On the Nature of Hypercoordination in Dihalogenated Perhalocyclohexasilanes

Theoretical Insights into the Substitution Effect of Phenanthroline Derivatives on Am(III)/Eu(III) Separation

Separation of trivalent actinides (An(III)) and lanthanides (Ln(III)) poses a huge challenge in the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel due to their similar chemical properties. N,N'-Diethyl-N,N'-ditolyl-2,9-diamide-1,10-phenanthroline (Et-Tol-DAPhen) is a potential ligand for the extraction of An(III) from Ln(III), while there are still few reports on the effect of its substituent including electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups on An(III)/Ln(III) separation. Herein, the interaction of Et-Tol-DAPhen ligands modified by the electron-withdrawing groups (CF₃, Br) and electron-donating groups (OH) with Am(III)/Eu(III) ions was investigated using scalar relativistic density functional theory (DFT). The analyses of bond order, quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), and molecular orbital (MO) indicate that the substitution groups have a slight effect on the electronic structures of the [M(L-X)(NO₃)₃] (X = CF₃, Br, OH) complexes. However, the thermodynamic results suggest that a ligand with the electron-donating group (L-OH) improves the extraction ability of metal ions, and the ligand modified by the electron-withdrawing group (L-Br) has the best Am(III)/Eu(III) selectivity. This work could render new insights into understanding the effect of electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups in tuning the selectivity of Et-Tol-DAPhen derivatives and pave the way for designing new ligands modified by substituted groups with better extraction ability and An(III)/Ln(III) selectivity.

Preorganization of N, O-hybrid phosphine oxide chelators for effective extraction of trivalent Am/Eu ions - A computational study

N, O-hybrid phosphine oxide ligands with N-heterocyclic cores are the advanced extractants for extracting actinides over lanthanides. Yet, the challenging task in designing an efficient hybrid ligand is tracing the...

Breaking Carbon-Chlorine Bonds with the Unconventional Lewis Acid Dodecachlorocyclohexasilane

c-Si₆Cl₁₂ functions as a Lewis acid strong enough to abstract chloride ions from 2 mol of triphenylchloromethane to form the salt [Tr⁺]₂[Si₆Cl₁₄^2-]. This is the first example of a Lewis acid "hole" breaking a carbon-halogen bond.

Tetrel Bonding Interactions in Perchlorinated Cyclopenta- and Cyclohexatetrelanes: A Combined DFT and CSD Study

In this manuscript, we combined DFT calculations (PBE0-D3/def2-TZVP level of theory) and a Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) survey to evaluate the ability of perchlorinated cyclopenta- and cyclohexatetrelanes in establishing tetrel bonding interactions. For this purpose, we used Tr₅Cl₁₀ and Tr₆Cl₁₂ (Tr = Si and Ge) and HCN, HF, OH⁻ and Cl⁻ as electron donor entities. Furthermore, we performed an Atoms in Molecules (AIM) analysis to further describe and characterize the interactions studied herein. A survey of crystal structures in the CSD reveals that close contacts between Si and lone-pair-possessing atoms are quite common and oriented along the extension of the covalent bond formed by the silicon with the halogen atom.

Mechanism of Charged, Neutral, Mono-, and Polyatomic Donor Ligand Coordination to Perchlorinated Cyclohexasilane (Si6Cl12)

