Structure, stability and interactions in the complexes of carbonyls with cyanides

Importance of water and intramolecular interaction governs substantial blue shift of Csp2–H stretching frequency in complexes between chalcogenoaldehydes and water

Geometrical structure, stability and cooperativity, and contribution of hydrogen bonds to the stability of complexes between chalcogenoaldehydes and water were thoroughly investigated using quantum chemical methods. The stability of the complexes increases significantly when one or more H₂O molecules are added to the binary system, whereas it decreases sharply going from O to S, Se, or Te substitution. The O–H⋯O H-bond is twice as stable as C_sp²–H⋯O and O–H⋯S/Se/Te H-bonds. It is found that a considerable blue-shift of C_sp²–H stretching frequency in the C_sp²–H⋯O H-bond is mainly determined by an addition of water into the complexes along with the low polarity of the C_sp²–H covalent bond in formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. The C_sp²–H stretching frequency shift as a function of net second hyperconjugative energy for the σ*(C_sp²–H) antibonding orbital is observed. Remarkably, a considerable C_sp²–H blue shift of 109 cm⁻¹ has been reported for the first time. Upon the addition of H₂O into the binary systems, halogenated complexes witness a decreasing magnitude of the C_sp²–H stretching frequency blue-shift in the C_sp²–H⋯O H-bond, whereas CH₃-substituted complexes experience the opposite trend.

The considerable blue shift of C_sp²–H stretching frequency.

Theoretical Aspects of Nonconventional Hydrogen Bonds in the Complexes of Aldehydes and Hydrogen Chalcogenides

Hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) in the complexes between aldehydes and hydrogen chalcogenides, XCHO...nH₂Z with X = H, F, Cl, Br, and CH₃, Z = O, S, Se, and Te, and n = 1,2, were investigated using high-level ab initio calculations. The C_sp2-H...O H-bonds are found to be about twice as strong as the C_sp2-H...S/Se/Te counterparts. Remarkably, the S/Se/Te-H...S/Se/Te H-bonds are 4.5 times as weak as the O-H...O ones. The addition of the second H₂Z molecule into binary systems induces stronger complexes and causes a positive cooperative effect in ternary complexes. The blue shift of C_sp2-H stretching frequency involving the C_sp2-H...Z H-bond sharply increases when replacing one H atom in HCHO by a CH₃ group. In contrast, when one H atom in HCHO is substituted with a halogen, the magnitude of blue-shifting of the C_sp2-H...Z H-bond becomes smaller. The largest blue shift up to 92 cm^-1 of C_sp2-H stretching frequency in C_sp2-H...O H-bond in CH₃CHO...2H₂O has rarely been observed and is much greater than that in the cases of the C_sp2-H...S/Se/Te ones. The C_sp2-H blue shift of C_sp2-H...Z bonds in the halogenated aldehydes is converted into a red shift when H₂O is replaced by a heavier analogue, such as H₂S, H₂Se, or H₂Te. The stability and classification of nonconventional H-bonds including C_sp2-H...Se/Te, Te-H...Te, and Se/Te-H...O have been established for the first time.

Benchmark-Quality Semiexperimental Structural Parameters of van der Waals Complexes

Accurate data sets including noncovalent interactions have become essential for benchmarking computational methods. However, while there is much focus on obtaining an accurate description of relative energies, reliable prediction of accurate equilibrium geometries is also important. To facilitate the benchmarking of computed geometries, the current work includes an accurate data set of semiexperimental equilibrium geometries of noncovalent complexes that can be directly compared to ab initio data. The structures are based on high-accuracy spectroscopic data, combined with vibrational corrections at the double-hybrid density functional level. The current work is designed to complement available data sets of semiexperimental geometries of small rigid molecules and ab initio geometries of complexes. The benchmark-quality data comprises 16 complexes and includes dispersion interactions, hydrogen bonding, CH/π···π interactions, and trimers. In addition to the reference data, accurate counterpoise-corrected geometries have been obtained up to the CCSD level, along with interaction energies. A short overview of the performance of computational methods, including dispersion-corrected B3LYP and B2PLYP functionals, is also included.