The B–N Bond in Some Aminoboranes and an Iminoborane,Studied by 11B and 15N NMR Spectroscopy and DFT Methods

¹⁵N NMR spectra of several aminoboranes (Me₂B–NMe₂, Cl₂B–NMe₂, Br₂B–NMe₂, OCH₂CH₂OB–NMe₂), three N‐pyrrolylboranes, and an iminoborane (tBu–B≡N–tBu) was measured. The spin‐spin coupling constants ¹J(¹⁵N, ¹¹B) were resolved at elevated temperatures. In the case of the iminoborane at 105 °C, the coupling constant ¹J(¹⁴N,¹¹B) = 57 Hz could also be determined from the ¹¹B NMR spectrum [from ¹⁵N NMR ¹J(¹⁵N,¹¹B) = 81 Hz]. Generally, there is no correlation between the magnitude of ¹J(¹⁵N,¹¹B) and the bond length d_BN. The values ¹J(¹⁵N,¹¹B) indicate that changes in σ bonding affect their magnitude, and the nature of the lone pair of electrons at nitrogen is of great importance. The calculated NMR parameters of an adduct of the iminoborane with an N‐heterocyclic carbene, show that the bonding situation around the BN double bond in the adduct is comparable with imines.     

N‐Trimethylsilyl‐aminophosphines: Solution‐state Structures,Studied by Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance and DFT Methods

A novel fairly stable N‐trimethylsilylamino(dichloro)phosphine was prepared, in which the nitrogen atom bears a 9‐borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonyl group. The gas phase structures of various amino‐ and silylaminophosphines including a phosphenium cation and an amino(imono)phosphine were optimized at the B3LYP/6‐311+G(d,p) level of theory, and NMR parameters were calculated. Both magnitude and sign of the two‐bond coupling constants ²J(³¹P,N,¹³C) and ²J(³¹P,N,²⁹Si), known to be sensitive towards the respective conformation, are well reproduced by the calculations. This also holds for ¹J(³¹P,¹⁵N), although calculated values ¹K(³¹P,¹⁵N) (all < 0) are slightly more negative [¹J(³¹P,¹⁵N) more positive] than experimental values.     

Towards Accurate Predictions of Proton NMR Spectroscopic Parameters in Molecular Solids

The factors contributing to the accuracy of quantum-chemical calculations for the prediction of proton NMR chemical shifts in molecular solids are systematically investigated. Proton chemical shifts of six solid amino acids with hydrogen atoms in various bonding environments (CH, CH₂, CH₃, OH, SH and NH₃) were determined experimentally using ultra-fast magic-angle spinning and proton-detected 2D NMR experiments. The standard DFT method commonly used for the calculations of NMR parameters of solids is shown to provide chemical shifts that deviate from experiment by up to 1.5 ppm. The effects of the computational level (hybrid DFT functional, coupled-cluster calculation, inclusion of relativistic spin-orbit coupling) are thoroughly discussed. The effect of molecular dynamics and nuclear quantum effects are investigated using path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations. It is demonstrated that the accuracy of the calculated proton chemical shifts is significantly better when these effects are included in the calculations.     

Preparation and Characterization of Pure Thiosulfuric Acid

Pure thiosulfuric acid has not been prepared yet, although it is described in most textbooks of inorganic chemistry. Furthermore, no experimental evidence for the structure of thiosulfuric acid is known. Theoretical calculations predict the (SH)(OH) tautomer to be more stable than the (OH)(OH) tautomer. In this work we present the synthesis and spectroscopical characterization of pure thiosulfuric acid. X₂S₂O₃ (X = H, D) was obtained from the reaction of dry Na₂S₂O₃ with anhydrous HF at –60 °C. The experimental vibrational and NMR spectra together with quantum chemical calculations provide evidence for the predicted (SH)(OH) tautomeric structure.     

Linear Relationship between 13C NMR Chemical Shifts and the Bending of sp-Carbon Chains

Polyynes show a strictly linear relationship between the energy impact and the bending of the polyyne chain. The energy, which is necessary to bend the acetylenic chain, decreases with the increasing number of acetylene units. A deviation from linearity in polyynes can be realized in solution by violation of the mutual-exclusion principle between IR and Raman spectra. However, there is still no possibility to measure the extent of the nonlinearity in solution. Herein, we show that the ¹³C NMR spectroscopy represents an appropriate tool for this as we found an almost perfect linear relationship between the bending of the alkyne chain and the change of the chemical shift of the outer acetylenic carbon atoms. By using molecular bows in which the alkyne chain can be bent by switching the azobenzene unit, this correlation can be proved experimentally. In the future, this correlation should enable the determination of the extent of the bending and the strain energy in polyynes. Consequently, polyynes could be employed as probes for measuring further molecular forces.     

