Structures and bonding of B4O5 and B4O5− clusters: Emergence of boroxol ring and competition between rhombic B2O2 and hexagonal B3O3 cores

Boron oxide clusters are electron-deficient species with novel structures and bonding, in which the emergence of rhombic and boroxol rings is of interest. We report on computational prediction of the global-minimum structures for two boron oxide clusters: B₄O₅ and B₄O₅⁻. These structures differ distinctly, as established through global machine searches and electronic structure calculations at B3LYP and single-point CCSD(T) levels. While B₄O₅ neutral cluster has a rhombic B₂O₂ core, the B₄O₅⁻ anion features a boroxol B₃O₃ ring. One electron completely changes the potential landscapes. Bonding analyses show that the 4π electron-counting is crucial for a rhombic B O cluster, in contrast to π sextet for a boroxol ring, which underlies the competition between rhombic and boroxol rings in B₄O₅/B₄O₅⁻ clusters. A possible pathway for rhombic-to-hexagonal transformation is proposed based on intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations. Anion B₄O₅⁻ cluster, a new member of the inorganic benzene family, is among the smallest B O species with a free-standing boroxol ring, governed collectively by composition and electron-counting.     

Dearomatization Approach Toward a Superbenzoquinone‐Based Diradicaloid,Tetraradicaloid, and Hexaradicaloid

Reported here is the step‐by‐step dearomatization of a highly aromatic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), the hexa‐peri‐hexabenzocoronene (also called as “superbenzene”), to give a series of superbenzoquinones containing two, four, and six ketone groups. Different from traditional PAH‐based quinones, these superbenzoquinones show open‐shell multiradical character by rearomatization in the open‐shell forms as experimentally validated by X‐ray crystallographic analysis, NMR and ESR spectroscopy, and FT‐IR measurements, as well as theoretically supported by restricted active space spin‐flip calculations. These compounds exhibit structure‐ and molecular‐symmetry‐dependent optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties.     

Divide and Stack Up: Boron‐Based Sandwich Cluster as a Subnanoscale Propeller

Typical salts are composed of positive and negative ions that appear alternatively, whereas decorated layered materials normally have ions anchored on the polygonal sites. In this way, the ions are spatially fixed and the system is stabilized on electrostatic grounds. Here we report on a unique boron‐lithium cluster, B₇Li₄^?, which contains a disk‐like B₇ core, being sandwiched by a Li₃ ring and an isolated Li atom. All Li centers are stacked exactly on the B atoms from top or bottom, rather than being anchored on triangular B₃ sites. The cluster shows dynamic fluxionality, whose Li₃ ring rotates freely on the B₇ disk even at below room temperature (200 K), akin to a subnanoscale propeller. The rotation barrier is only 0.37 kcal mol^?1 at the single‐point CCSD(T) level. The sandwich shape facilitates intramolecular charge‐transfers, leading to a [Li₃]⁺[B₇]^3?[Li]⁺ salt complex. The [Li₃]⁺ layer has 2σ aromaticity, while [B₇]^3? core is robust with both π and σ sextets. Three‐fold π/σ aromaticity collectively stabilizes the system, as well as underlies its dynamic fluxionality. The interlayer bonding turns out to be strong, dominated by ionic interactions (of the order of 3–4 eV per Li₃/Li unit). The work demonstrates a propeller at the subnanoscale, which is dynamically fluxional despite strong covalent and ionic bonding.     

Effects of interaction between the chelate rings and π‐conjugated systems in fused salphen complexes on UV‐Vis‐NIR spectra

Dinuclear (Zn₂, Ni₂, and NiZn) complexes of fused salphen with acene‐type annelation were synthesized from 3,7‐diformyl‐2,6‐dihydroxynaphthalene. The spectroscopic properties of these complexes were compared with those of their constitutional isomers with phene‐type annelation. The acene‐type complexes exhibited a characteristic absorption band in the near‐infrared region that showed a noticeable solvent effect. Time‐dependent density functional theory calculations suggested that the absorption arose from a π → π* transition localized at the naphthalene ring, which was perturbed by the adjoining chelate rings. Effects of the connection topology in the fused salphen complexes are discussed by comparison with those of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Cl~–…苯氰…H_2O中阴离子氢键协同效应与芳香性理论研究

本文采用DFT-B3LYP和MP2(full)方法对三聚体Cl–…苯氰…H2O中O/C–H…Cl–阴离子氢键与传统氢键O–H…N和C–H…O之间的协同效应、热力学性质以及芳香性进行了研究.结果表明阴离子氢键O/C–H…Cl–对O–H…N或C–H…O相互作用的影响更显著.在线性结构中发生正协同效应,熵变是促进热力学协同效应的主要因素,而在环状结构中发生反协同效应,焓变成为主要因素.在三聚体形成过程中,苯氰环的芳香性是减弱的,而苯氰中π→π*共轭效应是增强的.结果表明,协同效应能Ecoop.分别与Rc(NICS(1)ternary/NICS(1)binary),ΔΔδ(Δδternary-Δδbinary),Rc'((NICS(1)ternary-NICS(1)binary)/NICS(1)binary)和RBDE(C–CN)(BDE(C–CN)ternary/BDE(C–CN)binary)均具有良好的线性关系.同时,AIM的分析也佐证了协同效应的存在.