Hydrogen‐Bond Cooperativity in Formamide2–Water: A Model for Water‐Mediated Interactions

The rotational spectrum of formamide₂–H₂O formed in a supersonic jet has been characterized by Fourier‐transform microwave spectroscopy. This adduct provides a simple model of water‐mediated interaction involving the amide linkages, as occur in protein folding or amide‐association processes, showing the interplay between self‐association and solvation. Mono‐substituted ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁸O, and ²H isotopologues have been observed and their data used to investigate the structure. The adduct forms an almost planar three‐body sequential cycle. The two formamide molecules link on one side through an N?H???O hydrogen bond and on the other side through a water‐mediated interaction with the formation of C=O???H?O and O???H?N hydrogen bonds. The analysis of the quadrupole coupling effects of two ¹⁴N‐nuclei reveals the subtle inductive forces associated to cooperative hydrogen bonding. These forces are involved in the changes in the C=O and C?N bond lengths with respect to pure formamide.