We report the detailed computational study of several perchlorinated cyclohexasilane (Si₆Cl₁₂)-based inverse sandwich compounds. It was found that regardless of the donor ligand size and charge, for example, Cl^- and CN^- anions or neutral HCN and NCPh nitriles, their coordination to the puckered Si₆Cl₁₂ ring results in its flattening. The NBO and CDA studies of the complexes showed that coordination occurs due to hybridization of low-lying antibonding σ*(Si-Cl) and σ*(Si-Si) unoccupied molecular orbitals (UMOs) of Si₆Cl₁₂ and occupied molecular orbitals (OMOs) of donor molecules (predominantly lone-pair-related), resulting in donor-to-ring charge transfer accompanied by complex stabilization and ring flattening. It is known that the Si₆ ring distortion results from vibronic coupling of OMO and UMO pairs (pseudo-Jahn-Teller effect, PJT). Consequently, the Si₆ ring flattening most probably occurs due to suppression of the PJT effect in all of the studied compounds. In this paper, the stabilization energy E(2) associated with donor-acceptor charge transfer (delocalization) was estimated using NBO analysis for [Si₆Cl₁₂·2Cl]^2-, [Si₆Cl₁₂·2(NC)]^2-, Si₆Cl₁₂·2(NCH), and Si₆Cl₁₂·2(NCPh). It was found that the polarizability of the donor might significantly affect the stabilization energy value (Cl^- > CN^- > HCN). For the neutral complexes, the E(2) value is correlated with the charge on the nitrogen atoms. All of these factors, that is, specific donor E(2) value, charge transfer, complex MO energy diagrams, and so on, should be taken into account when choosing the ligands suitable for forming Si-based 1D compounds and other nanoscale materials.

Are cucurbiturils better drug carriers for bent metallocenes? Insights from theory

Bent metallocenes (BM) have anti-tumor properties but they face a serious drug efficacy problem due to poor aqueous solubility and rapid hydrolysis under physiological conditions. These two problems can be fixed by encapsulating them in host molecules such as cyclodextrin (CD), cucurbituril (CB) etc. Experimentally, CD-BM, CB-BM host-guest complexes have been investigated to check the efficiency of the drug delivery and efficiency of the encapsulated drug. CB has been reported to be a better host than CD but the reasons for this has not been figured out. This can be done by finding out the mechanism of binding and the nature of the binding forces in both the inclusion complexes. This is exactly done here by performing a DFT study at BP86/TZP level on CB-BM host-guest systems. For comparison CD-BM with β-cyclodextrin as host have been studied. Four BMs (Cp₂MCl₂, M=Ti, V, Nb, Mo) and their corresponding cations (Cp₂MCl⁺, Cp₂M²⁺) are chosen as guests and they are encapsulated into cucurbit-[6]-uril (CB[6]) and cucurbit-[7]-uril(CB[7]) host systems. Computations reveal that CB[7] accommodates well the BMs over CB[6] due to their larger cavity size and also CB[7] is found to be a better host than β-cyclodextrin. BMs enter vertically rather than horizontally into the CB cavity. The reversible binding of BMs within CB[7] is controlled by various non-bonding interactions and mainly by hydrogen bonding between the portal oxygen atoms and Cp protons as revealed by QTAIM analysis. On the other hand, the interaction between the wall nitrogen atoms in CB[7] and chlorine atoms attached to the metal in BM strengthens the M-Cl bonds that prevents rapid hydrolysis of M-Cl and M-Cp bonds saving the drug. Comparatively, BMs experience less electrostatic attraction and more Pauli repulsion within β-cyclodextrin cavity and this affects the drug binding with CD. This makes β-cyclodextrin a less suitable drug carrier for BMs than CBs. Among the four BMs, niobocene binds strongly and titanocene binds weakly with CBs. EDA clearly shows that all the interactions between the guest and host are non-covalent in nature and electrostatic interactions outperform high-repulsion resulting in stable complexes. Cations form stronger complexes than neutral BMs. FMO analysis reveals that neutral BMs are less reactive compared to their cations and complexes are more reactive in CB[6] environment due to excess strain. QTAIM analysis helps to bring out the newer insights in these types of host-guest systems.

Silicon chemistry in zero to three dimensions: from dichlorosilylene to silafullerane

As one of the simplest examples of functionalized Si(ii) species, the SiCl₂/[SiCl₃]⁻ system is not only fundamentally interesting, but also an important starting point for the assembly of oligosilane chains, rings, and clusters.

