(Anti)aromaticity of dehydroannulenes of various ring size proved by the ring current effect in 1H NMR spectra

The spatial magnetic properties (Through-Space NMR Shieldings—TSNMRS) of already synthesized dehydro[n]annulenes of various ring size (from C₁₂ to C₂₀) have been computed, visualized as Isochemical Shielding Surfaces (ICSS) of various size and direction, and were examined subject to present (anti)aromaticity. For this purpose the thus quantified ring current effect of the macro cycles on proximate protons in proton NMR spectra was employed.     

Aromaticity of N-heterocyclic carbene and its analogues: Magnetically induced ring current perspective

The N-heterocyclic carbene, imidazole-2-ylidene, and its main group (13-15) analogues contain cyclically conjugated 6π electrons. Experimental ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra suggest an increase in aromaticity along a period from left to right. Whereas the order along a group is as follows: period 2 > period 5 > period 4 > period 3 due to change in structure. To understand the order of aromaticity, the magnetically induced ring currents of the molecules are calculated using aromatic ring current shielding, gauge-including magnetically induced currents (GIMIC) method and Stanger's σ-model applying the gauge-including atomic orbitals NMR technique. It is found that GIMIC best describes the order of aromaticity especially along a group where current-profile changes on the bivalent atom down a group due to change in electron density. Moreover, the GIMIC provides the visualization of current by sign modulus and the anisotropy of the induced current density plots.     

A DFT Study of the Modulation of the Antiaromatic and Open-Shell Character of Dibenzo[a,f]pentalene by Employing Three Strategies: Additional Benzoannulation,BN/CC Isosterism,and Substitution

Dibenzo[a,f]pentalene ( [a , f ]DBP ) is a highly antiaromatic molecule having appreciable open-shell singlet character in its ground state. In this work, DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory were performed to explore the efficiency of three strategies, that is, BN/CC isosterism, substitution, and (di)benzoannulation of [a , f ]DBP , in controlling its electronic state and (anti)aromaticity. To evaluate the type and extent of the latter, the harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity (HOMA) and aromatic fluctuation (FLU) indices were used, along with the nucleus-independent chemical shift NICS-XY-scan procedure. The results suggest that all three strategies could be employed to produce either the closed-shell system or open-shell species, which may be in the singlet or triplet ground state. Triplet states have been characterized as aromatic, which is in accordance with Baird's rule. All the singlet states were found to have weaker global paratropicity than [a , f ]DBP . Additional (di)benzo fusion adds local aromatic subunit(s) and mainly retains the topology of the paratropic ring currents of the basic molecule. The substitution of two carbon atoms by the isoelectronic BN pair, or the introduction of substituents, results either in the same type and very similar topology of ring currents as in the parent compound, or leads to (anti)aromatic and nonaromatic subunits. The triplet states of all the examined compounds are also discussed.     

Aromaticity of giant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with hollow sites: super ring currents in super-rings

We present a systematic theoretical study based on semi-empirical, Hartree-Fock (HF), and density functional theory (DFT) models of a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that exhibit hollow sites. In this study we focus particularly on the magnetic criteria of aromaticity, namely (1)H NMR and nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS), and on their relationships with other electronic properties. The computed shifts and NICS indices indicate that an external magnetic field induces exceptionally strong ring currents in even-layered PAH doughnuts, in particular in the layer directly adjacent to the central hole of double-layered compounds. These exceptionally strong ring currents also correlate with particularly small HOMO-LUMO gaps and electronic excitation energies and to abnormally high polarizabilities, indicating in turn that these compounds have a more pronounced metallic character. Comparison is made with further depictions of aromaticity in these systems and in [18]-[66]annulene rings by employing topological, structural, and energetic criteria.     

Ring currents in condensed ring systems

We have studied magnetism and aromaticity of polycyclic ring systems by analyzing ring currents for different circulations in these molecules. The technique employed for calculating ring currents uses correction vectors which implicitly includes all the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian in the space of the chosen configurations. We have employed the Pariser–Parr–Pople Hamiltonian and have carried out full configuration interaction (CI) calculations for small systems and approximate CI calculations for large systems. The systems studied include polyacenes, nonaromatic ring systems including the C₆₀ fragments pyracylene, fluoranthene, and corannulene, and heteroatomic systems with upto two six-membered rings. We find that in polyacenes, the aromaticity of the extreme phenyl rings reduces with increasing number of phenyl rings in the system, and it saturates at ≈⅔ the benzene value. In systems containing nonaromatic rings, we find paramagnetic or diamagnetic behavior for different circulations depending upon the number of atoms in the chosen ring cycle, in agreement with the 4n+2 rule. In corannulene, the largest fragment of C₆₀ we have studied, the five-membered ring is weakly diamagnetic while the six-membered ring is more diamagnetic, although much less than in isolated benzene. The ring structures with heteroatoms studied are pyridine, pyrimidine, and its isomers, s-triazine, quinoline and its isomer, and quinazoline and its isomers. All these have similar ring currents as in their purely carbon counterparts, although ions of these molecules show interesting behavior. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 70: 503–513, 1998     

