IR-UV double resonance spectroscopic investigation of phenylacetylene-alcohol complexes. Alkyl group induced hydrogen bond switching

The electronic transitions of phenylacetylene complexes with water and trifluoroethanol are shifted to the blue, while the corresponding transitions for methanol and ethanol complexes are shifted to the red relative to the phenylacetylene monomer. Fluorescence dip infrared (FDIR) spectra in the O-H stretching region indicate that, in all the cases, phenylacetylene is acting as a hydrogen bond acceptor to the alcohols. The FDIR spectrum in the acetylenic C-H stretching region shows Fermi resonance bands for the bare phenylacetylene, which act as a sensitive tool to probe the intermolecular structures. The FDIR spectra reveal that water and trifluoroethanol interact with the pi electron density of the acetylene C-C triple bond, while methanol and ethanol interact with the pi electron density of the benzene ring. It can be inferred that the hydrogen bonding acceptor site on phenylacetylene switches from the acetylene pi to the benzene pi with lowering in the partial charge on the hydrogen atom of the OH group. The most significant finding is that the intermolecular structures of water and methanol complexes are notably distinct, which, to the best of our knowledge, this is first such observation in the case of complexes of substituted benzenes.     

Do N-heterocyclic aromatic rings prefer π-stacking?

The IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy of phenylacetylene complexes with triazine, pyrazine and pyridine in the acetylene C-H group of phenylacetylene was investigated. These spectra indicate that in the complexes of triazine, pyrazine and pyridine the acetylenic group is minimally perturbed and the predominant interaction is with the π electron density of the phenyl ring of phenylacetylene. Geometries of the complexes optimized at M06-2X/aug-cc-pVDZ and MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ levels, combined with highly accurate energy calculations at the complete basis set (CBS) limit of CCSD(T), indicate the formation of π-stacked complexes in all the three cases. Additionally, a C-H...N hydrogen-bonded complex between pyridine and phenylacetylene was also observed. The present results indicate that N-heterocyclic aromatic rings favor formation of π-stacked complexes.     

Water complexes of styrene and 4-fluorostyrene: a combined electronic, vibrational spectroscopic and ab-initio investigation

The binary complexes of water with styrene and fluorostyrene were investigated using LIF and FDIR spectroscopic techniques. The difference in the shifts of S 1 <-- S 0 electronic transitions clearly points out the disparity in the intermolecular structures of these two binary complexes. The FDIR spectra in the O-H stretching region indicate that water is a hydrogen bond donor in both complexes. The formation of a single O-H...pi hydrogen-bonded complex with styrene and an in-plane complex with fluorostyrene was inferred based on the analysis of the FDIR spectra in combination with ab initio calculations. The in-plane complex with fluorostyrene is characterized by the presence of O-H...F and C-H...O hydrogen bonds, leading to formation of a stable six-membered ring. The synergistic effect of O-H...F and C-H...O hydrogen bonds overwhelms the O-H...pi interaction in fluorostyrene-water complexes.     

Phenylacetylene: A Hydrogen Bonding Chameleon

Molecules with multiple hydrogen bonding sites offer the opportunity to investigate competitive hydrogen bonding. Such an investigation can become quite interesting, particularly when the molecule of interest has neither lone‐pair electrons nor strongly acidic/basic groups. Phenylacetylene is one such molecule with three hydrogen bonding sites that cannot be ranked into any known hierarchical pattern. Herein we review the structures of several binary complexes of phenylacetylene investigated using infrared optical double‐resonance spectroscopy in combination with high‐level ab initio methods. The diversity of intermolecular structures formed by phenylacetylene with various reagents is remarkable. The nature of intermolecular interaction with various reagents is the result of a subtle balance between various configurations and competition between the electrostatic and dispersion energy terms, while trying to maximize the total interaction strength.     

