Raman spectra, conformational stability, structural parameters, vibrational assignment, and ab initio calculations for epifluorohydrin

The Raman spectra (3200-100 cm^-1) of epifluorohydrin, OCH₂CH(CH₂F), in variable solvents, as well as that of the gas have been recorded and several of the bands due to the two less stable conformers have been identified. The variable solvent studies were inconclusive on the relative conformer stabilities. The conformational energy differences and optimized geometries for all three conformers have been obtained from ab initio calculations with the 3-21G, 4-31G and 6-31G* basis sets. A normal coordinate analysis has also been performed for each conformer with a force field determined from the 3-21G basis set. Assignment of the vibrational fundamentals observed in the Raman spectra of the fluid phases is proposed based on the normal coordinate calculations. In the liquid phase, one of the conformers with a large dipole moment predominates and it appears to be the gauche-I form which is the only one found in the solid. Utilizing the three rotational constants previously reported for each conformer, along with restricted relative distances for several of the structural parameters among the conformers from ab initio calculations, r₀ structural parameters for the heavy atoms have been determined.