Diamagnetic and paramagnetic ring currents in expanded porphyrins

Ipsocentric current density maps are computed at the coupled Hartree-Fock level in the 6-31G** basis set for the planar C(2v) B3LYP geometries of the expanded porphyrins, sapphyrin and orangarin. Both give clearly dominant global macrocyclic ring currents, but with opposite senses of circulation: in 22[small pi] sapphyrin, a diatropic current runs, with some bifurcation, around the conventional 22-centre delocalisation pathway; in 20[small pi] orangarin, a paratropic current runs around the inner 17-atom pathway. In agreement with the annulene analogy for these macrocycles, analysis of orbital contributions shows that in each case topology, energy and symmetry of the frontier orbitals together determine the macrocyclic ring current. In sapphryrin, 4-electron diamagnetism (aromaticity) arises from translationally allowed HOMO-LUMO excitations as in benzene itself; in orangarin, 2-electron paramagnetism (antiaromaticity) arises from rotationally allowed HOMO-LUMO excitations as in planarised cyclooctatetraene. The active orbitals invoked in the explanation of ring currents are those involved in the longstanding four-orbital model of porphyrin electronic spectra.     

Structure and electronic structure of [(CF3)2PN]2NVCl2, a molecule involving a planar six-membered ring (N3P2V)

Summary The SCF method is applied to determine the (gas phase) structure of [(CF₃)₂PN]₂NVCl₂, which agrees with the solid-state X-ray structure within typical errors of 2 pm and 2° in bond distances and angles. The electronic structure of atoms forming the ring is best described in terms of divalent N^– and tetravlent P⁺ with appreciable declocalization of nitrogen lone pairs into low-lying empty orbitals of neighbouring atoms P and V. No evidence for aromaticity of the ring system is found.     

Synthesis and reactivity of new Ni, Pd, and Pt 2,6-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinito)pyridine pincer complexes

Synthesis and characterization of new (PONOP) [2,6-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinito)pyridine] metal (Ni, Pd, Pt) complexes are reported. Surprisingly, these compounds [(PONOP)MCl]Cl in the presence of 1 equiv of superhydride (LiEt(3)BH) formed a new class of complexes (H-PONOP)MCl, in which the pyridine ring in the PONOP ligand lost its aromaticity as a result of hydride attack at the para position of the ring. The new Ni-H compound [(H-PONOP)NiH] was synthesized by reacting (H-PONOP)NiCl with 1 equiv of superhydride. Analogous Pd and Pt compounds were prepared. Reactivity of these new pincer complexes toward MeLi and PhLi also has been studied. These Ni complexes catalyzed the hydrosilylation of aldehyde. In some cases characterization of new (PONOP)M complexes was difficult because of high instability due to degradation of the P-O bond.     

Aromaticity of ring carbo-mers of [N]annulenes and [N]cycloalkanes

Maps of current density induced by a perpendicular external magnetic field are calculated at the ipsocentric CTOCD-DZ/6-31G**//B3PW91/6-31G** level for ring carbo-mers of [N]-annulenes (closed-shell singlet states of C(3N)H, N = 3 to 7, with q = -1, 0, +1, 0, -1, respectively, and also the triplet ground state for N = 4) and of [N]-cycloalkanes (C(3N)H(qN), N = 3, 4, 5). Strong four-electron diatropic ring currents indicate conventional pi aromaticity for all the singlet and triplet carbo-[N]annulenes studied, with the exception of C(12)H(4), where instead the strong two-electron paratropic ring current is the signature of pi antiaromaticity. The carbo-[N]cycloalkanes (also known as [N]pericyclynes) show only localized pi currents, consistent with non-aromaticity. There is no indication of a 'homo-aromatic' ring current attributable to the in-plane pi orbitals of the inserted C2 units in any of the maps. Consequences for the interpretation of ELF (electron localisation function) populations are discussed.     

Synthesis of substituted in benzene ring 4-[(2-aminophenyl)thio]-, 4-[(2-mercaptophenyl)amino]-2-methylquinolines and (4E)-4-[(2-mercaptophenyl)imino]-2-methyl-1,4-dihydroquinolines

By a reaction of 2-methyl-4-chloroquinolines with o-mercaptoaniline under various conditions synteses were performed of substituted in the benzene ring 4-[(2-aminophenyl)thio]-2-methylquinolines and (4E)-4-[(2-mercaptophenyl)imino]-2-methyl-1,4-dihydroquinolines that were respectively by isomerization or rearrangement converted into 4-[(2-mercaptophenyl)amino]-2-methylquinolines.     

