C?H/π‐Interaction‐Guided Self‐Assembly in π‐Conjugated Oligomers

We report CH/π hydrogen‐bond‐driven self‐assembly in π‐conjugated skeletons based on oligophenylenevinylenes (OPVs) and trace the origin of interactions at the molecular level by using single‐crystal structures. OPVs were designed with appropriate pendants in the aromatic core and varied by hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon tails along the molecular axis. The roles of aromatic π‐stack, van der Waals forces, fluorophobic effect and CH/π interactions were investigated on the theromotropic liquid crystallinity of OPV molecules. Single‐crystal structures of hydrocarbon OPVs provided direct evidence for the existence of CH/π interactions between the π‐ring (H‐bond acceptor) and alkyl C? H (H‐bond donor). The four important crystallographic parameters, d_c?x=3.79 Å, θ=21.49°, φ=150.25° and d_Hp?x=0.73 Å, matched in accordance with typical CH/π interactions. The CH/π interactions facilitate the close‐packing of mesogens in x–y planes, which were further protruded along the c axis producing a lamellar structure. In the absence of CH/π interactions, van der Waals interactions drove the assembly towards a Schlieren nematic texture. Fluorocarbon OPVs exhibited smectic liquid‐crystalline textures that further underwent Smectic A (SmA) to Smectic C (SmC) phase transitions with shrinkage up to 11 %. The orientation and translational ordering of mesogens in the liquid‐crystalline (LC) phases induced H‐ and J‐type molecular arrangements in fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon OPVs, respectively. Upon photoexcitation, the H‐ and J‐type molecular arrangements were found to emit a blue or yellowish/green colour. Time‐resolved fluorescence decay measurements confirmed longer lifetimes for H‐type smectic OPVs relative to that of loosely packed one‐dimensional nematic hydrocarbon‐tailed OPVs.     

π Aromaticity and Three‐Dimensional Aromaticity: Two sides of the Same Coin?

A bridge between classical organic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and closo borohydride clusters is established by showing that they share a common origin regulated by the number of valence electrons in an electronic confined space. Application of the proposed electronic confined space analogy (ECSA) method to archetypal PAHs leads to the conclusion that the 4n+2 Wade–Mingos rule for three‐dimensional closo boranes is equivalent to the (4n+2)π Hückel rule for two‐dimensional PAHs. More importantly, use of ECSA allows design of new interesting fused closo boranes which can be a source of inspiration for synthetic chemists.     

Orthoamides and Iminium Salts LXXII: N,N,N′,N′,N′′,N′′,N′′′,N′′′‐Octamethyl‐(but‐2‐yne)‐bis(amidinium) Tetrafluoroborate: The First Bis‐amidinium Salt of Acetylenedicarboxyclic Acid. A New Superelectrophile?

A method for the preparation of the first acetylenedicarboxamidinium salt from a bis‐orthoamide derivative of acetylenedicarboxyclic acid has been established. The salt reacted with cyclopentadiene and furan at room temperature to give bicyclic [4+2]‐cycloaddition products. The solid compounds were characterized by solution NMR spectroscopy and by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Quantum‐chemical calculations of the isolated N,N,N′,N′,N′′,N′′,N′′′,N′′′‐octamethyl‐acetylene‐bis(carboxamidinium) ion showed very good agreement with the spectroscopic and diffraction data.     

π Aromaticity and Three‐Dimensional Aromaticity: Two sides of the Same Coin?

A bridge between classical organic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and closo borohydride clusters is established by showing that they share a common origin regulated by the number of valence electrons in an electronic confined space. Application of the proposed electronic confined space analogy (ECSA) method to archetypal PAHs leads to the conclusion that the 4n+2 Wade–Mingos rule for three‐dimensional closo boranes is equivalent to the (4n+2)π Hückel rule for two‐dimensional PAHs. More importantly, use of ECSA allows design of new interesting fused closo boranes which can be a source of inspiration for synthetic chemists.     

