N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Asymmetric C−O Bond Construction Between Benzoic Acid and o-Phthalaldehyde: Mechanism and Origin of Stereoselectivity

A computational study was contributed to explore the origin of stereoselectivity of NHC-mediated cyclization reaction between benzoic acid and o-phthalaldehyde for asymmetric construction of phthalidyl ester. The most energetically favorable pathway mainly includes the following steps: (1) nucleophilic attack on carbonyl carbon of o-phthalaldehyde by catalyst NHC, (2) formation of Breslow intermediate, (3) oxidation by DQ, (4) asymmetric formation of dual C−O bonds, and (5) dissociation of catalyst with the product. The C−O bond formation was testified as the stereoselectivity-determining step, the R-configurational pathway is more energetically favorable than the S-configurational one. The non-covalent interaction (NCI) and atom-in-molecule (AIM) analyses were performed to reveal that the O−H ⋅⋅⋅ O and C−H ⋅⋅⋅ O hydrogen-bond interactions are the key factors for controlling the stereoselectivity. The detailed mechanism and origin of stereoselectivity give useful insights for understanding organocatalytic reactions for asymmetric construction of C−O bond.     

Directing Foldamer Self-Assembly with a Cyclopropanoyl Cap

The rational design of self-assembling organic materials is extremely challenging due to the difficulty in precisely predicting solid-state architectures from first principles, especially if synthons are conformationally flexible. A tractable model system to study self-assembly was constructed by appending cyclopropanoyl caps to the N termini of helical α/β-peptide foldamers, designed to form both N−H⋅⋅⋅O and C^α−H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonds, which then rapidly self-assembled to form foldectures (foldamer architectures). Through a combined analytical and computational investigation, cyclopropanoyl capping was observed to markedly enhance self-assembly in recalcitrant substrates and direct the formation of a single intermolecular N−H⋅⋅⋅O/C^α−H⋅⋅⋅O bonding motif in single crystals, regardless of peptide sequence or foldamer conformation. In contrast to previous studies, foldamer constituents of single crystals and foldectures assumed different secondary structures and different molecular packing modes, despite a conserved N−H⋅⋅⋅O/C^α−H⋅⋅⋅O bonding motif. DFT calculations validated the experimental results by showing that the N−H⋅⋅⋅O/C^α−H⋅⋅⋅O interaction created by the cap was sufficiently attractive to influence self-assembly. This versatile strategy to harness secondary noncovalent interactions in the rational design of self-assembling organic materials will allow for the exploration of new substrates and speed up the development of novel applications within this increasingly important class of materials.     

Exchanged Metal-Hydrogen Anagostic Bonds and Resonance of Dithiocarbamate and Thioureide Mesomers**

The pressure-induced transformation of plane-square complex nickel(II) bis(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate) between its soft dithiocarbamate (form I) and thioureide (form II) mesomeres is coupled to the interchange of anagostic Ni⋅⋅⋅H−C interactions from methylene to the methyl group, respectively. At 1.23 GPa, the clearly visible giant anomalous compressibility of the crystal reveals a potential-energy difference of 5.4 kJ mol⁻¹ between the two complex forms. The structural and spectroscopic results, which are supported by quantum-mechanical calculations, connect this solid-state phase transition with the mesomeric transition, and this is accompanied by the conformational transformation of anagostic Ni⋅⋅⋅H−C rearrangement and formation of the charge-assisted S⁻⋅⋅⋅H−C bond under pressure.     

Crystal‐Packing‐Driven Enrichment of Atropoisomers

Crystal‐packing forces can have a significant impact on the relative stabilities of different molecules and their conformations. The magnitude of such effects is, however, not yet well understood. Herein we show, that crystal packing can completely overrule the relative stabilities of different stereoisomers in solution. Heating of atropoisomers (i.e. “frozen‐out” conformational isomers) in solution leads to complex mixtures. In contrast, solid‐state heating selectively amplifies minor (<25 mole %) components of these solution‐phase mixtures. We show that this heating strategy is successful for compounds with up to four rotationally hindered σ bonds, for which a single stereoisomer out of seven can be amplified selectively. Our results demonstrate that common supramolecular interactions—for example, [methyl⋅⋅⋅π] coordination and [C−H⋅⋅⋅O] hydrogen bonding—can readily invert the relative thermodynamic stabilities of different molecular conformations. These findings open up potential new avenues to control the folding of macromolecules.     

