A pi-stacked phenylacetylene dimer

The structure of the phenylacetylene-dimer has been elucidated using IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy in combination with high level ab initio calculations at the CCSD(T)/CBS level. The IR spectra in the acetylenic and the aromatic C-H stretching regions indicate that the two phenylacetylene moieties are in identical environments and very similar to the phenylacetylene monomer. Calculated stabilization energies and the free energies at the CCSD(T)/CBS level favor the formation of an anti-parallel pi-stacked structure. The DFT-SAPT energy decomposition analysis points out that the anti-parallel pi-stacked structure maximizes electrostatic as well as the dispersion components of energy. The observed IR spectra are consistent with the anti-parallel pi-stacked structure.