Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Coulomb Explosion Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Between Stereoisomers
Published on: August 18, 2017
DFT Study of Photochemical Properties and Radiative Forcing Efficiency Features of the Stereoisomers cis- and
Olivier Holtomo1,2, Ousmanou Motapon2, Mama Nsangou3
1Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , University of Bamenda , P.O. Box 39, Bambili , Cameroon.
Abstract:
The accurate assessment of radiative forcing efficiency (RFE) of a greenhouse gas is based on the precise knowledge of its structure and infrared absorption spectrum. The present work investigates the UV-vis absorption spectra and IR absorption spectra that are used for the determination of RFE of the short-lived compounds, cis- and trans-CHCl═CHCF3 (CTFP). These investigations were carried out with six different density functional theory (DFT) methods B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, M06, M06-2X, TPSS0, and ωB97X-D associated to the basis set 6-31G(3df). Therefrom, the relative populations of the two states cis and trans for temperatures over the range 220-370 K at 1 atm and along the atmospheric altitude were assessed. It turns out that trans-CTFP is the abundant component between the two states. This review reveals that B3LYP and M06 reproduce well the experimental results of UV-vis spectra of trans-CTFP. As for cis-CTFP, EOM-CCSD is not well fitted by DFT methods. The cis- to trans-CTFP isomerization leads to the red shift for DFT methods and to the blue shift in regard to EOM-CCSD and experimental results. The IR absorption spectra are well fitted by B3LYP over the range 500-1600 cm-1 and TPSS0 over 1300-2000 cm-1 for both stereoisomers. Moreover, the root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of frequencies from experimental data are lower for B3LYP and TPSS0 for both systems. The computed IR absorption band strengths over 500-2000 cm-1 for cis- and over 600-1800 cm-1 for trans-CTFP are consistent with the experiment. The relevant descriptor RFEs of the climate effect were calculated using a narrow band model for a constant vertical profile and then corrected with a lifetime factor for different computational methods. The computed values correlate well with the experimental results for both stereoisomers except M06-2X and TPSS0. It is worth noting that, for both systems, the intense radiative forcing spectra are located at frequencies ranging in 1000-1200 cm-1. The lower forcings of trans-CTFP lying in the atmospheric window region 800-1000 cm-1 are greater than those of cis-CTFP. Therefore, RFE(trans-CTFP) = 1.127 RFE(cis-CTFP).
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Stereoisomerism of Cyclic Compounds
Disubstituted Cyclohexanes: cis-trans Isomerism
In cyclohexane, the substituents can occupy different positions generating distinct isomers....
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
Radical Halogenation: Stereochemistry
Halogenation to form a new chiral center:
Stereoisomerism
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...
Stereoisomers