π-Electron ring currents and magnetic properties of porphyrin molecules in the MO LCAO SCF method

The coupled variant of double-parameter perturbation theory in the MO LCAO SCF method in the London approximation has been used for the calculation of π-electron current distributions in the molecules of porphin and its derivatives. The chemical shifts of¹H-NMR have been computed on the basis of calculations of ring currents and charge distributions. It is shown that π-electron ring currents are responsible for the dominant contribution to the shielding of protons. The theoretical and experimental values of proton chemical shifts are in a good agreement. Chemical shifts of the¹³C and¹⁵N nuclei have also been estimated. Two aromaticity scales are proposed for the compounds under study based on the calculations of the π-electron contribution to the diamagnetic susceptibility and of π-electron currents, respectively.     

Paramagnetic ring current effects in anti-aromatic structures subject to substitution/annelation quantified by spatial magnetic properties (TSNMRS)

The spatial magnetic properties, through-space NMR shieldings (TSNMRS), of the typically anti-aromatic cyclopentadienyl cation, cyclobutadiene, pentalene, s-indacene and of substituted/annelated analogues of the latter structures have been calculated using the GIAO perturbation method employing the nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) concept and visualized as iso-chemical-shielding surfaces (ICSS) of various size and direction. The TSNMRS values were employed to visualize and quantify the dia(para)magnetic ring current effects in the studied compounds. The interplay of dia(para)magnetic ring current effects due to substitution/annelation caused by heavy exo-cyclic n,π-electron delocalization can be qualified.     

Interpreting Aromaticity and Antiaromaticity through Bifurcation Analysis of the Induced Magnetic Field

In all molecules, a current density is induced when the molecule is subjected to an external magnetic field. In turn, this current density creates a particular magnetic field. In this work, the bifurcation value of the induced magnetic field is analyzed in a representative set of aromatic, non-aromatic and antiaromatic monocycles, as well as a set of polycyclic hydrocarbons. The results show that the bifurcation value of the ring-shaped domain adequately classifies the studied molecules according to their aromatic character. For aromatic and nonaromatic molecules, it is possible to analyze two ring-shaped domains, one diatropic (inside the molecular ring) and one paratropic (outside the molecular ring). Meanwhile, for antiaromatic rings, only a diatropic ring-shaped domain (outside the molecular ring) is possible to analyze, since the paratropic domain (inside the molecular ring) is irreducible with the maximum value (attractor) at the center of the molecular ring. In some of the studied cases, i. e., in heteroatomic species, bifurcation values do not follow aromaticity trends and present some inconsistencies in comparison to ring currents strengths, showing that this approximation provides only a qualitative estimation about (anti)aromaticity.     

Quantification of the (anti)aromaticity of fulvenes subject to ring size

Tria-, penta-, hepta- and nonafulvenes (1-4) have been studied theoretically at the MP2 ab initio level of theory. For the global minimum structures, the occupation of the bonding π_CC orbital of the exocyclic CC double bond, obtained by NBO analysis, quantitatively proves π-electron delocalization which can reveal partial 2-, 6- and 10-π-electron aromaticity, and 4-, 8- and 12-π-electron antiaromaticity of the ring moieties. Beside the corresponding occupation number, this conjugation was quantified by the length of the exocyclic CC double bond whilst the (anti)aromaticity of the ring moieties of 1-4 was visualized and quantified by through space NMR shielding surfaces (TSNMRS).     

Chemoselective ring opening of benzoxazaphosphinines

Cyclization of 2-[(4-chloroanilino)methyl]phenol (1) with thiophosphoryl chloride afforded 2-chloro-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3,2λ⁵-benzoxazaphosphinine-2-thione (2). Reaction of 2 with various heterocyclic amines (3) in the presence of Et₃N/NaH gave 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-nitrogen heterocyclic substituted-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3,2λ⁵-benzoxaza-phosphinine-2-thiones (4). Further reaction of 4 with the N-sodium salt of amino heterocyclics in the presence of HCl at 50-60 °C opened the benzoxazaphosphinine ring chemoselectively at the endocyclic P-O bond and yielded 2-[4-chloro(heterocyclic substituted-phosphorothioyl)anilino]methylphenols 5-13.     

Synthesis of new heterocycles by oxidation of functionalized cyclic derivatives of bis(2-chlorovinyl) sulfide and selenide

Oxidation of 4-substituted 2,6-bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]thiomorpholine with hydrogen peroxide in a mixture of chloroform with acetic acid afforded the corresponding 4-R-2,6-bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]-thiomorpholine 1-oxide. The results of oxidation of bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]-1,4-dichalcogenanes under analogous conditions depended on the chalcogen nature and its position in the ring. The reaction of 2,6-bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]-1,4-dithiane gave 2,6-bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]-1,4-dithiane-1,1,4,4-tetraone, whereas 3,5-bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]-1,4-thiaselenane-1,1-dione was unexpectedly obtained from 3,5-bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]-1,4-thiaselenane. 2,6-Bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]-1,4-thiaselenane and 2,6-bis[(E)-chloromethylidene]-1,4-diselenane decomposed under the oxidation conditions.     