Structures and Reactivities of Cocrystals Involving Diboronic Acids and Bipyridines: In Situ Linker Reaction and 1D-to-2D Dimensionality Change via Crystal-to-Crystal Photodimerization

Cocrystallizations of diboronic acids [1,3-benzenediboronic acid (1,3-bdba), 1,4-benzenediboronic acid (1,4-bdba) and 4,4’-biphenyldiboronic acid (4,4’-bphdba)] and bipyridines [1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpe) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpeta)] generated the hydrogen-bonded 1 : 2 cocrystals [(1,4-bdba)(bpe)₂] (1), [(1,4-bdba)(bpeta)₂] (2), [(1,3-bdba)(bpe)₂(H₂O)₂] (3) and [(1,3-bdba)(bpeta)₂(H₂O)] (4), wherein 1,3-bdba involved hydrated assemblies. The linear extended 4,4’-bphdba exhibited the formation of 1 : 1 cocrystals [(4,4'-bphdba)(bpe)] (5) and [(4,4'-bphdba-me)(bpeta)] (6). For 6, a hemiester was generated by an in-situ linker transformation. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed all structures to be sustained by B(O)−H⋅⋅⋅N, B(O)−H⋅⋅⋅O, O_w−H⋅⋅⋅O, O_w−H⋅⋅⋅N, C−H⋅⋅⋅O, C−H⋅⋅⋅N, π⋅⋅⋅π, and C−H⋅⋅⋅π interactions. The cocrystals comprise 1D, 2D, and 3D hydrogen-bonded frameworks with components that display reactivities upon cocrystal formation and within the solids. In 1 and 3, the C=C bonds of the bpe molecules undergo a [2+2] photodimerization. UV radiation of each compound resulted in quantitative conversion of bpe into cyclobutane tpcb. The reactivity involving 1 occurred via 1D-to-2D single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation. Our work supports the feasibility of the diboronic acids as formidable structural and reactivity building blocks for cocrystal construction.     

Spectroscopic and Crystallographic Characterization of the R3N+−C−H⋅⋅⋅X Interaction

As appreciation for nonclassical hydrogen bonds has progressively increased, so have efforts to characterize these interesting interactions. Whereas several kinds of C−H hydrogen bonds have been well-studied, much less is known about the R₃N⁺−C−H⋅⋅⋅X variety. Herein, we present crystallographic and spectroscopic evidence for the existence of these interactions, with special relevance to Selectfluor chemistry. Of particular note is the propensity for Lewis bases to engage in nonclassical hydrogen bonding over halogen bonding with the electrophilic F atom of Selectfluor. Further, the first examples of ¹H NMR experiments detailing R₃N⁺−C−H⋅⋅⋅X (X=O, N) hydrogen bonds are described.     

Organotin‐Drug Interactions. Organotin Adducts of Tenoxicam: Synthesis and Characterization of the First Organotin Complex of Tenoxicam

The synthesis and spectral characterization of the novel organotin complexes [SnBu₂(ten)] ( 1 ) and [SnBu₂(Hten)₂] ( 2 ) of the potent and widely used anti‐inflammatory drug tenoxicam (H₂ten) are reported. A crystal‐structure determination of 1 showed that, in this complex, the ligand is doubly deprotonated at the hydroxy O‐atom and the amide N‐atom and is coordinated to the SnBu₂ fragment via four‐ and six‐membered chelate rings. An extended network of Sn−O−Sn, C−H⋅⋅⋅O and C−H⋅⋅⋅π contacts lead to aggregation and a supramolecular assembly. Potentiometric titrations in nonaqueous solutions support the ionization of the drug by removal of the second H‐atom, the amide H‐atom, in the presence of the diorganotin(IV) fragment. The K_a values of the poorly H₂O‐soluble drug tenoxicam were obtained spectrophotometrically in aqueous solutions of constant ionic strength.     

