Carbene complexes : IV. Far infrared and 31P NMR spectra of palladium and platinum carbene complexes

Infrared bands mainly associated with v(M—X₂) stretching modes (M = Pd or Pt, and X = Cl, Br, or P) have been identified in the spectra of 35 carbene complexes. Based on these results and on |¹J| (³¹ P—¹⁹⁵ Pt) the trans-influence of the carbene ligands is assessed.     

Self-Sorting Supramolecular Polymerization: Helical and Lamellar Aggregates of Tetra-Bay-Acyloxy Perylene Bisimide

A new perylene bisimide (PBI), with a fluorescence quantum yield up to unity, self-assembles into two polymorphic supramolecular polymers. This PBI bears four solubilizing acyloxy substituents at the bay positions and is unsubstituted at the imide position, thereby allowing hydrogen-bond-directed self-assembly in nonpolar solvents. The formation of the polymorphs is controlled by the cooling rate of hot monomer solutions. They show distinctive absorption profiles and morphologies and can be isolated in different polymorphic liquid-crystalline states. The interchromophoric arrangement causing the spectral features was elucidated, revealing the formation of columnar and lamellar phases, which are formed by either homo- or heterochiral self-assembly, respectively, of the atropoenantiomeric PBIs. Kinetic studies reveal a narcissistic self-sorting process upon fast cooling, and that the transformation into the heterochiral (racemic) sheetlike self-assemblies proceeds by dissociation via the monomeric state.     

Noncovalent interactions in supramolecular complexes: a study on corannulene and the double concave buckycatcher

Stimulated by the recent observation of pi-pi interactions between C60 and corannulene subunits in a molecular tweezer arrangement (J Am Chem Soc 2007, 129, 3842), a density functional theory study was performed to analyze the electronic structure and properties of various noncovalent corannulene complexes. The theoretical approach is first applied to corannulene complexes with a series of benchmark molecules (CH4, NH3, and H2O) using several new-generation density functionals. The performance of nine density functionals, illustrated by computing binding energies of the corannulene complexes, demonstrates that Zhao and Truhlar's MPWB1K and M05-2X functionals provide energies similar to that obtained at the SCS-MP2 level. In contrast, most of the other popular density functionals fail to describe this noncovalent interaction or yield purely repulsive interactions. Further investigations with the M05-2X functional show that the binding energy of C60 with corannulene subunits in the relaxed molecular receptor clip geometry is -20.67 kcal/mol. The results of this calculation further support the experimental interpretation of pure pi-pi interactions between a convex fullerene and the concave surfaces of two corannulene subunits.     

Local Geometric Effects on Stability and Energy Gap of Thiolate‐Protected Gold Nanoparticles

Thiolate‐protected gold nanoclusters, Au_m(SR)_n, have potential applications in many fields due to their high stability and remarkable electronic properties. However, the controlling factors in determining the stability and HOMO–LUMO gap of Au_m(SR)_n remain controversial, despite decades of work on the topic. Through DFT calculations, including nonlocal many‐body dispersion (MBD) interactions, the geometric and electronic properties of Au_m(SR)_n clusters are investigated. Calculations demonstrate that the MBD interactions are essential for correctly describing the geometry and energy of the clusters. Greater anisotropic polarization and more atoms distributed in the shell of the clusters lead to more pronounced MBD interactions and higher stability of the clusters. Furthermore, the HOMO–LUMO gap of the clusters strongly depends on the gold core. These results provide critical clues for understanding and designing Au_m(SR)_n clusters.     

Self‐Sorting Supramolecular Polymerization: Helical and Lamellar Aggregates of Tetra‐Bay‐Acyloxy Perylene Bisimide

A new perylene bisimide (PBI), with a fluorescence quantum yield up to unity, self‐assembles into two polymorphic supramolecular polymers. This PBI bears four solubilizing acyloxy substituents at the bay positions and is unsubstituted at the imide position, thereby allowing hydrogen‐bond‐directed self‐assembly in nonpolar solvents. The formation of the polymorphs is controlled by the cooling rate of hot monomer solutions. They show distinctive absorption profiles and morphologies and can be isolated in different polymorphic liquid‐crystalline states. The interchromophoric arrangement causing the spectral features was elucidated, revealing the formation of columnar and lamellar phases, which are formed by either homo‐ or heterochiral self‐assembly, respectively, of the atropoenantiomeric PBIs. Kinetic studies reveal a narcissistic self‐sorting process upon fast cooling, and that the transformation into the heterochiral (racemic) sheetlike self‐assemblies proceeds by dissociation via the monomeric state.     

