Cation-π versus anion-π interactions: a comparative ab initio study based on energetic, electron charge density and aromatic features

Enhanced and Heteromolecular Guest Encapsulation in Nonporous Crystals of a Perfluorinated Triketonato Dinuclear Copper Complex

The flexible host framework of a perfluorinated mononuclear copper complex, [Cu(L¹ )₂ ] (1, HL¹ =3-hydroxy-1,3-bis(pentafluorophenyl)-2-propen-1-one), with a CuO₄ core reversibly encapsulated several organic guest molecules through electrostatic interactions in its crystals. Hence, the corresponding dinuclear complex, [Cu₂ (L² )₂ ] (2, H₂ L² =1,5-dihydroxy-1,5-bis(pentafluorophenyl)-1,4-pentadien-3-one), was prepared to enhance guest recognition and the ability to separate molecular mixtures. Complex 2 comprises a Cu₂ O₆ core and four pentafluorophenyl groups. In crystal 2, cavities are formed on the axial sites of the metal core that are surrounded by pentafluorophenyl groups. The crystal of 2 encapsulates various guest molecules, that is, benzene (3), toluene (4), xylene (5), mesitylene (6), durene (7), and anisole (8). X-ray crystallographic and thermogravimetric (TG) studies show that three guest molecules are present in the crystal cavities. The number of guest molecules found in complex 2 was higher than that in complex 1, for example, (2)₃ ⋅(6)₁₀ >1⋅(6)₂ , (2)₂ ⋅(7)₇ >1⋅7, or 2⋅(8)₃ >1⋅(8)₂ . Naphthalene (9), was encapsulated in 2 to give 2⋅(9)₃ , but not in 1. In the crystal of complex 2, heteromolecular guest encapsulation was confirmed, designated as 2⋅(3)₂ ⋅9. TG analysis indicates that the thermal stability of the guest-included crystals of 2 is higher than that of 1.

Guest encapsulations in non-porous crystals of fully fluorinated dinuclear metal complexes with the M2O2 core (M = Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+)

Two different coordination types of fully fluorinated dinuclear metal complexes, [Fe2L4(OMe)2] and [M2L4(OH2)2] (M = Co2+, Ni2+ and HL = bis(pentafluorobenzoyl)methane), were obtained. All of the complexes form non-porous crystals, which act as hosts for the adsorption of various benzene derivatives, e.g., benzene, toluene, p-xylene, anisole, and small gas molecules, e.g., CO2, O2, and NO. The complex of iron selectively adsorbs NO in high amounts and the complex of cobalt is found to store adsorbed O2.

Anion Complexes with Tetrazine-Based Ligands: Formation of Strong Anion-π Interactions in Solution and in the Solid State

Ligands L1 and L2, consisting of a tetrazine ring decorated with two morpholine pendants of different lengths, show peculiar anion-binding behaviors. In several cases, even the neutral ligands, in addition to their protonated HL(+) and H2L(2+) (L = L1 and L2) forms, bind anions such as F(-), NO3(-), PF6(-), ClO4(-), and SO4(2-) to form stable complexes in water. The crystal structures of H2L1(PF6)2·2H2O, H2L1(ClO4)2·2H2O, H2L2(NO3)2, H2L2(PF6)2·H2O, and H2L2(ClO4)2·H2O show that anion-π interactions are pivotal for the formation of these complexes, although other weak forces may contribute to their stability. Complex stability constants were determined by means of potentiometric titration in aqueous solution at 298.1 K, while dissection of the free-energy change of association (ΔG°) into its enthalpic (ΔH°) and entropic (TΔS°) components was accomplished by means of isothermal titration calorimetry measurements. Stability constants are poorly regulated by anion-ligand charge-charge attraction. Thermodynamic data show that the formation of complexes with neutral ligands, which are principally stabilized by anion-π interactions, is enthalpically favorable (-ΔG°, 11.1-17.5 kJ/mol; ΔH°, -2.3 to -0.5 kJ/mol; TΔS°, 9.0-17.0 kJ/mol), while for charged ligands, enthalpy changes are mostly unfavorable. Complexation reactions are invariably promoted by large and favorable entropic contributions. The importance of desolvation phenomena manifested by such thermodynamic data was confirmed by the hydrodynamic results obtained by means of diffusion NMR spectroscopy. In the case of L2, complexation equilibria were also studied in a 80:20 (v/v) water/ethanol mixture. In this mixed solvent of lower dielectric constant than water, the stability of anion complexes decreases, relative to water. Solvation effects, mostly involving the ligand, are thought to be responsible for this peculiar behavior.

