Isoelectronic Homologues and Isomers: Tropolone, 5-Azatropolone, 1-H-Azepine-4,5-dione, Saddle Points, and Ions

Computational studies of 12 64-electron homologues and isomers of tropolone in the S(0) electronic ground state are reported. Three minimum-energy structures, tropolone (Tp), 5-azatropolone (5Azt), and 5-H-5-azatropolonium (5AztH(+)), have an internal H-bond and planar C(s)) geometry, and three, tropolonate (TpO(-)), 5-azatropolonate (5AzO(-)), and 1-H-azepine-4,5-dione (45Di), lack the H-bond and have twisted C(2) geometry. All 6 substances have an equal double-minimum potential energy surface and a saddle point with planar C(2)(v) geometry. The energy for the gas-phase isomerization reaction 45Di --> 5Azt is near +4 kJ mol(-1) at the MP4(SDQ)/6-311++G(df,pd)//MP2/6-311++G(df,pd) (energy//geometry) theoretical level and around -20 kJ mol(-1) at lower theoretical levels. The dipole moments computed for 45Di and 5Azt are 9.6 and 2.1 D, respectively, and this large difference contributes to MO-computed free energies of solvation that strongly favor--as experimentally observed--45Di over 5Azt in chloroform solvent. The MO-computed energy for the gas-phase protonation reaction 45Di + H(+) --> 5AztH(+) is -956.4 kJ mol(-1), leading to 926.8 kJ mol(-1) as the estimated proton affinity for 45Di at 298 K and 1 atm. The intramolecular dynamical properties predicted for 5Azt and 5AztH(+) parallel those observed for tropolone. They are therefore expected to exhibit spectral tunneling doublets. Once they are synthesized, they should contribute importantly to the understanding of multidimensional intramolecular H transfer and dynamical coupling processes.

(1Z,3Z)-1,4-Di(pyridin-2-yl)buta-1,3-diene-2,3-diol: the planar highly conjugated symmetrical enediol with multiple intramolecular hydrogen bonds

1H, (13)C, and (15)N NMR spectral data show that in chloroform solution (1Z,3Z)-1,4-di(pyridin-2-yl)buta-1,3-diene-2,3-diol, OO, is in ca. 9:1 equilibrium with (3Z)-3-hydroxy-1,4-di(pyridin-2-yl)but-3-en-2-one, OK, while no 1,4-di(pyridin-2-yl)-2,3-butanedione, KK, was detected. The species present in the tautomeric mixture were identified by comparing their experimental chemical shifts with those known for similar compounds as well as with the theoretically calculated (GIAO-HF/DFT) values. Ab initio calculations show that OK and especially the highly conjugated OO forms are preferred in the tautomeric mixtures both in vacuo and in chloroform solution. Comparison of experimental (Arrhenius) and calculated (ab initio) energies of OK shows that the MP2/6-31G//RHF/6-31G method gives the most precise results. There are one and two strong O-H.N hydrogen bonds present in the molecules of the former and latter compound, respectively. Other tautomeric forms, e.g., dienaminedione [(1Z,4Z)-1,4-di[pyridin-2(1H)-ylidene]butane-2,3-dione], and their rotamers were found to have higher energies. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies show that dienediol OO is the only tautomeric form present in the crystal at 173 K. Its almost perfectly planar molecule is stabilized by two strong intramolecular O-H.N hydrogen bonds.