Are the Enol-Enolate Hydrogen Bonds at Matched PA Really Symmetrical?

Interpretation of Hydrogen Bonding in the Weak and Strong Regions Using Conceptual DFT Descriptors

Hydrogen bonding is among the most fundamental interactions in biology and chemistry, providing an extra stabilization of 1-40 kcal/mol to the molecular systems involved. This wide range of stabilization energy underlines the need for a general and comprehensive theory that will explain the formation of hydrogen bonds. While a simple electrostatic model is adequate to describe the bonding patterns in the weak and moderate hydrogen bond regimes, strong hydrogen bonds, on the other hand, require a more complete theory due to the appearance of covalent interactions. In this study, conceptual DFT tools such as local hardness, eta(r) and local softness, s(r), have been used in order to get an alternative view on solving this hydrogen-bonding puzzle as described by Gilli et al. [J. Mol. Struct. 2000, 552, 1]. A series of both homonuclear and heteronuclear resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds of the types O-H...N, N-H...O, N-H...N, and O-H...O with strength varying from weak to very strong have been studied. First of all, DeltaPA and DeltapK(a) values were calculated and correlated to the hydrogen bond energy. Then the electrostatic effects were examined as hard-hard interactions accessible through molecular electrostatic potential, natural population analysis (NPA) charge, and local hardness calculations. Finally, secondary soft-soft interaction effects were entered into the picture described by the local softness values, providing insight into the covalent character of the strong hydrogen bonds.

Theoretical Study of (CH···C)- Hydrogen Bonds in CH4-nXn(X = F, Cl; n = 0, 1, 2) Systems Complexed with Their Homoconjugate and Heteroconjugate Carbanions

This work deals with a theoretical study of the (CH...C)- hydrogen bonds in CH4, CH3X, and CH2X2 (X = F, Cl) complexed with their homoconjugate and heteroconjugate carbanions. The properties of the complexes are calculated with the B3LYP method using the 6-311++G(d,p) or 6-311++G(2df,2p) basis sets. The deprotonation enthalpies (DPE) of the CH bond or the proton affinities of the carbanions (PA(C-) are calculated as well. All the systems with the exception of the CH4...CHCl2(-) one are characterized by a double minimum potential. In some of the complexes, the (CH(b)...C)- hydrogen bond is linear. In other systems, such as CH3F...CH2F- and CH3F...CHF2(-), there is a large departure from linearity, the systems being stabilized by electrostatic interactions between the nonbonded H of the neutral molecule and the F atom of the carbanion. In the transition state, the (CH(b)...C)- bond is linear, and there is a large contraction of the intermolecular C...C distance. The binding energies vary within a large range, from -1.4 to -11.1 kcal mol(-1) for the stable complexes and -8.6 to -44.1 kcal mol(-1) for the metastable complexes. The energy barriers to proton transfer are between 5 and 20 kcal mol(-1) for the heteroconjugate systems and between 3.8 and 8.3 kcal mol(-1) for the homoconjugate systems. The binding energies of the linear complexes depend exponentially on 1.5DPE - PA(C-), showing that the proton donor is more important than the proton acceptor in determining hydrogen bond strength. The NBO analysis indicates an important electronic reorganization in the two partners. The elongations of the CH bond resulting from the interaction with the carbanion depend on the occupation of the sigma*(CH(b)) antibonding orbitals and on the hybridization of the C bonded to H(b). The frequency shifts of the nu(CH)(A1) stretching vibration range between 15 and 1150 cm(-1). They are linearly correlated to the elongation of the CH(b) bond.

Theoretical study of the symmetry of the (OH...O)- hydrogen bonds in vinyl alcohol-vinyl alcoholate systems

The interactions between substituted vinyl alcohols and vinyl alcoholates (X = NH(2), H, F, Cl, CN) are studied at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. In a first step, the conformation of the monomers is investigated and the proton affinities (PA(A(-))) of the enolates are calculated. The enols and enolates are held together by strong (OH...O)(-) hydrogen bonds, the hydrogen bond energies ranging from 19.1 to 34.6 kcal mol(-1). The optimized O...O distances are between 2.414 and 2.549 A and the corresponding OH distances from 1.134 and 1.023 A. The other geometry parameters such as C[double bond]C or CO distances also indicate that, in the minimum energy configuration, the hydrogen bonds are characterized by a double well potential. The Mulliken charges on the different atoms of the proton donors and proton acceptors and the frequencies of the nu(OH) stretching vibrations agree with this statement. All the data indicate that the hydrogen bonds are the strongest in the homomolecular complexes. The transition state for hydrogen transfer is located with the transition barrier estimated to be about zero. Upon addition of the zero-point vibration energies to the total potential energy, the barrier vanishes. This is a characteristic feature of low-barrier hydrogen bonds (LBHBs). The hydrogen bond energies are correlated to the difference 1.5 PA(AH) - PA(A(-)). The correlation predicts different energies for homomolecular hydrogen bonds, in agreement with the theoretical calculations. Our results suggest that a PA (or pK(a)) match is not a necessary condition for forming LBHBs in agreement with recent data on the intramolecular hydrogen bond in the enol form of benzoylacetone (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 12117).