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A new database, 16OSTM10, containing 10 conformations for each of 16 non-multireference realistic-size open-shell transition metal (OSTM) complexes has been developed. Contemporary composite density functional theory (DFT) (PBEh-3c and B97-3c), semiempirical (PM6 and PM7) and the GFN

Na+ solvation free energies are obtained in 8 solvents through the cluster-continuum approach. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the predicted and experimental data is 0.82, and the mean signed/unsigned errors are 0.3/1.4 kcal mol−1.

We introduce a protocol aimed at predicting the accurate gas-phase enthalpies of formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Automatic generation of a dataset of equilibrated chemical reactions preserving the number of carbon atoms in each hybridization state on each side of equations is at the core of our scheme. The performed tests suggest the recommended enthalpy of formation to be derived

The molecular structure of acenaphthene has been determined experimentally in the gas phase using gas electron diffraction intensities and literature-available rotational constants. Supplementary high-level quantum-chemical calculations were utilized in refinements of the semi-empirical equilibrium structure. In this work we investigate on how different schemes of GED data averaging and weighting can be used for obtaining the most accurate and precise structural parameters. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments at different temperatures have been performed and the solid-state structure of acenaphthene has been determined. Both gas and solid-state acenaphthene molecules are planar and possess a non-twisted ethylene bridge. The aliphatic C–C bond in the ethylene fragment is elongated to 1.560(4) Å in the gas phase and 1.5640(4) Å in the solid phase. Based on the experimental data several theoretical approximations have been calibrated and predictions for other molecules were made, taking into account dispersion and electrostatic interactions. Particular derivatives of acenaphthene may potentially have significantly elongated C–C bonds up to 1.725 Å. However, among the experimental gas-phase structures available to date probably the longest C–C bond (re,(av)= 1.750(28) Å atw= 0.93) was determined in a carbaborane derivative 1,2-(SeH)2-closo-1,2-C2B10H10.

Semi-experimental gas-phase structures of anthracene and rubrene (5,6,11,12-tetraphenyltetracene) were determined by means of gas electron diffraction (GED). The use of the flexible restraints in the refinement of the GED data successfully resolves non-equivalent C-C bond lengths. The tetracene core of an isolated rubrene molecule was found to exhibit a twist distortion of about 18°; this is less than DFT calculations predict (30-40°). The modified Feller-Peterson-Dixon method in conjunction with high-level DLPNO-CCSD(T) calculations was employed to resolve the discrepancy between the available experimental gas-phase enthalpies of formation for rubrene. The theoretical value of meets its recent experimental counterpart (765.6 ± 8.4 kJ mol

Volatile metal β-diketonates are of interest from both practical and theoretical perspectives (manufacturing of film materials, catalysis, and the nature of metal-ligand bonding). Knowledge of their reliable thermochemical properties is essential for effective applications. However, there is an unacceptable scattering of the available data on the enthalpies of formation. In this work, we proposed "in vitro" and "in vivo" diagnostic tools to verify the available enthalpies of formation in both the crystalline and gaseous states for metal tris-β-diketonates. The "in vitro" procedure involved high-level quantum-chemical calculations and was applied to define a consistent data set on the enthalpies of formation for iron(III) β-diketonates. This data set has provided the basis for "in vivo" structure-property-based diagnostics to evaluate the robustness of the thermochemical data for β-diketonate tris-complexes with metals other than iron.

Accuracy and precision of molecular parameters determined by modern gas electron diffraction methodhave been investigated. Diffraction patterns of gaseous pyrazinamide have been measured independently in three laboratories, in Bielefeld (Germany), Ivanovo (Russia) and Moscow (Russia). All data sets have been analysed in equal manner using highly controlled background elimination procedure and flexible restraints in molecular structure refinement. In detailed examination and comparison of the obtained results we have determined the average experimental precision of 0.004 Å for bond lengths and 0.2 degrees for angles. The corresponding average deviations of the refined parameters from the ae-CCSD(T)/ccpwCVTZ theoretical values were 0.003 Å and 0.2 degrees. The average precision for refined amplitudes of interatomic vibrations was determined to be 0.005 Å. It is recommended to take into account these values in calculations of total errors for refined parameters of other molecules with comparable complexity.

