The influence of vibrations of polyatomic molecules on dipole moment and static dipole polarizability: theoretical study

Dipole moment and static dipole polarizability surfaces for 50 polyatomic molecules, that are important for material science, combustion, and atmospheric chemistry, are explored in the vicinity of their equilibrium nuclear configurations by using density functional theory. The effective values of dipole moment and static polarizability of these molecules in individual vibrational states are determined using the calculated data on the electric properties and potential energy surfaces. Special attention is paid to the effect of the zero-point vibrations on the electric properties. The simple approximation scheme, allowing low-cost estimation of the zero-point vibrational corrections to polarizability, applicable for wide range of polyatomic compounds, are developed on the basis of the obtained data. The influence of the excitation of vibrational states on the dipole moment and dipole polarizability of polyatomic molecules are discussed with respect to the possible change of some important properties of molecular gases, such as refractive index, diffusion coefficients, and rates of chemical reactions.