Uncovering Intramolecular π-Type Hydrogen Bonds in Solution by NMR Spectroscopy and DFT Calculations

Through-space scalar spin-spin coupling: from rigid intramolecular cases to short-lived van der Waals complexes

We will discuss, with the help of few selected examples, how the concept of through-space scalar spin-spin coupling between non covalently bonded nuclei has evolved in recent years. We will first present systems where 'no covalent bond' actually means that the two atoms are separated by a large number of bonds; then we will see cases where it is referred to true van der Waals dimers, but with the two atoms somehow constrained in their positions; we will finish with the most recent examples of liquids and even gaseous mixtures with full translational degrees of freedom in a regime of intermolecular/interatomic fast exchange.

Recognition in the Domain of Molecular Chirality: From Noncovalent Interactions to Separation of Enantiomers

It is not a coincidence that both chirality and noncovalent interactions are ubiquitous in nature and synthetic molecular systems. Noncovalent interactivity between chiral molecules underlies enantioselective recognition as a fundamental phenomenon regulating life and human activities. Thus, noncovalent interactions represent the narrative thread of a fascinating story which goes across several disciplines of medical, chemical, physical, biological, and other natural sciences. This review has been conceived with the awareness that a modern attitude toward molecular chirality and its consequences needs to be founded on multidisciplinary approaches to disclose the molecular basis of essential enantioselective phenomena in the domain of chemical, physical, and life sciences. With the primary aim of discussing this topic in an integrated way, a comprehensive pool of rational and systematic multidisciplinary information is provided, which concerns the fundamentals of chirality, a description of noncovalent interactions, and their implications in enantioselective processes occurring in different contexts. A specific focus is devoted to enantioselection in chromatography and electromigration techniques because of their unique feature as "multistep" processes. A second motivation for writing this review is to make a clear statement about the state of the art, the tools we have at our disposal, and what is still missing to fully understand the mechanisms underlying enantioselective recognition.

Stable mixed-valence diphenylphosphanido bridged platinum(ii)-platinum(iv) complexes

The reaction between [NnBu4][(C6F5)2PtII(μ-PPh2)2PtIV(C^N)(I)2] (C^N = κ2-N,C-benzoquinolinate, 1) and (i) bidentate S^S, N^S and O^O anionic ligands or (ii) monodentate S- N- or O-based anionic ligands was studied in order to investigate the factors that may guarantee the stability of Pt(ii),Pt(iv) mixed-valence dinuclear phosphanido complexes. While reactions of 1 with S^S or N^S ligands afforded stable Pt(ii),Pt(iv) species of general formula [(C6F5)2PtII(μ-PPh2)2PtIV(C^N)(L^S)]x- [(L^S)(x-1) = 2-mercaptopyrimidinate (pymS-), 2-mercaptopyridinate (pyS-), dimethyldithiocarbamate (Me2NCS2-), ethyl xanthogenate (EtOCS2-) and 1,2-benzenedithiolate (PhS22-)], the reaction of 1 with the O^O ligand sodium acetylacetonate gave several products, and no pure Pt(ii),Pt(iv) complex could be isolated. The reaction of monodentate ligands such as PhS-, OH- or N3- with 1 led to a stable Pt(ii),Pt(iv) complex only in the case of N3-. The reaction with OH- afforded the Pt(ii),Pt(ii) complex [(C6F5)2PtII(μ-PPh2)(κ2-O,P-μ-O-PPh2)PtII(C^N)]- (8) deriving from reductive coupling of a diphenylphosphanide and an O-donor ligand coordinated to the Pt(iv) centre, while the reaction with PhS- produced the unstable Pt(ii),Pt(iv) complex [NnBu4][(C6F5)2PtII(μ-PPh2)2PtIV(C^N)(PhS)2] (11) that evolved in solution to the Pt(ii),Pt(ii) species [NnBu4][(C6F5)2PtII(μ-PPh2)2PtII(C^N)] (9) by elimination of diphenyldisulfide. Thus, the stability of mixed valence Pt(ii),Pt(iv) phosphanide complexes is affected by several concurrent factors, including the chelating effect of the ligands and the type of ligating atoms.

Double addition of phenylacetylene onto the mixed bridge phosphinito-phosphanido Pt(i) complex [(PHCy2)Pt(μ-PCy2){κ2P,O-μ-P(O)Cy2}Pt(PHCy2)](Pt-Pt)

The reaction of the dinuclear phosphinito bridged complex [(PHCy2)Pt(μ-PCy2){κ2P,O-μ-P(O)Cy2}Pt(PHCy2)](Pt-Pt) (1) with phenylacetylene affords the η1-alkenyl-μ,η1:η2-alkynyl complex [(η1-trans-(Ph)HC[double bond, length as m-dash]CH)(PHCy2)Pt(μ-PCy2)(μ,η1:η2-PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C)Pt{κP-P(O)Cy2}(PHCy2)] (4) displaying a σ-bonded 2-phenylethenyl ligand and an alkynyl (μ-κCα:η2) bridge between the platinum atoms. Complex 4 was shown to form in two steps: initially, the attack of the first molecule of phenylacetylene gives the σ-acetylide complex [(PHCy2)(η1-PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C)Pt1(μ-PCy2)Pt2(PHCy2){κP-P(OH)Cy2}](Pt-Pt) (5) featuring an intramolecular π-type hydrogen bond between the POH and the C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C triple bond; fast reaction of 5 with a second molecule of phenylacetylene results in the oxidative addition of the terminal C-H bond of the second alkyne to Pt1 that, after rearrangements, leads to 4. When left in solution for two weeks, complex 4 spontaneously isomerizes completely to [(PHCy2)(η1-trans-(Ph)HC[double bond, length as m-dash]CH)Pt(μ-PCy2){κ2P,O-μ-P(O)Cy2}Pt(η1-PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C)(PHCy2)] (7) displaying a 2-phenylethenyl ligand and a phenylethynyl group both σ-bonded to the metal. Density functional calculations at the B3LYP/LACV3P++**//DFT/LACVP* level were carried out to study the thermodynamics of the formation of all considered complexes and to trace the mechanism of formation of the observed products.

31P and 195Pt solid-state NMR and DFT studies on platinum(i) and platinum(ii) complexes

³¹P and ¹⁹⁵Pt solid state NMR spectra on anti-[(PHCy)ClPt(μ-PCy₂)₂Pt(PHCy)Cl] (3) and [(PHCy₂)Pt(μ-PCy₂)(κ²P,O-μ-POCy₂)Pt(PHCy₂)] (Pt–Pt) (4) were recorded under CP/MAS conditions (³¹P) or with the CP/CPMG pulse sequence (¹⁹⁵Pt) and compared to data obtained by relativistic DFT calculations of ³¹P and ¹⁹⁵Pt CS tensors and isotropic shielding at the ZORA Spin Orbit level.