Chelating Phosphorus–An O,C, O-Coordinating Pincer-Type Ligand Coordinating PIII and PV Centres

The sequence of reactions of the phosphorus-containing aryllithium compound 5-t-Bu-1,3-[(P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂]₂C₆H₂Li (ArLi) with Ph₂PCl, KMnO₄, elemental sulfur and elemental selenium, respectively, gave the aryldiphenylphosphane chalcogenides 5-t-Bu-1,3-[(P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂]₂C₆H₂P(E)Ph₂ ( 1 , E=O; 2 , E=S; 3 , E=Se). Compound 1 partially hydrolysed giving [5-t-Bu-1-{(P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂}-3-{(P(O)(OH)₂}C₆H₂]P(O)Ph₂ ( 4 ). The reaction of ArLi with PhPCl₂ provided the benzoxaphosphaphosphole [1(P), 3(P)-P(O)(O-i-Pr)OPPh-6-t-Bu-4-P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂]C₆H₂P ( 5i ) as a mixture of the two diastereomers. The oxidation of 5i with elemental sulfur gave the benzoxaphosphaphosphole sulfide [1(P), 3(P)-P(O)(O-i-Pr)OP(S)Ph-6-t-Bu-4-P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂]C₆H₂ ( 5 ) as pair of enantiomers P1(R), P3(S)/P1(S), P3(R) of the diastereomer (RS/SR)- 5 ( 5b ). The aryldiphenylphosphane 5-t-Bu-1,3-[(P(O)(O-i-Pr)₂]₂C₆H₂PPh₂ ( 6 ) was obtained from the reaction of the corresponding aryldiphenylphosphane sulfide 2 with either sodium hydride, NaH, or disodium iron tetracarbonyl, Na₂Fe(CO)₄. The oxidation of the aryldiphenylphosphane 6 with elemental iodine and subsequent hydrolysis yielded the aryldiphenyldioxaphosphorane 9-t-Bu-2,6-(OH)-4,4-Ph₂-3,5-O₂-2,6-P₂-4λ⁵-P-[5.3.1.0]-undeca-1(10),7(11),8-triene ( 7 ). Both of its diastereomers, (RR/SS)- 7 ( 7a ) and (RS/SR)- 7 ( 7b ), were separated as their chloroform and i-propanol solvates, 7a ⋅2CHCl₃ and 7b ⋅i-PrOH, respectively. DFT calculations accompanied the experimental work.     

DFT Simulations as Valuable Tool to Support NMR Characterization of Halide Perovskites: the Case of Pure and Mixed Halide Perovskites

Solid state NMR spectroscopy is swiftly emerging as useful tool to characterize the structure, composition and dynamic properties of lead halide perovskites. On the other hand, interpretation of solid state NMR signatures is often challenging, because of the potential presence of many overlapping signals in small range of chemical shifts, hence complicating the extraction of detailed structural features. Here, we demonstrate the reliability of periodic Density Functional Theory in providing theoretical support for the NMR characterization of halide perovskite compounds, considering nuclei with spin I=1/2. For light ¹H and ¹³C nuclei, we predict NMR chemical shifts in good agreement with experiment, further highlighting the effects of motional narrowing. Accurate prediction of the NMR response of ²⁰⁷Pb nuclei is comparably more challenging, but we successfully reproduce the downshift in frequency when changing the halide composition from pure iodine to pure bromine. Furthermore, we confirm NMR as ideal tool to study mixed halide perovskite compounds, currently at the limelight for tandem solar cells and color-tunable light emission.     

Elucidating the Germanium Distribution in ITQ-13 Zeolites by Density Functional Theory**

ITQ-13 is a medium-pore zeolite that can be prepared in all-silica form and as silicogermanate with Si/Ge ratios as low as 3. Usually synthesised in the presence of fluoride, ITQ-13 is among the very few systems containing fluoride anions in two distinct cage types, cube-like d4r units and [4 ⋅ 5⁶] cages. Here, dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to investigate the energetically most favourable Ge distributions for Si/Ge ratios between 55 and 6. The calculations show Ge atoms are incorporated at both the corners of d4r cages and at the basal plane of the [4 ⋅ 5⁶] cages, in accordance with ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. Two Ge atoms at adjacent corners of [4 ⋅ 5⁶] cages are stable at the highest Ge content considered (Si/Ge=6). Such a local environment has not yet been considered in the experimental literature. A calculation of the corresponding ¹⁹F NMR resonance points to overlap with other resonances, which might preclude its clear identification. Additional calculations investigate the variation of the dynamic behaviour of the fluoride anions as a function of the local environment as well as the selective defluorination of the [4 ⋅ 5⁶] cages.     