Diaminomethylenemalononitrile as a Chiral Single Hydrogen Bond Catalyst: Application to Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of α-Branched Aldehydes

An improved diaminomethylenemalononitrile organocatalyst, bearing a N,N-disubstituted structure, promoted enantioselective conjugate addition reaction of α-branched aldehydes with vinyl sulfone, affording adducts with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 96% ee). Mechanistic studies revealed that the diaminomethylenemalononitrile motif holds the vinyl sulfone substrate using a single hydrogen bond accompanied by multiple weak interactions, including electrostatic C−H⋅⋅⋅O interactions.     

Discrete π Stack of a Tweezer-Shaped Naphthalenediimide–Anthracene Conjugate

The design and synthesis of a tweezer-shaped naphthalenediimide (NDI)–anthracene conjugate ( 2NDI ) are reported. In the structure of the closed form (π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI stack) of 2NDI , which was elucidated by single-crystal XRD, the existence of C−H ⋅⋅⋅ O hydrogen bonding involving the nearest carbonyl oxygen atom of an NDI unit was suggested. The tunability of π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interactions was studied by means of UV/Vis absorption, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. This revealed that the π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interactions in 2NDI affect the absorption and emission properties depending on the temperature. Furthermore, in polar solvents, 2NDI prefers the stronger π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI stack, whereas the π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interaction is diminished in nonpolar solvents. Importantly, the conformational variations of 2NDI can be reversibly switched by variation in temperature, and this suggests potential application for fluorogenic molecular switches upon temperature changes.     

An Experimental Exploration of C−H⋅⋅⋅X Hydrogen Bond in [CHCl3−X(CH3)2] Complexes (X=O,S, and Se)

Among the conglomeration of hydrogen bond donors, the C−H group is prevalent in chemistry and biology. In the present work, CHCl₃ has been selected as the hydrogen bond donor and are X(CH₃)₂ are the hydrogen bond acceptors. Formation of C−H⋅⋅⋅X hydrogen bond under the matrix isolation condition is confirmed by the observation of red-shift in the C−H stretching frequency of CHCl₃ and comparison with the simulated spectra. Stabilisation energy of all the three complexes is almost equal although the observed red-shift for the C−H⋅⋅⋅O complex is less compared to the C−H⋅⋅⋅S/Se complexes. The nature and origin of the hydrogen bond have been delineated using Natural Bond Orbital, Atoms in Molecules, Non-Covalent Interaction analyses, and Energy Decomposition Analysis. Charge transfer is found to be proportional to the observed red-shift. This work provides the first impression of C−H⋅⋅⋅Se hydrogen bond and its comparison with C−H⋅⋅⋅O/S hydrogen bond interaction under experimental condition.     

The Shape of the Simplest Non-proteinogenic Amino Acid α-Aminoisobutyric Acid (Aib)

The simplest non-proteinogenic amino acid α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), an analogue of glycine and alanine, has been vaporized by laser ablation and probed by high-resolution Fourier transform microwave spectroscopic techniques. Comparison of the experimental rotational and ¹⁴N nuclear quadrupole constants with that predicted ab initio has allowed the identification of three conformers of Aib exhibiting three types of hydrogen-bond interactions I (NH⋅⋅⋅O=C, cis-COOH), II (OH⋅⋅⋅N, trans-COOH), and III (N−H⋅⋅⋅O−H, cis-COOH) within the amino acid backbone. The observation of conformer III, not detected previously for related proteinogenic amino acids with a nonpolar side chain in a supersonic expansion, indicates that the presence of the methyl groups should restrict the conformational relaxation from conformer Aib-III to Aib-I. For conformer Aib-II, the rotational spectra of the ¹³C isotopomers reveal a tunneling motion arising from the two equivalent methyl groups in the molecule. The observation of a single spectrum at the midpoint between those predicted for the two ¹³C of the methyl groups has been explained by considering a double-minimum potential function with a low-energy interconversion barrier for a large amplitude internal motion. This singular fact has been corroborated by the anomalous centrifugal distortion effects determined in conformer Aib-II.     

Competition Between Intra- and Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding: o-Anisic Acid⋅⋅⋅Formic Acid Heterodimer

Four conformers of the heterodimer o-anisic acid–formic acid, formed in a supersonic expansion, have been probed by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Two of these forms have the typical double intermolecular hydrogen-bond cyclic structure. The other two show the o-anisic acid moiety bearing a trans-COOH arrangement supported by an intramolecular O−H⋅⋅⋅O bond to the neighbor methoxy group. In these conformers, formic acid interacts with o-anisic acid mainly through an intermolecular O−H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bond either to the O−H or to the C=O moieties, reinforced by other weak interactions. Surprisingly, the most abundant conformer in the supersonic expansion is the complex in which the o-anisic acid is in trans arrangement with the formic acid interacting with the O−H group. Such a trans-COOH arrangement in which the intramolecular hydrogen bond dominates over the usually observed double intermolecular hydrogen bond interaction has never been observed previously in an acid–acid dimer.     

