole formed another hydrogen bond with a water molecule nearby. Water molecule was more easily ejected than pyrrole for both AnPyW2+ and AnPyW3+ although pyrrole had smaller binding energy than water.

Coordination structure and charge transfer in microsolvated transition metal hydroxide clusters [MOH](+)(H2O)1-4.

Infrared vibrational predissociation spectra of transition metal hydroxide clusters, [MOH](+)(H2O)1-4·D2 with M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn, are presented and analyzed with the aid of density functional theory calculations. For the [MnOH](+), [FeOH](+), [CoOH](+) and [ZnOH](+) species, we find that the first coordination shell contains three water molecules and the four ligands are arranged in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. [CuOH](+) can have either two or three water molecules in the first shell arranged in a planar arrangement, while [NiOH](+) has an octahedral ligand geometry with the first shell likely closed with five water molecules. Upon closure of the first coordination shell, characteristic stretch frequencies of hydrogen-bonded OH in the 2500-3500 cm(-1) region are used to pinpoint the location of the water molecule in the second shell. The relative energetics of different binding sites are found to be metal dependent, dictated by the first-shell coordination geometry and the charge transfer between the hydroxide and the metal center. Finally, the frequency of the hydroxide stretch is found to be sensitive to the vibrational Stark shift induced by the charged metal center, as observed previously for the smaller [MOH](+)(H2O) species. Increasing solvation modulates this frequency by reducing the extent of the charge transfer while elongating the M-OH bond.

Vibrational spectroscopy of isolated copper(ii) complexes with deprotonated triglycine and tetraglycine peptides

The gas-phase vibrational predissociation spectra of deprotonated copper–triglycine and deprotonated copper–tetraglycine are presented and analyzed.

Microhydration of contact ion pairs in M(2+)OH(-)(H2O)(n=1-5) (M = Mg, Ca) clusters: spectral manifestations of a mobile proton defect in the first hydration shell.

Vibrational predissociation spectra of D2-"tagged" Mg(2+)OH(-)(H2O)n=1-6 and Ca(2+)OH(-)(H2O)n=1-5 clusters are reported to explore how the M(2+)OH(-) contact ion pairs respond to stepwise formation of the first hydration shell. In both cases, the hydroxide stretching frequency is found to red-shift strongly starting with addition of the third water molecule, quickly becoming indistinguishable from nonbonded OH groups associated with solvent water molecules by n = 5. A remarkably broad feature centered around 3200 cm(-1) and spanning up to ∼1000 cm(-1) appears for the n ≥ 4 clusters that we assign to a single-donor ionic hydrogen bond between a proximal first solvent shell water molecule and the embedded hydroxide ion. The extreme broadening is rationalized with a theoretical model that evaluates the range of local OH stretching frequencies predicted for the heavy particle configurations available in the zero-point vibrational wave function describing the low-frequency modes. The implication of this treatment is that extreme broadening in the vibrational spectrum need not arise from thermal fluctuations in the ion ensemble, but can rather reflect combination bands based on the OH stretching fundamental that involve many quanta of low-frequency modes whose displacements strongly modulate the OH stretching frequency.

Communication: He-tagged vibrational spectra of the SarGlyH+ and H+(H2O)2,3 ions: Quantifying tag effects in cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation (CIVP) spectroscopy

