The rotational excitation in collisions between two carbon monoxide molecules was studied while combining the use of both time-independent and time-dependent formalisms. All of the calculations made use of a recently published four dimensional PES for CO dimer. Time-independent scattering calculations were performed in the lower part of the collision energy range, thus limiting the number of open channels and computational cost. The PES features a low-energy path for geared motion that appears to affect the excitation propensities in low-energy collisions. For reactants colliding without initial rotational excitation, symmetric excitations (both monomers excited equally) are strongly favored. This behavior deviates significantly from an exponential gap model based on endo- or exoergicity. Comparable time-dependent calculations were performed in an extended energy range made feasible by the lower cost of those calculations. The wave packet propagation in the time-dependent approach was performed with the multiconfiguration time-dependent hartree (MCTDH) method and analyses via the flux method, and the Tannor and Weeks approach was used to calculate the transition probabilities in the energy range up to 1000 cm–1. We deduce from the cross sections the corresponding reaction rates for temperatures between 10 and 250 K. MCTDH was found to yield well-converged results, where the methods overlap, validating the use of MCTDH as an efficient tool to study collision processes.

The improved relaxation method with a complex absorbing potential (CAP) was used to compute resonance states of the formyl radical (HCO) using the Heidelberg multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) program. To benchmark this approach, the same potential energy surface as was used in three other method development studies was used here. It was found that the MCTDH-based approach was able to accurately and efficiently compute 90 resonance states up to more than 1 eV above the dissociation limit. Extremely close agreement was obtained for energies and widths (lifetimes) calculated using MCTDH compared with those reported previously for three other CAP-based approaches that separately involved filter-diagonalization, a preconditioned complex-symmetric Lanczos algorithm, and a non-Hermitian real-arithmatic Lanczos method. The high accuracy achieved in this benchmark study supports the applicability of MCTDH to the study of resonances in larger systems in which increased dimensionality makes the efficiency of MCTDH advantageous.

The lowest-lying singlet states of the simplest Criegee intermediate (CH2OO) have been characterized along the O–O dissociation coordinate using explicitly correlated MRCI-F12 electronic structure theory and large active spaces. It is found that a high-level treatment of dynamic electron-correlation is essential to accurately describe these states. A significant well on the B-state is identified at the MRCI-F12 level with an equilibrium structure that differs substantially from that of the ground X-state. This well is presumably responsible for the apparent vibrational structure in some experimental UV absorption spectra, analogous to the structured Huggins band of the iso-electronic ozone. The B-state potential in the Franck–Condon region is sufficiently accurate that an absorption spectrum calculated with a one-dimensional model agrees remarkably well with experiment.

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is gaining popularity in a variety of applications and has recently become routinely available. Today, 3D printing services are not only found in engineering design labs and through online companies, but also in university libraries offering student access. In addition, affordable options for home hobbyists have already been introduced. Here, we demonstrate the use of 3D printing to generate plastic models of molecular potential energy surfaces useful for understanding molecular structure and reactivity.Keywords: Atmospheric Chemistry; Gases; Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives; Kinetics; Physical Chemistry; Thermodynamics; Upper-Division Undergraduate;

1H NMR, ESI-MS, and DFT calculations with the M062X/6-31G* method show that, in water, the bistetrafluoroborate salt of N,N′-dimethyl-2,6-diaza-9,10-anthraquinonediium dication (DAAQ·2BF4–) exists in equilibrium with both its gem-diol and several aggregates (from dimers to at least octamers). With high concentrations of HCl (e.g., 1.2–1.5 M), all aggregates break up and the keto-to-gem-diol equilibrium is shifted quantitatively toward the quinone form. The same effect is observed with 1.5 mol equiv of cucurbit[7]uril, CB[7], with which all equilibria are shifted toward the quinone form, which undergoes slow exchange with the CB[7] cavity as both the free and the CB[7]-intercalated quinone (DAAQ@CB[7]) are observed simultaneously by 1H NMR. The affinity of DAAQ for the CB[7] cavity (Keq = 4 × 106 M–1) is in the range found for tricyclic dyes (0.4–5.4 × 106 M–1), and among the highest observed to date. A computational comparative study of the corresponding CB[7] complex of the N,N′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dication (N,N′-dimethyl viologen, MeV) suggests that the higher binding constant for intercalation of DAAQ may be partially attributed to a lesser distortion of CB[7] (required to maximize favorable nonbonding interactions) as a result of the flat geometry of DAAQ.