A TD-DFT study on the hydrogen bonding of three esculetin complexes in electronically excited states: strengthening and weakening

Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) method was used to study the excited-state hydrogen bonding of three esculetin complexes formed with aprotic solvents. The geometric structures, molecular orbitals (MOs), electronic spectra and the infrared (IR) spectra of the three doubly hydrogen-bonded complexes formed by esculetin and aprotic solvents dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), tetrahyrofuran (THF) and acetonitrile (ACN) in both ground state S(0) and the first singlet excited state S(1) were calculated by the combined DFT and TD-DFT methods with the COSMO solvation model. Two intermolecular hydrogen bonds can be formed between esculetin and the aprotic solvent in each hydrogen-bonded complex. Based on the calculated bond lengths of the hydrogen bonds and the groups involved in the formation of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds in different electronic states, it is demonstrated that one of the two hydrogen bonds formed in each hydrogen-bonded complex is strengthened while the other one is weakened upon photoexcitation. Furthermore, it is found that the strength of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed in the three complexes becomes weaker as the solvents change from DMSO, via THF, to ACN, which is suggested to be due to the decrease of the hydrogen bond accepting (HBA) ability of the solvents. The spectral shifts of the calculated IR spectra further confirm the strengthening and weakening of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds upon the electronic excitation. The variations of the intermolecular hydrogen bond strengths in both S(0) and S(1) states are proposed to be the main reasons for the gradual spectral shifts in the absorption and fluorescence spectra both theoretically and experimentally.     

A π-stacked phenylacetylene dimer

The structure of the phenylacetylene-dimer has been elucidated using IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy in combination with high level ab initio calculations at the CCSD(T)/CBS level. The IR spectra in the acetylenic and the aromatic C-H stretching regions indicate that the two phenylacetylene moieties are in identical environments and very similar to the phenylacetylene monomer. Calculated stabilization energies and the free energies at the CCSD(T)/CBS level favor the formation of an anti-parallel π-stacked structure. The DFT-SAPT energy decomposition analysis points out that the anti-parallel π-stacked structure maximizes electrostatic as well as the dispersion components of energy. The observed IR spectra are consistent with the anti-parallel π-stacked structure.     

Interaction of ionic biomolecular building blocks with nonpolar solvents: acidity of the imidazole cation (Im+) probed by IR spectra of Im+-Ln complexes (L = Ar, N2; n < or = 3)

The intermolecular interaction between the imidazole cation (Im+ = C3N2H4+) and nonpolar ligands is characterized in the ground electronic state by infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy of size-selected Im+-Ln complexes (L = Ar, N2) and quantum chemical calculations performed at the UMP2/6-311G(2df,2pd) and UB3LYP/6-311G(2df,2pd) levels of theory. The complexes are created in an electron impact cluster ion source, which predominantly produces the most stable isomers of a given cluster ion. The analysis of the size-dependent frequency shifts of both the N-H and the C-H stretch vibrations and the photofragmentation branching ratios provides valuable information about the stepwise microsolvation of Im+ in a nonpolar hydrophobic environment, including the formation of structural isomers, the competition between various intermolecular binding motifs (H-bonding and pi-bonding) and their interaction energies, and the acidity of both the CH and NH protons. In line with the calculations, the IRPD spectra show that the most stable Im+-L dimers feature planar H-bound equilibrium structures with nearly linear H-bonds of L to the acidic NH group of Im+. Further solvation occurs at the aromatic ring of Im+ via the formation of intermolecular pi-bonds. Comparison with neutral Im-Ar demonstrates the drastic effect of ionization on the topology of the intermolecular potential, in particular in the preferred aromatic substrate-nonpolar recognition motif, which changes from pi-bonding to H-bonding. .     

Geometric isotope effect of various intermolecular and intramolecular C-H...O hydrogen bonds, using the multicomponent molecular orbital method

The geometric isotope effect (GIE) of sp- (acetylene-water), sp(2)- (ethylene-water), and sp(3)- (methane-water) hybridized intermolecular C-H...O and C-D...O hydrogen bonds has been analyzed at the HF/6-31++G level by using the multicomponent molecular orbital method, which directly takes account of the quantum effect of proton/deuteron. In the acetylene-water case, the elongation of C-H length due to the formation of the hydrogen bond is found to be greater than that of C-D. In contrast to sp-type, the contraction of C-H length in methane-water is smaller than that of C-D. After the formation of hydrogen bonds, the C-H length itself in all complexes is longer than C-D and the H...O distance is shorter than D...O, similar to the GIE of conventional hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the exponent (alpha) value is decreased with the formation of the hydrogen bond, which indicates the stabilization of intermolecular C-H...O hydrogen bonds as well as conventional hydrogen bonds. In addition, the geometric difference induced by the H/D isotope effect of the intramolecular C-H...O hydrogen bond shows the same tendency as that of intermolecular C-H...O. Our study clearly demonstrates that C-H...O hydrogen bonds can be categorized as typical hydrogen bonds from the viewpoint of GIE, irrespective of the hybridizing state of carbon and inter- or intramolecular hydrogen bond.     

