In search of aromatic seven-membered rings

σ-Aromatic MAl6S6 (M = Ni, Pd, Pt) Stars Containing Planar Hexacoordinate Transition Metals

Hypercoordinate transition-metal species are mainly dominated by the 18-valence-electron (18ve) counting. Herein, we report ternary MAl₆S₆ (M = Ni, Pd, Pt) clusters with the planar hexacoordinate metal (phM) centers, which feature 16ve counting instead of the classic 18ve rule. These global-minimum clusters are established via unbiased global searches, followed by PBE0 and single-point CCSD(T) calculations. The phM MAl₆ units are stabilized by six peripheral bridging S atoms in these star-like species. Chemical bonding analyses reveal that there are 10 delocalized electrons around the phM center, which can render the aromaticity according to the (4n + 2) Hückel rule. It is worth noting that adding an (or two) electron(s) to its π-type lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) will make the system unstable.

M©B7O7+ (M = Ni, Pd, Pt): aromatic molecular stars with a planar heptacoordinate transition metal

The dynamically stable global minima M©B₇O₇⁺ (M = Ni, Pd, Pt) are interesting in that they possess σ-aromaticity alone within the B₇M core moiety, which can be attributed to the strong peripheral localized O → B π back-bonding that leads to the less favourable delocalized M → B π back-bonding over the B₇M core moiety.

σ-Aromaticity Planar Pentacoordinate Beryllium Atoms

Six-valence-electron planar pentacoordinate beryllium (ppBe) is explored herein as a global minimum, which is only constructed by s-block metals in BeM₅⁺ (M = Cu, Ag, Au). The bonding in ppBe can be regarded as the excited-stated Be with a 2p_x¹2p_y¹ electronic configuration, forming electron sharing with doublet M₅⁺ motifs followed by two sets of Be(p_∥) → [M₅⁺] σ donations and one Be(s) ← [M₅⁺] σ back-donation. Thus, the σ aromaticity originating from three delocalized σ orbitals gives rise to the whole stability of the high D_5h-symmetry ppBe and strongly enriches s-block planar hypercoordinate bonding.

Relativistic Effects Stabilize the Planar Wheel-like Structure of Actinide-Doped Gold Clusters: An@Au7 (An = Th to Cm)

Despite the chemistry of actinide-ligand bonding is continuing and of burgeoning interest, investigations of the chemical bonding of bimetallic complexes involving transuranics remain relatively less, and there are rarely studies on the bonding features between actinide and coinage metals (CM). We present a systematic research on the series of An@Au₇ (An = Th to Cm), UCM₇ (CM = Cu, Ag, Au), and WAu₇ clusters to investigate the unique geometries, electronic structures, and chemical bonding between An 5f6d orbitals and CM ns orbitals, and to find their periodicity across the actinides and within the group of transition metals. A unique planar wheel-like structure for An@Au₇ clusters with the help of actinide metals encapsulation via spin-orbit coupling, resulting in An(III). Instead, the transition-metal (TM) element W retains its usual six-gold-coordination structure in WAu₇, thus forcing the seventh Au out of plane. The An-CM interactions, depending on the ion radii, become stronger with the increase of the atomic number of the actinide metals, as well as the CM. These results show that the presence of actinides in clusters can lead to unique electronic and geometrical structures.

Relevant and unprecedented C-H/σ supramolecular interactions involving σ-aromatic M2X2 cores

A novel type of C-H/σ supramolecular interaction involving σ-aromatic M2X2 (M = Cu, Hg; X = Cl, Br, I, S) cores is reported for the first time. Three new polymeric coordination copper complexes, {[Cu(μ-Cl)(Cl)(μ-L)]2}n (1), {[Cu(μ-I)(μ-L)]2}n (2) and [Cu(Br)2(μ-L)(CH3CN)2]2 (3), have been synthesized with the organic ligand α,ω-bis(benzotriazoloxy)propane system (L) and halides as counterions. A very interesting C-H/σ supramolecular interaction has been observed in the solid state structure of compound 2, similar to a C-Hπ interaction, which has been confirmed by Bader's "atoms-in-molecules" AIM analysis. The Nucleus Independent Chemical Shift (NICs) method was used to evaluate the aromatic character of the different cores in this study. The influence of the nature of the metal ions, bridging atoms, oxidation states, and coordination environments around the metal centers on the strength of the aromaticity of the M2X2 cores was theoretically analyzed and explained. The binding ability of the 1-alkoxy-1,2,3-benzotriazole ring to establish π-π and C-H/π interactions and how its coordination to Cu(I) and Cu(II) ions affects the strength of the aforementioned interactions have been discussed. The electron deficient triazole ring and its π-acidity increases upon coordination of the Cu ion, leading to the formation of a lone pair (lp)-π interaction involving the five-membered ring of the ligand, which has also been analyzed. We have also analyzed the C-H/σ interactions of previously reported X-ray crystal structures of different coordination polymers based on a binuclear copper(I) complex and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, dithioethers, and benzotriazol-1-yl-based pyridyl units as ligands using I- as a counter-ion. Complex 1 shows antiferromagnetic behavior with a magnetic coupling constant of J = -7.9 cm(-1). Moreover, photoluminescence and TGA studies of the complexes were also carried out.

Quantum rules for planar boron nanoclusters

The nodal structure of boron sheets follows the pattern of cylindrical bessel function.

1,5,2,4,6,8-Dithiatetrazocine. Synthesis, computation, crystallography and voltammetry of the parent heterocycle

The prototypal 1,5,2,4,6,8-dithiatetrazocine has been synthesized for the first time by two routes: reaction of 1,2,3,5-dithiadiazolium chloride with N,N,N'-tris(trimethylsilyl)formamidine in acetonitrile and reaction of 1,2,3,5-dithiadiazolyl radical with dioxygen in solution. Yields are low but single crystals could be obtained for an X-ray crystal structure determination which shows it to have the planar delocalized structure predicted by B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) hybrid DFT calculations. The crystal structure is strongly reminiscent of that of benzene in the same Pbca space group. Aromaticity is demonstrated by a (1)H NMR chemical shift of +9.70 ppm indicative of diamagnetic ring shielding and an intense low-energy optical absorption with λ(max) = 349 nm (MeOH). The voltammetric behaviour of the title compound is compared with that of 1,3λ(4)δ(2),5,2,4-trithiadiazepine; both resist electrochemical oxidation and reduction over a wide potential range as is typical for aromatic heterocycles.