title: Synthesis and microwave spectrum of vinyl isoselenocyanate (H2C═CHNCSe), a compound with a quasilinear CNCSe chain.
abstract: The first α,β-unsaturated isoselenocyanate, vinyl isoselenocyanate (H(2)C═CHNCSe), has been synthesized, and its microwave spectrum has been investigated in the 11.5-77.0 GHz spectral range. The microwave work was augmented by quantum chemical calculations using four different methods, namely, CCSD(T), CCSD, B3LYP, and M062X, with the cc-pVTZ basis set. It is generally assumed that two rotamers having the isoselenocyanide group in an antiperiplanar or a synperiplanar position can exist for this compound. However, these four methods all predict that there is only one rotameric form of the molecule, namely, the antiperiplanar form. The CNC angle of the antiperiplanar rotamer is calculated to vary from 151° to 170° depending on the quantum chemical methodology. CCSD(T) and B3LYP potential functions of the in-plane CNC bending vibrations were calculated. These functions have one shallow minimum corresponding to the antiperiplanar form. The spectra of the ground and one vibrationally excited state of this rotamer were assigned. Spectral searches for the synperiplanar form were performed but were not successful, so this form must have a relatively high energy, if it exists at all. The vibrationally excited state is presumably the lowest in-plane bending vibration of the CNC angle. Relative intensity measurements yielded a very low frequency of 18(25) cm(-1) for this vibration. The large-amplitude vibration of this mode suggests that this compound should rather be regarded as having a quasilinear CNCSe link of atoms than a rigid, bent antiperiplanar form.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033 Blindern, NO-0315 Oslo, Norway. harald.mollendal@kjemi.uio.no
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Møllendal
authors.forename: Svein
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samdal
authors.forename: Arne Joakim C
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bunkan
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Guillemin
mesh_terms: D008872:Microwaves; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011789:Quantum Theory
chemical_list: D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; C574196:vinyl isoselenocyanate