Experimental investigation of anion–π interactions – applications and biochemical relevance

Anion–π interactions, intuitively repulsive forces, turned from controversial to a well-established non-covalent interaction over the past quarter of a century.

Ion size influence on the Ar solvation shells of M(+)-C6F6 clusters (M = Na, K, Rb, Cs)

The size-specific influence of alkali metal ions in the gradual transition from cluster rearrangement to solvation dynamics is investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations for alkali metal cation-hexafluorobenzene systems, M(+)-C(6)F(6) (M = Na, K, Rb and Cs), surrounded by Ar atoms. To analyze such transition, different small aggregates of the M(+)-C(6)F(6)-Ar(n) (n = 1, ..., 30) type and M(+)-C(6)F(6) clusters solvated by about 500 Ar atoms are considered. The Ar-C(6)F(6) interaction contribution has been described using two different formalisms, based on the interaction decomposition in atom-bond and in atom-effective atom terms, which have been applied to study the small aggregates and to investigate the Ar solvated M(+)-C(6)F(6) clusters, respectively. The selectivity of the promoted phenomena from the M(+) ion size and their dependence from the number of Ar atoms is characterized.

Putting anion-π interactions into perspective

Supramolecular chemistry is a field of scientific exploration that probes the relationship between molecular structure and function. It is the chemistry of the noncovalent bond, which forms the basis of highly specific recognition, transport, and regulation events that actuate biological processes. The classic design principles of supramolecular chemistry include strong, directional interactions like hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, and cation-π complexation, as well as less directional forces like ion pairing, π-π, solvophobic, and van der Waals potentials. In recent years, the anion-π interaction (an attractive force between an electron-deficient aromatic π system and an anion) has been recognized as a hitherto unexplored noncovalent bond, the nature of which has been interpreted through both experimental and theoretical investigations. The design of selective anion receptors and channels based on this interaction represent important advances in the field of supramolecular chemistry. The objectives of this Review are 1) to discuss current thinking on the nature of this interaction, 2) to survey key experimental work in which anion-π bonding is demonstrated, and 3) to provide insights into the directional nature of anion-π contact in X-ray crystal structures.

Substituent effects on non-covalent interactions with aromatic rings: insights from computational chemistry

Non-covalent interactions with aromatic rings pervade modern chemical research. The strength and orientation of these interactions can be tuned and controlled through substituent effects. Computational studies of model complexes have provided a detailed understanding of the origin and nature of these substituent effects, and pinpointed flaws in entrenched models of these interactions in the literature. Here, we provide a brief review of efforts over the last decade to unravel the origin of substituent effects in π-stacking, XH/π, and ion/π interactions through detailed computational studies. We highlight recent progress that has been made, while also uncovering areas where future studies are warranted.

A survey of aspartate-phenylalanine and glutamate-phenylalanine interactions in the protein data bank: searching for anion-π pairs

