Rotational Barrier and Electronic Structure of Monomethylphosphine from Ab Initio LCAO–MO–SCF Calculations

Abstract
Ab initio LCAO–MO–SCF calculations have been carried out on three conformations of monomethyl‐phosphine, CH3PH2, using an uncontracted, moderate‐sized Gaussian basis set, with and without d orbitals. The relative stability of the three forms (staggered, semieclipsed, and eclipsed) was studied. The effect of allowing d character to the phosphorus atom in this molecule was investigated in detail, with special reference to the carbon–phosphorus bond. Three‐dimensional electron‐density plots are presented and discussed in this context.