Identification of the strongest bonds in chemistry

Hidden Bond Anomalies: The Peculiar Case of the Fluorinated Amine Chalcogenides

Bond anomalies have been investigated for a set of 53 molecules with either N-F, Ti-P, Cr-H, Pb-C, or Pb-F bonds for which reverse rather than inverse bond length-bond strength relationships have been previously claimed. The intrinsic strength of each bond investigated was determined utilizing the associated local stretching force constant obtained at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. For the metal containing molecules, LC-ωPBE calculations with the aug-cc-pVTZ (Cr, Pb) and the 6-31++G(d,p) basis set (Ti) were carried out. For bonds containing a metal atom, any bond anomaly could not be confirmed. Previously reported results were due to ill-defined bond strength descriptors or lacking accuracy. In the case of the fluoro amines, methyl fluoro amines, and the fluoro amine oxides, direct or hidden bond anomalies were detected, which result from two or more opposing electronic effects: a dominant bond shortening effect due to electron withdrawal and a bond weakening due to lone pair repulsion or hybridization defects. Bond anomalies can be disguised by a complex interplay of electronic effects. These hidden bond anomalies could be identified in this work for the fluoro amine chalcogenides.

Vibrational properties and bonding nature of Sb2Se3 and their implications for chalcogenide materials

There is more to chemical bonding in chalcogenides than the shortest, strongest bonds, as revealed by microscopic quantum-chemical descriptors.

Antimony selenide (antimonselite, Sb₂Se₃) is a versatile functional material with emerging applications in solar cells. It also provides an intriguing prototype to study different modes of bonding in solid chalcogenides, all within one crystal structure. In this study, we unravel the complex bonding nature of crystalline Sb₂Se₃ by using an orbital-based descriptor (the crystal orbital Hamilton population, COHP) and by analysing phonon properties and interatomic force constants. We find particularly interesting behaviour for the medium-range Sb···Se contacts, which still contribute significant stabilisation but are much softer than the “traditional” covalent bonds. These results have implications for the assembly of Sb₂Se₃ nanostructures, and bond-projected force constants appear as a useful microscopic descriptor for investigating a larger number of chalcogenide functional materials in the future.

Bonding Motifs of Noble-Gas Compounds As Described by the Local Electron Energy Density

The bonding situation of some exemplary noble-gas (Ng) compounds, including HNg(+), HNgF, FNgO(-), Ng-HF, and NgBeO (Ng = He-Xe) was assayed by examining their local electron energy density H(r). In general, this function partitions the space of atomic species (neutral and ionic) into inner regions of negative values and outer regions of positive values. In the formation of chemical bonds, these atomic regions combine so to form a molecular H(r), Hmol(r), whose plotted form naturally shows the "covalent" and "noncovalent" regions of the molecular species and allows also the recognition of different types of noncovalent interactions such van der Waals, hydrogen, and ionic or partially ionic bonds. The qualitative assignment of the various bonding motifs is corroborated by the topological analysis of Hmol(r), which typically includes several critical points of rank 3 and variable signature. These points are, in particular, characterized here in terms of their bond degree (BD). From a previous definition (Espinosa J. Chem. Phys. 2002, 117, 5529-5542), this quantity is taken as the ratio between the energy density calculated at the critical point of H(r), H(rc), and the corresponding electron density ρ(rc): BD = -H(rc)/ρ(rc). Thus, the BD is positive for covalent interactions (H(rc) < 0) and negative for noncovalent interactions (H(rc) > 0). For structurally related species, the BD result, in general, positively correlated with the binding energies and is, therefore, a semiquantitative index of stability. The present study suggests the general validity of the Hmol(r) to effectively assay the bonding motifs of noble-gas compounds.

11,11-dimethyl-1,6-methano[10]annulene--an annulene with an ultralong CC bond or a fluxional molecule?

