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Title: Locating the lowest free-energy point on conical intersection in polar solvent: Reference interaction site model self-consistent field study of ethylene and CH{sub 2}NH{sub 2}{sup +}

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2038867· OSTI ID:20723071
;  [1]
  1. Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)

We present a theoretical method for locating the lowest free-energy points on conical intersections (CIs) in solution using the reference interaction site model self-consistent field (RISM-SCF) theory. Based on the linear-response theory, the nonequilibrium free energy is defined as a quadratic function of solvation coordinates, the parameters in which are directly obtained by ab initio RISM-SCF calculations. This free energy is easily incorporated into an efficient CI optimization procedure in gas phase. The present method is applied to the cis-trans photoisomerizations of ethylene and methaniminium cation (CH{sub 2}NH{sub 2}{sup +}) in polar solvents. We show that the geometries and energies of CIs are largely affected by the solute-solvent electrostatic interaction. In particular, the hydrogen migration of ethylene observed at CIs in the gas phase disappears in protic solvents due to the large stabilization of the zwitterionic state.

OSTI ID:
20723071
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 123, Issue 11; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2038867; (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English