Structure of the phenylacetylene-water complex as revealed by infrared-ultraviolet double resonance spectroscopy

The structure of the phenylacetylene-water complex has been elucidated based on spectral shifts in electronic and vibrational transitions. Phenylacetylene forms a cyclic complex with water incorporating C-H...O and O-H...pi hydrogen bonds, which is different from both the benzene-water and acetylene-water complexes, even though phenylacetylene combines the features of both benzene and acetylene. Formation of such a complex can be rationalized on the basis of cooperativity between the two sets of hydrogen bonds.     

Selectivity control in alkylidene carbene-mediated C-H insertion and allene formation

Regioselectivity of alkylidene carbene-mediated C-H insertion was explored utilizing electronic, conformational, steric, and stereoelectronic effects. Relying on these factors, highly regio- and chemoselective carbene insertion reaction of C-H bonds in different environments could be obtained. The observed selectivity clearly indicates that an electronic effect plays a more important role than steric effect. In general, C-H bonds in conformationally rigid cyclic environments are less reactive than those in acyclic systems toward carbene insertion, and in this situation, a competing intermolecular reaction between alkylidene carbene and trimethylsilyldiazomethane led to the formation of allenylsilanes. The formation of allenylsilane becomes more favorable as the concentration of reaction becomes higher, as well as the C-H bonds undergoing insertion becomes electronically and conformationally deactivated.     

Blue-shifted A-H stretching frequencies in complexes with methanol: the decisive role of intramolecular coupling

The presence of a blue shift of A-H stretching frequencies in intermolecular complexes is directly related to the intramolecular coupling between A-H and vicinal A-X bonds in isolated molecules. The intramolecular coupling between vicinal bonds is the decisive parameter that determines whether a general molecule is a candidate for displaying blue-shifted A-H stretching frequencies in intermolecular complexes, with or without hydrogen bonding. The structures and vibrational spectra of dimeric complexes of methanol with H(2)O, HF, HCN, HNC, HOF, HNO, and HSN are investigated at the MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) approach. Blue- and red-shifts of the methyl C-H stretches of methanol and the various other A-H stretching frequencies in the complexes can be predicted by normal coordinate analyses of methanol and the partner molecules. It is, hence, suggested that conventional normal coordinate analysis is the appropriate predictive tool to decide beforehand whether a given molecule is a promising candidate for the observation of blue shifts in intermolecular complexes.     

Spectroscopic and Ab Initio Investigation of C−H⋅⋅⋅N Hydrogen‐Bonded Complexes of Fluorophenylacetylenes: Frequency Shifts and Correlations

The C?H???N hydrogen‐bonded complexes of several fluorophenyacetylenes with ammonia and methylamine were characterized by a redshift in the acetylenic C?H stretching vibration of the phenylacetylene moiety. These redshifts were linearly correlated with the stabilization energies calculated at the CCSD(T)/CBS//MP2‐aug‐cc‐pVDZ level. Analysis of various components of the interaction energy indicated that the observed redshifts were weakly correlated with the electrostatic component. The weaker linear correlation between the frequency shifts and the electrostatic component between two data sets can perhaps be attributed to the marginal differences in the Stark tuning rate and zero‐field shifts. The induction and exchange‐repulsion components were linearly correlated. However, the dispersion component depends on the nature of the hydrogen‐bond acceptor and shows a quantum jump when the hydrogen‐bond acceptor is changed from ammonia to methylamine. The observed linear correlation between the redshifts in the C?H stretching frequencies and the total stabilization energies is due to mutual cancellation of deviations from linearity between various components.     

