Elongation of phenoxide C-O bonds due to formation of multifold hydrogen bonds: statistical, experimental, and theoretical studies

Unlocking a new hydrogen-bonding marker: C-O bond shortening in vicinal diols revealed by rotational spectroscopy

The conformational space of cis-1,2-cyclohexanediol, a model molecule for cyclic vicinal diols, was investigated using rotational spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Four low energy conformers within an energy window of 5 kJ mol-1 were identified computationally. A rotational spectrum of jet-cooled cis-1,2-cyclohexanediol was recorded with a chirped pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. Two sets of rotational transitions were observed and could be assigned to conformers of cis-1,2-cyclohexanediol. The non-observation of other low energy conformers was explained by conformational conversion barrier height calculations and results from experimental spectra recorded with different carrier gases. Eight isotopologues, including those with 13C and 18O, of the lowest energy conformer were observed, allowing the determination of the semi-experimental equilibrium structure, reSE. Interestingly, the structural analysis revealed that the C-O bond length of the intramolecular hydrogen-bond donor is shorter than that of the acceptor. This appears to be a general characteristic of vicinal diols and can be used as a novel hydrogen-bond marker in such compounds.

Non-coordinated and Hydrogen Bonded Phenolate Anions as One-Electron Reducing Agents

In this work, the syntheses of non-coordinated electron-rich phenolate anions via deprotonation of the corresponding alcohols with an extremely powerful perethyl tetraphosphazene base (Schwesinger base) are reported. The application of uncharged phosphazenes renders the selective preparation of anionic phenol-phenolate and phenolate hydrates possible, which allows for the investigation of hydrogen bonding in these species. Hydrogen bonding brings about decreased redox potentials relative to the corresponding non-coordinated phenolate anions. The latter show redox potentials of up to -0.72(1) V vs. SCE, which is comparable to that of zinc metal, thus qualifying their application as organic zinc mimics. We utilized phenolates as reducing agents for the generation of radical anions in addition to the corresponding phenoxyl radicals. A tetracyanoethylene radical anion salt was synthesized and fully characterized as a representative example. We also present the activation of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 ) with phenolates in a SET reaction, in which the nature of the respective phenolate determines whether simple fluorides or pentafluorosulfanide ([SF5 ]- ) salts are formed.