Structure and Stability of Isomers of the Promising Interstellar Molecule PC₃O

Abstract

DFT/B3LYP/6-311G(d) and CCSD(T)/6-311G(2d) single-point calculations are carried out for exploring the doublet potential energy surface (PES) of PC₃O, a molecule of potential interest in interstellar chemistry. A total of 29 minima connected by 65 interconversion transition states are located. The structures of the most relevant isomers and transition states are further optimized at the QCISD level followed by CCSD(T) single-point energy calculations. At the CCSD(T)/6-311G(2df)//QCISD/6-311G(d)+ZPVE level, the global minimum is the quasi-linear structure PCCCO 1 (0.0 kcal/mol) with a great kinetic stability of 47.9 kcal/mol, and the cumulenic form ${\mathop P\limits_ - ^ \bullet}=C=C=C={\mathop O\limits_ - ^ -}$ features largely in its resonance structures. Moreover, the chainlike isomer OPCCC 3 (64.5) and five-membered-ring species cPCCCO 19 (77.8) possess considerable kinetic stability of about 18.0 kcal/mol. All these three isomers are very promising candidates for future experimental and astrophysical detection. Additionally, a three-membered-ring isomer CC-cCOP 10 (69.6) has slightly lower kinetic stability of around 15 kcal/mol and may also be experimentally observable. Possible formation mechanisms of the four stable isomers in interstellar space are discussed. The present research is the first attempt to study the isomerization and dissociation mechanisms of PC _n O series. The predicted spectroscopic properties, including harmonic vibrational frequencies, dipole moments and rotational constants for the relevant isomers, are expected to be informative for the identification of PC₃O in laboratory and interstellar medium.