Manganese(III) Formate: A Three-Dimensional Framework That Traps Carbon Dioxide Molecules

Carbon dioxide, formic acid, and water molecules are trapped in the crystal lattice of manganese(III ) formate (see 1 ), which was obtained by reducing permanganate with formic acid. Each CO₂ guest molecule exhibits four C−H⋅⋅⋅O−C−O interactions with the three-dimensional host framework of Mn(HCOO)₃ units. Compound 1 undergoes an antiferromagnetic phase transition at 27 K.     

Crystal and molecular structures of atropisomeric N‐aryl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,4‐quinolinediones

The crystal structures of N‐aryl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,4‐quinolinediones bearing methoxy‐ ( 1 ), methyl‐ ( 2 ), and chloro‐ ( 3 ) substituents in 2′‐position of the phenyl ring have been determined by X‐ray crystal structure analysis. The heterocyclic ring in 1–3 adopts an envelope conformation, with the smallest ring puckering in the ortho‐chloro derivative 3 . The N‐aryl ring is almost perpendicular with respect to the quinoline‐2,4‐dione ring. The corresponding dihedral angle values are 83.2(1)°, 80.0(9)°, and 83.4(2)° in 1, 2 and 3 , respectively. The hydrogen bond of C H⋅⋅⋅O type joins the molecules of the ortho‐methoxy derivative 1 into dimers. The supramolecular structure also contains two C H⋅⋅⋅π interactions that link the hydrogen‐bonded dimers into sheets. In ortho‐methyl derivative 2 , one C H⋅⋅⋅π interaction generates infinite chains, whereas two C H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonds and three C H⋅⋅⋅π interactions in the ortho‐chloro derivative 3 form three‐dimensional framework. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:325–331, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20436     

Sapphyrin Supramolecules through C−H⋅⋅⋅S and C−H⋅⋅⋅Se Hydrogen Bonds—First Structural Characterization of meso- Arylsapphyrins Bearing Heteroatoms

An unprecedented coupling reaction of heteroatom-containing tripyrranes leads to the formation of core-modified sapphyrins 1 and 2 , which self-assemble in the solid state to form supramolecular ladders. Weak C−H⋅⋅⋅S and C−H⋅⋅⋅Se hydrogen-bonding interactions in addition to C−H⋅⋅⋅N hydrogen bonds are responsible for the observed structures.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of 4,5‐Diethylidene‐Oxazolidinones as New Dienes in Diels‐Alder Reactions

The N‐substituted isomeric (4Z,5Z)‐ and (4E,5Z)‐4,5‐diethylideneoxazolidin‐2‐ones 5 and 6 were synthesized, the latter being favored during the one‐step process from the α‐diketone 1c and different isocyanates. The steric interaction between the N‐substituent and the Me group attached to the exocyclic diene moiety plays a decisive role in controlling the observed stereoselectivity, as suggested by the calculated free energies of the two isomers. Both dienes undergo efficient additions to symmetric dienophiles in thermal Diels‐Alder reactions to yield the adducts 11 and 13 , respectively. These molecules displayed interesting C−H⋅⋅⋅π, and C−H⋅⋅⋅X (X=O, Cl) interactions according to their X‐ray crystal structures. Isomers 6 suffered highly stereo‐ and regioselective additions with nonsymmetrical dienophiles such as methyl vinyl ketone or methyl propiolate. Steric interactions, promoted by the inward‐pointing Me group in 6 , seem to explain such selectivity. These results have also been rationalized by ab initio calculations in terms of the FMO theory.     

