Cocrystals of 1,4‐diethynylbenzene with 1,3‐diacetylbenzene and benzene‐1,4‐dicarbaldehyde exhibiting strong nonconventional alkyne–carbonyl C—H…O hydrogen bonds between the components

Weak interactions between organic molecules are important in solid‐state structures where the sum of the weaker interactions support the overall three‐dimensional crystal structure. The sp‐C—H…N hydrogen‐bonding interaction is strong enough to promote the deliberate cocrystallization of a series of diynes with a series of dipyridines. It is also possible that a similar series of cocrystals could be formed between molecules containing a terminal alkyne and molecules which contain carbonyl O atoms as the potential hydrogen‐bond acceptor. I now report the crystal structure of two cocrystals that support this hypothesis. The 1:1 cocrystal of 1,4‐diethynylbenzene with 1,3‐diacetylbenzene, C₁₀H₆·C₁₀H₁₀O₂, (1), and the 1:1 cocrystal of 1,4‐diethynylbenzene with benzene‐1,4‐dicarbaldehyde, C₁₀H₆·C₈H₆O₂, (2), are presented. In both cocrystals, a strong nonconventional ethynyl–carbonyl sp‐C—H…O hydrogen bond is observed between the components. In cocrystal (1), the C—H…O hydrogen‐bond angle is 171.8 (16)° and the H…O and C…O hydrogen‐bond distances are 2.200 (19) and 3.139 (2) Å, respectively. In cocrystal (2), the C—H…O hydrogen‐bond angle is 172.5 (16)° and the H…O and C…O hydrogen‐bond distances are 2.25 (2) and 3.203 (2) Å, respectively.     

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.     

Unexpected beauty and diversity in the structures of three homologous 4,5‐dialkoxy‐1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitrobenzenes: the subtle interplay between intermolecular C—H…O hydrogen bonds and alkyl chain length

The synthesis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra, and X‐ray structures are described for three dialkoxy ethynylnitrobenzenes that differ only in the length of the alkoxy chain, namely 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipropoxybenzene, C₁₄H₁₇NO₄, 1,2‐dibutoxy‐4‐ethynyl‐5‐nitrobenzene, C₁₆H₂₁NO₄, and 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipentoxybenzene, C₁₈H₂₅NO₄. Despite the subtle changes in molecular structure, the crystal structures of the three compounds display great diversity. Thus, 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipropoxybenzene crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system in the space group , with Z = 18, 1,2‐dibutoxy‐4‐ethynyl‐5‐nitrobenzene crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system in the space group P 2₁/c , with Z = 4, and 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipentoxybenzene crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system in the space group , with Z = 2. The crystal structure of 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipropoxybenzene is dominated by planar hexamers formed by a bifurcated alkoxy sp‐C—H…O,O′ interaction, while the structure of the dibutoxy analogue is dominated by planar ribbons of molecules linked by a similar bifurcated alkoxy sp‐C—H…O,O′ interaction. In contrast, the dipentoxy analogue forms ribbons of molecules alternately connected by a self‐complementary sp‐C—H…O₂N interaction and a self‐complementary sp²‐C—H…O₂N interaction. Disordered solvent was included in the crystals of 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipropoxybenzene and its contribution was removed during refinement.     

Ab initio and semiempirical computational studies on 1‐{(2E)‐2‐[(aminocarbonothioyl)hydrazono]‐2‐(3‐mesityl‐3‐methylcyclobutyl)ethyl}‐pyrrolidine‐2,5‐dione

The molecular geometry, vibrational frequencies, and gauge including atomic orbital (GIAO) ¹H‐ and ¹³C NMR chemical shift values of the title compound in the ground state have been calculated using the Hartree‐Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT) methods with 6‐31G(d) basis sets, and compared with the experimental data. The calculated results show that the optimized geometries can well reproduce the crystal structural parameters and the theoretical vibrational frequencies, and ¹H‐ and ¹³C NMR chemical shift values show good agreement with experimental data. To determine conformational flexibility, the molecular energy profile of the title compound was obtained by semiempirical (AM1) calculations with respect to the selected torsion angle, which was varied from ?180° to +180° in steps of 10°. The energetic behavior of the title compound in solvent media was examined using the B3LYP method with the 6‐31G(d) basis set by applying the Onsager and the polarizable continuum model (PCM). The results obtained with these methods reveal that the PCM method provided more stable structure than Qnsager's method. By using TD‐DFT method, electronic absorption spectra of the title compound have been predicted and a good agreement with the TD‐DFT method and the experimental one is determined. The predicted nonlinear optical properties of the title compound are much greater than ones of urea. In addition, the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) analysis, NBO analysis and thermodynamic properties of the title compound were investigated using theoretical calculations. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012     