The geometry and electronic structures of iron(II) complexes with porphyrin (FeP) and tetrabenzoporphyrin (FeTBP) in ground and low-lying excited electronic states are determined by DFT (PBE0/def2-TZVP) calculations and the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) method, followed by the multiconfigurational quasi-degenerate second-order perturbation theory (MCQDPT2) approach to determine the dynamic electron correlation. The minima on the potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the ground (3A2g) and low-lying, high-spin (5A1g) electronic states correspond to the planar structures of FeP and FeTBP with D4h symmetry. According to the results of the MCQDPT2 calculations, the wave functions of the 3A2g and 5A1g electronic states are single determinant. The electronic absorption (UV–Vis) spectra of FeP and FeTBP are simulated within the framework of the simplified time-dependent density functional theory (sTDDFT) approach with the use of the long-range corrected CAM-B3LYP function. The most intensive bands of the UV–Vis spectra of FeP and FeTBP occur in the Soret near-UV region of 370–390 nm.

The electronic and molecular structures of metal-free tetrabenzoporphyrin (H2TBP) and its complexes with zinc, cadmium, aluminum, gallium and indium were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations with a def2-TZVP basis set. A geometrical structure of ZnTBP and CdTBP was found to possess D4h symmetry; AlClTBP, GaClTBP and InClTBP were non-planar complexes with C4v symmetry. The molecular structure of H2TBP belonged to the point symmetry group of D2h. According to the results of the natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, the M-N bonds had a substantial ionic character in the cases of the Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes, with a noticeably increased covalent contribution for Al(III), Ga(III) and In(III) complexes with an axial –Cl ligand. The lowest excited states were computed with the use of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. The model electronic absorption spectra indicated a weak influence of the nature of the metal on the Q-band position.

Semi-experimental gas-phase structures of anthracene and rubrene (5,6,11,12-tetraphenyltetracene) were determined by means of gas electron diffraction (GED). The use of the flexible restraints in the refinement of the GED data successfully resolves non-equivalent C–C bond lengths. The tetracene core of an isolated rubrene molecule was found to exhibit twist distortion of about 18°; this is less than DFT calculations predict (30–40°). The modified Feller-Peterson-Dixon method in conjunction with high-level DLPNO-CCSD(T) calculations was employed to resolve the discrepancy between the available experimental gas-phase enthalpies of formation for rubrene. The theoretical value of ΔfHmo(g, 298 K) = 759.4 ± 5.9 kJ mol−1 meets its recent experimental counterpart (765.6 ± 8.4 kJ mol−1) and is in strong disagreement with the previous estimation (882 kJ mol−1).

The structure of a free nickel (II) octamethylporphyrin (NiOMP) molecule was determined for the first time through a combined gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) and mass spectrometry (MS) experiment, as well as through quantum chemical (QC) calculations. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations do not provide an unambiguous answer about the planarity or non-planar distortion of the NiOMP skeleton. The GED refinement in such cases is non-trivial. Several approaches to the inverse problem solution were used. The obtained results allow us to argue that the ruffling effect is manifested in the NiOMP molecule. The minimal critical distance between the central atom of the metal and nitrogen atoms of the coordination cavity that provokes ruffling distortion in metal porphyrins is about 1.96 Å.

Study of the structural dynamics of matter by methods with high spatially-temporal resolution represents new direction in modern science and provides the understanding of relationship inside the "structure – dynamics – property" triad in the field of physics, chemistry, biology and materials science. Application of femto and attosecond laser pulses for excitation and formation of synchronized ultrashort photoelectron bunches for probing makes it possible to observe coherent dynamics of nuclei and electrons in samples on necessary space-time scales. Using laser spectroscopy one can determine energy levels of the sample and trace their evolution over time. However, the extraction of the structural dynamics of matter from this information is achieved by indirect methods. In the paper authors demonstrate the direct approaches to the study of the coherent dynamics of the nuclei of laser-excited matter in the space-time continuum (4D), based on probing the object with ultra-short electron or X-ray pulses, and describe their experiments, which were carried out using ultrafast electron diffractometer and transmission electron microscope at the Institute of Spectroscopy RAS.