Protein structures are stabilized using noncovalent interactions. In addition to the traditional noncovalent interactions, newer types of interactions are thought to be present in proteins. One such interaction, an anion-π pair, in which the positively charged edge of an aromatic ring interacts with an anion, forming a favorable anion-quadrupole interaction, has been previously proposed [Jackson, M. R., et al. (2007) J. Phys. Chem. B111, 8242-8249]. To study the role of anion-π interactions in stabilizing protein structure, we analyzed pairwise interactions between phenylalanine (Phe) and the anionic amino acids, aspartate (Asp) and glutamate (Glu). Particular emphasis was focused on identification of Phe-Asp or -Glu pairs separated by less than 7 Å in the high-resolution, nonredundant Protein Data Bank. Simplifying Phe to benzene and Asp or Glu to formate molecules facilitated in silico analysis of the pairs. Kitaura-Morokuma energy calculations were performed on roughly 19000 benzene-formate pairs and the resulting energies analyzed as a function of distance and angle. Edgewise interactions typically produced strongly stabilizing interaction energies (-2 to -7.3 kcal/mol), while interactions involving the ring face resulted in weakly stabilizing to repulsive interaction energies. The strongest, most stabilizing interactions were identified as preferentially occurring in buried residues. Anion-π pairs are found throughout protein structures, in helices as well as β strands. Numerous pairs also had nearby cation-π interactions as well as potential π-π stacking. While more than 1000 structures did not contain an anion-π pair, the 3134 remaining structures contained approximately 2.6 anion-π pairs per protein, suggesting it is a reasonably common motif that could contribute to the overall structural stability of a protein.

Study of the interaction between water and hydrogen sulfide with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A computational study has been carried out for determining the characteristics of the interaction between one water and hydrogen sulfide molecule with a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of increasing size, namely, benzene, anthracene, triphenylene, coronene, circumcoronene, and dicircumcoronene. Potential energy curves were calculated for structures where H(2)X (X=O,S) molecule is located over the central six-membered ring with its hydrogen atoms pointing toward to (mode A) or away from (mode B) the hydrocarbon. The accuracy of different methods has been tested against the results of coupled cluster calculations extrapolated to basis set limit for the smaller hydrocarbons. The spin component scaled MP2 (SCS-MP2) method and a density functional theory method empirically corrected for dispersion (DFT-D) reproduce fairly well the results of high level calculations and therefore were employed for studying the larger systems, though DFT-D seems to underestimate the interaction in hydrogen sulfide clusters. Water complexes in mode A have interaction energies that hardly change with the size of the hydrocarbon due to compensation between the increase in the correlation contribution to the interaction energy and the increase in the repulsive character of the Hartree-Fock energy. For all the other clusters studied, there is a continuous increase in the intensity of the interaction as the size of the hydrocarbon increases, suggesting already converged values for circumcoronene. The interaction energy for water clusters extrapolated to an infinite number of carbon atoms amounts to -13.0 and -15.8 kJ/mol with SCS-MP2 and DFT-D, respectively. Hydrogen sulfide interacts more strongly than water with the hydrocarbons studied, leading to a limiting value of -21.7 kJ/mol with the SCS-MP2 method. Also, complexes in mode B are less stable than the corresponding A structures, with interaction energies amounting to -8.2 and -18.2 kJ/mol for water and hydrogen sulfide, respectively. The DFT-D calculations give values of -16.2 and -9.3 kJ/mol for hydrogen sulfide complexes in modes A and B, less negative than those predicted by the SCS-MP2 method, probably indicating problems with sulfur dispersion parameters.

A B3LYP and MP2 theoretical investigation into host-guest interaction between calix[4]arene and Li(+) or Na (+)

The DFT-B3LYP and MP2 methods with 6-311G** and 6-311++G** basis sets have been applied to study the complexation energies of the host-guest complexes between the cone calix[4]arene and Li(+) or Na(+) on the B3LYP optimized geometries. A comparison of the complexation energies obtained from the MP2(full) with those from MP2(fc) method is also carried out. The result shows that it is essential to introduce the diffuse basis set into the geometry optimizations and complexation energy calculations of the alkali-metal cation-pi interaction complexes of calix[4]arene, and the D (e) values show a maximum of 21.13 kJ mol(-1) (14.45% of relative error) between the MP2(full)/6-311++G** and MP2(fc)/6-311++G** method. For Li(+) cation, the complexation is mainly energetically stabilized by the lower rim/cation (namely O-Li(+)) interaction. However, binding energies and NBO analyses confirm that Na(+) cation prefers to enter the calix[4]arene cavity and the cation-pi interaction is predominant, which contradicts the previous low-level theoretical studies. Furthermore, the complexation with Li(+) is preferred over that with Na(+) by at least 12.70 kJ mol(-1) at MP2(full)/6-311++G**//B3LYP/6-311++G** level.

