Probing the aromaticity in 2,3-pyrido-annulated N-heterocyclic carbene and its heavier analogues

The aromaticity in 2,3-pyrido-annulated 1,3,2λ²-diazatetroles C₅H₃N(NR)₂E^II (E^II = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) was studied using a set of experimental and calculated criteria: UV-VIS, Raman, ISE, NICS, GIMIC and EDDB. The data obtained indicate either a slight decrease in aromaticity (NICS, GIMIC, ISE methods) or equal aromaticity (UV-VIS, ISE methods) compared to benzo-annulated analogues C₆H₄(NR)₂E. The π-aromaticity increases down the group from Si to Pb.     

The applicability of three-dimensional aromaticity in BiSn(n)- Zintl analogues

Three-dimensional aromaticity is shown to play a role in the stability of deltahedral Zintl clusters and here we examine the connection between aromaticity and stability. In order to gain further insight, we have studied Zintl analogs comprised of bismuth doped tin clusters with photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical methods. To assign aromaticity, we examine the ring currents induced around the cage by using the nucleus independent chemical shift. In the current study, BiSn(4)(-) is a stable cluster and fits aromatic criteria, while BiSn(5)(-) is found to fit antiaromatic criteria and has reduced stability. The more stable clusters exhibit an aromatic character which originates from weakly interacting s-states and bonding orbitals parallel to the surface of the cluster, while nonbonding lone pairs perpendicular to the surface of the cluster account for antiaromaticity and reduced stability. The effect of three-dimensional aromaticity on the electronic structure does not result in degeneracies, so the resulting variations in stability are smaller than those seen in conventional aromaticity.     

Probing the aromaticity of unsaturated N-heterocyclic carbenes and their heavy analogues with the EDDB criterion

Russian Chemical Bulletin - Three series of N-heterocyclic carbene analogues including Arduengo-type systems (HCNBut)2E (1; E = C, Si, Ge, Sn), their benzannulated derivatives C6H4(NCH2But)2E (2; E...     

Induced aromaticity

The influence of counterions on the stabilization of three-, five-, and six-membered cyclic organic and organoboron systems was studied by the ab initio (MP2(full)/6-311+G**) and density functional (B3LYP/6-311+G**) methods. The structures of molecular charge-transfer molecular complexes formed by the interaction with counterions are predicted. A crucial role of counterions in the stabilization of aromatic systems that are unstable in themselves was revealed. Stabilization of these systems involves both charge transfer and covalent bonding.     

Structure, reactivity and aromaticity of acenes and their BN analogues: a density functional and electrostatic investigation

Density functional calculations have been carried out on a series of linearly annelated acenes and their BN analogues. Even though borazine shows aromatic and reactivity behavior parallel with that of benzene, its condensed derivatives show patterns different from those of their hydrocarbon analogues. Nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) values in acenes suggest that the aromaticity of the inner rings is more than that of benzene, whereas in BN-acenes there is no substantial change in the aromaticity of the individual rings. Molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) is employed to obtain further insights into the bonding and reactivity trends for these systems. The MESP topography patterns of acenes and BN-acenes are substantially different, with BN-acenes showing more localized pi electron features compared to those of acenes. The MESP values at the critical points (CPs) indicate overall lowering of aromaticity in these annelated systems. However, this change is gradual among the BN-acenes.     

On the aromaticity of porphin

We have undertaken a study of the bromination of porphin. We have learned contrary to literature reports, that bromine (in chloroform) attacks porphin preferentially at the meso position and that bromination of this meso monobromoporphin produces a single dibromo product, namely 5, 15-dibromoporphin. Our results are interpreted in terms of the aromaticity of the different peripheral carbon atoms.     

Expanded porphyrins and aromaticity

meso-Aryl-substituted expanded porphyrins that are porphyrin homologues consisting of more than five pyrrolic units are a nice platform to realize diverse aromatic and antiaromatic species as well as stable radical species. They are also an ideal series to realize topologically twisted molecules with distinct M?bius aromaticity and antiaromaticity.     

On the aromaticity of annulenones

Application of our method of predicting aromaticity¹ shows that the behavior of the annulenones is intermediate between that of the fulvenes (a nonaromatic series) and the annulenes (a series with strong alternation between aromatic and antiaromatic).     

Push-pull vs captodative aromaticity

Vinylogs of fulvalenes with cyclopropenyl and cyclopentadienyl moieties attached either to different carbon atoms ( c-C 3H 2CHCHC 5H 4- c, 7) or to the same carbon atom [XC( c-C 3H 2)( c-C 5H 4), 10] [X = CH 2; C(CN) 2; C(NH 2) 2; C(OCH 2) 2; O; c-C 3H 2; c-C 5H 4; SiH 2; CCl 2] of the double bond inserted between the two rings are examined theoretically at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level. Both types of compounds are shown to possess aromaticity, which was called "push-pull" and "captodative" aromaticity, respectively. For the captodative mesoionic structures XC( c-C 3H 2)( c-C 5H 4), the presence of both the two aromatic moieties and the CC double bond is the necessary and sufficient condition for their existence as energetic minima on the potential energy surface. Aromatic stabilization energy (ASE) was assessed by the use of homodesmotic reactions and heats of hydrogenation. Spatial magnetic criteria (through space NMR shieldings, TSNMRS) of the two types of vinylogous fulvalenes 7 and 10 have been calculated by the GIAO perturbation method employing the nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) concept of Paul von Rague Schleyer, and visualized as iso-chemical-shielding surfaces (ICSS) of various sizes and directions. TSNMRS values can be successfully employed to visualize and quantify the partial push-pull and captodative aromaticity of both the three- and five-membered ring moieties. In addition, the push -pull effect in compounds 7 and 10 could be quantified by the occupation quotient pi* CC/pi CC of the double bond inserted between the two rings.     

