Can Cyclen Bind Alkali Metal Azides? A DFT Study as a Precursor to Synthesis

Can cyclen (1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane) bind alkali metal azides? This question is addressed by studying the geometric and electronic structures of the alkali metal azide‐cyclen M(cyclen)N₃] complexes using density functional theory (DFT). The effects of adding a second cyclen ring to form the sandwich alkali metal azide‐cyclen M(cyclen)₂N₃] complexes are also investigated. N₃^? is found to bind to a M⁺(cyclen) template to give both end‐on and side‐on structures. In the end‐on structures, the terminal nitrogen atom of the azide group (N1) bonds to the metal as well as to a hydrogen atom of the cyclen ring through a hydrogen bond in an end‐on configuration to the cyclen ring. In the side‐on structures, the N₃ unit is bonded (in a side‐on configuration to the cyclen ring) to the metal through the terminal nitrogen atom of the azide group (N1), and through the other terminal nitrogen atom (N3) of the azide group by a hydrogen bond to a hydrogen atom of the cyclen ring. For all the alkali metals, the N₃‐side‐on structure is lowest in energy. Addition of a second cyclen unit to M(cyclen)N₃] to form the sandwich compounds M(cyclen)₂N₃] causes the bond strength between the metal and the N₃ unit to decrease. It is hoped that this computational study will be a precursor to the synthesis and experimental study of these new macrocyclic compounds; structural parameters and infrared spectra were computed, which will assist future experimental work.