Crystal-Packing-Driven Enrichment of Atropoisomers

Crystal-packing forces can have a significant impact on the relative stabilities of different molecules and their conformations. The magnitude of such effects is, however, not yet well understood. Herein we show, that crystal packing can completely overrule the relative stabilities of different stereoisomers in solution. Heating of atropoisomers (i.e. “frozen-out” conformational isomers) in solution leads to complex mixtures. In contrast, solid-state heating selectively amplifies minor (<25 mole %) components of these solution-phase mixtures. We show that this heating strategy is successful for compounds with up to four rotationally hindered σ bonds, for which a single stereoisomer out of seven can be amplified selectively. Our results demonstrate that common supramolecular interactions—for example, [methyl⋅⋅⋅π] coordination and [C−H⋅⋅⋅O] hydrogen bonding—can readily invert the relative thermodynamic stabilities of different molecular conformations. These findings open up potential new avenues to control the folding of macromolecules.     

Halogen-Bonded Assemblies of Arylene Imides and Diimides: Insight from Electronic,Structural, and Computational Studies

Halogen-bonding interactions in electron-deficient π scaffolds have largely been underexplored. Herein, the halogen-bonding properties of arylene imide/diimide-based electron-deficient scaffolds were studied. The influence of scaffold size, from small (phthalimide) to moderately sized (pyromellitic diimide or naphthalenediimides) to large (perylenediimide), axial-group modification, and number of halo substituents on the halogen bonding and its self-assembly was probed in a set of nine compounds. The structural modification leads to tunable optical and redox properties. The first reduction potential ranges between −1.09 and −0.17 V (vs. SCE). Two of the compounds, that is, 6 and 9 , have deep-lying LUMOs with values reaching −4.2 eV. Single crystals of all nine systems were obtained, which showed Br ⋅⋅⋅ O, Br ⋅⋅⋅ Br, or Br ⋅⋅⋅ π halogen-bonding interactions, and a few systems are capable of forming all three types. These interactions lead to halogen-bonded rings (up to 12-membered), which propagate to form stacked 1D, 2D, or corrugated sheets. A few outliers were also identified, for example, molecules that prefer C−H ⋅⋅⋅ O hydrogen bonding over halogen bonding, or noncentrosymmetric rather than centrosymmetric organization. Computational studies based on Atoms in Molecules and Natural Bond Orbital analysis provided further insight into the halogen-bonding interactions. This study can lead to a predictive design tool-box to further explore related systems on surfaces reinforced by these weak directional forces.     

Anion-Anion Complexes Established between Aspartate Dimers

Stable dimers aspartate-aspartate have been studied in aqueous and gas phase through theoretical simulations. The polarizable continuum model (PCM) has been applied to simulate the effect of the hydration on monomers and complexes. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and the interacting quantum atoms (IQA) scheme has been used to inquire into if, in the aqueous phase, individual hydrogen bonds have attractive electrostatic components. In all cases a spontaneous formation of the complexes in the aqueous phase are observed, while in the gas phase a considerable energy barrier must be overcome (between 100.8 to 263.2 kJ mol⁻¹). The intermolecular distance at which this barrier is indicates when the hydrogen-bond interactions begin to take importance between the dimers and the corresponding molecular recognition among them. The IQA analysis shows that in aqueous phase, the hydrogen bonds N−H⋅⋅⋅O are mainly electrostatic in nature with a certain covalent character which increases linearly with the decrease of internuclear distances H⋅⋅⋅O. The H⋅⋅⋅H interactions observed are stabilizing and they are mainly quantum in nature.     

Click Chemistry Derived Pyridazines: Electron‐Deficient Building Blocks with Defined Conformation and Packing Structure

A series of 3,6‐bis(4‐triazolyl)pyridazines equipped with terminal phenyl substituents with varying degree of fluorination were synthesized by using the facile copper‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition and their structures were thoroughly investigated in the gas phase, in solution, and in the solid state by employing DFT calculations, NMR spectroscopy, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, respectively. On the molecular level, their structure is governed by the strong preference of the triazole‐pyridazine linkages for the anti ‐conformation. The supramolecular organization of the molecules in the crystalline solid is controlled by π‐stacking, C−H⋅⋅⋅π as well as C−F⋅⋅⋅H interactions. The latter can conveniently be tuned by the number and position of fluorine substituents in the terminal phenyl units, giving rise to either herringbone‐like, 1D or 2D lamellar packing. Electrochemistry and optical spectroscopy of all compounds suggest that they might find use as electron‐transporting/hole‐blocking materials in organic electronics.