Imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazines are cyclic amidine-type
compounds composed of α-amino acid residues. A full structural
identification of these molecules constitutes an analytical challenge,
especially when imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazines are obtained
from physical processes (e.g., sublimation and pyrolysis of amino
acids). A valuable source of molecular information can be obtained
from absorption spectroscopies and related techniques encompassing
the use of metallic substrates. The aim of this study is to provide
new knowledge and insights into the noncovalent intermolecular interactions
between imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazines and two Ag
n
(n = 4 and 20) clusters using density
functional theory (DFT) methods. Semiempirical DFT dispersion (DFT-D)
corrections were addressed using Grimme’s dispersion (GD2)
and Austin–Petersson–Frisch (APF) functionals in conjunction
with the 6-31+G(d,p) + LANL2DZ mixed
basis set. These DFT-D methods describe strong interactions; besides,
in all cases, the APF dispersion (APF-D) energies of interaction appear
to be consistently overestimated. In comparison with B3LYP calculations,
the mean values for the difference in the energies of interaction
calculated are 2.25 (GD2) and 6.24 (APF-D) kcal mol–1 for Ag4–molecules, and 2.30 (GD2) and 8.53 (APF-D)
kcal mol–1 for Ag20–molecules.
The effect of applying GD2 and APF-D corrections to the noncovalent
complexes is nuanced in the intermolecular distances calculated, mainly
in the Ag···N(amidine) bonding, which appears to play
the most important role for the adsorptive process. Selective enhancement
and considerable red shifts for Raman vibrations suggest strong interactions,
whereas a charge redistribution involving the metallic substrate and
the absorbate leads to a significant rearrangement of frontier molecular
orbitals mainly in the Ag20–molecule complexes.
Finally, time-dependent DFT calculations were carried out to access
the orbital contributions to each of the transitions observed in the
absorption spectrum. The corresponding UV–vis spectra involve
transitions in the visible region at around 400 and 550 nm for the
Ag4–molecule and the Ag20–molecule
complexes, respectively.