Electron diffraction and quantum chemical study of the molecular structureof 4-methylbenzene sulfochloride

A combined electron diffraction and mass spectrometric study was carried ou t to investigate the molecular structure of 4-methylbenzene sulfochloride a t 330(2) K. An analysis of the electron diffraction data was performed in t erms of the r(alpha) structure. Several models of geometrical structure hav ing different orientations of the sulfochloride group relative to the plane of the benzene ring are treated The following values of structural paramet ers were obtained: r(a)(C-H)(meth) = 1.104(41) Angstrom r(a)(C-H)(phen) = 1 .103(27) Angstrom r(a)(C-C)(phen) = 1.403(7) Angstrom r(a)(C-C)(meth) = 1.5 12(25) Angstrom r(a)(C-S) 1.758(6) Angstrom, r(a)(S=O)= 1.419(3) Angstrom r (a)(S-Cl) = 2.049(5) Angstrom angle CCHmeth = 106.9(47)degrees, angle CSO = 110.5(6)degrees angle CSCl = 101.3(6)degrees angle OSO = 120.5(9)degrees T he angle between the plane of the benzene ring and the plane of the S-Cl bo nd was found to be 83 degrees Ab initio and semiempirical quantum chemical calculations were accomplished to estimate the geometrical and energy param eters and compare them with electron diffraction data.