Ab initio characterization of the conical intersections involved in the photochemistry of phenol
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, D-85747 Garching (Germany)
- Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kohlenforschung, D-45470 Muelheim an der Ruhr (Germany)
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-02668 Warsaw (Poland)
The nature of the vibronic interactions between the {sup 1}{pi}{pi}* (A{sup '}), the {sup 1}{pi}{sigma}* (A{sup ''}), and the S{sub 0} (A{sup '}) states at the CI{sub {pi}}{sub {pi}}{sub */{pi}}{sub {sigma}}{sub *} and CI{sub {pi}}{sub {sigma}}{sub */{pi}}{sub {pi}} conical intersections has been investigated by accurate ab initio calculations. Potential energy surfaces have been constructed at the complete-active-space self-consistent-field and multireference configuration-interaction (MRCI) levels of theory along each of the ten normal coordinates of A{sup ''} symmetry that potentially can be coupling modes at these conical intersections. The OH torsion was found to be by far the strongest coupling mode in each case. As for benzene, a 'channel three' radiationless decay mechanism associated with a prefulvenic conical intersection, CI{sub pref}, was found to exist in phenol. The reaction path connecting the prefulvenic form of phenol with the minimum-energy structure of the S{sub 1} state was computed at different levels of theory. The barrier to be overcome for the opening of the prefulvenic decay channel is estimated as 6370 cm{sup -1} at the MRCI level, that is, about 2300 cm{sup -1} above the energy of CI{sub {pi}}{sub {pi}}{sub */{pi}}{sub {sigma}}{sub *}. With sufficient excess energy in the S{sub 1} state, the prefulvenic decay mechanism can be in competition with the hydrogen detachment process.
- OSTI ID:
- 21254942
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 129, Issue 22; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3028049; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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