Anion-pi interactions as controlling elements in self-assembly reactions of Ag(I) complexes with pi-acidic aromatic rings

Reactions of 3,6-bis(2'-pyridyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (bptz) and 3,6-bis(2'-pyridyl)-1,2-pyridazine (bppn) with the AgX salts (X = [PF6]-, [AsF6]-, [SbF6]-, and [BF4]-) afford complexes of different structural motifs depending on the pi-acidity of the ligand central ring and the outer-sphere anion. The bptz reactions lead to the polymeric [[Ag(bptz)][PF6]]infinity (1) and the dinuclear compounds [Ag2(bptz)2(CH3CN)2][PF6]2 (2) and [Ag2(bptz)2(CH3CN)2][AsF6]2 (3), as well as the propeller-type species [Ag2(bptz)3][AsF6]2 (4) and [Ag2(bptz)3][SbF6]2 (5a and 5b). Reactions of bppn with AgX produce the grid-type structures [Ag4(bppn)4][X]4 (6-9), regardless of the anion present. In 6-9, pi-pi stacking interactions are maximized, whereas multiple and shorter (therefore stronger) anion-pi interactions between the anions and the tetrazine rings are established in 1-5b. These differences reflect the more electron-rich character of the bppn pyridazine ring as compared to the bptz tetrazine ring. The evidence gleaned from the solid-state structures was corroborated by density functional theory calculations. In the electrostatic potential maps of the free ligands, a higher positive charge is present in the bptz as compared to the bppn central ring. Furthermore, the electrostatic potential maps of 3, 4, and 5b indicate an electron density transfer from the anions to the pi-acidic rings. Conversely, upon addition of the [AsF6]- ions to the cation of 7, there is negligible change in the electron density of the central pyridazine ring, which supports the presence of weaker anion-pi interactions in the bppn as compared to the bptz complexes. From the systems studied herein, it is concluded that anion-pi interactions play an important role in the outcome of self-assembly reactions.

Complexation of AlIII by Aromatic Amino Acids in the Gas Phase

The coordination properties of three natural aromatic amino acids (AAAs)-phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), and tryptophan (Trp)-to AlIII are studied in this work, devoting special attention to the role of the aromatic side chain. A comparison with aluminum(III)-alanine complexes is also presented. The polarizability arising from the ring has been seen to be a key factor in the stability of the complexes, with the order being Trp-AlIII > Tyr-AlIII > Phe-AlIII, starting from the most stable one. Cation-pi interactions between the metal and the aromatic ring are present in the lowest energy conformers, especially for Trp, which seems to be very well suited for these kinds of interactions, occurring with both the six- and five-membered rings of the indole side chain. The most stable coordination mode for the three AAAs is found to be tricoordinated with the N and O of the backbone chain and the aromatic ring, as was found theoretically and experimentally for other metals.

A Preference for Edgewise Interactions between Aromatic Rings and Carboxylate Anions: The Biological Relevance of Anion−Quadrupole Interactions

Noncovalent interactions are quite important in biological structure-function relationships. To study the pairwise interaction of aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan) with anionic amino acids (aspartic and glutamic acids), small molecule mimics (benzene, phenol or indole interacting with formate) were used at the MP2 level of theory. The overall energy associated with an anion-quadrupole interaction is substantial (-9.5 kcal/mol for a benzene-formate planar dimer at van der Waals contact distance), indicating the electropositive ring edge of an aromatic group can interact with an anion. Deconvolution of the long-range coplanar interaction energy into fractional contributions from charge-quadrupole interactions, higher-order electrostatic interactions, and polarization terms was achieved. The charge-quadrupole term contributes between 30 to 45% of the total MP2 benzene-formate interaction; most of the rest of the interaction arises from polarization contributions. Additional studies of the Protein Data Bank (PDB Select) show that nearly planar aromatic-anionic amino acid pairs occur more often than expected from a random angular distribution, while axial aromatic-anionic pairs occur less often than expected; this demonstrates the biological relevance of the anion-quadrupole interaction. While water may mitigate the strength of these interactions, they may be numerous in a typical protein structure, so their cumulative effect could be substantial.

