The nido‐Cage⋅⋅⋅π Bond: A Non‐covalent Interaction between Boron Clusters and Aromatic Rings and Its Applications

Non‐covalent interactions involving multicenter multielectron skeletons such as boron clusters are rare. Now, a non‐covalent interaction, the nido‐cage???π bond, is discovered based on the boron cluster C₂B₉H₁₂^? and an aromatic π system. The X‐ray diffraction studies indicate that the nido‐cage???π bonding presents parallel‐displaced or T‐shaped geometries. The contacting distance between cage and π ring varies with the type and the substituent of the aromatic ring. Theoretical calculations reveal that this nido‐cage???π bond shares a similar nature to the conventional anion???π or π???π bonds found in classical aromatic ring systems. This nido‐cage???π interaction induces variable photophysical properties such as aggregation‐induced emission and aggregation‐caused quenching in one molecule. This work offers an overall understanding towards the boron cluster‐based non‐covalent bond and opens a door to investigate its properties.     

Influence of the Li⋅⋅⋅π Interaction on the H/X⋅⋅⋅π Interactions in HOLi⋅⋅⋅C6H6⋅⋅⋅HOX/XOH (X=F,Cl, Br,I) Complexes

The influences of the Li???π interaction of C₆H₆???LiOH on the H???π interaction of C₆H₆???HOX (X=F, Cl, Br, I) and the X???π interaction of C₆H₆???XOH (X=Cl, Br, I) are investigated by means of full electronic second‐order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory calculations and “quantum theory of atoms in molecules” (QTAIM) studies. The binding energies, binding distances, infrared vibrational frequencies, and electron densities at the bond critical points (BCPs) of the hydrogen bonds and halogen bonds prove that the addition of the Li???π interaction to benzene weakens the H???π and X???π interactions. The influences of the Li???π interaction on H???π interactions are greater than those on X???π interactions; the influences of the H???π interactions on the Li???π interaction are greater than X???π interactions on Li???π interaction. The greater the influence of Li???π interaction on H/X???π interactions, the greater the influences of H/X???π interactions on Li???π interaction. QTAIM studies show that the intermolecular interactions of C₆H₆???HOX and C₆H₆???XOH are mainly of the π type. The electron densities at the BCPs of hydrogen bonds and halogen bonds decrease on going from bimolecular complexes to termolecular complexes, and the π‐electron densities at the BCPs show the same pattern. Natural bond orbital analyses show that the Li???π interaction reduces electron transfer from C₆H₆ to HOX and XOH.     

OH⋅⋅⋅N and CH⋅⋅⋅O Hydrogen Bonds Control Hydration of Pivotal Tropane Alkaloids: Tropinone⋅⋅⋅H2O Complex

The effect of monohydration in equatorial/axial isomerism of the common motif of tropane alkaloids is investigated in a supersonic expansion by using Fourier‐transform microwave spectroscopy. The rotational spectrum reveals the equatorial isomer as the dominant species in the tropinone???H₂O complex. The monohydrated complex is stabilized primarily by a moderate O?H???N hydrogen bond. In addition, two C?H???O weak hydrogen bonds also support this structure, blocking the water molecule and avoiding any molecular dynamics in the complex. The water molecule acts as proton donor and chooses the ternary amine group over the carbonyl group as a proton acceptor. The experimental work is supported by theoretical calculations; the accuracy of the B3LYP, M06‐2X, and MP2 methods is also discussed.     

Probing the CH⋅⋅⋅π Weak Hydrogen Bond in Anesthetic Binding: The Sevoflurane–Benzene Cluster

Cooperativity between weak hydrogen bonds can be revealed in molecular clusters isolated in the gas phase. Here we examine the structure, internal dynamics, and origin of the weak intermolecular forces between sevoflurane and a benzene molecule, using multi‐isotopic broadband rotational spectra. This heterodimer is held together by a primary C? H???π hydrogen bond, assisted by multiple weak C? H???F interactions. The multiple nonbonding forces hinder the internal rotation of benzene around the isopropyl C? H bond in sevoflurane, producing detectable quantum tunneling effects in the rotational spectrum.     