Ab initio simulation of paramagnetic NMR spectra: the 31P NMR in oxovanadium phosphates

A theoretical analysis of the temperature-dependent (31)P NMR signals for the ambient pressure vanadyl pyrophosphate AP-(VO)(2)P(2)O(7) and the oxovanadium hemihydrate hydrogenophosphate VO(HPO(4)).0.5H(2)O phases is reported. The ab initio calculation of the magnetic exchange parameters and the hyperfine constants gives access to an original ab initio simulation of NMR spectra. Such a strategy allows one to clarify the crystallographic nature of the different experimentally studied phases. For the vanadyl pyrophosphate ambient pressure structure, our simulations strongly support the presence of a monoclinic phase. Based on this assumption, hyperfine constants are extracted from the fit of the experimental data. These values are directly compared to the ab initio ones.     

A Nontemplated Route to Macrocyclic Dibridgehead Diphosphorus Compounds: Crystallographic Characterization of a “Crossed‐Chain” Variant of in/out Stereoisomers

Reactions of (O=)PH(OCH₂CH₃)₂ and BrMg(CH₂)_mCH=CH₂ (4.9–3.2 equiv; m=4 ( a ), 5 ( b ), 6 ( c )) give the dialkylphosphine oxides (O=)PH[(CH₂)_mCH=CH₂]₂ ( 2 a – c ; 77–81 % after workup), which are treated with NaH and then α,ω‐dibromides Br(CH₂)_nBr (0.49–0.32 equiv; n=8 ( a′ ), 10 ( b′ ), 12 ( c′ ), 14 ( d′ )) to yield the bis(trialkylphosphine oxides) [H₂C=CH(CH₂)_m]₂P(=O)(CH₂)_n(O=)P[(CH₂)_mCH=CH₂]₂ ( 3 ab′ , 3 bc′ , 3 cd′ , 3 ca′ ; 79–84 %). Reactions of 3 bc′ and 3 ca′ with Grubbs’ first‐generation catalyst and then H₂/PtO₂ afford the dibridgehead diphosphine dioxides ( 4 bc′ , 4 ca′ ; 14–19 %, n′=2m+2); ³¹P NMR spectra show two stereoisomeric species (ca. 70:30). Crystal structures of two isomers of the latter are obtained, out,out‐ 4 ca′ and a conformer of in,out‐ 4 ca′ that features crossed chains, such that the (O=)P vectors appear out,out. Whereas 4 bc′ resists crystallization, a byproduct derived from an alternative metathesis mode, (CH₂)₁₂P (=O)(CH₂)₁₂(O=)P(C H₂)₁₂, as well as 3 ab′ and 3 bc′ , are structurally characterized. The efficiencies of other routes to dibridgehead diphosphorus compounds are compared.     

Binding Motifs in the Naked Complexes of Target Amino Acids with an Excerpt of Antitumor Active Biomolecule: An Ion Vibrational Spectroscopy Assay

The structures of proton-bound complexes of 5,7-dimethoxy-4H-chromen-4-one ( 1 ) and basic amino acids (AAs), namely, histidine (His) and lysine (Lys), have been examined by means of mass spectrometry coupled with IR ion spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. This selection of systems is based on the fact that 1 represents a portion of glabrescione B, a natural small molecule of promising antitumor activity, while His and Lys are protein residues lining the cavity of the alleged receptor binding site. These species are thus a model of the bioactive adduct, although clearly the isolated state of the present study bears little resemblance to the complex biological environment. A common feature of [ 1 +AA+H]⁺ complexes is the presence of a protonated AA bound to neutral 1 , in spite of the fact that the gas-phase basicity of 1 is comparable to those of Lys and His. The carbonyl group of 1 acts as a powerful hydrogen-bond acceptor. Within [ 1 +AA+H]⁺ the side-chain substituents (imidazole group for His and terminal amino group for Lys) present comparable basic properties to those of the α-amino group, taking part to a cooperative hydrogen-bond network. Structural assignment, relying on the comparative analysis of the infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectrum and calculated IR spectra for the candidate geometries, derives from an examination over two frequency ranges: 900–1800 and 2900–3700 cm⁻¹. Information gained from the latter one proved especially valuable, for example, pointing to the contribution of species characterized by an unperturbed carboxylic OH or imidazole NH stretching mode.     

Zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes with PDT: study of the effect of weak interactions on crystal packing

Two new zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes, [Zn(PDT)₂(NCS)₂] (1) and [Cd((PDT)₂I_1.6(H₂O)_0.4(OH)_0.4] · 0.4H₂O (2) (“PDT” is the abbreviation of 3-(2-pyridyl)-5, 6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and studied by X-ray crystallography. Zinc(II) in 1 is six coordinate ZnN₆. 2 is a co-crystal with cadmium(II) being 60% six-coordinated with a CdN₄I₂ environment and 40% seven-coordinated with a CdN₄O₂I environment. The supramolecular features in these complexes are guided/controlled by weak directional intermolecular S ··· π, C–H ··· π, C–H ··· I, and π ··· π interactions.     

Hydrogen bonding versus van der Waals interactions: competitive influence of noncovalent interactions on 2D self-assembly at the liquid-solid interface

The structures of the self-assembled monolayers of various 4-alkoxybenzoic acids physisorbed at the liquid-solid interface were established by employing scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). This study has been essentially undertaken to explore the competitive influence of van der Waals and hydrogen-bonding interactions on the process of two-dimensional self-assembly. These acid derivatives form hydrogen-bonded dimers as expected; however, the dimers organise themselves in the form of relatively complex lamellae. The characteristic feature of these lamellae is the presence of regular discommensurations or kinks along the lamella propagation direction. The formation of kinked lamellae is discussed in light of the registry mechanism of the alkyl chains with the underlying graphite substrate. The location of the kinks along a lamella depends on the number (odd or even) of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. This result indicates that concerted van der Waals interactions of the alkyl chain units introduce the odd/even chain-length effect on the surface-assembled supramolecular patterns. The odd/even effects are retained even upon complexation with a hydrogen-bond acceptor. However, as the solvent is changed from 1-phenyloctane to 1-octanoic acid, the kinked lamellae as well as the odd/even effects disappear. This solvent-induced convergence of supramolecular patterns is attained by means of co-crystallisation of octanoic acid molecules in the 2D crystal lattice, which is evident from high-resolution STM images. The solvent co-adsorption phenomenon is discussed in terms of competing van der Waals and hydrogen-bonding interactions.     

The influence of vibronic interactions on the chiroptical spectra of dissymmetric pseudo tetragonal metal complexes

The influence of vibronic interactions on the chiroptical spectra associated with a threesome of nearly degenerate electronic excited states in a dissymmetric molecular system is examined on a formal theoretical model. The model considers two vibrational modes to be effective in promoting pseudo Jahn-Teller (PJT) type interactions between the three closely spaced electronic excited states. Formal expressions are developed for the rotatory strengths of individual vibronic levels derived from the coupled electronic states. Two mode (vibrational)-three state (electronic) vibronic Hamiltonians are constructed (basis set size, 63–108, depending upon interaction parameters used) and diagonalized for a large number of different parameter sets representative of various vibronic coupling strengths, electronic energy level spacings, oscillator (vibrational mode) frequencies, and electronic rotatory strengths. Diagonalization of these vibronic Hamiltonians yields vibronic wave functions and energies which are then used to calculate rotatory strength spectra for the model system. The calculated results demonstrate the profound influence which vibronic interactions of the PJT type may have on the sign patterns and intensity distributions within the rotatory strength spectrum associated with a set of nearly degenerate electronic states. The implication of these results for the interpretation of circular dichroism spectra of chiral transition metal complexes with pseudo tetragonal symmetry are discussed.     