To assess the degree to which more perturbative, but widely used "tag" species (Ar, H2, Ne) affect the intrinsic band patterns of the isolated ions, we describe the extension of mass-selective, cryogenic ion vibrational spectroscopy to the very weakly interacting helium complexes of three archetypal ions: the dipeptide SarGlyH(+) and the small protonated water clusters: H(+)(H2O)(2,3), including the H5O2(+) "Zundel" ion. He adducts were generated in a 4.5 K octopole ion trap interfaced to a double-focusing, tandem time-of-flight photofragmentation mass spectrometer to record mass-selected vibrational predissociation spectra. The H2 tag-induced shift (relative to that by He) on the tag-bound NH stretch of the SarGlyH(+) spectrum is quite small (12 cm(-1)), while the effect on the floppy H5O2(+) ion is more dramatic (125 cm(-1)) in going from Ar (or H2) to Ne. The shifts from Ne to He, on the other hand, while quantitatively significant (maximum of 10 cm(-1)), display the same basic H5O2(+) band structure, indicating that the He-tagged H5O2(+) spectrum accurately represents the delocalized nature of the vibrational zero-point level. Interestingly, the He-tagged spectrum of H(+)(H2O)3 reveals the location of the non-bonded OH group on the central H3O(+) ion to fall between the collective non-bonded OH stretches on the flanking water molecules in a position typically associated with a neutral OH group.

On the character of the cyclic ionic H-bond in cryogenically cooled deprotonated cysteine

The gas phase structure of deprotonated cysteine (Cys-H(+))(-) has recently gained attention because of its counterintuitive calculated minimum energy structure in which it appears that deprotonation occurs at the -SH moiety rather than at the nominally more acidic carboxylic acid group. Because previous experimental efforts have not yielded to a consensus regarding the structure of the anion, we report the cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation (CIVP) spectra of its cryogenically cooled H/D isotopologues in an effort to clarify the situation. The unexpected isotope dependence of key features in the spectrum and the similarity of the band pattern to that displayed by the intramolecular H-bonded linkage in a deprotonated diacid (HCO2(CH2)10CO2(-)) indicate that the dominant form of the anion occurs with a strongly shared proton between the thiolate (-S(-)) and carboxylate (-CO2(-)) groups. An interesting aspect of this (-S(-)···H(+)···(-)O2C-) linkage is that, although the global minimum places the shared proton closer to the oxygen atom, the soft potential energy curve calculated for displacement of the bridging proton would likely support sufficient zero-point motion both to blur the distinction between thiolate- and carboxylate-based structures and to account for the unusual isotope effects.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Unmasking the Diffuse Spectral Signatures of the Protonated N-Terminus in Isolated Dipeptides Cooled in a Cryogenic Ion Trap

Survey vibrational predissociation spectra of several representative protonated peptides and model compounds reveal very diffuse absorptions near 2500 cm–1 that are traced to pentagonal cyclic ionic hydrogen bonds (C5 interactions) involving the excess charge centers. This broadening occurs despite the fact that the ions are cooled close to their vibrational zero-point levels and their spectra are obtained by predissociation of weakly bound adducts (H2, N2, CO2) prepared in a cryogenic ion trap. The C5 band assignments are based on H/D isotopic substitution, chemical derivatization, solvation behavior, and calculated spectra. We evaluate the extent to which this broadening is caused by anharmonic coupling in the isolated molecules by including cubic coupling terms in the normal mode expansion of the potential energy surface. This analysis indicates that the harmonic H-bonded stretching vibration is mixed with dark background states over much of the energy range covered by the observed features. The diffic...

Vibrational predissociation spectroscopy of Ar-tagged, trisubstituted silyl cations

Vibrational predissociation spectra of the (CH3)2RSi+·Arn, (R=H and CH3, n=1 and 2) ions are compared with harmonic calculations to structurally characterize these putative reactive intermediates. Although the vibrational photofragmentation behavior indicates that the Ar–Si bond is quite strong relative to that found in closed shell ions, formation of the Ar adducts is calculated to cause only minor perturbations to the intrinsic vibrational band patterns of the isolated ions. In both (R=H and CH3) cases, the vibrational spectra are very simple, consisting entirely of sharp features readily assigned to fundamentals anticipated by their harmonic spectra.

Multiscale modeling of vibrational predissociation spectra under a chirped laser pulse

The vibrational predissociation spectrum of the argon-tagged ionic cluster (NaCl)32 due to exposure to a chirped infrared laser was theoretically calculated in a time multiscale framework. The response to the laser field is modeled explicitly by molecular dynamics simulations, and statistical rate theories are used to evaluate the long-time dissociation probability. Due to anharmonicities and multiphoton processes, the predissociation spectrum shows some small but systematic red shift in the main absorption line. Negative chirping toward lower frequencies further enhances this effect, and also alters the band intensity and the band width. Positive chirping attenuates the dissociation efficiency.