The structures of free hemiporphyrazine and dicarbahemiporphyrazine molecules were determined by gas-phase electron diffraction and DFT calculations. Distance corrections (re – ra) were calculated using two different approaches: commonly applied Sipachev's algorithm and a recently developed technique based on molecular dynamics simulations. Both approaches examined against each other for the first time in the refinement of a relatively large (52 atoms) structure were found to result in almost the same final structural parameters. Gas-phase structures of hemiporphyrazine and dicarbahemiporphyrazine are saddle distorted, in contrast to the planar structure previously found for the solid-state hemiporphyrazine. Doubly charged anionic form of hemiporphyrazine was calculated to be significantly saddle distorted, while the anion of dicarbahemiporphyrazine was determined to possess a planar equilibrium structure. Structural features of the molecules and their doubly charged anionic forms are discussed in terms of AIM and NBO analyses.

The structure of free manganese(II) bis-acetylacetonate [Mn(acac)2] was determined experimentally by gas-phase electron diffraction. The vapor at 197(5) °C is composed of a single conformer of Mn(a...

The structure of free manganese(II) bis-acetylacetonate [Mn(acac)

Molecular parameters of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4′-fluorophenyl)porphyrin were determined for the first time by gas-phase electron diffraction. Conformational preference was investigated based on the experimental data and was found to be in the good agreement with the preliminary model-based considerations. The experimental vibrational spectrum was measured and assigned. The structural features were compared with that of the previously studied Zn(II) and Pd(II) complexes with tetraphenylporphyrin. The results of the Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry experiment yielded the value of the sublimation enthalpy of ΔsubH°(584 К) = 233(4) kJ mol−1. The introduction of substituents into the para-position of phenyl fragments does not significantly affect the electron density distribution and geometry of the coordination cavity.

The structure of a free cobalt (II) etioporphyrin-II (CoEP-II) molecule was investigated for the first time by combined gas-phase electron diffraction and mass spectrometry (GED/MS) method. Selected experimental parameters are as follows: rh1(Co-N) = 1.976(5) A, rh1(N-Cα) = 1.383(4) A, rh1(Cα-Cβ) = 1.455(4) A, rh1(Cα-Cm) = 1.388(3) A, rh1(Cβ-Cβ) = 1.371(3) A. Despite the significant shortening of the internuclear distance between metal and nitrogen atoms compared to CuEP-II and ZnEP-II, the macrocycle of CoEP-II was determined to be quasiplanar. The ground state of CoEP-II is of the low spin and possesses 2A symmetry. These results correlate with the structural features of cobalt (II) porphyrin (CoP) molecule which is planar in the ground state (2A1g).

Electronic and geometric structures of Ca(II) and Zn(II) complexes with porphyrazine (Pz) and tetrakis(1,2,5-thiadiazole)porphyrazine (TTDPz) were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and compared. The perimeter of the coordination cavity was found to be practically independent on the nature of a metal and a ligand. According to the results of the natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) calculations, Ca&ndash, N bonds possess larger ionic contributions as compared to Zn&ndash, N. The model electronic absorption spectra obtained with the use of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations indicate a strong bathochromic shift (~70 nm) of the Q-band with a change of Pz ligand by TTDPz for both Ca and Zn complexes. Additionally, CaTTDPz was synthesized and its electronic absorption spectrum was recorded in pyridine and acetone.

The conformational properties of the nitro group in nitroxoline (8-hydroxy-5-nitroquinoline, NXN) were investigated in the gas phase by means of gas electron diffraction (GED) and quantum chemical calculations, and also with solid-state analysis performed using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). The results of the GED refinement show that in the equilibrium structure the NO2 group is twisted by angle ϕ = 8 ± 3° with respect to the 8-hydroxyoquinoline plane. This is the result of interatomic repulsion of oxygen in the NO2 group from the closest hydrogen, which overcomes the energy gain from the π–π conjugation of the nitro group and aromatic system of 8-hydroxyoquinoline. The computation of equilibrium geometry using MP2/cc-pVXZ (X = T, Q) shows a large overestimation of the ϕ value, while DFT with the cc-pVTZ basis set performs reasonably well. On the other hand, DFT computations with double-ζ basis sets yield a planar structure of NXN. The refined potential energy surface of the torsion vibrat...

