Microwave spectrum, r(0) structure, dipole moment, barrier to internal rotation, and Ab initio calculations for fluoromethylsilane

The microwave spectra of seven isotopomers of fluoromethylsilane, CH(2)FSiH(3), in the ground vibrational state were measured and analyzed in the frequency range 18-40 GHz. The rotational and centrifugal distortion constants were evaluated by the least-squares treatment of the observed frequencies of a- and b-type R- and b-type Q-transitions. The values for the components of the dipole moment were obtained from the measurements of Stark effects from both a- and b-type transitions and the determined values are: |mu(a)| = 1.041(5), |mu(b)| = 1.311(6), and |mu(t)| = 1.674(4) D. Structural parameters have been determined and the heavy atom distances (r(0)) in Angstroms are: Si-C = 1.8942(57) and C-F = 1.4035(55) and the angle in degree, angleSiCF = 109.58(14). A semi-experimental r(e) structure was also determined from experimental ground state rotational constants and vibration-rotation constants derived from ab initio force fields. The internal torsional fundamental, SiH(3), was observed at 149.2 cm(-1) with two accompanying hot bands at 138.8 and 127.5 cm(-1). The barrier to internal rotation was obtained as 717.3(16) cm(-1) (2.051(46) kcal mol(-1)) by combining the analysis of the microwave A and E splittings and the torsional fundamental and hot band frequencies. Ab initio calculations have been carried out with full electron correlation by the second-order perturbation method with several different basis sets up to MP2/6-311+G(d,p) to obtain geometrical parameters, barriers to internal rotation, and centrifugal distortion constants. Adjusted r(0) structural parameters have been obtained by combining the ab initio MP2/6-311+G(d,p) predicted values with the determined rotational constants for the fluoride as well as with the previously reported microwave data for the chloro- and bromo- compounds. These experimental results are compared to the corresponding parameters for the carbon analogues.