Computational Infrared Spectroscopy of 958 Phosphorus-Bearing Molecules

Phosphine is now well-established as a biosignature, which has risen to prominence with its recent tentative detection on Venus. To follow up this discovery and related future exoplanet biosignature detections, it is important to spectroscopically detect the presence of phosphorus-bearing atmospheric molecules that could be involved in the chemical networks producing, destroying or reacting with phosphine. We start by enumerating phosphorus-bearing molecules (P-molecules) that could potentially be detected spectroscopically in planetary atmospheres and collecting all available spectral data. Gaseous P-molecules are rare, with speciation information scarce. Very few molecules have high accuracy spectral data from experiment or theory; instead, the best current spectral data was obtained using a high-throughput computational algorithm, RASCALL, relying on functional group theory to efficiently produce approximate spectral data for arbitrary molecules based on their component functional groups. Here, we present a high-throughput approach utilizing established computational quantum chemistry methods (CQC) to produce a database of approximate infrared spectra for 958 P-molecules. These data are of interest for astronomy and astrochemistry (importantly identifying potential ambiguities in molecular assignments), improving RASCALL's underlying data, big data spectral analysis and future machine learning applications. However, this data will probably not be sufficiently accurate for secure experimental detections of specific molecules within complex gaseous mixtures in laboratory or astronomy settings. We chose the strongly performing harmonic ωB97X-D/def2-SVPD model chemistry for all molecules and test the more sophisticated and time-consuming GVPT2 anharmonic model chemistry for 250 smaller molecules. Limitations to our automated approach, particularly for the less robust GVPT2 method, are considered along with pathways to future improvements. Our CQC calculations significantly improve on existing RASCALL data by providing quantitative intensities, new data in the fingerprint region (crucial for molecular identification) and higher frequency regions (overtones, combination bands), and improved data for fundamental transitions based on the specific chemical environment. As the spectroscopy of most P-molecules have never been studied outside RASCALL and this approach, the new data in this paper is the most accurate spectral data available for most P-molecules and represent a significant advance in the understanding of the spectroscopic behavior of these molecules.</jats:p

Data for: Cavity Ring-down UV spectroscopy of the C2Σ+-X2Π electronic transition of CH

PGOPHER 10.0.505 [1] files for each of the vibronic bands (0-0, 1-1, 2-2) of the C-X system of CH. The constants for the ground X2Π state are fixed to those presented in Masseron et al [2]. Constants for the upper C2Σ+ state are floated. Files include assigned transition frequencies. [1] C.M. Western, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transf. 186 (2017) 221-242. doi:10.1016/J.JQSRT.2016.04.010.[2] T. Masseron, B. Plez, S. Van Eck, R. Colin, I. Daoutidis, M. Godefroid, P.-F. Coheur, P. Bernath, A. Jorissen, N. Christlieb, Astron. Astrophys. 571 (2014) A47. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201423956

Data for: Cavity Ring-down UV spectroscopy of the C2Σ+-X2Π electronic transition of CH

PGOPHER 10.0.505 [1] files for each of the vibronic bands (0-0, 1-1, 2-2) of the C-X system of CH. The constants for the ground X2Π state are fixed to those presented in Masseron et al [2]. Constants for the upper C2Σ+ state are floated. Files include assigned transition frequencies. [1] C.M. Western, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transf. 186 (2017) 221-242. doi:10.1016/J.JQSRT.2016.04.010.[2] T. Masseron, B. Plez, S. Van Eck, R. Colin, I. Daoutidis, M. Godefroid, P.-F. Coheur, P. Bernath, A. Jorissen, N. Christlieb, Astron. Astrophys. 571 (2014) A47. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201423956.THIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

Structure determination of trans-cinnamaldehyde by broadband microwave spectroscopy

The rotational spectrum of trans-cinnamaldehyde ((E)-3-phenyl-2-propenal, C9H8O) was recorded by chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in the frequency range of 2–8.5 GHz. The odourant molecule is the essential component of cinnamon oil and causes the characteristic smell. The rotational signatures of two conformers were observed: s-trans–trans- and s-cis–trans-cinnamaldehyde. The rotational spectra of s-trans–trans-cinnamaldehyde and all of its 13C-monosubstituted species in natural abundance were assigned and the corresponding carbon backbone structure was determined. The second conformer s-cis–trans-cinnamaldehyde is about 9 kJ mol−1 higher in energy and could also be identified in the spectrum

Flexibility unleashed in acyclic monoterpenes: conformational space of citronellal revealed by broadband rotational spectroscopy

Conformational flexibility is intrinsically related to the functionality of biomolecules. Elucidation of the potential energy surface is thus a necessary step towards understanding the mechanisms for molecular recognition such as docking of small organic molecules to larger macromolecular systems. In this work, we use broadband rotational spectroscopy in a molecular jet experiment to unravel the complex conformational space of citronellal. We observe fifteen conformations in the experimental conditions of the molecular jet, the highest number of conformers reported to date for a chiral molecule of this size using microwave spectroscopy. Studies of relative stability using different carrier gases in the supersonic expansion reveal conformational relaxation pathways that strongly favour ground-state structures with globular conformations. This study provides a blueprint of the complex conformational space of an important biosynthetic precursor and gives insights on the relation between its structure and biological functionality

Vibrational Anharmonicities and Reactivity of Tetrafluoroethylene

[Image: see text] Compared to ethylene and its nonfluorinated derivatives, C(2)F(4) is peculiar in many reactions. It very easily adds to radicals and prefers formation of four-membered rings over Diels–Alder reactions. This has been rationalized by the preference of fluorine for carbon sp(3) hybridization, which is possible on opening of the double bond. Another property, the thermal dissociation of the C=C bond, has been explained by the stabilization of the product (CF(2)) by back-bonding. Here, it is attempted to correlate such properties with vibrational constants, in particular for C=C stretching and twisting and for carbon pyramidalization. The only force constant found to be lowered compared to ethylene is that for trans pyramidalization (ν(8)), and CC bond softening on ν(8) distortion is indicated by the conspicuously large magnitude of anharmonic constant, x(18). Both observations can be rationalized by a valence-bond model that predicts a trans bent structure on weakening the CC bond. Conclusions are drawn about the dissociation path and peculiarities of the potential. Other anharmonicities, both experimental and calculated and some in (12)C(13)CF(4) and (13)C(2)F(4), are also discussed. In particular some strong Fermi resonances are identified and their effects accounted for

High-Resolution Rotational Spectroscopy Study of the Smallest Sugar Dimer: Interplay of Hydrogen Bonds in the Glycolaldehyde Dimer

Molecular recognition of carbohydrates plays an important role in nature. The aggregation of the smallest sugar, glycolaldehyde, was studied in a conformer-selective manner using high-resolution rotational spectroscopy. Two different dimer structures were observed. The most stable conformer reveals C2-symmetry by forming two intermolecular hydrogen bonds, giving up the strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds of the monomers and thus showing high hydrogen bond selectivity. By analyzing the spectra of the 13C and 18O isotopologues of the dimer in natural abundance, we could precisely determine the heavy backbone structure of the dimer. Comparison to the monomer structure and the complex with water provides insight into intermolecular interactions. Despite hydrogen bonding being the dominant interaction, precise predictions from quantum-chemical calculations highly rely on the consideration of dispersion