The Electronic Structure of Some Cyanohydrins—A Spectroscopically Under‐Investigated Family of Compounds

Cyanohydrins are usually formed by addition of hydrogen cyanide to aldehydes or ketones while the elimination of HCN from cyanohydrins is easily observed upon heating. The low thermal stability of these highly boiling compounds leads to difficult studies in the gas phase where partial or complete decomposition is usually observed. Consequently, the reported physicochemical properties of such compounds in the gas phase are still scarce. Keeping with this, four simple cyanohydrins, the glycolonitrile and methyl, vinyl and ethynyl derivatives, have been selected. These are possible candidates for the Interstellar Medium, where the corresponding aldehydes and HCN have been detected, and could have played an important role in prebiotic chemistry, as already proposed for some of them. Three well‐suited spectroscopic techniques, namely, UV photoelectron, infrared, and Raman spectroscopies, in tandem with quantum calculations, have been chosen for the structure analysis. Photoelectron spectroscopy, successfully performed with gaseous compounds, provides the first comparative study on cyanohydrins in the gas phase.     

Evaluation of N—H…S and N—H…π interactions in O,O′‐diethyl N‐(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)thiophosphate: a combination of X‐ray crystallographic and theoretical studies

In the crystal structure of O,O′‐diethyl N‐(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)thiophosphate, C₁₃H₂₂NO₂PS, two symmetrically independent thiophosphoramide molecules are linked through N—H…S and N—H…π hydrogen bonds to form a noncentrosymmetric dimer, with Z′ = 2. The strengths of the hydrogen bonds were evaluated using density functional theory (DFT) at the M06‐2X level within the 6‐311++G(d,p) basis set, and by considering the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM). It was found that the N—H…S hydrogen bond is slightly stronger than the N—H…π hydrogen bond. This is reflected in differences between the calculated N—H stretching frequencies of the isolated molecules and the frequencies of the same N—H units involved in the different hydrogen bonds of the hydrogen‐bonded dimer. For these hydrogen bonds, the corresponding charge transfers, i.e. lp (or π)→σ*, were studied, according to the second‐order perturbation theory in natural bond orbital (NBO) methodology. Hirshfeld surface analysis was applied for a detailed investigation of all the contacts participating in the crystal packing.     

Weak C—H...O and C—H...π hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions in a series of four N′‐[(E)‐(aryl)methylidene]‐N‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazides

Oxazolidin‐2‐ones are widely used as protective groups for 1,2‐amino alcohols and chiral derivatives are employed as chiral auxiliaries. The crystal structures of four differently substituted oxazolidinecarbohydrazides, namely N′‐[(E)‐benzylidene]‐N‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazide, C₁₂H₁₂N₃O₃, (I), N′‐[(E)‐2‐chlorobenzylidene]‐N‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazide, C₁₂H₁₂ClN₃O₃, (II), (4S)‐N′‐[(E)‐4‐chlorobenzylidene]‐N‐methyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazide, C₁₂H₁₂ClN₃O₃, (III), and (4S)‐N′‐[(E)‐2,6‐dichlorobenzylidene]‐N,3‐dimethyl‐2‐oxo‐1,3‐oxazolidine‐4‐carbohydrazide, C₁₃H₁₃Cl₂N₃O₃, (IV), show that an unexpected mild‐condition racemization from the chiral starting materials has occurred in (I) and (II). In the extended structures, the centrosymmetric phases, which each crystallize with two molecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit, form A+B dimers linked by pairs of N—H...O hydrogen bonds, albeit with different O‐atom acceptors. One dimer is composed of one molecule with an S configuration for its stereogenic centre and the other with an R configuration, and possesses approximate local inversion symmetry. The other dimer consists of either R,R or S,S pairs and possesses approximate local twofold symmetry. In the chiral structure, N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into C(5) chains, with adjacent molecules related by a 2₁ screw axis. A wide variety of weak interactions, including C—H...O, C—H...Cl, C—H...π and π–π stacking interactions, occur in these structures, but there is little conformity between them.     

C-H...O hydrogen bonds in cyclohexenone reveal the spectroscopic behavior of Csp3-H and Csp2-H donors.

