Probing C-H⋯N interaction in acetylene-benzonitrile complex using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and DFT computations

Hydrogen-bonded complexes of acetylene (C2H2) and the benzonitrile (C6H5CN) have been investigated using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and DFT computations. The structure of the complexes and the energies were computed at B3LYP and B3LYP+D3 levels of theory using 6-311++G (d, p) and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets. DFT computations indicated two minima corresponding to the C-H⋯N (global) and C-H⋯π interactions (local) of 1:1 C2H2-C6H5CN complexes, where C2H2 is the proton donor in both complexes. Experimentally, the 1:1 C-H⋯N complex identified from the shifts in the C-H and CN stretching modes corresponding to the C2H2 and C6H5CN sub-molecules in N2 and Ar matrices. Atoms in Molecules and Natural Bond Orbital analyses were performed to understand the nature of interaction and to unravel the reasons for red-shifting of the C-H stretching frequency in these complexes. Energy decomposition analysis was carried out to discern the various stabilizing and destabilizing components as a result of hydrogen bonding in the C2H2-C6H5CN complexes.