Phosphoryl chloride–methanol adducts: Matrix isolation infrared and DFT studies

• 1:1 binary adducts of POCl3 and CH3OH studied using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and DFT calculations.
• Nitrogen matrix experiment identified the global minimum adduct.
• AIM and NBO analysis revealed the nature of interaction in these adducts.

The adducts of phosphoryl chloride (POCl3) and methanol (CH3OH) were studied using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The 1:1 POCl3:CH3OH binary adduct was generated in a nitrogen matrix at low temperatures and studied using infrared spectroscopy. Formation of the adduct was evidenced by the shifts in the vibrational frequencies of the modes involving POCl3 and CH3OH sub-molecules. The structures, vibrational frequencies and stabilization energies of the adducts were computed at B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. Our computations located two minima for POCl3:CH3OH adducts on the potential energy surface. However, only one adduct was experimentally identified in the matrix at low temperatures, which was the structure corresponding to the global minimum. The computed vibrational frequencies of the adduct agreed well with the observed experimental frequencies. Atoms In Molecules (AIM) analysis was performed to understand the nature of the interactions in these adducts. Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis was performed to understand the effect of charge-transfer interactions on the stability of adducts.