Structural flexibility of 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (4,4′-MDI): evidence from first principles calculations

A reactant used globally in the production of polyurethane is the molecule 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (4,4′-MDI). The structural flexibility of 4,4′-MDI is one of the most important molecular properties influencing the polymerization process and this property was therefore modeled using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Global and local minima structures were found and confirmed by vibrational analysis. The energy barriers related to rotation of the aromatic rings were estimated by DFT calculations. The stability of global and local minima was verified by Car-Parrinello (MD) runs at finite temperature. The presence of weak C–H⋯π hydrogen bonds was confirmed by atoms in molecules analysis and found to be responsible for the low energy barriers.