Matrix isolation and computational study of the [H, C, N, Se] isomers

Nine minima on the ground-state singlet and ten minima on the lowest-energy triplet potential energy surfaces of the [H, C, N, Se] system were located at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. The singlet isomers were further investigated by the higher-level CCSD(T) method. Besides their structure and relative energies, isomerization barriers and the dissociation energies of the most important fragmentation channels were determined. Anharmonic vibrational wavenumbers, infrared intensities, relative Raman intensities, and UV excitation energies were also computed to assist the detection of these species. Two of the singlet isomers were generated and investigated by IR and UV spectroscopic methods. First, HNCSe and its deuterated isotopomer, DNCSe, were prepared by the reaction of HBr/DBr with AgNCSe and deposited in an 8 K Ar matrix. Photolysis of (H/D)NCSe at 254 nm led to the formation of the novel (H/D)SeNC isomer, which decomposed upon broad-band UV irradiation.