A Crystallographic Charge Density Study of the Partial Covalent Nature of Strong N⋅⋅⋅Br Halogen Bonds

The covalent nature of strong N?Br???N halogen bonds in a cocrystal ( 2 ) of N‐bromosuccinimide ( NBS ) with 3,5‐dimethylpyridine ( lut ) was determined from X‐ray charge density studies and compared to a weak N?Br???O halogen bond in pure crystalline NBS ( 1 ) and a covalent bond in bis(3‐methylpyridine)bromonium cation (in its perchlorate salt ( 3 ). In 2 , the donor N?Br bond is elongated by 0.0954 Å, while the Br???acceptor distance of 2.3194(4) is 1.08 Å shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii. A maximum electron density of 0.38 e Å^?3 along the Br???N halogen bond indicates a considerable covalent contribution to the total interaction. This value is intermediate to 0.067 e Å^?3 for the Br???O contact in 1 , and approximately 0.7 e Å^?3 in both N?Br bonds of the bromonium cation in 3 . A calculation of the natural bond order charges of the contact atoms, and the σ*(N1?Br) population of NBS as a function of distance between NBS and lut , have shown that charge transfer becomes significant at a Br???N distance below about 3 Å.     

Interplay between Metal⋅⋅⋅π Interactions and Hydrogen Bonds: Some Unusual Synergetic Effects of Coinage Metals and Substituents

The ternary systems of C₂H₄ (C₂H₂ or C₆H₆)‐MCN‐HF (M=Cu, Ag, Au) and the respective binary systems were investigated to study the interplay between metal???π interactions and hydrogen bonds. The metal???π interactions in C₂H₄‐MCN become stronger with the irregular order Ag<Cu<Au, while the hydrogen bonds in MCN‐HF become weaker following the same order. The metal???π interactions are weakened as the H atoms in the π system are replaced with electron‐withdrawing groups and enhanced by electron‐donating groups. Type 1 of these ternary systems, in which MCN acts as Lewis base and acid simultaneously, is more stable than type 2, in which C₂H₄ acts as a double Lewis base. Negative cooperativity is present in type 2 ternary systems with a weakening of the metal???π interactions and the hydrogen bonds. Positive cooperativity is found in type 1 ternary systems with an enhancement of the metal???π interactions and the hydrogen bonds, except for C₂(CN)₄‐AuCN‐HF‐1. The weaker metal???π interaction in C₆H₆‐AuCN has a greater enhancing effect on the hydrogen bond in AuCN‐HF than those in C₂H₄‐AuCN and C₂H₂‐AuCN. These synergetic effects were analyzed with the natural bond orbital and energy decomposition.     

Structure of Amido Pyridinium Betaines: Persistent Intermolecular C−H⋅⋅⋅N Hydrogen Bonding in Solution

A hydrogen bond of the type C?H???X (X=O or N) is known to influence the structure and function of chemical and biological systems in solution. C?H???O hydrogen bonding in solution has been extensively studied, both experimentally and computationally, whereas the equivalent thermodynamic parameters have not been enumerated experimentally for C?H???N hydrogen bonds. This is, in part, due to the lack of systems that exhibit persistent C?H???N hydrogen bonds in solution. Herein, a class of molecule based on a biologically active norharman motif that exhibits unsupported intermolecular C?H???N hydrogen bonds in solution has been described. A pairwise interaction leads to dimerisation to give bond strengths of about 7 kJ mol^?1 per hydrogen bond, which is similar to chemically and biologically relevant C?H???O hydrogen bonding. The experimental data is supported by computational work, which provides additional insight into the hydrogen bonding by consideration of electrostatic and orbital interactions and allowed a comparison between calculated and extrapolated NMR chemical shifts.     

