QTAIM Charge–Charge Flux–Dipole Flux Interpretation of Electronegativity and Potential Models of the Fluorochloromethane Mean Dipole Moment Derivatives

Infrared fundamental vibrational intensities and quantum theory atoms in molecules (QTAIM) charge-charge flux-dipole flux (CCFDF) contributions to the polar tensors of the fluorochloromethanes have been calculated at the QCISD/cc-pVTZ level. A root-mean-square error of 20.0 km mol(-1) has been found compared to an experimental error estimate of 14.4 and 21.1 km mol(-1) for MP2/6-311++G(3d,3p) results. The errors in the QCISD polar tensor elements and mean dipole moment derivatives are 0.059 e when compared with the experimental values. Both theoretical levels provide results showing that the dynamical charge and dipole fluxes provide significant contributions to the mean dipole moment derivatives and tend to be of opposite signs canceling one another. Although the experimental mean dipole moment derivative values suggest that all the fluorochloromethane molecules have electronic structures consistent with a simple electronegativity model with transferable atomic charges for their terminal atoms, the QTAIM/CCFDF models confirm this only for the fluoromethanes. Whereas the fluorine atom does not suffer a saturation effect in its capacity to drain electronic charge from carbon atoms that are attached to other fluorine and chlorine atoms, the zero flux electronic charge of the chlorine atom depends on the number and kind of the other substituent atoms. Both the QTAIM carbon charges (r = 0.990) and mean dipole moment derivatives (r = 0.996) are found to obey Siegbahn's potential model for carbon 1s electron ionization energies at the QCISD/cc-pVTZ level. The latter is a consequence of the carbon mean derivatives obeying the electronegativity model and not necessarily to their similarities with atomic charges. Atomic dipole contributions to the neighboring atom electrostatic potentials of the fluorochloromethanes are found to be of comparable size to the atomic charge contributions and increase the accuracy of Siegbahn's model for the QTAIM charge model results. Substitution effects of the hydrogen, fluorine, and chlorine atoms on the charge and dipole flux QTAIM contributions are found to be additive for the mean dipole derivatives of the fluorochloromethanes.