A Theoretical Study of Anion–π Interactions in Seven-Membered Rings

Several complexes of tropylium (1) with anions are optimized at the RI-MP2(full)/6-31++G** level of theory. This binding unit can interact very favorably with anions, and it combines the strength of the electrostatic interaction with the directionality of the anion-pi interaction. The complexes of 1 with anions are characterized by means of the Bader theory of "atoms-in-molecules," and the physical nature of the interaction has been analyzed by means of the molecular interaction potential with polarization tool. Experimental evidence of anion-pi interactions involving seven-membered rings has been found in the solid state.

Anion binding involving pi-acidic heteroaromatic rings

Anions are essential species in biological systems and, particularly, in enzyme-substrate recognition. Therefore, the design and preparation of anion receptors is a topical field of supramolecular chemistry. Most host-guest systems successfully developed are based on noncovalent (ionic and hydrogen-bonded) interactions between anions and ammonium-type functionalities or Lewis acid groups. However, since the past 5 years, an alternative route toward the synthesis of efficient anion hosts has emerged, namely, the use of "anion-pi" interactions involving nitrogen-containing electron-deficient aromatic rings, as the result of several favorable theoretical investigations. In this Account, the state of the (new) art in this growing area of anion-binding research is presented and several selected examples from our work and that of other groups will be discussed.

Organometallic Polymers Assembled from Cation–π Interactions: Use of Ferrocene as a Ditopic Linker Within the Homologous Series [{(Me3Si)2NM}2⋅(Cp2Fe)]∞ (M=Na, K, Rb, Cs; Cp=cyclopentadienyl)

Addition of ferrocene to solutions of alkali metal hexamethyldisilazides M(HMDS) in arenes (in which M=Na, K, Rb, Cs) allows the subsequent crystallization of the homologous series of compounds [{(Me(3)Si)(2)NM}(2) (Cp(2)Fe)](infinity) (1-4). Similar reactions using LiHMDS led to the recrystallization of the starting materials. The crystal structures of 1-4 reveal the formation of one-dimensional chains composed of dimeric [{M(HMDS)}(2)] aggregates, which are bridged through neutral ferrocene molecules by eta(5)-cation-pi interactions. In addition, compounds 3 and 4 also contain interchain agostic M--C interactions, producing two-dimensional 4(4)-nets. Whereas 1 and 2 were prepared from toluene, the syntheses of 3 and 4 required the use of tert-butylbenzene as the reaction media. The attempted crystallization of 3 and 4 from toluene resulted in formation of the mixed toluene/ferrocene solvated complexes [{(Me(3)Si)(2)NM)(2)}(2) (Cp(2)Fe)(x)(Tol)(y)](infinity) (in which M=Rb, x=0.6, y=0.8, 5; M=Cs, x=0.5, y=1, 6). The extended solid-state structures of 5 and 6 are closely related to the 4(4)-sheets 3 and 4, but are now assembled from a combination of cation-pi, agostic, and pi-pi interactions. The charge-separated complex [K{(C(6)H(6))(2)Cr}(1.5)(Mes)][Mg(HMDS)(3)] (15) was also structurally characterized and found to adopt an anionic two-dimensional 6(3)-network through doubly eta(3)-coordinated bis(benzene)chromium molecules. DFT calculations at the B3 LYP/6-31G* level of theory indicate that the binding energies of both ferrocene and toluene to the M(HMDS) dimers increases in the sequence Li<Na<K. This pattern is a consequence of the larger metals allowing more open coordination spheres to support cation-pi contacts. By comparison, binding of the isolated metal cations to the aromatic groups follow the reverse order K<Na<Li. A combined analysis of theoretical and experimental data suggest that ferrocene is a stronger cation-pi donor than toluene for the lighter metals, but that this difference is eliminated on descending the group.

