Blue-shifted A–H stretching frequencies in complexes with methanol: the decisive role of intramolecular coupling

Abstract

The presence of a blue shift of A–H stretching frequencies in intermolecular complexes is directly related to the intramolecular coupling between A–H and vicinal A–X bonds in isolated molecules. The intramolecular coupling between vicinal bonds is the decisive parameter that determines whether a general molecule is a candidate for displaying blue-shifted A–H stretching frequencies in intermolecular complexes, with or without hydrogen bonding. The structures and vibrational spectra of dimeric complexes of methanol with H₂O, HF, HCN, HNC, HOF, HNO, and HSN are investigated at the MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) approach. Blue- and red-shifts of the methyl C–H stretches of methanol and the various other A–H stretching frequencies in the complexes can be predicted by normal coordinate analyses of methanol and the partner molecules. It is, hence, suggested that conventional normal coordinate analysis is the appropriate predictive tool to decide beforehand whether a given molecule is a promising candidate for the observation of blue shifts in intermolecular complexes.