Vibrational spectroscopic (FTIR and FTRaman) investigation using ab initio (HF) and DFT (LSDA and B3LYP) analysis on the structure of Toluic acid

The FTRaman and FTIR spectra for Toluic acid (TA) have been recorded in the region 4000-100 cm−1 and compared with the harmonic vibrational frequencies calculated using HF/DFT (LSDA and B3LYP) method BY employing 6-311G (d, p) basis set with appropriate scale factors. IR intensities and Raman activities are also calculated by HF and DFT (LSDA/B3LYP) methods. Optimized geometries of the molecule have been interpreted and compared with the reported experimental values for benzoic acid and some substituted benzoic acids. The experimental geometrical parameters show satisfactory agreement with the theoretical prediction from HF and DFT. The scaled vibrational frequencies at B3LYP/6-311G (d, p) seem to coincide with the experimentally observed values with acceptable deviations. The theoretical spectrograms (IR and Raman) have been constructed and compared with the experimental FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra. Some of the vibrational frequencies of the TA are effected upon profusely with the methyl substitutions in comparison to benzoic acid and these differences are interpreted.