Understanding the Fundamental Role of π/π, σ/σ, and σ/π Dispersion Interactions in Shaping Carbon‐Based Materials

Noncovalent interactions involving aromatic rings, such as π‐stacking and CH/π interactions, are central to many areas of modern chemistry. However, recent studies proved that aromaticity is not required for stacking interactions, since similar interaction energies were computed for several aromatic and aliphatic dimers. Herein, the nature and origin of π/π, σ/σ, and σ/π dispersion interactions has been investigated by using dispersion‐corrected density functional theory, energy decomposition analysis, and the recently developed noncovalent interaction (NCI) method. Our analysis shows that π/π and σ/σ stacking interactions are equally important for the benzene and cyclohexane dimers, explaining why both compounds have similar boiling points. Also, similar dispersion forces are found in the benzene???methane and cyclohexane???methane complexes. However, for systems larger than naphthalene, there are enhanced stacking interactions in the aromatic dimers adopting a parallel‐displaced configuration compared to the analogous saturated systems. Although dispersion plays a decisive role in stabilizing all the complexes, the origin of the π/π, σ/σ, and σ/π interactions is different. The NCI method reveals that the dispersion interactions between the hydrogen atoms are responsible for the surprisingly strong aliphatic interactions. Moreover, whereas σ/σ and σ/π interactions are local, the π/π stacking are inherently delocalized, which give rise to a non‐additive effect. These new types of dispersion interactions between saturated groups can be exploited in the rational design of novel carbon materials.     

Assessment of standard force field models against high‐quality ab initio potential curves for prototypes of π–π, CH/π, and SH/π interactions

Several popular force fields, namely, CHARMM, AMBER, OPLS‐AA, and MM3, have been tested for their ability to reproduce highly accurate quantum mechanical potential energy curves for noncovalent interactions in the benzene dimer, the benzene‐CH₄ complex, and the benzene‐H₂S complex. All of the force fields are semi‐quantitatively correct, but none of them is consistently reliable quantitatively. Re‐optimization of Lennard‐Jones parameters and symmetry‐adapted perturbation theory analysis for the benzene dimer suggests that better agreement cannot be expected unless more flexible functional forms (particularly for the electrostatic contributions) are employed for the empirical force fields. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2009     

Energies and Spin States of FeS0/−, FeS20/−, Fe2S20/−, Fe3S40/−, and Fe4S40/− Clusters

The structures and energies of the electronic ground states of the FeS^0/?, FeS₂^0/?, Fe₂S₂^0/?, Fe₃S₄^0/?, and Fe₄S₄^0/? neutral and anionic clusters have been computed systematically with nine computational methods in combination with seven basis sets. The computed adiabatic electronic affinities (AEA) have been compared with available experimental data. Most reasonable agreements between theory and experiment have been found for both hybrid B3LYP and B3PW91 functionals in conjugation with 6‐311+G* and QZVP basis sets. Detailed comparisons between the available experimental and computed AEA data at the B3LYP/6‐311+G* level identified the electronic ground state of ⁵Δ for FeS, ⁴Δ for FeS^?, ⁵B₂ for FeS₂, ⁶A₁ for FeS₂^?, ¹A₁ for Fe₂S₂, ⁸A′ for Fe₂S₂^?, ⁵A′′ for Fe₃S₄, ⁶A′′ for Fe₃S₄^?, ¹A₁ for Fe₄S₄, and ¹A₂ for Fe₄S₄^?. In addition, Fe₂S₂, Fe₃S₄, Fe₃S₄^?, Fe₄S₄, and Fe₄S₄^? are antiferromagnetic at the B3LYP/6‐311+G* level. The magnetic properties are discussed on the basis of natural bond orbital analysis.     

Structure determination of three furan‐substituted benzimidazoles and calculation of π–π and C—H...π interaction energies

The synthesis and structural characterization of 2‐(furan‐2‐yl)‐1‐(furan‐2‐ylmethyl)‐1H‐benzimidazole [C₁₆H₁₂N₂O₂, (I)], 2‐(furan‐2‐yl)‐1‐(furan‐2‐ylmethyl)‐1H‐benzimidazol‐3‐ium chloride monohydrate [C₁₆H₁₃N₂O₂⁺·Cl⁻·H₂O, (II)] and the hydrobromide salt 5,6‐dimethyl‐2‐(furan‐2‐yl)‐1‐(furan‐2‐ylmethyl)‐1H‐benzimidazol‐3‐ium bromide [C₁₈H₁₇N₂O₂⁺·Br⁻, (III)] are described. Benzimidazole (I) displays two sets of aromatic interactions, each of which involves pairs of molecules in a head‐to‐tail arrangement. The first, denoted set (Ia), exhibits both intermolecular C—H...π interactions between the 2‐(furan‐2‐yl) (abbreviated as Fn) and 1‐(furan‐2‐ylmethyl) (abbreviated as MeFn) substituents, and π–π interactions involving the Fn substituents between inversion‐center‐related molecules. The second, denoted set (Ib), involves π–π interactions involving both the benzene ring (Bz) and the imidazole ring (Im) of benzimidazole. Hydrated salt (II) exhibits N—H...OH₂...Cl hydrogen bonding that results in chains of molecules parallel to the a axis. There is also a head‐to‐head aromatic stacking of the protonated benzimidazole cations in which the Bz and Im rings of one molecule interact with the Im and Fn rings of adjacent molecules in the chain. Salt (III) displays N—H...Br hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions involving inversion‐center‐related benzimidazole rings in a head‐to‐tail arrangement. In all of the π–π interactions observed, the interacting moieties are shifted with respect to each other along the major molecular axis. Basis set superposition energy‐corrected (counterpoise method) interaction energies were calculated for each interaction [DFT, M06‐2X/6‐31+G(d)] employing atomic coordinates obtained in the crystallographic analyses for heavy atoms and optimized H‐atom coordinates. The calculated interaction energies are −43.0, −39.8, −48.5, and −55.0 kJ mol⁻¹ for (Ia), (Ib), (II), and (III), respectively. For (Ia), the analysis was used to partition the interaction energies into the C—H...π and π–π components, which are 9.4 and 24.1 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. Energy‐minimized structures were used to determine the optimal interplanar spacing, the slip distance along the major molecular axis, and the slip distance along the minor molecular axis for 2‐(furan‐2‐yl)‐1H‐benzimidazole.     

Competitive Formation of Ylide and Carbene Intermediates from 1π,π*-Excited α,β-Unsaturated γ,δ-Epoxyketones

Laser flash photolyses (λ = 265mm) of the γ,λ-epoxyenones 1–3, 7 and 8 , the α,β-unsaturated γ,δ-epoxy ester 6 , and the epoxytriene 9 at ambient temperature produced short-lived transients with broad absorption maxima in the visible region, which are identified as carbonyl ylides. Comparison of the rather long-wavelength absorption maxima with the results of standard PPP SCF SCI calculations suggests that some degree of twisting is present in all the ylides studied. The lifetimes of the order of hundreds of ns of these intermediates and Stern-Volmer analysis of the trapping of the carbonyl ylide derived from 2 with CH₃COOH provide conclusive evidence that the carbene products are not formed via the carbonyl-ylide intermediate (Scheme 3).