Infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of H(+)(H2O)6·M(m) (M = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H2, N2, and CH4): messenger-dependent balance between H3O(+) and H5O2(+) core isomers

Although messenger mediated spectroscopy is a widely-used technique to study gas phase ionic species, effects of messengers themselves are not necessarily clear. In this study, we report infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of H(+)(H(2)O)(6)·M(m) (M = Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H(2), N(2), and CH(4)) in the OH stretch region to investigate messenger(M)-dependent cluster structures of the H(+)(H(2)O)(6) moiety. The H(+)(H(2)O)(6), the protonated water hexamer, is the smallest system in which both the H(3)O(+) (Eigen) and H(5)O(2)(+) (Zundel) hydrated proton motifs coexist. All the spectra show narrower band widths reflecting reduced internal energy (lower vibrational temperature) in comparison with bare H(+)(H(2)O)(6). The Xe-, CH(4)-, and N(2)-mediated spectra show additional band features due to the relatively strong perturbation of the messenger. The observed band patterns in the Ar-, Kr-, Xe-, N(2)-, and CH(4)-mediated spectra are attributed mainly to the "Zundel" type isomer, which is more stable. On the other hand, the Ne- and H(2)-mediated spectra are accounted for by a mixture of the "Eigen" and "Zundel" types, like that of bare H(+)(H(2)O)(6). These results suggest that a messenger sometimes imposes unexpected isomer-selectivity even though it has been thought to be inert. Plausible origins of the isomer-selectivity are also discussed.     

Infrared vibrational autodetachment spectroscopy of microsolvated benzonitrile radical anions

Vibrational spectra of microsolvated benzonitrile radical anions (C6H5CN- -S; S = H2O and CH3OH) were measured by probing the electron detachment efficiency in the 3 microm region, representing resonance bands of autodetachment via OH stretching vibrations of the solvent molecules. The hydrogen-bonded OH band for both the cluster anions exhibited a large shift to the lower energy side with approximately 300 cm-1 compared to those for the corresponding neutral clusters. The solvent molecules are bound collinearly to the edge of the CN group of the benzonitrile anion in the cluster structures optimized with the density functional theory, in which the simulated vibrational energies are in good agreement with the observed band positions. Natural population analyses were performed for a qualitative implication in changes of solvent orientation upon electron attachment. Asymmetric band shapes depending on the vibrational modes are discussed with respect to dynamics of the autodetachment process from a theoretical aspect incorporated with density functional calculations.     

Synthesis and photophysical properties of azuleno[1′,2′:4,5]pyrrolo[2,1-b]quinazoline-6,14-diones: Azulene analogs of tryptanthrin

Azulene analog of tryptanthrin, azuleno[1′,2′:4,5]pyrrolo[2,1-b]quinazoline-6,14-dione, was successfully prepared by the condensation reaction of azuleno[2,1-b]pyrrole-2,3-dione with isatoic anhydride in the presence of sodium hydride or diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA). Its 2-halo derivatives were also obtained in high yields by the condensation reaction with 5-haloisatoic anhydrides in the presence of DIPEA. Reactivity toward electrophilic reagents was revealed by halogenation with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) or N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) to afford 12-halo derivatives in high yields. Among the halo derivatives, 2-iodo and 12-iodo derivatives were reactive enough to afford phenylethynyl derivatives under Pd-catalyzed Sonogashira cross-coupling conditions. Within the phenylethynyl derivatives, only 12-phenylethynyl derivative was transformed into its 1,1,4,4-tetracyanobutadiene (TCBD) derivative by the reaction with TCNE. Amphoteric redox properties of the novel azulene analogs of tryptanthrin were characterized by spectroscopic and voltammetric analyses.     

Nature and physical origin of CH/pi interaction: significant difference from conventional hydrogen bonds

Recently reported high-level ab initio calculations and gas phase spectroscopic measurements show that the nature of CH/pi interactions is considerably different from conventional hydrogen bonds, although the CH/pi interactions were often regarded as the weakest class of hydrogen bonds. The major source of attraction in the CH/pi interaction is the dispersion interaction and the electrostatic contribution is small, while the electrostatic interaction is mainly responsible for the attraction in the conventional hydrogen bonds. The nature of the "typical" CH/pi interactions is similar to that of van der Waals interactions, if some exceptional "activated" CH/pi interactions of highly acidic C-H bonds are excluded. Shifts of C-H vibrational frequencies and electronic spectra also support the similarity. The hydrogen bond is important in controlling structures of molecular assemblies, since the hydrogen bond is sufficiently strong and directional due to the large electrostatic contribution. On the other hand, the directionality of the "typical" CH/pi interaction is very weak. Although the "typical" CH/pi interaction is often regarded as an important interaction in controlling the structures of molecular assemblies as in the cases of conventional hydrogen bonds, the importance of the "typical" CH/pi interactions is questionable.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed Dimerization and Alkylarylation of 1,3‐Dienes with Alkyl Fluorides and Aryl Grignard Reagents

In the presence of a nickel catalyst, 1,3‐butadiene undergoes selective dimerization and alkylarylation with alkyl fluorides and aryl Grignard reagents to give 1,6‐octadienes with alkyl and aryl groups at the 3‐ and 8‐positions, respectively, by the consecutive formation of three carbon–carbon bonds. The formation of an anionic nickel complex plays an important role in forming C?C bonds with alkyl fluorides.     

