Rotational isomerism in acrylic acid. A combined matrix-isolated IR, Raman and ab initio molecular orbital study

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Abstract
The results of a combined vibrational and structural study of the acrylic acid monomer undertaken by matrix-isolated low-temperature IR spectroscopy and ab initio SCF-HF and MP2 MO calculations are presented. In addition, both Raman and IR spectra of liquid acrylic acid and the Raman spectrum of the crystal are also reported and interpreted. It is shown that in both argon and krypton matrices acrylic acid monomer exists as a mixture of two conformers of similar energies, differing by the relative orientation of the CC—CO axis. Upon irradiation at λ= 243 nm by a xenon lamp, the s-cis form (CC—CO dihedral angle equal to 0 °), corresponding to the conformational ground state, converts to the s-trans form (CC—CO dihedral angle equal to 180 °). In the liquid phase, dimeric structures strongly predominate, but the existence in this phase of the two conformational states referred to above can also be inferred from the corresponding vibrational spectra. In turn, in the crystal only the thermodynamically most stable form (s-cis) exists. Results of ab initio SCF-HF and MP2 molecular orbital (MO) calculations, in particular optimised geometries, relative stabilities, dipole moments and harmonic force fields, for the relevant conformational states of acrylic acid are also presented and the conformational dependence of some relevant structural parameters is used to characterise the most important intramolecular interactions present in the studied conformers. Finally, the calculated vibrational spectra and both the results of a normal-mode analysis based on the theoretical harmonic force fields and of IR intensity studies based on the charge–charge flux–overlap (CCFO) model were used to help interpret the experimental vibrational data, enabling a detailed assignment of the acrylic acid spectra obtained in the different conditions considered.

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