Cooperativity between the Halogen Bond and the Hydrogen Bond in H3N⋅⋅⋅XY⋅⋅⋅HF Complexes (X,Y=F,Cl, Br)

Ab initio calculations are used to provide information on H₃N???XY???HF triads (X, Y=F, Cl, Br) each having a halogen bond and a hydrogen bond. The investigated triads include H₃N???Br₂‐HF, H₃N???Cl₂???HF, H₃N???BrCI???HF, H₃N???BrF???HF, and H₃N???ClF???HF. To understand the properties of the systems better, the corresponding dyads are also investigated. Molecular geometries, binding energies, and infrared spectra of monomers, dyads, and triads are studied at the MP2 level of theory with the 6‐311++G(d,p) basis set. Because the primary aim of this study is to examine cooperative effects, particular attention is given to parameters such as cooperative energies, many‐body interaction energies, and cooperativity factors. The cooperative energy ranges from ?1.45 to ?4.64 kcal mol^?1, the three‐body interaction energy from ?2.17 to ?6.71 kcal mol^?1, and the cooperativity factor from 1.27 to 4.35. These results indicate significant cooperativity between the halogen and hydrogen bonds in these complexes. This cooperativity is much greater than that between hydrogen bonds. The effect of a halogen bond on a hydrogen bond is more pronounced than that of a hydrogen bond on a halogen bond.     

Torsional and Electronic Factors Control the C−H⋅⋅⋅O Interaction

The precise role of non‐conventional hydrogen bonds such as the C?H???O interaction in influencing the conformation of small molecules remains unresolved. Here we survey a series of β‐turn mimetics using X‐ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with quantum calculation, and conclude that favourable torsional and electronic effects are important for the population of states with conformationally influential C?H???O interactions. Our results also highlight the challenge in attempting to deconvolute a myriad of interdependent noncovalent interactions in order to focus on the contribution of a single one. Within a small molecule that is designed to resemble the complexity of the environment within peptides and proteins, the interplay of different steric burdens, hydrogen‐acceptor/‐donor properties and rotational profiles illustrate why unambiguous conclusions based solely on NMR chemical shift data are extremely challenging to rationalize.     

Exploring the (Very Flat) Potential Energy Landscape of R−Br⋅⋅⋅π Interactions with Accurate CCSD(T) and SAPT Techniques

Halogen bonds involving an aromatic moiety as an acceptor, otherwise known as R?X???π interactions, have increasingly been recognized as being important in materials and in protein–ligand complexes. These types of interactions have been the subject of many recent investigations, but little is known about the ways in which the strengths of R?X???π interactions vary as a function of the relative geometries of the interacting pairs. Here we use the accurate CCSD(T) and SAPT2+3δMP2 methods to investigate the potential energy landscapes for systems of HBr, HCCBr, and NCBr complexed with benzene. It is found that only the separation between the complexed molecules have a strong effect on interaction strength while other geometric parameters, such as tilting and shifting R?Br???π donor relative to the benzene plane, affect these interactions only mildly. Importantly, it is found that the C_6v (T‐shaped) configuration is not the global minimum for any of the dimers investigated.     

Catalysis Based on C−I⋅⋅⋅π Halogen Bonds: Electrophilic Activation of 2‐Alkenylindoles by Cationic Halogen‐Bond Donors for [4+2] Cycloadditions

Homo‐ and cross‐[4+2] cycloadditions of 2‐alkenylindoles, catalyzed by cationic halogen‐bond donors, were developed. Under mild reaction conditions, 3‐indolyl‐substituted tetrahydrocarbazole derivatives were obtained in good to excellent yields. Experimental and quantum calculation studies revealed that the electrophilic activation of 2‐alkenylindoles was achieved by C?I???π halogen bonds.     