Extensive quantum chemical calculations involving more than 20 different methods and including vibrational, temperature, entropic, and environmental corrections suggest that 11,11-dimethyl-1,6-methano[10]annulene (1) is characterized by a broad, asymmetric single well potential minimum in which the molecule can carry out a large-amplitude vibration. This result is obtained by using CASPT2(14,14) and CCSD(T) together with a VTZ basis set. The average R(C1C6) distance of 1 is close to 1.8 Å, in agreement with X-ray diffraction measurements. Lower level methods fail because a reliable account of the electronic structure of bridged annulenes requires a balanced description of nondynamical and dynamical electron correlation effects as well as a correct assessment of bridge-annulene interactions. An independent determination of the distance R using the mean deviation between the calculated and measured (13)C NMR chemical shifts of 1 leads to a value of 1.79 Å. By using electron density, energy density, and the local C1C6 stretching mode, it is demonstrated that the covalent bond ceases to exist at 1.695 Å and that for larger R values through-space homoaromatic interactions lead to some stabilization. The peculiar potential of 1 is shown to be a result of the interaction of the methyl groups with the perimeter CC bonds bisected by the symmetry plane of the molecule. CASPT2(14,14), CASPT2(10,10), CCSD(T), and BD(T) calculations were also used to provide for the first time reliable descriptions of the valence tautomeric potentials for the parent molecule, 1,6-methano[10]annulene (2), and the system 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene-norcardiene (3). In the latter case, calculations confirm a previous kinetic measurement of the free activation energy but correct NMR-based estimates. The methodology described can be applied to other annulenes and fullerenes.

Strength of the pnicogen bond in complexes involving group Va elements N, P, and As

A set of 36 pnicogen homo- and heterodimers, R3E···ER3 and R3E···E′R′3, involving differently substituted group Va elements E = N, P, and As has been investigated at the ωB97X-D/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory to determine the strength of the pnicogen bond with the help of the local E···E′ stretching force constants k(a). The latter are directly related to the amount of charge transferred from an E donor lone pair orbital to an E′ acceptor σ* orbital, in the sense of a through-space anomeric effect. This leads to a buildup of electron density in the intermonomer region and a distinct pnicogen bond strength order quantitatively assessed via k(a). However, the complex binding energy ΔE depends only partly on the pnicogen bond strength as H,E-attractions, H-bonding, dipole-dipole, or multipole-multipole attractions also contribute to the stability of pnicogen bonded dimers. A variation from through-space anomeric to second order hyperonjugative, and skewed π,π interactions is observed. Charge transfer into a π* substituent orbital of the acceptor increases the absolute value of ΔE by electrostatic effects but has a smaller impact on the pnicogen bond strength. A set of 10 dimers obtains its stability from covalent pnicogen bonding whereas all other dimers are stabilized by electrostatic interactions. The latter are quantified by the magnitude of the local intermonomer bending force constants XE···E′. Analysis of the frontier orbitals of monomer and dimer in connection with the investigation of electron difference densities, and atomic charges lead to a simple rationalization of the various facets of pnicogen bonding. The temperature at which a given dimer is observable under experimental conditions is provided.

Quantitative assessment of the multiplicity of carbon-halogen bonds: carbenium and halonium ions with F, Cl, Br, and I

CX (X = F, Cl, Br, I) and CE bonding (E = O, S, Se, Te) was investigated for a test set of 168 molecules using the local CX and CE stretching force constants k(a) calculated at the M06-2X/cc-pVTZ level of theory. The stretching force constants were used to derive a relative bond strength order (RBSO) parameter n. As alternative bond strength descriptors, bond dissociation energies (BDE) were calculated at the G3 level or at the two-component NESC (normalized elimination of the small component)/CCSD(T) level of theory for molecules with X = Br, I or E = Se, Te. RBSO values reveal that both bond lengths and BDE values are less useful when a quantification of the bond strength is needed. CX double bonds can be realized for Br- or I-substituted carbenium ions where as suitable reference the double bond of the corresponding formaldehyde homologue is used. A triple bond cannot be realized in this way as the diatomic CX(+) ions with a limited π-donor capacity for X are just double-bonded. The stability of halonium ions increases with the atomic number of X, which is reflected by a strengthening of the fractional (electron-deficient) CX bonds. An additional stability increase of up to 25 kcal/mol (X = I) is obtained when the X(+) ion can form a bridged halonium ion with ethene such that a more efficient 2-electron-3-center bonding situation is created.