Practical Metal‐Free C(sp3)?H Functionalization: Construction of Structurally Diverse α‐Substituted N‐Benzyl and N‐Allyl Carbamates

Described is a practical and universal C H functionalization of readily removable N‐benzyl and N‐allyl carbamates, with a wide range of nucleophiles at ambient temperature promoted by Ph₃CClO₄. The metal‐free reaction has an excellent functional‐group tolerance, and displays a broad scope with respect to both N‐carbamates and nucleophile partners (a variety of organoboranes and C H compounds). The synthetic utility in target‐ as well as diversity‐oriented syntheses is demonstrated.     

NMR: A good tool to ascertain σ-silane or σ-borane formulations?

NMR has played a major role in the characterization of dihydrogen complexes and a number of polyhydrides have been reformulated as dihydrogen complexes on the basis of NMR data. If dihydrogen complexes remain the most widely studied class of σ-complexes, silane compounds are also well recognized as an important family of σ-complexes and more recently a few σ-borane compounds have been isolated. One important problem is the discrimination between a σ-formulation and the corresponding hydrido(silyl) or hydrido(boryl) oxidative addition product. In this review we will discuss key literature data on silane and borane complexes to illustrate the benefit gained by using multinuclear NMR spectroscopy to better define the structures and bonding modes. Our goal is also to help the reader to appreciate the limits of the method and to provide valuable insights into the problem of secondary interactions.     

Is Cyclopropane Really the σ‐Aromatic Paradigm?

Dewar proposed the σ‐aromaticity concept to explain the seemingly anomalous energetic and magnetic behavior of cyclopropane in 1979. While a detailed, but indirect energetic evaluation in 1986 raised doubts—“There is no need to involve ‘σ‐aromaticity’,”—other analyses, also indirect, resulted in wide‐ranging estimates of the σ‐aromatic stabilization energy. Moreover, the aromatic character of “in‐plane”, “double”, and cyclically delocalized σ‐electron systems now seems well established in many types of molecules. Nevertheless, the most recent analysis of the magnetic properties of cyclopropane (S. Pelloni, P. Lazzeretti, R. Zanasi, J. Phys. Chem. A 2007 , 111, 8163–8169) challenged the existence of an induced σ‐ring current, and provided alternative explanations for the abnormal magnetic behavior. Likewise, the present study, which evaluates the σ‐aromatic stabilization of cyclopropane directly for the first time, fails to find evidence for a significant energetic effect. According to ab initio valence bond (VB) computations at the VBSCF/cc‐PVTZ level, the σ‐aromatic stabilization energy of cyclopropane is, at most, 3.5 kcal mol^?1 relative to propane, and is close to zero when n‐butane is used as reference. Trisilacyclopropane also has very little σ‐aromatic stabilization, compared to Si₃H₈ (6.3 kcal mol^?1) and Si₄H₁₀ (4.2 kcal mol^?1). Alternative interpretations of the energetic behavior of cyclopropane (and of cyclobutane, as well as their silicon counterparts) are supported.     

Can CH⋅⋅⋅π Interactions Be Used To Design Single‐Chain Magnets?

This theoretical study suggests that CH???π stacking interactions between monomeric units can be used to design novel single‐chain magnets (SCMs), as the sign of coupling is predictable and such chains inherently yield negative axial anisotropy, a condition often difficult to achieve in conventional SCMs.     

Ion‐Pairing of Phosphonium Salts in Solution: C?H⋅⋅⋅Halogen and C?H⋅⋅⋅π Hydrogen Bonds