Novel synthesis of the pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazocine ring system via a Dieckmann condensation

A novel four-step synthesis to the pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazocine ring system is described. 1H-Pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde was alkylated with ethyl or methyl bromoacetate and the resulting ethyl or methyl (2-formyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)acetates oxidised with potassium permanganate to the corresponding 1-[(2-ethoxy or methoxy)-2-oxoethyl]-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acids. The latter was converted into their acid chlorides by reaction with thionyl chloride and without isolation transformed into the respective methyl 2-({[1-(2-ethoxy or methoxy-2-oxoethyl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl]carbonyl}amino)benzoates by reaction with methyl anthranilate. Dieckmann condensation of methyl 2-({[1-(2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl]carbonyl}amino)benzoate provided the pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazocine.     

The proton transfer process observed in the structure analysis and DFT calculations of (E)-2-ethoxy-6-[(2-methoxyphenylimino)methyl]phenol

The crystal and molecular structures of an o-hydroxy Schiff base derivative, (E)-2-ethoxy-6-[(2-methoxyphenylimino)methyl]phenol, have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses at 296 and 100 K. The results from temperature-dependent structural analysis regarding the tautomeric equilibrium of the compound were interpreted with the aid of quantum chemical calculations. To clarify the tautomerization process and its effects on the molecular geometry, the gas-phase geometry optimizations of two possible tautomers of the title molecule, its OH and NH form, were achieved using DFT calculations with B3LYP method by means of 6-31 + G(d,p) basis set. In order to describe the potential barrier belonging to the phenolic proton transfer, nonadiabatic Potential Energy Surface (PES) scan was performed based on the optimized geometry of the OH tautomeric form by varying the redundant internal coordinate, O–H bond distance. The Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity (HOMA) indices were calculated in every step of the scan process so as to express the deformation in the aromaticities of principal molecular moieties of the compound. The results show that there is a dynamic equilibrium between the aromaticity level of phenol and chelate ring and furthermore π-electron coupling affecting overall molecule of the title compound. Charge transfer from phenol ring to pseudo-aromatic chelate ring increases with increasing temperature, whereas π-electron transfer from chelate ring to anisole ring is decreased as temperature increases. The most strength intramolecular H-bonds are observed for conformers close to transition state.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of N-thia-carba-thymidine as an antiherpetic agent

As a continuation of our project aimed at the search for new antiviral agents, the synthesis and biological evaluation of N-thia-carba-thymidine ((1R,2S,4S,5S)-5-methyl-1-{6-thia-4-hydroxy-5-[(hydroxy)-methyl]bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-yl}-1,3-dihydropyrimidine-2,4-dione; compound 8) was carried out employing the carbocyclic enantioenriched intermediate (1R,4S)-4-phenylmethoxy-3-[(phenylmethoxy)methyl]cyclopent-2-en-1-ol, which in turn was prepared from (3R,4S) phenylmethoxy-3-[(phenylmethoxy)methyl]-cyclopent-1-ene. The title compound resulted to be a very potent antiherpetic agent exhibiting a similar potency to acyclovir as shown. The synthetic approach to obtain this carbanucleoside required a novel strategy to introduce a thiirane group fused to a functionalized five-membered ring.     

A Nonaromatic Thiophene‐Fused Heptalene and Its Aromatic Dianion

Heptalene, a nonaromatic, bicyclic 12 π‐electron system with a twisted structure, is of great interest with regard to its potential Hückel aromaticity in the two‐electron oxidized or reduced forms. The synthesis of thiophene‐fused heptalene 5 from the reductive transannular cyclization of bisdehydro[12]annulene 4 , and its solid‐state structure, which was confirmed by X‐ray crystallographic analysis, is presented. Chemical reduction of 5 readily generated the corresponding dianion, which was successfully isolated as [(K[2.2.2]cryptand)⁺]₂ 5 ^2?. The X‐ray crystallographic analysis of the dianion revealed a shallower saddle structure for the heptalene moiety and a lesser degree of bond alternation relative to 5 . ¹H NMR spectroscopy exposed the effect of a diamagnetic ring current on dianion 5 ^2?, which was corroborated by nucleus‐independent chemical shift (NICS) calculations. These results demonstrate that the heptalene dianion, containing 14 π‐electrons, does indeed exhibit pronounced degrees of Hückel aromaticity.