The spectrum of CO dimer was investigated by solving the rovibrational Schrödinger equation on a new potential energy surface constructed from coupled-cluster ab initio points. The Schrödinger equation was solved with a Lanczos algorithm. Several 4D (rigid monomer) global ab initio potential energy surfaces (PESs) were made using a previously reported interpolating moving least-squares (IMLS) fitting procedure specialized to describe the interaction of two linear fragments. The potential has two nonpolar minima giving rise to a complicated set of energy level stacks, which are very sensitive to the shapes and relative depths of the two wells. Although the CO dimer has defied previous attempts at an accurate purely ab initio description our best surface yields results in good agreement with experiment. Root-mean-square (rms) fitting errors of less than 0.1 cm–1 were obtained for each of the fits using 2226 ab initio data at different levels. This allowed direct assessment of the quality of various levels of ab initio theory for prediction of spectra. Our tests indicate that standard CCSD(T) is slow to converge the interaction energy even when sextuple zeta bases as large as ACV6Z are used. The explicitly correlated CCSD(T)-F12b method was found to recover significantly more correlation energy (from singles and doubles) at the CBS limit. Correlation of the core–electrons was found to be important for this system. The best PES was obtained by extrapolation of calculations at the CCSD(T)(AE)-F12b/CVnZ-F12 (n = 3,4) levels. The calculated energy levels were compared to 105 J ≤ 10 levels from experiment. The rms error for 68 levels with J ≤ 6 is only 0.29 cm–1. The calculated energy levels were assigned stack labels using several tools. New stacks were found. One of them, stack y1, has an energy lower than many previously known stacks and may be observable.

The reaction energy and barrier height of the title reaction are investigated using two high-level ab initio protocols, namely Focal Point Analysis (FPA) and modified High Accuracy Extrapolated Ab Initio Thermochemistry (HEAT) methods. It is concluded from these calculations that despite some multireference character, dynamic electron correlation plays a dominant role near the reaction barrier. Thus, the coupled-cluster method with higher excitations than singles and doubles gives a better description than the multireference configuration interaction method for the barrier height. The FPA and HEAT classical barrier heights, including the spin–orbit and other corrections, are 1.919 and 2.007 kcal/mol, respectively. The rate constants and H/D kinetic isotope effect for the title reaction are determined by semiclassical transition-state theory based on the anharmonic potential energy surface near the saddle point, and the agreement with experiment is excellent. The rate constants are also computed using a quasi-classical trajectory method on a global potential energy surface scaled to the FPA barrier height and a similar level of agreement with experimental data is obtained.

The title reaction is thought to be responsible for the production of molecular nitrogen in interstellar clouds. In this work, we report quantum capture calculations on a new two-dimensional potential energy surface determined by interpolating high-level ab initio data. The low-temperature rate constant calculated using a capture model is quite large and has a positive temperature dependence, in agreement with a recent experiment. The origin of the aforementioned behaviors of the rate constant is analyzed.

According to recent reports, supramolecular complexes of the pyrylium cation with cucurbit[x]urils (CB[x], x = 7, 8) show promising photoluminescence suitable for electroluminescent devices. In turn, photoluminescence seems to be related to the stereochemistry of the complexes; however, that has been controversial. Here, we report that in H2O, 2,6-disubsituted-4-phenyl pyryliums (Pylm) form dimers quantitatively (equilibrium constants >104 M–1), but they enter as such only in the larger CB[8]. In terms of orientation, 1H NMR shows that Me-Pylm, Ph-Pylm, and t-Bu-Pylm insert their 4-phenyl groups in either the CB[7] or CB[8] cavity. The orientation of iPr-Pylm in the iPr-Pylm@CB[7] complex is similar. Experimental conclusions are supported by DFT calculations using the M062X functional and the 6-31G(d) basis set. In the case of (iPr-Pylm)2@CB[8], 1H NMR of both the guest and the host indicates that both guests might enter CB[8] from the same side with their iPr groups in the cavity, but DFT calculations leave room for ambiguity. In addition to the size and hydrophobicity of the 2,6-substituents of the guests, as well as the size and flexibility of the hosts, theory reveals the importance of explicit solvation (H2O) and finite temperature effects (particularly for 1H NMR shielding calculations) in the determination of the stereochemistry of those complexes.

In this paper we report transition frequencies and line strengths computed for bright states of the NNO dimer. We use a previously reported potential obtained from explicitly correlated coupled-cluster calculations and fit using an interpolating moving least-squares method. The rovibrational Schroedinger equation is solved with a symmetry adapted Lanczos algorithm and an uncoupled product basis set. All four inter-molecular coordinates are included in the calculation. We propose two tools for associating rovibrational wavefunctions with vibrational states and use them to find polar-like and T-shaped-N-in-like rovibrational states. The first tool uses a re-expansion of the rovibrational wavefunction in terms of J = 0 eigenfunctions. The second uses intensities. Calculated rotational transition frequencies are in very close agreement with experiment.Graphical abstractIdentifying bright states.Highlights► We report transition frequencies and line strengths for bright states of N2O dimer. ► Two tools are used to associate rovibrational wavefunctions with vibrational states. ► Symmetry-adapted Lanczos method.