Boron as an Electron‐Pair Donor for B⋅⋅⋅Cl Halogen Bonds

MP2/aug′‐cc‐pVTZ calculations were performed to investigate boron as an electron‐pair donor in halogen‐bonded complexes (CO)₂(HB):ClX and (N₂)₂(HB):ClX, for X=F, Cl, OH, NC, CN, CCH, CH₃, and H. Equilibrium halogen‐bonded complexes with boron as the electron‐pair donor are found on all of the potential surfaces, except for (CO)₂(HB):ClCH₃ and (N₂)₂(HB):ClF. The majority of these complexes are stabilized by traditional halogen bonds, except for (CO)₂(HB):ClF, (CO)₂(HB):ClCl, (N₂)₂(HB):ClCl, and (N₂)₂(HB):ClOH, which are stabilized by chlorine‐shared halogen bonds. These complexes have increased binding energies and shorter B?Cl distances. Charge transfer stabilizes all complexes and occurs from the B lone pair to the σ* Cl?A orbital of ClX, in which A is the atom of X directly bonded to Cl. A second reduced charge‐transfer interaction occurs in (CO)₂(HB):ClX complexes from the Cl lone pair to the π* C≡O orbitals. Equation‐of‐motion coupled cluster singles and doubles (EOM‐CCSD) spin–spin coupling constants, ^1xJ(B‐Cl), across the halogen bonds are also indicative of the changing nature of this bond. ^1xJ(B‐Cl) values for both series of complexes are positive at long distances, increase as the distance decreases, and then decrease as the halogen bonds change from traditional to chlorine‐shared bonds, and begin to approach the values for the covalent bonds in the corresponding ions [(CO)₂(HB)?Cl]⁺ and [(N₂)₂(HB)?Cl]⁺. Changes in ¹¹B chemical shieldings upon complexation correlate with changes in the charges on B.     

Theoretical Investigation on the Effect of Different Nitrogen Donors on Intramolecular Se⋅⋅⋅N Interactions

The effect of different donor nitrogen atoms on the strength and nature of intramolecular Se ??? N interactions is evaluated for organoselenium compounds having N,N‐dimethylaminomethyl (dime), oxazoline (oxa) and pyridyl (py) substituents. Quantum chemical calculations on three series of compounds [2‐(dime)C₆H₄SeX ( 1 a – g ), 2‐(oxa)C₆H₄SeX ( 2 a – g ), 2‐(py)C₆H₄SeX ( 3 a – g ); X=Cl, Br, OH, CN, SPh, SePh, CH₃] at the B3LYP/6‐31G(d) level show that the stability of different conformers depends on the strength of intramolecular nonbonded Se ??? N interactions. Natural bond orbital (NBO), NBO deletion and atoms in molecules (AIM) analyses suggest that the nature of the Se ??? N interaction is predominantly covalent and involves nN→σ*_{Se? X} orbital interaction. In the three series of compounds, the strength of the Se ??? N interaction decreases in the order 3 > 2 > 1 for a particular X, and it decreases in the order Cl>Br>OH>SPh≈CN≈SePh>CH₃ for all the three series 1 – 3 . However, further analyses suggest that the differences in strength of Se ??? N interaction in 1 – 3 is predominantly determined by the distance between the Se and N atoms, which in turn is an outcome of specific structures of 1 , 2 and 3 , and the nature of the donor nitrogen atoms involved has very little effect on the strength of Se ??? N interaction. It is also observed that Se ??? N interaction becomes stronger in polar solvents such as CHCl₃, as indicated by the shorter r_{Se ??? N} and higher E_{Se ??? N} values in CHCl₃ compared to those observed in the gas phase.     

