Abstract
This paper deals with the experimental and theoretical studies of abnormal properties of terephthalic acid (TAC) and phthalic acid (PAC) crystals manifested in the H/D isotopic exchange. The widely utilized deuteration routine appeared to be insufficiently effective in the case of the h(6)-TAC isotopomer. In the case of the d(4)-TAC derivative the isotopic exchange process occurred noticeably more effectively. In contrast, both isotopomers of PAC, h(6) and d(4), appeared much more susceptible for deuteration. A theoretical model was elaborated describing "long-distance" dynamical co-operative interactions involving hydrogen bonds in TAC and PAC crystals. The model assumes extremely strong dynamical co-operative interactions of hydrogen bonds from the adjacent (COOH)(2) cycles. This leads to an additional stabilization of h(6)-TAC molecular chains. The interaction energies affect the chemical equilibrium of the H/D isotopic exchange. The model predicts a differentiated influence of the H and D atoms linked to the aromatic rings on to the process. In this approach the totally-symmetric C-H bond stretching vibrations and the proton stretching totally symmetric vibrations couple with the pi-electronic motions. It was also shown that identical hydrogen isotope atoms, H or D, in whole TAC molecules, noticeably enlarge the energy of the dynamical co-operative interactions in the crystals, in contrast to the case of different hydrogen isotopes present in the carboxyl groups and linked to the aromatic rings. The "long-distance" dynamical co-operative interactions in PAC crystals were found of a minor importance due to the electronic properties of PAC molecules. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.