The gas-phase structure of 1,8-bis[(trimethylsilyl) ethynyl]anthracene (1,8-BTMSA) was determined by a combined gas electron diffraction (GED)/mass spectrometry (MS) experiment as well as by quantum-chemical calculations (QC). DFT and dispersion corrected DFT calculations (DFT-D3) predicted two slightly different structures for 1,8-BTMSA concerning the mutual orientation of the two -C-C C-SiMe3 units: away from one another or both bent to the same side. An attempt was made to distinguish these structures by GED structural analysis. To probe the structural rigidity, a set of Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) calculations has been performed at the DFT-D level. Vibrational corrections Delta r = r(a) - r(e) were calculated by two BOMD approaches: a microcanonically (NVE) sampled ensemble of 20 trajectories (BOMD(NVE)) and a canonical (NVT) trajectory thermostated by the Noose-Hoover algorithm (BOMD(NVT)). In addition, the conventional approach with both, rectilinear and curvilinear approximations (SHRINK program), was also applied. Radial distribution curves obtained with models using both MD approaches provide a better description of the experimental data than those obtained using the rectilinear (SHRINK) approximation, while the curvilinear approach turned out to lead to physically inacceptable results. The electronic structure of 1,8-BTMSA was investigated in terms of an NBO analysis and was compared with that of the earlier studied 1,8-bis(phenylethynyl) anthracene. Theoretical and experimental results lead to the conclusion that the (trimethylsilyl) ethynyl (TMSE) groups in 1,8-BTMSA are neither restricted in rotation nor in bending at the temperature of the GED experiment.

In this study, we compare the performance of various ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) sampling methods for the calculation of the observable vibrationally-averaged gas-phase structures of benzene, naphthalene and anthracene molecules. Nose–Hoover (NH), canonical and quantum generalized-Langevin-equation (GLE) thermostats as well as the a posteriori quantum correction to the classical trajectories have been tested and compared to the accurate path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), static anharmonic vibrational calculations as well as to the experimental gas electron diffraction data. Classical sampling methods neglecting quantum effects (NH and canonical GLE thermostats) dramatically underestimate vibrational amplitudes for the bonded atom pairs, both C–H and C–C, the resulting radial distribution functions exhibit nonphysically narrow peaks. This deficiency is almost completely removed by taking the quantum effects on the nuclei into account. The quantum GLE thermostat and a posteriori correction to the canonical GLE and NH thermostatted trajectories capture most vibrational quantum effects and closely reproduce computationally expensive PIMD and experimental radial distribution functions. These methods are both computationally feasible and accurate and are therefore recommended for calculations of the observable gas-phase structures. A good performance of the quantum GLE thermostat for the gas-phase calculations is encouraging since its parameters have been originally fitted for the condensed-phase calculations. Very accurate molecular structures can be predicted by combining the equilibrium geometry obtained at a high level of electronic structure theory with vibrational amplitudes and corrections calculated using MD driven by a lower level of electronic structure theory.

1,8-Bis(phenylethynyl) anthracene (1,8-BPEA) was synthesized by a twofold Kumada cross-coupling reaction. The molecular structure of 1,8-BPEA was determined using a combination of gas-phase electron diffraction (GED), mass spectrometry (MS), quantum chemical calculations (QC) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). Five rotamers of the molecule with different orientations of phenylethynyl groups were investigated by DFT calculations. According to these, molecules of C-2 symmetry with co-directional rotation of the phenylethynyl groups are predicted to exist in the gas phase at 498 K. This was confirmed by a GED/MS experiment at this temperature. The bonding of this conformer was studied and described in terms of an NBO-analysis. Dispersion interactions in the solid state structure and in the free molecule are discussed. In the solid this symmetry is broken; the asymmetric unit of the single crystal contains 3.5 molecules and a herringbone packing motif of pi-stacked dimers and trimers. The pi-stacking in the dimers is between the anthracene units, and the trimers are linked by pi-stacking between phenyl and anthracene units. The interaction between these stacks can be described in terms of sigma(C-H)center dot center dot center dot pi interactions.