Recognition of carboxylate and dicarboxylates by azophenol–thiourea derivatives: a theoretical host–guest investigation

Geometries of azophenol–thiourea derivative complexes with acetate, oxalate, malonate, succinate, glutarate, adipate, pimelate, suberate and azelate were carried out using the integrated MO:MO method. The binding and complexation energies of these complexes were derived from the ONIOM(B3LYP/6-31G(d):AM1) calculations. The relative stabilities of the complexes of azophenol–thiourea derivatives with carboxylate guests are reported. The binding interactions of the azophenol–thiourea receptor 1, 2 and carboxylate guests are described as multipoints hydrogen bonding, where the amine and phenolic hydrogen atoms of receptors act as hydrogen bond donors in complex with acetate and all amine-hydrogen and phenolic hydrogen atoms act as hydrogen bond donors in complex with dicarboxylate guests. Thermodynamic properties of binding interactions between receptors 1, 2 and their preorganizations and complexations are also reported.