The ¹H NMR chemical shifts of the C(α)? H protons of arylmethyl triphenylphosphonium ions in CD₂Cl₂ solution strongly depend on the counteranions X^?. The values for the benzhydryl derivatives Ph₂CH? PPh₃⁺ X^?, for example, range from δ_H=8.25 (X^?=Cl^?) over 6.23 (X^?=BF₄^?) to 5.72 ppm (X^?=BPh₄^?). Similar, albeit weaker, counterion‐induced shifts are observed for the ortho‐protons of all aryl groups. Concentration‐dependent NMR studies show that the large shifts result from the deshielding of the protons by the anions, which decreases in the order Cl^? > Br^? ? BF₄^? > SbF₆^?. For the less bulky derivatives PhCH₂? PPh₃⁺ X^?, we also find C? H???Ph interactions between C(α)? H and a phenyl group of the BPh₄^? anion, which result in upfield NMR chemical shifts of the C(α)? H protons. These interactions could also be observed in crystals of (p‐CF₃‐C₆H₄)CH₂? PPh₃⁺ BPh₄^?. However, the dominant effects causing the counterion‐induced shifts in the NMR spectra are the C? H???X^? hydrogen bonds between the phosphonium ion and anions, in particular Cl^? or Br^?. This observation contradicts earlier interpretations which assigned these shifts predominantly to the ring current of the BPh₄^? anions. The concentration dependence of the ¹H NMR chemical shifts allowed us to determine the dissociation constants of the phosphonium salts in CD₂Cl₂ solution. The cation–anion interactions increase with the acidity of the C(α)? H protons and the basicity of the anion. The existence of C? H???X^? hydrogen bonds between the cations and anions is confirmed by quantum chemical calculations of the ion pair structures, as well as by X‐ray analyses of the crystals. The IR spectra of the Cl^? and Br^? salts in CD₂Cl₂ solution show strong red‐shifts of the C? H stretch bands. The C? H stretch bands of the tetrafluoroborate salt PhCH₂? PPh₃⁺ BF₄^? in CD₂Cl₂, however, show a blue‐shift compared to the corresponding BPh₄^? salt.     

The impact of basis set superposition error on the structure of π?π dimers

The effect of basis set superposition error (BSSE) on the structure and energy of benzene, naphthalene, corannulene, and sumanene dimer has been analyzed. MP2 method was chosen and the effect is estimated using 6‐31G, 6‐31G(d), 6‐311+G(d), cc‐pVDZ, and cc‐pVTZ basis sets. The model calculations on benzene dimer indicate that the impact of BSSE on the equilibrium geometry of π‐stacked dimers appears to be quite significant. Calculations on larger molecular dimers such as the dimers of naphthalene, corannulene, and sumanene are also studied. The practical implication of the current observation on modeling the macromolecular structure is discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

An Interplay of Cooperativity between Cation⋅⋅⋅π, Anion⋅⋅⋅π and C?H⋅⋅⋅Anion Interactions

Mixed cation (Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺) and anion (F^?, Cl^?, Br^?) complexes of the aromatic π‐surfaces (top and bottom) are studied by using dispersion‐corrected density functional theory. The selectivity of the aromatic surface to interact with a cation or an anion can be tuned and even reversed by the electron‐donating/electron‐accepting nature of the side groups. The presence of a methyl group in the ? OCH₃, ? SCH₃, ? OC₂H₅ in the side groups of the aromatic ring leads to further cooperative stabilization of the otherwise unstable/weakly stable anion???π complexes by bending of the side groups towards the anion to facilitate C? H???anion interactions. The cooperativity among the interactions is found to be as large as 100 kcal mol^?1 quantified by dissection of the three individual forces from the total interaction energy. The crystal structures of the fluoride binding tripodal and hexapodal ligands provide experimental evidence for such cooperative interactions.     

Unusual Folding Propensity of an Unsubstituted β,γ‐Hybrid Model Peptide: Importance of the C?H⋅⋅⋅O Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond

The single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis of a β,γ‐hybrid model peptide Boc‐β‐Ala‐γ‐Abu‐NH₂ revealed the existence of four crystallographically independent molecules ( A , B , C and D conformers) in the asymmetric unit. The analysis revealed that unusual β‐turn‐like folded structures predominate, wherein the conformational space of non‐proteinogenic β‐Ala and γ‐Abu residues are restricted to gauche‐gauche‐skew and skew‐gauche‐trans‐skew orientations, respectively. Interestingly, the U‐shaped conformers are seemingly stabilised by an effective unconventional C? H ??? O intramolecular hydrogen bond, encompassing a non‐covalent 14‐membered ring‐motif. Taking into account the signs of torsion angles, these conformers could be grouped into two distinct categories, A / B and C / D , establishing the incidence of non‐superimposable stereogeometrical features across a non‐chiral one‐component peptide model system, that is, “mirror‐image‐like” relationships. The natural occurrence of β‐Ala and γ‐Abu entities in various pharmacologically important molecules, coupled with their biocompatibilities, highlight how the non‐functionalised β,γ‐hybrid segment may offer unique advantages for introducing and/or manipulating a wide spectrum of biologically relevant hydrogen bonded secondary structural mimics in short synthetic peptides.