The effects of hydration on vibrational normal modes of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are investigated by Raman spectroscopy and electronic structure computations. Microsolvated networks of water are observed to induce either red or blue shifts in the normal modes of TMAO with increasing water concentration and to also exhibit distinct spectral signatures. By taking advantage of the selective and gradual nature of the water-induced shifts and using comparisons to theoretical predictions, the assignments of TMAO's normal modes are re-examined and the structure of the hydrogen-bonded network in the vicinity of TMAO is elucidated. Agreement between experiment and theory suggests that the oxygen atom in TMAO accepts on average at least three hydrogen bonds from neighboring water molecules and that water molecules are likely not directly interacting with TMAO's methyl groups.

The hydrogen bonding behavior of a homologous series of small molecule and polymeric urethanes, thiourethanes, and dithiourethanes was investigated in solution, melt, and solid states. The relative hydrogen bonding strengths in both small molecule and polymer systems were evaluated, and the results were compared to theoretical calculations of hydrogen bonding strength. The results for NMR and FTIR analysis of the small molecule models indicated that the NH protons on the carbamate and thiocarbamates have greater hydrogen bonding strengths than the NH protons of the dithiocarbamate. The polyurethane and polythiourethanes were found to have approximately equivalent physical and mechanical properties as a result of a similar extent of hydrogen bonding, whereas the polydithiourethane, due to a lower degree of hydrogen bonding, has reduced thermal and mechanical transition temperatures as well as lower hardness values. The polythiourethane and polydithiourethane networks exhibit narrower glass transitions compared to polyurethane networks, apparently the result of an efficient isocyanate/isothiocyanate-thiol reaction with little or no side products. Because of weakness of the C-S bond compared to the C-O bond, thiourethanes and dithiourethanes have lower thermal stability than the corresponding urethanes. Finally, the polythiourethanes and polydithiourethane have higher refractive index values than their polyurethane counterpart.

The gem-dimethyl effect is the acceleration of cyclization by substituents in the chain and is often used in organic synthesis as a ring-closing effect. Calculations on cyclobutane, methylcyclobutane, and 1,1-dimethylcyclobutane are performed. 1,1-Dimethylcyclobutane is a four-membered carbon ring with gem-dimethyl substituents. Optimum equilibrium geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and corresponding electronic energies are computed for all pertinent molecular systems using SCF theory, density functional theory (DFT), and second-order perturbation theory (MP2) with two triple-zeta quality basis sets, 6-311G(d,p) and 6-311G+(2df,2pd). Additional single-point calculations are performed using the optimized MP2/6-311G+(2df,2pd) geometries and coupled-cluster theory including single and double excitations and noniterative, linear triple excitations (CCSD(T)). Calculations indicate that 1,1-dimethylcyclobutane is more than 8 kcal mol-1 less strained than cyclobutane, that is, there is at least some thermodynamic component to the gem-dimethyl effect.

Coupled-cluster and many-body perturbation theories are applied to an investigation of infrared absorption intensities within the double-harmonic approximation. In agreement with previous studies, both electron correlation and basis set dependencies are found to be significant, particularly for stretching vibrations which involve hydrogen atoms. Intensities calculated at the highly correlated CCSD+T(CCSD) level with large Gaussian basis sets are in reasonable agreement with experiment for HF and the ν2 and ν3 modes of water, while the intensity of ν1 is significantly overestimated even with a relatively large 53-CGTO basis. In addition, intensities and harmonic frequencies calculated at the SCF and MBPT(2) levels with a double-zeta plus polarization (DZP) basis set are presented for a number of first row compounds, and are compared to recent experimental values. Although agreement between experimental and SCF intensities is poor, these discrepancies are moderated considerably when correlation is introduced at this simple level. The importance of including hydrogen polarization functions in the basis set is also discussed.