Isomer-Specific IR-IR Double Resonance Spectroscopy of D2-Tagged Protonated Dipeptides Prepared in a Cryogenic Ion Trap.

Isomer-specific vibrational predissociation spectra are reported for the gas-phase GlySarH(+) and SarSarH(+) [Gly = glycine; Sar = sarcosine] ions prepared by electrospray ionization and tagged with weakly bound D2 adducts using a cryogenic ion trap. The contributions of individual isomers to the overlapping vibrational band patterns are completely isolated using a pump-probe photochemical hole-burning scheme involving two tunable infrared lasers and two stages of mass selection (hence IR(2)MS(2)). These patterns are then assigned by comparison with harmonic (MP2/6-311+G(d,p)) spectra for various possible conformers. Both systems occur in two conformations based on cis and trans configurations with respect to the amide bond. In addition to the usual single intramolecular hydrogen bond motif between the protonated amine and the nearby amide oxygen atom, cis-SarSarH(+) adopts a previous unreported conformation in which both amino NH's act as H-bond donors. The correlated red shifts in the NH donor and C═O acceptor components of the NH···O═C linkage to the acid group are unambiguously assigned in the double H-bonded conformer.

Theoretical simulations of the vibrational predissociation spectra of H 5 + and D 5 + clusters

In the present study, the effect of the potential energy surface representation on the infrared spectra features of the H+ 5 and D+ 5 clusters is investigated. For the spectral simulations, we adopted a recently proposed (Sanz-Sanz et al. in Phys Rev A 84:060502-1–4, 2011) two-dimensional adiabatic quantum model to describe the proton-transfer motion between the two H2 or D2 units. The reported calculations make use of a reliable “on the fly” DFT-based potential surface and the corresponding new dipole moment surface. The results of the vibrational predissociation dynamics are compared with earlier and recent experimental data available from mass-selected photodissociation spectroscopy, as well as with previous theoretical calculations based on an analytical ab initio parameterized surfaces. The role of the potential topology on the spectral features is studied, and general trends are discussed.

Characterization of an activated iridium water splitting catalyst using infrared photodissociation of H2 tagged ions

We report the vibrational predissociation spectra of two related organometallic half-sandwich iridium species which have been recently reported as activated intermediates in the context of homogenous water oxidation. These compounds are extracted from solution into a cryogenic photofragmentation mass spectrometer and "tagged" with weakly bound H(2) molecules that do not significantly perturb the intrinsic structures of the ions. The resulting spectra display very sharp (∼5 cm(-1)), well-resolved bands that provide a stringent test for electronic structure calculations, and are accurately recovered by harmonic predictions for the bare species. The spectra reveal subtle distortions of the ligand structure when a solvent molecule (acetonitrile) is directly coordinated with the metal center.

NH4(+) Resides Inside the Water 20-mer Cage As Opposed to H3O(+), Which Resides on the Surface: A First Principles Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study.

Experimental vibrational predissociation spectra of the magic NH4(+)(H2O)20 clusters are close to those of the magic H3O(+)(H2O)20 clusters. It has been assumed that the geometric features of NH4(+)(H2O)20 clusters might be close to those of H3O(+)(H2O)20 clusters, in which H3O(+) resides on the surface. Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with density functional theory calculations are performed to generate the infrared spectra of the magic NH4(+)(H2O)20 clusters. In comparison with the experimental vibrational predissociation spectra of NH4(+)(H2O)20, we find that NH4(+) is inside the cage structure of NH4(+)(H2O)20 as opposed to on the surface structure. This shows a clear distinction between the structures of NH4(+)(H2O)20 and H3O(+)(H2O)20 as well as between the hydration phenomena of NH4(+) and H3O(+).

