Dm. Hudgins et al., Closed-shell polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon cations: a new category of interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, SPECT ACT A, 57(4), 2001, pp. 907-930
Citations number
67
Categorie Soggetti
Spectroscopy /Instrumentation/Analytical Sciences
Journal title
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
Density functional theory has been employed to calculate the harmonic frequ
encies and intensities of a range of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)
cations that explore both size and electronic structure effects on the infr
ared spectroscopic properties of these species. The sample extends the size
range of PAH species considered to more than 50 carbon atoms and includes
several representatives from each of two heretofore unexplored categories o
f PAH cations: (1) fully benzenoid PAH cations whose carbon skeleton is com
posed of an odd number of carbon atoms (C-odd PAHs); and (2) protonated PAH
cations (HPAH(+)). Unlike the radical electronic structures of the PAH cat
ions that have been the subject of previous theoretical and experimental wo
rk, the species in these two classes have a 'closed'-shell electronic confi
guration. The calculated spectra of circumcoronene, C54H18, in both neutral
and (radical) cationic form are also reported and compared with those of t
he other species. Overall, the C-odd PAHs spectra are dominated by strong C
C stretching modes near 1600 cm(-1) and display spectra that are remarkably
insensitive to molecular size. The HPAH+ species evince a more complex spe
ctrum consistent with the added contributions of aliphatic modes and their
generally lower symmetry. Finally, for both classes of closed-shell cations
, the intensity of the aromatic CH stretching modes is found to increase wi
th molecular size far out of proportion with the number of CH groups, appro
aching a value more typical of neutral PAHs for the largest species studied
. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.