Enantioselective synthesis of beta-amino esters and its application to the synthesis of the enantiomers of the antidepressant Venlafaxine

Beta-amino esters are readily formed from the rhodium(II) prolinate-catalyzed intermolecular C-H insertion between methyl aryldiazoacetates and a bis-silyl protected methylamine.     

Metal Complexes with Alizarin Complexone AC: Electronic Absorption Spectra and Ligand Structure

The character of the electronic absorption spectra of metal complexes with alizarin complexone AC is determined by the ionization degree of the ligand and the ratio between its excited states with different contributions of tautomeric 9,10-, 1,10-, 2,9-, and 1,2-anthraquinoid resonance structures. It was found by the spectrophotometric, quantum-chemical, and correlation methods that the ligand in metal complexes can exist in three forms, namely, neutral and two ionized forms (containing one or two deprotonated hydroxy groups). For each of the latter two forms, four excited states with the dominating contribution of the 9,10-, 1,10-, 2,9-, or 1,2-anthraquinoid resonance structures are possible. The formation of red monometallic complexes involves the peri- or ortho-hydroxycarbonyl group in anthraquinoid tautomers (mostly, 1,2- and 2,9-structures). The color of bimetallic complexes is determined by four anthraquinoid structures of the ligand (from red 9,10- to blue 1,10-anthraquinones). Fluorine-containing complexes exist only as 1,2- and 1,10-anthraquinoid structures, which are responsible for their blue color. The known metal complexes with Alizarin Complexone AS were classified by their structures.     

Coordination structures of lithium-methylamine clusters from infrared spectroscopy and ab initio calculations

Spectra of clusters formed between lithium atoms and methylamine molecules are reported for the first time. Mass-selective infrared spectra of Li(NH(2)CH(3))(n) have been recorded in both the N-H and C-H stretching fundamental regions. The infrared spectra are broadly in agreement with ab initio predictions, showing redshifted N-H stretching bands relative to free methylamine and a strong enhancement of the N-H stretching fundamentals relative to the C-H stretching fundamentals. The ab initio calculations suggest that, for n=3, the methylamine molecules bunch together on one side of the lithium atom to minimize repulsive interactions with the unpaired electron density. The addition of a fourth methylamine molecule results in closure of the inner solvation shell and, thus, Li(NH(2)CH(3))(5) is forced to adopt a two-shell coordination structure. This is consistent with neutron diffraction studies of concentrated lithium/methylamine solutions, which also suggest that the first solvation shell around the lithium atom can contain a maximum of four methylamine molecules.     

Infrared spectra of the complexes of trifluoroethene with dimethyl ether, acetone, and oxirane: a cryosolution study

Infrared spectra of solutions of trifluoroethene and dimethyl ether, acetone, or oxirane in liquid krypton and liquid argon have been studied. For each Lewis base the formation of a 1:1 complex with the Lewis acid was observed. The C-H stretching of trifluoroethene being perturbed by a strong Fermi resonance, the complexes with trifuloroethene-d were also investigated and showed that in each case the hydrogen bond between the acid and base is of the traditional, red-shifting type. The structures of the complexes were investigated using ab initio calculations. These indicate that with dimethyl ether and acetone two different isomeres can be formed, but with a single one detected in the solution in each case. The Fermi resonance in the complex with unlabeled trifluoroethene is discussed using data derived form ab initio potential and dipole hypersurface calculations. The complexation enthalpies of the complexes were obtained from temperature dependent studies of the solutions and are discussed in relation to the ab initio complexation energies and Monte Carlo free energy perturbation calculations of solvent effects.     

Blue shifts of the C-H stretching vibrations in hydrogen-bonded and protonated trimethylamine. Effect of hyperconjugation on bond properties