Grid-based energy density analysis: implementation and assessment

Grid-based energy density analysis (grid-EDA) that decomposes the total energy into atomic energies by a space-partitioning function is proposed. The kinetic energy, nuclear attraction, and exchange-correlation functional are evaluated on grid points and are split into atomic contributions. To reduce numerical errors in the conventional scheme of numerical integration, the electronic Coulomb and HF exchange interactions are evaluated by the pseudospectral method, which was first applied to an ab initio method by Friesner [Chem. Phys. Lett. 116, 39 (1985)], and are decomposed into atomic contributions. Grid-EDA using the pseudospectral method succeeds in ensuring less than 1 kcalmol error in total energies for small molecules and providing reliable atomic energy contributions for the problematic lithium cluster, which exhibits a strong basis-set dependence for Mulliken-type EDA. Also, site-dependent atomization energies are estimated by grid-EDA for cluster models such as Li(48), C(41)H(60), and Mg(32)O(32). Grid-EDA reveals that these models imitate crystal environments reasonably because atomization energies estimated from the inner atoms of the models are close to the experimental cohesive energies.     

Linear metal-metal-bonded tetranuclear M-Mo-Mo-M complexes (M = Ir and Rh): oxidative metal-metal bond formation in a tetrametallic system and 1,4-addition reaction of alkyl halides

Reaction of Mo2(pyphos)4 (1) with [MCl(CO)2]2 (M = Ir and Rh) afforded linear tetranuclear complexes of a formula Mo2M2(CO)2(Cl)2(pyphos)4 (2, M = Ir; 3, M = Rh). X-ray diffraction studies confirmed that two "MCl(CO)" fragments are introduced into both axial sites of the Mo2 core in 1 and coordinated by two PPh2 groups in a trans fashion, thereby forming a square-planar geometry around each M(I) metal. Treatment of 2 and 3 with an excess amount of tBuNC and XylNC induced dissociation of the carbonyl and chloride ligands to yield the corresponding dicationic complexes [Mo2M2(pyphos)4(tBuNC)4](Cl)2 (5a, M = Ir; 6a, M = Rh) and [Mo2M2(pyphos)4(XylNC)4](Cl)2 (7, M = Ir; 8, M = Rh). Their molecular structures were characterized by spectroscopic data as well as X-ray diffraction studies of BPh4 derivatives [Mo2M2(pyphos)4(tBuNC)4](BPh4)2 (5b, M = Ir; 6c, M = Rh), which confirmed that there is no direct sigma-bonding interaction between the M(I) atom and the Mo2 core. The M(I) atom in 5 and 6 can be oxidized by either 2 equiv of [Cp2Fe][PF6] or an equimolar amount of I2 to afford Mo(II)2M(II)2 complexes, [Mo2M2(X)2(tBuNC)4(pyphos)4]2+ in which two Mo-M(II) single bonds are formed and the bond order of the Mo-Mo moiety has been decreased to three. The Ir(I) complex 5a reacted not only with methyl iodide but also with dichloromethane to afford the 1,4-oxidative addition products [Mo2Ir2(CH3)(I)(tBuNC)4(pyphos)4](Cl)2 (13) and [Mo2Ir2(CH2Cl)(Cl)(tBuNC)4(pyphos)4](Cl)2 (15), respectively, although the corresponding reactions using the Rh(I) analogue 6 did not proceed. Kinetic analysis of the reaction with CH3I suggested that the 1,4-oxidative addition to the Ir(I) complex occurs in an SN2 reaction mechanism.     

Complete infrared spectroscopic characterization of phenol-borane-trimethylamine dihydrogen-bonded complex in the gas phase

In the paper we report the first observation of the vibrational spectrum in the B-H stretching region in the gas phase for a dihydrogen bonded complex. The appearance of three transitions for the B-H stretching modes of a (di)hydrogen-bonded complex involving borane-trimethylamine indicates the lowering of the symmetry on the BH3 group upon interaction with phenol. Further, the shift in the O-H stretching frequency indicates that phenol is hydrogen bonded to borane-trimethylamine. The two sets of the present data establish, unequivocally, the formation of O-H...H-B dihydrogen-bonded complex between phenol and borane-trimethylamine.     

Experimental and theoretical investigations of isomerization reactions of ionized acetone and its dimer

Ionization dynamics of acetone and its dimer in supersonic jets is investigated by a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques, both of which have recently been developed. In experiments, the neutral and the cationic structures are explored by infrared predissociation spectroscopy with the vacuum-ultraviolet photoionization detection schemes. Reaction paths following the one-photon ionization of the acetone monomer and its dimer have been studied by the joint use of several theoretical methods including the ab initio molecular dynamics, the global reaction route mapping, the intrinsic reaction coordinate, and the artificial force induced reaction calculations. Upon one-photon ionization, the dimer isomerizes to the H-bonded form, in which the enol cation of acetone is bound to the neutral molecule, while this enolization is energetically forbidden in the acetone monomer. The enolization of the dimer cation occurs through a two-step proton-transfer from the methyl group of the ionized moiety, and is catalyzed by the neutral moiety within the dimer cation.