Our previous studies of the variation of Raman scattering intensities in saturated hydrocarbons have identified a number of structural descriptors that correlate with calculated polarizability derivatives for particular bond displacements: ring strain, steric hindrance, and alignment and location of a C–H group within the molecular framework (e.g., endo-/exo-, axial/equatorial, in-plane/out-of-plane). The bridgehead C–H bond intensities in bicyclo-[1.1.1]-pentane appear to be extraordinarily large, given its size and structure. Molecular polarizability and derivatives are analyzed here for bicyclo-[1.1.1]-pentane and propane, with HF, MP2, CCSD, B3LYP, M06, and M062X levels of theory and the Dunning AVTZ basis set. Analyses of calculated electronic charge densities were performed with two implementations of QTAIM, including an origin-dependent method and an implementation with origin-independent atomic moments. Numerically accurate atomic partitioning of mean molecular polarizabilities is achievable with either; however, accurate partitioning of polarizability derivatives places stringent requirements on the numerical integration, more so for this highly strained bicyclic structure. QTAIM reveals that most of the polarizability (∼90%) can be attributed to charge transfer between atomic basins. Calculated Raman intensities are in accord with our experimental data, notably in the prediction of large trace scattering intensities for stretching of the bridgehead CH in bicyclo-[1.1.1]-pentane and for the methyl in-plane C–H in propane. Density difference plots illustrate the effects of bond displacements on the electron densities and the resultant changes in polarizability. Stretching of the bridgehead C–H bond in bicyclo-[1.1.1]-pentane produces electron density changes that are similar to those encountered upon stretching the methyl in-plane C–H of propane.

The role of excited electronic states in the O + HCl reaction was studied using the quasi-classical trajectory method for collision energies between 1 and 5.5 eV. Global potential energy surfaces were developed for the ground (3A′′) and first excited (3A′) electronic states of the OHCl system using an interpolating moving least-squares-based method for energies up to 6.5 eV above the reactant valley. High-accuracy ab initio data were computed at automatically selected points using an 18-electronic-state model and the generalized dynamically weighted multireference configuration interaction (GDW-MRCI) method extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. The results show significant dynamical differences between ground- and excited-state reactions. At high collision energies, over half of the total OCl reactive flux originates from reactions on the 3A′ state, whereas OH is produced almost exclusively by the 3A′′ state. Inclusion of the excited electronic state, therefore, dramatically alters the OCl/OH product branching ratio.Keywords (keywords): ab initio quantum chemistry; dynamic weighting; excited electronic states; hyperthermal; hypervelocity; MRCI; multireference; QCT;

•A procedure to simulate triatomic molecule/atom scattering using the MCTDH method.•Excellent agreement for the H2O-Ar complex between MCTDH and close-coupling results.•Relevant procedure to describe triatom/atom scattering from low to high energies.The inelastic scattering between a rigid rotor triatomic molecule and an atom is described within the frame of the MultiConfiguration Time dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method. Sample calculations are done on the H2O-Ar system for which a flexible 6D PES (used here in the rigid rotor approximation) has been recently computed in our group and will be presented separately. The results are compared with corresponding time independent calculations using the Arthurs and Dalgarno approach and confirm as expected the equivalence of the two methods.

The title reaction is thought to be responsible for the production of molecular nitrogen in interstellar clouds. In this work, we report quantum capture calculations on a new two-dimensional potential energy surface determined by interpolating high-level ab initio data. The low-temperature rate constant calculated using a capture model is quite large and has a positive temperature dependence, in agreement with a recent experiment. The origin of the aforementioned behaviors of the rate constant is analyzed.

The lowest triplet state of the H2O2 system features multiple reaction channels, including several relevant to the combustion of H2. To accurately map out the global potential energy surface, ∼28000 geometries were sampled over a large configuration space including all important asymptotes, and electronic energies at these points were calculated at the level of the explicitly correlated version of the multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI-F12) method. A new multi-channel global potential energy surface was constructed by fitting the ab initio data set using a permutation invariant polynomial-neural network method, resulting in a total root mean square fitting error of only 6.7 meV (0.15 kcal mol−1). Various kinetics and dynamical properties of several relevant reactions were calculated on the new MRCI potential energy surface, and compared with the available experimental results.