The dimer of acrylic acid can exist in two forms, depending on the entgegen or zusammen orientations of the two allyl groups. The latter one (zusammen) has a permanent value of the μ(b) dipole moment component, which allowed measuring its pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave (MW) spectrum. From the tunneling splitting, originating in the concerted proton transfer of the two carboxylic hydrogen atoms and measured for four isotopologues of such a bimolecule, we could determine the barrier and dynamics of the proton transfer.

Using rotational spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations, we show that intramolecular dispersion stabilises the axial conformers of monoterpenoids, and that an accurate account of these interactions is challenging for theoretical methods.

The rotational spectra of the 1:1 formic acid-carbon dioxide molecular complex and of its monodeuterated isotopologues are analysed in the 6.5-18.5 and 59.6-74.4 GHz frequency ranges using a pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer and a free-jet absorption millimetre wave spectrometer, respectively. Precise values of the rotational and quartic centrifugal distortion constants are obtained from the measured frequencies, and quadrupole coupling constants are determined from the deuterium hyperfine splittings. Structural parameters are estimated from the moments of inertia and their differences among isotopologues: the complex has a planar structure with the two subunits held together by a HC(O)OH⋅⋅⋅O=C=O (2.075 Å) and a HC(OH)O⋅⋅⋅CO2 (2.877 Å) interactions. The ab initio intermolecular binding energy, obtained at the counterpoise corrected MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of calculation, is De =17 kJ mol(-1).

The weakly bound 1:1 complex between acrylonitrile (CH2═CHCN) and water has been characterized spectroscopically in the millimeter wave range (59.6-74.4 GHz) using a Free Jet Absorption Millimeter Wave spectrometer. Precise values of the rotational and quartic centrifugal distortion constants have been obtained from the measured frequencies of the normal and isotopically substituted water moiety (DOH, DOD, H(18)OH). Structural parameters have been estimated from the rotational constants and their differences among isotopologues: the complex has a planar structure with the two subunits held together by a O-H···N (2.331(3) Å) and a C-H···O (2.508(4) Å) interaction. The ab initio intermolecular binding energy, obtained at the counterpoise corrected MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of calculation, is De = 24.4 kJ mol(-1).

Context. The continuously enhanced sensitivity of radioastronomical observations allows the detection of increasingly complex organic molecules. These systems often exist in a large number of isomers leading to very congested spectra. Aims. We explore the conformational space of 1,2-butanediol and provide sets of spectroscopic parameters to facilitate searches for this molecule at millimeter wavelengths. Methods. We recorded the rotational spectrum of 1,2-butanediol in the 59.6–103.6 GHz frequency region (5.03–2.89 mm) using a free-jet millimeter-wave absorption spectrometer, and we analyzed the properties of 24 isomers with quantum chemical calculations. Selected measured transition lines were then searched on publicly available ALMA Band 3 data on IRAS 16293-2422 B. Results. We assigned the spectra of six conformers, namely aG′Ag, gG′Aa, g′G′Ag, aG′G′g, aG′Gg, and g′GAa, to yield the rotational constants and centrifugal distortion constants up to the fourth or sixth order. The most intense signal belong to the aG′Ag species, that is the global minimum. Search for the corresponding 30x,30 − 29x,29 transition lines toward IRAS 16293-2422 B was unsuccessful. Conclusions. Our present data will be helpful for identifying 1,2-butanediol at millimeter wavelengths with radio telescope arrays. Among all possible conformers, first searches should be focused on the aG′Ag conformers in the 400–800 GHz frequency spectral range.