The Reactions of Hexafluorocyclotriphosphazene with Sodium Phenoxide

The reaction of N₃P₃F₆ ( 2 ) with NaOPh led to the phenoxyfluorocyclotriphosphazenes N₃P₃(OPh)_nF_6‐n (n = 1( 3 ), 2( 4 ), 3( 5 )). Structures were assigned using ³¹P decoupled ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. The reaction followed a non‐geminal pathway with a 50.7:49.3 cis:trans ratio for 4 and a 28.6:71.4 cis:trans ratio for 5 . Comparisons to the analogous reaction of N₃P₃Cl₆ ( 1 ) were facilitated by DFT calculations on N₃P₃(OPh)X₅ (X = F, Cl) which show that the NBO charges on the phenyl group are invariant with respect to the identity of the phosphazene. These observations have been correlated to mechanistic models for cyclophosphazene substitution reactions.     

New Insights into the Diels–Alder Reaction of Graphene Oxide

Graphene oxide is regarded as a major precursor for graphene‐based materials. The development of graphene oxide based derivatives with new functionalities requires a thorough understanding of its chemical reactivity, especially for canonical synthetic methods such as the Diels–Alder cycloaddition. The Diels–Alder reaction has been successfully extended with graphene oxide as a source of diene by using maleic anhydride as a dienophile, thereby outlining the presence of the cis diene present in the graphene oxide framework. This reaction provides fundamental information for understanding the exact structure and chemical nature of graphene oxide. On the basis of high‐resolution ¹³C‐SS NMR spectra, we show evidence for the formation of new sp³ carbon centers covalently bonded to graphene oxide following hydrolysis of the reaction product. DFT calculations are also used to show that the presence of a cis dihydroxyl and C vacancy on the surface of graphene oxide are promoting the reaction with significant negative reaction enthalpies.     

Unprecedented rearrangement during the formation of P-P homoatomic N-phosphino formamidine complexes

A variety of homoatomic P-P donor-acceptor homoleptic (R = R′) and heteroleptic (R ≠ R′) N-phosphino formamidine complexes [iPr₂N-C(H)N-PR₂-PR′₂]Cl were synthesized from the addition of N-phosphino formamidine (phosfam) donor reagent iPr₂N-C(H)N-PR₂ on halogenophosphane compounds R′₂PCl which are synthetic sources for the corresponding phosphenium derivatives R₂P⁺. We have demonstrated that the dynamic equilibrium observed between the different species is shifted either completely to the side of the free species or to the side of the donor-acceptor adduct [iPr₂N-C(H)N-PPh₂-PPh₂]Cl by changing the solvent or by varying the temperature. Activation parameters of ΔS^≠ = (−130 ± 7.2) J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹, ΔH^≠ = (8.4 ± 0.6) kJ mol⁻¹ and ΔG^≠ (298.15 K) = (53.6 ± 2.3) kJ mol⁻¹ were determined by an Eyring analysis over the temperature range of 193-293 K. The negative entropy of activation is consistent with an associative pathway and the low value of ΔH^≠ suggests that the energy barrier for this reaction is entropically controlled. Phosphine-phosphenium adducts is the most appropriate term to describe the dynamic process observed at variable temperature for complexes [iPr₂N-C(H)N-PR₂ → PR′₂]⁺, but the ³¹P NMR chemical shift and the calculated electronic charges are more in favor of a phosphinophosphonium Lewis drawing [iPr₂N-C(H)N-PR₂-PR′₂]⁺. Formation of the homoatomic P-P heteroleptic formamidine complexes [iPr₂N-C(H)NPR′₂PR₂]Cl (R = Ph, R′ = Et, iPr) results in the formal insertion of the phosphino group of the corresponding alkyl chlorophosphanes R′₂PCl into the N-P bond of the starting phosfam ligand iPr₂N-C(H)N-PR₂. Computed data are in agreement with the transient formation of a heteroatomic N-P intermediate [iPr₂N-C(H)N(PR₂)PR′₂]Cl, which then rearranges to the more thermodynamically favored homoatomic P-P compound [iPr₂N-C(H)N-PR₂-PR′₂]Cl.     

NMR studies of novel Schiff bases derived from L-alpha-amino methyl esters and 3-hydroxypyridin-4-carboxaldehyde

Schiff bases of 3-hydroxypyridin-4-carboxaldehyde and L-alpha-amino esters as well as those derived from the structurally related amines lacking the ester function have been synthesised. In two cases a tetrahydro-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine was formed as a by-product. (1)H, (13)C, (15)N-NMR spectral data and density functional theory (DFT) calculations established the structure of all compounds.     