Self‐Assembly of a Highly Organized,Hexameric Supramolecular Architecture: Formation,Structure and Properties

Two derivatives, ³ L and ⁹ L , of a ditopic, multiply hydrogen‐bonding molecule, known for more than a decade, have been found, in the solid state as well as in solvents of low polarity at room temperature, to exist not as monomers, but to undergo a remarkable self‐assembly into a complex supramolecular species. The solid‐state molecular structure of ³ L , determined by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography, revealed that it forms a highly organized hexameric entity ³ L ₆ with a capsular shape, resulting from the interlocking of two sets of three monomolecular components, linked through hydrogen‐bonding interactions. The complicated ¹H NMR spectra observed in o‐dichlorobenzene (o‐DCB) for ³ L and ⁹ L are consistent with the presence of a hexamer of D₃ symmetry in both cases. DOSY measurements confirm the hexameric constitution in solution. In contrast, in a hydrogen‐bond‐disrupting solvent, such as DMSO, the ¹H NMR spectra are very simple and consistent with the presence of isolated monomers only. Extensive temperature‐dependent ¹H NMR studies in o‐DCB showed that the L ₆ species dissociated progressively into the monomeric unit on increasing th temperature, up to complete dissociation at about 90 °C. The coexistence of the hexamer and the monomer indicated that exchange was slow on the NMR timescale. Remarkably, no species other than hexamer and monomer were detected in the equilibrating mixtures. The relative amounts of each entity showed a reversible sigmoidal variation with temperature, indicating that the assembly proceeded with positive cooperativity. A full thermodynamic analysis has been applied to the data.     

Restricted rotation in unbridged sandwich complexes: rotational behavior of closo-[Co(eta 5-NC4H4)(C2B9H11)] derivatives

Rotation about the centroid/metal/centroid axis in ferrocene is facile; the activation energy is 1-5 kcal mol(-1). The structurally similar sandwich complexes derived from closo-[3-Co(eta5-NC4H4)-1,2-C2B9H11] (1) have a different rotational habit. In 1, the cis rotamer in which the pyrrolyl nitrogen atom bisects the carboranyl cluster atoms is 3.5 kcal mol(-1) more stable in energy than the rotamer that is second lowest in energy. This cis rotamer is wide, spanning 216 degrees , and may be split into three rotamers of almost equal energy by substituting the N and the carboranyl carbon atoms adequately. To support this statement, closo-[3-Co(eta5-NC4H4)-1,2-(CH3)2-1,2-C2B9H9] (2), closo-[3-Co(eta5-NC4H4)-1,2-(mu-CH2)3-1,2-C2B9H9] 3, 2-->BF3, and 3-->BF3 have been prepared. Two rotamers are found at low temperature for 2-->BF(3) and 3-->BF3. Compounds 2, 3, and 1-->BF3 behave similarly to 1. Rotational energy barriers and the relative populations of the different energy states are calculated from 1H DNMR spectroscopy (DNMR, dynamic NMR). These results agree with those of semiempirical calculations. Without exception, the cis rotamer is energetically the more stable. The fixed conformation of 1 assists in elucidating the rotational preferences of the [3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- ion in the absence of steric hindrance; the [3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- ion is commonly accepted to present a cisoid orientation. Complex 1 is electronically similar to the [3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- ion. Both have heteroatoms in the pi ligands, and they have the same electronegativity difference between the constituent atoms. This leads to a view of the [NC4H4]- as [7,8-C2B9H11]2- ion, with no steric implications. Therefore the [3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- ion should be considered to have a cisoid structure, and the different rotamers observed to be the result of steric factors and of the interaction of the counterion with either B-H groups and/or ancillary ligands. The rotamer adopted is the one with the atoms holding the negative charges furthest apart.     

Determination of 31P,31P coupling constants in cyclotriphosphazenes and their influence on 1H and 13C NMR spectra of phosphorus substituents

¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of symmetrically substituted cyclotriphosphazenes exhibit second‐order effects. The influence of the ³¹P,³¹P coupling constants between ring phosphorus atoms on these effects was studied. Some values of this coupling constant between phosphorus bearing identical substituents were measured using ¹³C satellites of the ³¹P signals or by introduction of a chiral substituent on the third phosphorus atom. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.