Characterizing the Intramolecular H-bond and Secondary Structure in Methylated GlyGlyH+ with H2 Predissociation Spectroscopy

We report vibrational predissociation spectra of the four protonated dipeptides derived from glycine and sarcosine, GlyGlyH(+)•(H(2))(1,2), GlySarH(+)•(D(2))(2), SarGlyH(+)•(H(2))(2), and SarSarH(+)•(D(2))(2), generated in a cryogenic ion trap. Sharp bands were recovered by monitoring photoevaporation of the weakly bound H(2) (D(2)) molecules in a linear action regime throughout the 700-4200 cm(-1) range using a table-top laser system. The spectral patterns were analyzed in the context of the low energy structures obtained from electronic structure calculations. These results indicate that all four species are protonated on the N-terminus, and feature an intramolecular H-bond involving the amino group. The large blue-shift in the H-bonded N-H fundamental upon incorporation of a methyl group at the N-terminus indicates that this modification significantly lowers the strength of the intramolecular H-bond. Methylation at the amide nitrogen, on the other hand, induces a significant rotation (~110°) about the peptide backbone.

Structure and hydration of the C4H4•+ ion formed by electron impact ionization of acetylene clusters

Here we report ion mobility experiments and theoretical studies aimed at elucidating the identity of the acetylene dimer cation and its hydrated structures. The mobility measurement indicates the presence of more than one isomer for the C(4)H(4)(●+) ion in the cluster beam. The measured average collision cross section of the C(4)H(4)(●+) isomers in helium (38.9 ± 1 Å(2)) is consistent with the calculated cross sections of the four most stable covalent structures calculated for the C(4)H(4)(●+) ion [methylenecyclopropene (39.9 Å(2)), 1,2,3-butatriene (41.1 Å(2)), cyclobutadiene (38.6 Å(2)), and vinyl acetylene (41.1 Å(2))]. However, none of the single isomers is able to reproduce the experimental arrival time distribution of the C(4)H(4)(●+) ion. Combinations of cyclobutadiene and vinyl acetylene isomers show excellent agreement with the experimental mobility profile and the measured collision cross section. The fragment ions obtained by the dissociation of the C(4)H(4)(●+) ion are consistent with the cyclobutadiene structure in agreement with the vibrational predissociation spectrum of the acetylene dimer cation (C(2)H(2))(2)(●+) [R. A. Relph, J. C. Bopp, J. R. Roscioli, and M. A. Johnson, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 114305 (2009)]. The stepwise hydration experiments show that dissociative proton transfer reactions occur within the C(4)H(4)(●+)(H(2)O)(n) clusters with n ≥ 3 resulting in the formation of protonated water clusters. The measured binding energy of the C(4)H(4)(●+)H(2)O cluster, 38.7 ± 4 kJ/mol, is in excellent agreement with the G3(MP2) calculated binding energy of cyclobutadiene(●+)·H(2)O cluster (41 kJ/mol). The binding energies of the C(4)H(4)(●+)(H(2)O)(n) clusters change little from n = 1 to 5 (39-48 kJ/mol) suggesting the presence of multiple binding sites with comparable energies for the water-C(4)H(4)(●+) and water-water interactions. A significant entropy loss is measured for the addition of the fifth water molecule suggesting a structure with restrained water molecules, probably a cyclic water pentamer within the C(4)H(4)(●+)(H(2)O)(5) cluster. Consequently, a drop in the binding energy of the sixth water molecule is observed suggesting a structure in which the sixth water molecule interacts weakly with the C(4)H(4)(●+)(H(2)O)(5) cluster presumably consisting of a cyclobutadiene(●+) cation hydrogen bonded to a cyclic water pentamer. The combination of ion mobility, dissociation, and hydration experiments in conjunction with the theoretical calculations provides strong evidence that the (C(2)H(2))(2)(●+) ions are predominantly present as the cyclobutadiene cation with some contribution from the vinyl acetylene cation.