Search for a Strong,Virtually “No‐Shift” Hydrogen Bond: A Cage Molecule with an Exceptional OH⋅⋅⋅F Interaction

Reported herein is the synthesis of a molecule containing an unusually strong hydrogen bond between an OH donor and a covalent F acceptor, a heretofore somewhat ill‐defined if not controversial interaction. This unique hydrogen bond is to a large extent a product of the tight framework of the rigid caged system. Remarkably, the interaction shows little to no perceptible shift in the OH stretch of the IR spectrum relative to appropriate nonhydrogen‐bound standards in fairly non‐interactive solvents. This fascinating example of what has been termed a virtual “no‐shift” hydrogen bond is investigated through NMR (coupling constants, isotopic chemical shift perturbations, proton exchange rates) and IR studies which all tell a consistent story.     

Search for a Strong,Virtually “No‐Shift” Hydrogen Bond: A Cage Molecule with an Exceptional OH⋅⋅⋅F Interaction

Reported herein is the synthesis of a molecule containing an unusually strong hydrogen bond between an OH donor and a covalent F acceptor, a heretofore somewhat ill‐defined if not controversial interaction. This unique hydrogen bond is to a large extent a product of the tight framework of the rigid caged system. Remarkably, the interaction shows little to no perceptible shift in the OH stretch of the IR spectrum relative to appropriate nonhydrogen‐bound standards in fairly non‐interactive solvents. This fascinating example of what has been termed a virtual “no‐shift” hydrogen bond is investigated through NMR (coupling constants, isotopic chemical shift perturbations, proton exchange rates) and IR studies which all tell a consistent story.     

Strong N−X⋅⋅⋅O−N Halogen Bonds: A Comprehensive Study on N‐Halosaccharin Pyridine N‐Oxide Complexes

A study of the strong N?X???^?O?N⁺ (X=I, Br) halogen bonding interactions reports 2×27 donor×acceptor complexes of N‐halosaccharins and pyridine N‐oxides (PyNO). DFT calculations were used to investigate the X???O halogen bond (XB) interaction energies in 54 complexes. A simplified computationally fast electrostatic model was developed for predicting the X???O XBs. The XB interaction energies vary from ?47.5 to ?120.3 kJ mol^?1; the strongest N?I???^?O?N⁺ XBs approaching those of 3‐center‐4‐electron [N?I?N]⁺ halogen‐bonded systems (ca. 160 kJ mol^?1). ¹H NMR association constants (K_XB) determined in CDCl₃ and [D₆]acetone vary from 2.0×10⁰ to >10⁸ m ^?1 and correlate well with the calculated donor×acceptor complexation enthalpies found between ?38.4 and ?77.5 kJ mol^?1. In X‐ray crystal structures, the N‐iodosaccharin‐PyNO complexes manifest short interaction ratios (R_XB) between 0.65–0.67 for the N?I???^?O?N⁺ halogen bond.     

Supramolecular Cl⋅⋅⋅H and O⋅⋅⋅H Interactions in Self‐Assembled 1,5‐Dichloroanthraquinone Layers on Au(111)

The role of halogen bonds in self‐assembled networks for systems with Br and I ligands has recently been studied with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), which provides physical insight at the atomic scale. Here, we study the supramolecular interactions of 1,5‐dichloroanthraquinone molecules on Au(111), including Cl ligands, by using STM. Two different molecular structures of chevron and square networks are observed, and their molecular models are proposed. Both molecular structures are stabilized by intermolecular Cl???H and O???H hydrogen bonds with marginal contributions from Cl‐related halogen bonds, as revealed by density functional theory calculations. Our study shows that, in contrast to Br‐ and I‐related halogen bonds, Cl‐related halogen bonds weakly contribute to the molecular structure due to a modest positive potential (σ hole) of the Cl ligands.     

The Cage Structure of IndanCHF3 is Based on the Cooperative Effects of CH⋅⋅⋅π and CH⋅⋅⋅F Weak Hydrogen Bonds

The structural and energetic features of the C?H???π interaction and the internal dynamics of the CHF₃ group change drastically in going from benzene?CHF₃ to indan?CHF₃, according to the analysis of the rotational spectrum of the latter complex generated in a supersonic expansion.