C-H...O hydrogen bonds in liquid 2-cyclohexen-1-one are studied to assess the vibrational spectroscopic behavior of the Csp2-H and Csp3-H donors. The presence of a pseudo-isosbestic point in the vC = O region supports the assignment of the two observed bands to two species in equilibrium, considered to be the free and 1:1 associated forms. The values of deltaH degrees =-18.5 +/- 0.6 kJmol(-1) and deltaS degrees = -76 +/- 2 J K(-1) mol(-1) for the dimerization through C-H...O hydrogen bonds were obtained from the dimerization constant at different temperatures. The concentration-dependent intensity of the vCH2 band profile is ascribed to the presence of a blue-shifted band from the hydrogen-bonded Csp3-H group. However, the most surprising result is the absence of concentration- or temperature-dependent intensities in the bands assigned to the stretching modes of the Csp2-H donors.     

The importance of tetrahedrally coordinated molecules for the explanation of liquid water properties.

Ab initio calculations on molecular clusters and a quantum statistical model are used to probe the structure of liquid water and its anomalies. Characteristic temperature dependent mixtures of ring and three-dimensional, voluminous water clusters provide the famous density maximum. The mixture model also reproduces the shift of the density maximum as a function of pressure and isotopic substitution. This finding is consistent with femtosecond spectroscopy data suggesting that two distinct molecular species exist in liquid water. The given structures also reproduce the oxygen-oxygen pair correlation function and the vibrational IR spectrum of liquid water. The results underline the importance of three-dimensional, tetrahedrally coordinated structures for the understanding of water anomalies and the existence of two liquid phases in the supercooled region.     

The synergistic co‐operation of N—H…O=P hydrogen bonds and C—H…OX weak intermolecular interactions (X is =P or —C) in the (CH3O)2P(O)(NH–NHC6F5) amidophosphoester: a combined X‐ray crystallographic and theoretical study

The asymmetric unit of O,O′‐dimethyl [(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)hydrazinyl]phosphonate, C₈H₈F₅N₂O₃P, is composed of two symmetry‐independent molecules with significant differences in the orientations of the C₆F₅ and OMe groups. In the crystal structure, a one‐dimensional assembly is mediated from classical N—H…O hydrogen bonds, which includes R₂²(8), D(2) and some higher‐order graph‐set motifs. By also considering weak C—H…O=P and C—H…O—C intermolecular interactions, a two‐dimensional network extends along the ab plane. The strengths of the hydrogen bonds were evaluated using quantum chemical calculations with the GAUSSIAN09 software package at the B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) level of theory. The LP(O) to σ*(NH) and σ*(CH) charge‐transfer interactions were examined according to second‐order perturbation theory in natural bond orbital (NBO) methodology. The hydrogen‐bonded clusters of molecules, including N—H…O and C—H…O interactions, were constructed as input files for the calculations and the strengths of the hydrogen bonds are as follows: N—H…O [R₂²(8)] > N—H…O [D(2)] > C—H…O. The decomposed fingerprint plots show that the contribution portions of the F…H/H…F contacts in both molecules are the largest.     

C?H bonds with a Positive Dipole Gradient Can Form Blue‐Shifting Hydrogen Bonds: The Complex of Halothane with Methyl Fluoride

The complex of halothane (CF₃CBrClH) with ([D₃])methyl fluoride is investigated theoretically by means of ab initio calculations at the MP2/6‐311++G(d,p) level and experimentally by infrared spectroscopy of solutions in liquid krypton. The complexation energy is calculated to be ?12.5 kJ mol^?1. The dipole moment of halothane monomer as a function of the C? H stretching coordinate is calculated with different methodologies and the value of (?μ/?Q₁)₀ is found to be positive. In the spectra, formation of a 1:1 complex is observed. The standard complexation enthalpy is measured to be ?8.4(2) kJ mol^?1. The C? H stretching vibration of halothane shows a blueshift of +15.4 cm^?1 on complexation, and its infrared intensity ratio ε_complex/ε_monomer is found to be 1.39(7). The frequency shift is analyzed by a Morokuma analysis, and the infrared intensities are rationalized by using a model which includes the mechanical and electrical anharmonicity of the C? H stretching vibration.     

Proving and Probing the Presence of the Elusive C−H⋅⋅⋅O Hydrogen Bond in Liquid Solutions at Room Temperature

Hydrogen bonds (H bonds) play a major role in defining the structure and properties of many substances, as well as phenomena and processes. Traditional H bonds are ubiquitous in nature, yet the demonstration of weak H bonds that occur between a highly polarized C?H group and an electron‐rich oxygen atom, has proven elusive. Detailed here are linear and nonlinear IR spectroscopy experiments that reveal the presence of H bonds between the chloroform C?H group and an amide carbonyl oxygen atom in solution at room temperature. Evidence is provided for an amide solvation shell featuring two clearly distinguishable chloroform arrangements that undergo chemical exchange with a time scale of about 2 ps. Furthermore, the enthalpy of breaking the hydrogen bond is found to be 6–20 kJ mol^?1. Ab‐initio computations support the findings of two distinct solvation shells formed by three chloroform molecules, where one thermally undergoes hydrogen‐bond making and breaking.     

