Evgeniy V. Gromov

Tautomerism in cytosine and uracil: an experimental and theoretical core level spectroscopic study

The O, N, and C 1s core level photoemission spectra of the nucleobases cytosine and uracil have been measured in the vapor phase, and the results have been interpreted via theoretical calculations. Our calculations accurately predict the relative binding energies of the core level features observed in the experimental photoemission results and provide a full assignment. In agreement with previous work, a single tautomer of uracil is populated at 405 K, giving rise to relatively simple spectra. At 450 K, three tautomers of cytosine, one of which may consist of two rotamers, are identified, and their populations are determined. This resolves inconsistencies between recent laser studies of this molecule in which the rare imino-oxo tautomer was not observed and older microwave spectra in which it was reported.

Theoretical study of the low-lying excited singlet states of furan

2 (V), 1 A 1 (V8), respectively, at the C 2v ground-state molecular configuration# have been studied using the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles method ~EOM-CCSD!. Full geometry optimizations with subsequent computation of harmonic vibrational frequencies have been performed in order to locate and characterize stationary points on the potential energy surfaces ~PES!. The latter optimization work was enabled by the availability of analytic energy gradient techniques for the EOM-CCSD approach. A major new finding is that both the 1 B2(V) and 1 A1(V8) valence states are unstable with respect to non-totally symmetric distortions at the C2v configuration. The symmetry breaking in the 1 B2(V) state involves an in-plane coordinate of b2 symmetry. The relaxation process begins on the S2 adiabatic PES and, after passing through a conical intersection of the S2 and S1 PES, continues on the S1 surface, taking the system finally to the adiabatic minimum ofS1 ( 1 A2 state!. The 1 A1(V8) valence state is found to be unstable with respect to the out-of-plane bending coordinates of b1 and a2 symmetry. The resulting relaxed molecular structures have Cs and C2 symmetry, respectively. The present findings are analyzed in terms of a linear vibronic coupling model and spectroscopic implications are discussed.

An Experimental and Theoretical Core-Level Study of Tautomerism in Guanine

The core level photoemission and near edge X-ray photoabsorption spectra of guanine in the gas phase have been measured and the results interpreted with the aid of high level ab initio calculations. Tautomers are clearly identified spectroscopically, and their relative free energies and Boltzmann populations at the temperature of the experiment (600 K) have been calculated and compared with the experimental results and with previous calculations. We obtain good agreement between experiment and the Boltzmann weighted theoretical photoemission spectra, which allows a quantitative determination of the ratio of oxo to hydroxy tautomer populations. For the photoabsorption spectra, good agreement is found for the C 1s and O 1s spectra but only fair agreement for the N 1s edge.

Photoinduced Isomerization of the Photoactive Yellow Protein (PYP) Chromophore: Interplay of Two Torsions, a HOOP Mode and Hydrogen Bonding

We report on a detailed theoretical analysis, based on extensive ab initio calculations at the CC2 level, of the S(1) potential energy surface (PES) of the photoactive yellow protein (PYP) chromophore. The chromophores photoisomerization pathway is shown to be fairly complex, involving an intimate coupling between single-bond and double-bond torsions. Furthermore, these torsional modes are shown to couple to a third coordinate of hydrogen out-of-plane (HOOP) type whose role in the isomerization is here identified for the first time. In addition, it is demonstrated that hydrogen bonding at the phenolate moiety of the chromophore can hinder the single-bond torsion and thus facilitates double-bond isomerization. These results suggest that the interplay between intramolecular factors and H-bonding determines the isomerization in native PYP.

Theoretical study of photoinduced ring-opening in furan

The potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the two lowest excited singlet states of furan [correlating with the Rydberg (1)A(2)(3s) and valence (1)B(2)(V) states at the C(2v) ground-state molecular configuration] have been studied in some detail with regard to the photoinduced ring-opening reaction. The surfaces have been characterized in terms of their stationary points and points of minimum energy conical intersections along the ring-opening pathway. The optimization of the geometrical parameters has been performed with the equation of motion coupled cluster singles and doubles method. The ab initio PESs have been modeled by energy grids and Taylor series. The resulting 11-dimensional PESs reproduce the ab initio results to a good accuracy and can be used in dynamical calculations.

Core-level electronic spectra in ADC(2) approximation for polarization propagator: Carbon monoxide and nitrogen molecules

An effective ab initio approach to core-level electronic spectral studies is discussed. The approach uses polarization propagator theory in a second-order algebraic diagram construction ADC(2) approximation for calculating the characteristics of electron transitions; it also uses the linear vibronic model LVM for investigating the vibrational structure of transitions. The core excitation specialization of ADC(2) is achieved by introducing the core valence separation (CVS) approximation. K-excitation spectra of CO and N2 molecules are calculated to examine the potential of the approach. The calculated spectra and the available experimental data are analyzed to characterize the method. A number of additional facts of methodological and practical value are found, and new transitions are predicted. It is concluded that ADC(2)/CVS/LVM is a promising approach to problem solving in core level spectroscopy, which requires qualitatively reliable theoretical estimations.

