The 2-naphthol-water2 cluster: two competing types of hydrogen-bonding arrangements

The potential energy surfaces of the S(0) and S(1)(pi(*)<--pi) states of the 2-naphthol(H(2)O)(n), n is an element of {1,2} clusters were explored at the level of coupled cluster (CC2) response theory. In the electronic ground state two different types of hydrogen-bonding networks coexist for n=2, (i) a cyclic one [similar to those of the water trimer and phenol(H(2)O)(2)] where the hydroxy group of the aryl alcohol acts simultaneously as H donor for the first, and as H acceptor for the second water molecule, and (ii) a hydrogen-bonding arrangement where the aromatic pi system is taking over the role as H acceptor. In the S(1) state, on the other hand, the cyclic conformers are unstable. Consequently, the first group of cyclic ground state conformers gives rise to broad unstructured band shapes in the absorption spectrum, whereas the second group of conformers involving the aromatic pi system gives rise to nicely structured band shapes. Based on these results the puzzling absorption spectrum of the n=2 cluster can properly be interpreted.