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Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Computation of Atmospheric Concentrations of Molecular Clusters from ab initio Thermochemistry
Published on: April 8, 2020
Microhydration of a Carbonyl Group: How does the Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MESP) Impact the Formation of
1De la Molécule aux Nano-Objets: Réactivité, Interactions Spectroscopies, MONARIS, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France.
Abstract:
The presence of a carbonyl group in a molecule usually leads to the identification of a π-hole on the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) of the species. How does this electrophilic site influence the formation of microhydrated complexes? To address this point, a panel of R2CO solutes with various MESPs was selected, and we identified the structures and properties of several complexes containing one, two, three and six water molecules. The following solutes were considered in the present study: H2CO, F2CO, Cl2CO,(NC)2CO and H2C═CO. Geometry optimizations and frequency calculations were carried out at the LC-ωPBE/6-311++G(d,p) level, with the GD3BJ empirical correction for dispersion. For a number of n water molecules around the R2CO solute, the structure and the features of the most stable (H2O)n:(R2CO) complexes are highly dependent on the MESP of the isolated R2CO solute. The formation of pi-hole bondings appears to play a decisive role in the initiation of a three-dimensional organization of water molecules around the solute.
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