Theoretical study of formic acid-sulfur dioxide dimers

We report the first theoretical study of noncovalent and covalent interactions in formic acid (FA)-SO(2) complexes. Using ab initio and DFT model chemistries, five stable noncovalent complexes were identified, as well as a covalent adduct, formic sulfurous anhydride HOSO(2)CHO. syn-FA is predicted to form two nonplanar bidentate complexes with SO(2): the more stable one contains a normal hydrogen bond donated by OH, and the less stable one contains a blue-shifted hydrogen bond donated by CH. Both are stabilized by charge transfer from FA to SO(2). anti-FA forms three planar complexes of nearly equal energy containing OH-to-SO(2) hydrogen bonds. Formic sulfurous anhydride forms via an endothermic concerted cycloaddition. Natural bond orbital analysis showed that the bidentate SO(2)-FA complexes are stabilized by n → π* donation from FA to SO(2), and back-donation from SO(2) n and π* orbitals into FA σ(OH)* or σ(CH)* orbitals. The bidentate formic acid-SO(2) complex that contains an O-H···O hydrogen bond is more stable than the similar nitric acid-SO(2) complex. The latter contains a stronger hydrogen bond but shows no O→S charge transfer interaction.