Matrix isolation infrared and ab initio study of the hydrogen bonding between formic acid and water

The infrared spectra of the formic acid-water complexes isolated in argon matrices are reported. Both supersonic jet expansion and a conventional effusive source followed by trapping in solid argon at 10 K are used to obtain the matrices. The experimental IR spectra are compared to the data obtained from high level ab initio (MP2) and DFT (B3LYP) calculations with 6-311 ++ G(d,p) and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The complex formation results in red shifts in the C=O and 0-H stretching vibrations and a blue shift in the C-O stretching vibration of formic acid. The O-H stretching modes of water also exhibit pronounced red shifts. Both the MP2 and B3LYP calculations located three minima corresponding to cyclic (HCOOHH2O)-H-... complexes with two hydrogen bond interactions. The binding energies are -10.3, -5.1, and -3.5 kcal mol(-1), respectively, for the three complexes at the MP2/ aug-cc-pVTZ level, corrected for the basis set superposition error (BSSE) using the Boys-Bernardi counterpoise scheme. Comparison of the calculated frequencies of the three complexes with the matrix IR spectrum reveals that the lowest energy complex is formed. In addition, a complex of formic acid with two water molecules is observed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.