Dual Cation and Anion Acceptor Molecules. The Case of the (η6-C6H6)(η6C6F6)Cr(0) Complex

In this manuscript we report high-level ab initio (RI-MP2(full)/6-31++G**) and DFT (B3LYP/ 6-31++G** and MPWB1K/6-31++G**) calculations on complexes between the bis(arene)chromium complex (eta6-C6H6)(eta6C6F6)Cr(0) (1) and cations/anions. This interesting molecule 1, which is synthetically available, exhibits a dual binding mode to anions and cations, with interaction energies similar to those previously reported for benzene with cations and hexafluorobenzene with anions. In addition, the simultaneous interaction with cations and anions is also studied.

Probing Anion−π Interactions in 1-D Co(II), Ni(II), and Cd(II) Coordination Polymers Containing Flexible Pyrazine Ligands

Two flexible thioether-containing heterocyclic ligands bis(2-pyrazylmethyl)sulfide (L1) and 2-benzylsulfanylmethylpyrazine (L2) have arene rings with differing pi-acidities which were used to probe anion-pi binding in five 1-D coordination polymers formed from the metal salts Co(ClO4)2, Ni(NO3)2, and Cd(NO3)2. In {[Co(L1)(MeCN)2](ClO4)2}infinity (1), {[Ni(L1)(NO3)2]}infinity (2), and {[Cd2(L1)(MeCN)(H2O)(NO3)4].H2O}infinity (3.H2O), the symmetrical ligand L1 was bound facially to the metal center and was bridged through a pyrazine donor to an adjacent metal forming a polymer chain. The folding of L1 formed U-shaped pi-pockets in 1 and 3.H2O which encapsulated free and bound anions, respectively. The anions interacted with the pi-acidic centers in a variety of different binding modes including anion-pi-anion and pi-anion-pi sandwiching. A wider pi-pocket was formed in 2 which also contained anion-pi interactions. The polymer chains in 2 were interdigitated through a rare type of complementary T-shaped N(pyrazine)...pi interaction. In {[Co(L2)(H2O)3](ClO4)2.H2O}infinity (4.H2O) and {[Cd(L2)(H2O)(NO3)2]}infinity (5), the unsymmetrical ligand L2 chelated the metal center and bridged through a pyrazine donor to an adjacent metal forming a polymer chain. The ligand arrangement resulted in the anions in both structures being involved in only anion-pi-anion sandwich interactions. In 4.H2O, the noncoordinated ClO4- anions interacted with only one chain while in 5 the coordinated NO3- anions acted as anion-pi supramolecular synthons between chains. Comparison between the polymers formed with ligands L1 and L2 showed that only the more pi-acidic ring was involved in the anion-pi interactions.

A Computational Study on the Interaction of the Nitric Oxide Ions NO+ and NO- with the Side Groups of the Aromatic Amino Acids

The interaction of the nitric oxide ions NO+ and NO- with benzene (C6H6) and the aromatic R-groups of the amino acids phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), histidine (His), and tryptophan (Trp) have been examined using the DFT method B3LYP and the conventional electron correlation method MP2. In particular, the structures and complexation energies of the resulting half-sandwich Ar...NO+/- and sandwich [Ar...NO...Ar]+/- complexes have been considered. For the Ar...NO+ complexes, the presence of an electron rich heteroatom within or attached to the ring is found to not preclude the cation...pi bound complex from being the most stable. Furthermore, unlike the anionic complexes, the pi...cation...pi ([Ar...NO...Ar]+) complexes do not correspond to a "doubling" of the parent half-sandwich.