Vibrational Properties of the Isotopomers of the Water Dimer Derived from Experiment and Computations

The water dimer and its 11 deuterated isotopomers are investigated utilizing coupled cluster theory and experimental data as input for a perturbational determination of the isotopomer frequencies. Deuterium substitution reduces the H-bond stretching frequency by maximally 12 cm–1 from 143 to 131 cm–1, which makes a spectroscopic differentiation of H- and D-bonds difficult. However, utilizing the 132 frequencies obtained in this work, the identification of all isotopomers is straightforward. The CCSD(T)/CBS value of the binding energy De is 5.00 kcal mol–1. The binding energy D0 of the water dimer increases upon deuterium substitution from 3.28 to maximally 3.71 kcal mol–1 reflecting a decrease in the zero point energy contribution. The entropy values of the D-isotopomers increase from 73 to 77 entropy units in line with the general observation that a mass increase leads to larger entropies. All 12 isotopomers possess positive free binding energies at 80 K and a reduced pressure of 110 Pa, which means that they can be spectroscopically observed under these conditions.

Description of aromaticity with the help of vibrational spectroscopy: anthracene and phenanthrene

A new approach is presented to determine π-delocalization and the degree of aromaticity utilizing measured vibrational frequencies. For this purpose, a perturbation approach is used to derive vibrational force constants from experimental frequencies and calculated normal mode vectors. The latter are used to determine the local counterparts of the vibrational modes. Next, relative bond strength orders (RBSO) are obtained from the local stretching force constants, which provide reliable descriptors of CC and CH bond strengths. Finally, the RBSO values for CC bonds are used to establish a modified harmonic oscillator model and an aromatic delocalization index AI, which is split into a bond weakening (strengthening) and bond alternation part. In this way, benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, and phenanthrene are described with the help of vibrational spectroscopy as aromatic systems with a slight tendency of peripheral π-delocalization. The 6.8 kcal/mol larger stability of phenanthrene relative to anthracene predominantly (84%) results from its higher resonance energy, which is a direct consequence of the topology of ring annelation. Previous attempts to explain the higher stability of phenanthrene via a maximum electron density path between the bay H atoms are misleading in view of the properties of the electron density distribution in the bay region.

Rotational spectroscopy of isotopologues of silicon monoxide, SiO, and spectroscopic parameters from a combined fit of rotational and rovibrational data

Pure rotational transitions of silicon monoxide, involving the main ((28)Si(16)O) as well as several rare isotopic species, were observed in their ground vibrational states by employing long-path absorption spectroscopy between 86 and 825 GHz (1 ≤ J" ≤ 18). Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy was used to study the J" = 0 transition frequencies in the ground and several vibrationally excited states. The vibrational excitation of the newly studied isotopologues extend to between υ = 9 and 29 for (28)Si(17)O and (30)Si(16)O, respectively. Data were extended for some previously investigated species up to υ = 51 for the main isotopologue. The high spectral resolution allowed us to resolve the hyperfine structure in (28)Si(17)O caused by the nuclear electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole moments of (17)O for the first time, and to resolve the much smaller nuclear spin-rotation splitting for isotopic species containing (29)Si. These data were combined with previous rotational and rovibrational (infrared) data to determine an improved set of spectroscopic parameters of SiO in one global fit which takes the breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation into account. Highly accurate rotational transition frequencies for this important astronomical molecule can now be predicted well into the terahertz region with this parameter set. In addition, a more complete comparison among physical properties of group 14/16 diatomics is possible.

New approach to Tolman's electronic parameter based on local vibrational modes

Tolman's electronic parameter (TEP) derived from the A1-symmetrical CO stretching frequency of nickel-phosphine-tricarbonyl complexes, R3PNi(CO)3, is brought to a new, improved level by replacing normal with local vibrational frequencies. CO normal vibrational frequencies are always flawed by mode-mode coupling especially with metal-carbon stretching modes, which leads to coupling frequencies as large as 100 cm(-1) and can become even larger when the transition metal and the number of ligands is changed. Local TEP (LTEP) values, being based on local CO stretching force constants rather than normal mode frequencies, no longer suffer from mode coupling and mass effects. For 42 nickel complexes of the type LNi(CO)3, it is shown that LTEP values provide a different ordering of ligand electronic effects as previously suggested by TEP and CEP values. The general applicability of the LTEP concept is demonstrated.