NMR spectra of salicylohydroxamic acid in DMSO-d6 solution: a DFT study

The ¹H, ¹³C and ¹H, ¹³C COSY NMR spectra of salicylohydroxamic acid (sha) were measured in DMSO-d₆ solution. The B3LYP GIAO method with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set was chosen to reproduce the experimental spectra. All possible zusammen and entgegen conformers of monomeric sha were computed. After geometry optimisation (B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p)) only nine independent models of the molecule were shown to be stable. Additionally, the NMR chemical shifts of the Onsager model of the most stable monomer were calculated. The computed chemical shifts for the labile protons for all aforementioned geometries meaningfully underestimated experimental results suggesting the existence of the H-bonded structure of sha in DMSO solution. The most probable two dimeric structures along with two solvent-bounded aggregates were subsequently calculated at the same level of theory. The best agreement was obtained for sha H-bonded with two DMSO molecules (confirmed by the absence of concentration effect). The relative error not exceeding 10 and 4% for chemical shifts in ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of sha–(DMSO)₂, respectively, showed that the applied method with the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) basis set was efficient to predict the NMR shifts of a compound with strong H-bonds. Thus, this allows to assign properly NMR resonances to specific structure formed in DMSO solution.     

μ-η-s-trans-Butadieneoctacarbonyldiiron(0) - Structural and spectroscopic properties

The crystal structure of [{Fe(CO)₄}₂(μ-η^2:2-s-trans-C₄H₆)] was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 90 K. The complex is located on a center of symmetry in the triclinic space group P1‾. The central C-C bond of the s-trans-butadiene ligand is slightly longer compared to non-coordinated s-trans-butadiene. The Fe-C_ax bond lengths are slightly longer than d(Fe-C_eq) in agreement with marginally shorter d(C≡O_ax) compared to d(C≡O_eq). In addition, the title complex was characterized by IR and Raman as well as NMR spectroscopy and the data are interpreted by the aid of results of DFT calculations.     

Molecular Cage Assembly by Sn−O−Sn Bridging of Di-, Tri- and Tetranuclear Organotin Tectons: Extending the Spacing in Double Ladder Structures

Hydrolysis reactions of di- and trinuclear organotin halides yielded large novel cage compounds containing Sn−O−Sn bridges. The molecular structures of two octanuclear tetraorganodistannoxanes showing double-ladder motifs, viz., [{Me₃SiCH₂(Cl)SnCH₂YCH₂Sn(OH)CH₂SiMe₃}₂(μ-O)₂]₂ [ 1 , Y=p-(Me)₂SiC₆H₄-C₆H₄Si(Me)₂] and [{Me₃SiCH₂(I)SnCH₂YCH₂Sn(OH)CH₂SiMe₃}₂(μ-O)₂]₂ ⋅ 0.48 I₂ [ 2⋅ 0.48 I₂, Y=p-(Me)₂SiC₆H₄-C₆H₄Si(Me)₂], and the hexanuclear cage-compound 1,3,6-C₆H₃(p-C₆H₄Si(Me)₂CH₂Sn(R)₂OSn(R)₂CH₂Si(Me)₂C₆H₄-p)₃C₆H₃-1,3,6 ( 3 , R=CH₂SiMe₃) are reported. Of these, the co-crystal 2⋅ 0.48 I₂ exhibits the largest spacing of 16.7 Å reported to date for distannoxane-based double ladders. DFT calculations for the hexanuclear cage and a related octanuclear congener accompany the experimental work.     

N16-oxides of sparteine, 2-methylsparteine and 2-phenylsparteine as ligands; spectroscopic and DFT studies of complexes with ZnX2 (X=Cl,Br)

Six new ZnX₂ (X=Cl, Br) complexes with N16-oxides of sparteine, 2-methylsparteine and 2-phenylsparteine as ligands have been synthesized and characterized by MS, IR, NMR and DFT methods. All complexes have 1 : 1 stoichiometry. Complexation with N16-oxides involves inversion of the configuration at N16, converting ring C from a boat into a chair with the oxygen engaged in coordination. All complexes investigated are of composition [(L–H)⁺(ZnX₃)^?] (where L is N-oxide). The structures of the complexes obtained have been compared with those of the monoperchlorate salts of the N-oxides.     

Homodecoupled 1,1‐ and 1,n‐ADEQUATE: Pivotal NMR Experiments for the Structure Revision of Cryptospirolepine

Cryptospirolepine is the most structurally complex alkaloid discovered and characterized thus far from any Cryptolepis specie. Characterization of several degradants of the original, sealed NMR sample a decade after the initial report called the validity of the originally proposed structure in question. We now report the development of improved, homodecoupled variants of the 1,1‐ and 1,n‐ADEQUATE (HD‐ADEQUATE) NMR experiments; utilization of these techniques was critical to successfully resolving long‐standing structural questions associated with crytospirolepine.