The optimized geometry of isolated trimethylamine (TMA), its hydrogen bond complexes with phenol derivatives and protonated TMA is calculated at the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level. A natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis on these systems is carried out at the same level of theory. In isolated TMA, one of the C-H bond in each of the three CH(3) groups is more elongated than the two other ones. As revealed by the NBO data, this results from a hyperconjugative interaction from the N lone pair to the sigma*(C-H) orbitals of the C-H bonds being in a transoid position with respect to the N lone pair. The formation of an intermolecular OH...N hydrogen bond with phenols results in a decrease of the lone pair effect. A linear correlation is found between the decrease in occupation of the sigma*(C-H) orbitals and the decrease in the hyperconjugative interaction energy in the complexes and isolated TMA. Complex formation with phenols results in a blue shift of 55-74 cm(-1) of the C-H stretching vibrations involved in the lone pair effect. Smaller blue shifts between 14 and 23 cm(-1) are predicted for the other C-H bonds. In these complexes, a linear correlation is found between the frequency shifts and the elongation of the C-H bonds. Protonation of TMA results in a nearly equalization of all the C-H distances and a blue shift of 180 cm(-1) of the C-H bonds involved in hyperconjugation with the N lone pair.     

Theoretical investigation of in-plane hydrogen-bonded complexes of ammonia with partially substituted fluorobenzenes

Systematic investigation of in-plane hydrogen-bonded complexes of ammonia with partially substituted fluorobenzenes has revealed that fluorobenzene, difluorobenzene, and trifluorobenzene favor formation of cyclic complexes with a C-H...N-H...F-C binding motif. On the other hand, tetrafluorobenzene and pentafluorobenzene favor formation of linear C-H...N hydrogen-bonded complexes. The complete absence of exclusively linear N-H...F hydrogen-bonded complexes for the entire series indicates that C-F bond in fluorobenzenes is a reluctant hydrogen-bond acceptor. However, fluorine does hydrogen bond when cooperatively stabilized with C-H...N hydrogen bonds for the lower fluoro analogues. The propensity of fluorobenzenes to adapt to the C-H...N-H...F-C binding motif decreases with the progressive fluorination of the benzene ring and disappears completely when benzene ring is substituted with five or more fluorine atoms.     

Determination by high-frequency and -field EPR of zero-field splitting in iron(IV) oxo complexes: implications for intermediates in nonheme iron enzymes

[Fe(IV)O](2+) species have been implicated as the active form of many nonheme iron enzymes. The electronic structures of iron(IV) oxo complexes are thus of great interest. High-frequency and -field electron paramagnetic resonance is employed to determine accurately the spin Hamiltonian parameters of two stable complexes that contain the FeO unit: [FeO(TMC)(CH 3CN)](CF 3SO 3) 2, where TMC = tetramethylcyclam and [FeO(N4py)](CF 3SO 3) 2, where N4Py = bis(2-pyridylmethyl)bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine. Both complexes exhibit zero-field splittings that are positive, almost perfectly axial, and of very large magnitude: D = +26.95(5) and +22.05(5) cm (-1), respectively. These definitive experimental values can serve as the basis for further computational studies to unravel the electronic structures of such complexes.     

Origin of the attraction in aliphatic C-H/pi interactions: infrared spectroscopic and theoretical characterization of gas-phase clusters of aromatics with methane

An attractive intermolecular interaction between an aliphatic C-H bond and a pi-electron system (C-H/pi interaction) was characterized on the basis of infrared spectroscopy and high level ab initio calculations. Infrared spectroscopy was applied to several isolated methane clusters with benzene, toluene, p-xylene, mesitylene, and naphthalene in the gas phase, and the spectral changes of the C-H stretch bands in the methane moiety upon the cluster formation were observed. In the theoretical approach, interaction energies of the clusters were evaluated by high-level ab initio calculations. The forbidden symmetric C-H stretch transition weakly appeared in the IR spectra of the clusters, and it confirmed the small deformation of the methane moiety from the T(d)() symmetry, which was predicted by the ab initio calculations. On the other hand, the degenerated asymmetric C-H stretch band showed complicated splitting, which is qualitatively interpreted by a hindered rotor model. Low-frequency shifts upon the cluster formation were seen in the symmetric C-H stretch frequency, though the magnitude of the shifts was extremely small and no clear correlation with the interaction energy was found. On the other hand, the size of the calculated interaction energy well correlates with the polarizability of aromatics. The S(1)-S(0) electronic transition of the aromatic moiety was also observed, and it showed low-frequency shifts upon cluster formation. These results support the dominance of the dispersion interaction over the electrostatic and charge-transfer terms in the aliphatic C-H/pi interaction.