Visualising aromaticity of bowl-shaped molecules

Superposition of slices (planar maps of induced current density calculated within the ipsocentric pseudo-π model of electronic response to a magnetic field) gives a simple route to visual diagnosis of ring-current aromaticity in bowl-shaped molecules. Results are presented for currents in the recently synthesized indenocorannulene precursors of [60]fullerene.     

Double aromaticity: aromaticity in orthogonal planes. The 3,5-dehydrophenyl cation.

The $\text{D}$_$\text{3h}$ 3,5-dehydrophenyl cation (I), which may represent the structure of C₆H₃ ions observed mass spectroscopically, illustrates $\text{double aromaticity}$: two different aromatic systems in orthogonal planes.     

Ring-current aromaticity in open-shell systems

The ab initio ipsocentric approach to calculation and mapping of induced orbital current density is extended to open-shell π systems. ROHF/6-31G^** calculations document the (magnetic) aromaticity of planar 4nπ triplet states of 4π/8π annulenes and isobenzofulvene, and quintet excited-state azulene. An orbital model for currents rationalises the generalised form of Baird’s rules, by which 4n + 2 annulenes are aromatic (antiaromatic) in states of even (odd) total spin (vice versa for 4nπ annulenes). In contrast to geometric criteria, ring-currents predict antiaromaticity for the doublet naphthalene radical anion.     

Phospholes. The aromaticity problem

Newer techniques of phosphole synthesis, particularly those which lead to simple phospholes substituted with active functional groups, are briefly surveyed. A detailed account of chemical, physico-chemical, spectroscopic and theoretical studies related to the phosphole aromaticity problem is given and the present conflicting position is discussed.     

Conformational flexibility and aromaticity of azanaphthalenes

Conformational flexibility of naphthalene and its different mono-and diaza analogues has been studied by MP2/6-31G(d, p) quantum chemical computations. It is shown that all molecules possess a considerable conformational flexibility. The out-of-plane deformation energy of both a bicyclic π-system on the whole and separate rings directly depends on the degree of aromaticity of the conjugated system. Effects of the amount and arrangement of nitrogen atoms on conformational features and aromaticity of the molecules considered were analyzed.     

Criteria for aromaticity of mesoionic heterocycles

The quantum chemical calculations of the basic criteria for aromaticity (nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS), aromatic stabilization energy (ASE), and parameters of harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity (HOMA), and geometric indices (I ₅)) of 54 mesoionic heterocycles in the 6–31G* split-valence basis set were performed in terms of the density functional theory (DFT) with the B3LYP exchange-correlation hybrid functional. The aromatic nature of the mesoionic heterocycles containing the pyridinium N atom was shown.     

An investigation of the aromaticity of transition metal heterocyclic complexes by conventional criteria and indices of aromaticity

Conventional criteria and indices of aromaticity, including electronic, geometric, energetic and magnetic aspects have been applied to examine the aromaticity of five typical transition metal heterocyclic complexes, i.e. six-membered osmabezene 1 and iridabenzene 2, five-membered cobaltacyclopentadiene 3 and iridacyclopentadiene 4, and four-membered tungstacyclobutadiene 5. The results show that the cyclic, planar, conjugated and Hückel 4n+2 rule’s criteria in the transition-metal-containing heterocycles of the five complexes studied are all met. Five quantitative aromaticity indices, including Bird aromatic index (I_n), homodesmotic reaction aromatic stabilization energy (HASE), absolute hardness (η), diamagnetic susceptibility exaltation (Λ) and NMR chemical shift (δH), qualitatively lead to a consistent and affirmative conclusion that all of them are aromatic. However, they fail to draw a common conclusion for their relative magnitudes of aromaticity, which proves once again the multidimensional character of aromaticity.     

Local aromaticity in polyacenes manifested by individual proton and carbon shieldings: DFT mapping of aromaticity

Exponential dependencies between locally calculated geometric and magnetic indexes of aromaticity, harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity (HOMA) and nucleus independent chemical shifts (NICS)(0), NICS(1) and NICS(1)zz, and the number of conjugated benzene rings in linear acenes, from benzene to decacene were observed at B3LYP/6-311+G** level of theory. Correlations between HOMA and NICS indexes showed exponential dependencies and were fitted with simple three-parameter function. Similar correlations between both indexes of aromaticity and proton and carbon nuclear isotropic shieldings of individual acene rings were observed. Contrary to proton data, the predicted ¹³C nuclear isotropic shieldings of carbon atoms belonging to inner rings in polyacenes were less shielded, indicating lower aromaticity and therefore, higher reactivity.