Unveiling the mechanism of photoinduced isomerization of the photoactive yellow protein (PYP) chromophore.

A detailed theoretical analysis, based on extensive ab initio second-order approximate coupled cluster calculations, has been performed for the S1 potential energy surface (PES) of four photoactive yellow protein (PYP) chromophore derivatives that are hydrogen bonded with two water molecules and differ merely in the carbonyl substituent. The main focus is put on contrasting the isomerization properties of these four species in the S1 excited state, related to torsion around the chromophores single and double carbon-carbon bonds. The analysis provides evidence of the different isomerization behavior of these four chromophore complexes, which relates to the difference in their carbonyl substituents. While a stable double-bond torsion pathway exists on the S1 PES of the chromophores bearing the -O-CH3 and -NH2 substituents, this is not the case for the -S-CH3 and -CH3 substituted species. The presence of the -S-CH3 group leads to a strong instability of the chromophore with respect to the single-bond twist, whereas in the case of the -CH3 substituent a crossing of the S1 and S2 PESs occurs, which perturbs the pathway. Based on this analysis, the key factors that support the double-bond torsion have been identified. These are (i) the hydrogen bonds at the phenolic oxygen of the chromophore, (ii) the weak electron-acceptor character of the carbonyl group, and (iii) the ethylene-like pattern of the torsion in the beginning of the process. Our results suggest that the interplay between these factors determines the chromophores isomerization in the solvent environment and in the native PYP environment.

Theoretical evidence for a bound doubly-excited 1B2(C 1s,n→π*2) state in H2CO below the C 1s ionization threshold

The group of three lowest singlet C 1s-excited states of formaldehyde H2CO is studied theoretically. The equilibrium geometries are determined at the restricted open-shell Hartree–Fock (ROHF) level and refined total energies are obtained using the multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) approach. In agreement with an earlier prediction [Chem. Phys. 122, 9 (1988)] the second lowest singlet state, 1B2, is characterized by a doubly excited, “two particle–two hole” (2p–2h), configuration C 1s,n→π*2. Our calculations predict that H2CO in the 1B2(2p–2h) state has a stable pyramidal equilibrium structure with a barrier to inversion of 0.28 eV, the valence angle being close to 107°. The calculated length of the CO bond is 1.390 A. The 1B2(2p–2h) state is shown to be also bound with respect to all possible dissociation and rearrangement processes. The lowest predicted dissociation energy for the 1B2 state (H2CO*→H2+CO* reaction) is 0.29 eV (6.69 kcal/mol). The rationalization of the great stability of the ...

Influence of caged noble-gas atom on the superatomic and valence states of C60−

Using high-level ab initio coupled cluster methods, we have conducted a detailed study of two endofullerene anions, He@C−60 and Ne@C−60. The main focus was on elucidating the effect of the noble-gas atom on the energy and electronic structure of the stable anion states of the parent C−60. Our study revealed that the noble-gas atom has no influence on the valence-like states of C−60, but strongly affects the superatomic-like 2Ag state. The latter was found to undergo pronounced destabilisation in both the He@C−60 and Ne@C−60 species, losing more than 70% of its original electron binding energy. The observed destabilisation is due to perturbation of the excess electron density of the 2Ag state inside the C60 cage by the caged noble-gas atom. We show how the results of our analysis can be used to predict the behaviour of the 2Ag state in other closed-shell endohedral complexes. Some possible implications of the observed features of the 2Ag state are discussed.

Ionization satellites of the ArHe dimer.

Ionization satellites are key ingredients in the control of post ionization processes such as molecular dissociation and interatomic Coulombic decay. Here, using the high-level ab initio method of multi-reference configuration interaction up to triple excitations, we study the potential energy curves (PECs) of the ionization satellites of the ArHe dimer. With this model system, we demonstrate that the simple model used in alkaline earth metal and rare gas complexes to describe the satellites as a Rydberg electron moving on top of a dicationic core does not fully hold for the rare gas clusters. The more complex valence structure in the rare gas atom leads to the mixing of different electronic configurations of the dimer. This prevents one from assigning a single dicationic parent state to some of the ionization satellites. We further analyze the structure of the different PECs, demonstrating how the density of the Rydberg electron is reflected in the structure of the PEC wherever the simple model is applicable.