N—H…X (X = Cl and Br) hydrogen bonds in three isomorphous 3,5‐dichloropyridinium salts

Specific short contacts are important in crystal engineering. Hydrogen bonds have been particularly successful and together with halogen bonds can be useful for assembling small molecules or ions into crystals. The ionic constituents in the isomorphous 3,5‐dichloropyridinium (3,5‐diClPy) tetrahalometallates 3,5‐dichloropyridinium tetrachloridozincate(II), (C₅H₄Cl₂N)₂[ZnCl₄] or (3,5‐diClPy)₂ZnCl₄, 3,5‐dichloropyridinium tetrabromidozincate(II), (C₅H₄Cl₂N)₂[ZnBr₄] or (3,5‐diClPy)₂ZnBr₄, and 3,5‐dichloropyridinium tetrabromidocobaltate(II), (C₅H₄Cl₂N)₂[CoBr₄] or (3,5‐diClPy)₂CoBr₄, arrange according to favourable electrostatic interactions. Cations are preferably surrounded by anions and vice versa ; rare cation–cation contacts are associated with an antiparallel dipole orientation. N—H…X (X = Cl and Br) hydrogen bonds and X …X halogen bonds compete as closest contacts between neighbouring residues. The former dominate in the title compounds; the four symmetrically independent pyridinium N—H groups in each compound act as donors in charge‐assisted hydrogen bonds, with halogen ligands and the tetrahedral metallate anions as acceptors. The M —X coordinative bonds in the latter are significantly longer if the halide ligand is engaged in a classical X …H—N hydrogen bond. In all three solids, triangular halogen‐bond interactions are observed. They might contribute to the stabilization of the structures, but even the shortest interhalogen contacts are only slightly shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii.     

Fluorine Substitution Effects on Flexibility and Tunneling Pathways: The Rotational Spectrum of 2‐Fluorobenzylamine

The effect of ring fluorination on the structural and dynamical properties of the flexible model molecule 2‐fluorobenzylamine has been studied by rotational spectroscopy in free‐jet expansion and quantum chemical methods. The complete potential energy surface originating from the flexibility of the aminic side chain has been calculated at the B3LYP/6‐311++G** level of theory and the stable geometries were also characterized with MP2/6‐311++G**. The rotational spectra show the presence of two of the predicted four stable conformers: the global minimum (I), in which the side chain’s dihedral angle with the phenyl plane is almost perpendicular, is stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the fluorine atom and one hydrogen of the aminic group; and a second conformer II (E_II?E_I≈5 kJ mol^?1) in which the dihedral angle is smaller and the amino group points towards the aromatic ortho hydrogen atom. This conformation is characterized by a tunneling motion between two equivalent positions of the amino group with respect to the phenyl plane, which splits the rotational transition. The ortho fluorination increases, with respect to benzylamine, the tunneling splitting of this motion by four orders of magnitude. The motion is analyzed with a one‐dimensional flexible model, which allows estimation of the energy barrier for the transition state as approximately 8.0 kJ mol^?1.     

How an Inert‐Gas Matrix Can Modify the Molecular Properties of Lanthanide Trifluoride

Ab initio computations performed on LaF₃?Ar_n (n=1–21) complexes allow a quantification of the short‐range many‐body interactions arising in the argon matrix. It is shown that the molecular properties of LaF₃ are strongly influenced by the embedding medium. The largest investigated cluster, LaF₃?Ar₂₁, resembles an hcp structure with the LaF₃ molecule occupying the central substitutional site (see figure).

     

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.     

Aggregation of 2‐Aminobenzimidazole—A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Investigation

An investigation of 2‐aminobenzimidazole was carried out by calculations at HF, MP2, and DFT levels of theory and also by UV and IR spectroscopy. The quantum chemical calculations predict a full shift of the equilibrium towards the amino form, but the absorption spectra in different solvents distinctly show a two‐component equilibrium system. Examination of possible equilibria in solution shows that an equilibrium between two dimeric forms of the amino tautomer of 2‐aminobenzimidazole explains the spectral observations.