Toward the Mechanism of Perchlorinated Cyclopentasilane (Si5Cl10) Ring Flattening in the [Si5Cl10·2Cl]2- Dianion

We report the detailed computational study of flattening of the puckered Si₅ ring by suppression of the pseudo-Jahn-Teller (PJT) effect through coordination of two Cl^- anions to the molecule forming an inverse sandwich dianion [Si₅Cl₁₀·2Cl]^2- complex. The PJT effect that causes nonplanarity of the Si₅Cl₁₀ structure (C_s) results from vibronic coupling of pairs of occupied molecular orbitals (OMOs) and unoccupied molecular orbitals (UMOs). It was shown that filling the intervenient molecular orbitals of puckered Si₅Cl₁₀ with valent electron pairs of Cl^- donors suppresses the PJT effect, with the Si₅ ring becoming planar (D_5h) upon complex formation. In this paper, the stabilization energy E(2) associated with donor-acceptor charge transfer (delocalization) was estimated using NBO analysis for all studied inverse sandwich compounds [Si₅Cl₁₀·2X]^2- (where X = F, Cl, Br). It was found that the polarizability of the donor ion might significantly affect the stabilization energy value and should be taken into account when choosing the ligands suitable for forming Si-based one-dimensional compounds and other nanoscale materials.

Recognition of halides and Y-shaped oxoanions by carbonylchromium-based urea-like molecules: A theoretical analysis of hydrogen bonding modes

One of the major challenges in anion recognition is to design hosts that can be used to distinguish between anions of different shapes. Urea-based molecules are widely used in anion recognition because the pair of -NH groups acts as an electron acceptor. Although these hosts can bind to both spherical anions (halides) and Y-shaped anions (oxoanions), experimental evidence to date does not provide a clear picture of what differences in the nature of the hydrogen bonding interactions could be used to distinguish between anions of different shapes. Here, we use several computational topology analyses to study the non-covalent interactions between Cr(CO)3-based organometallic urea-like hosts and halides and Y-shaped oxoanions. Our results suggest that the F(-) and AcO(-) anions are recognized experimentally due to a combination of strong interaction and large infrared (IR) shifts upon complexation, verifying the remarkable IR-reporting ability of the Cr(CO)3 moiety and its potential applications in anion recognition. The lone pairs of the oxygen atom in Y-shaped oxoanions directly interact with the -NH groups of the hosts, while all the shell electrons of the halides participate as a group in the interaction; however, the relative contributions of electrostatic and charge-transfer interactions are quite similar for the two types of anions. This insight into the nature of the anion-host interactions can be used to provide guidance for the design of hosts that differentiate between anions.

Comparison of tetrel bonds and halogen bonds in complexes of DMSO with ZF3X (Z = C and Si; X = halogen)

A theoretical study of the complexes formed by dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) with ZF₃X (Z = C and Si; X = halogen) has been performed at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level.

Lewis acidity of Si6Cl12 and its role as convenient SiCl2 source

The free cyclohexasilane Si6Cl12 (1) was obtained in 66% yield from the corresponding Cl(-) diadduct [nBu4N]2[1·2Cl] and AlCl3 in C6H6. The substituted cyclohexasilane 1,1-(Cl3Si)2Si6Cl10 (2), however, cannot be liberated from [nBu4N]2[2·2Cl] under comparable reaction conditions. Instead, a mixture of several products was obtained, from which the oligosilane Si19Cl36 (3) crystallized in low yields. X-ray crystallography revealed 3 to consist of two Si5 rings, bridged by one silicon atom. Compound 1 possesses Lewis acidic sites above and below the ring centroid. Competition experiments reveal that their corresponding acid strengths are comparable to that of BCl3. The reaction of 1 with 6 equiv of 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (Idipp) leads to a complete breakdown of the cyclic scaffold and furnishes the dichlorosilylene adduct Idipp-SiCl2.

2-Acylpyrroles as mono-anionic O,N-chelating ligands in silicon coordination chemistry

Kryptopyrrole (2,4-dimethyl-3-ethylpyrrole) was acylated with, for example, benzoyl chloride to afford 2-benzoyl-3,5-dimethyl-4-ethylpyrrole (L(1)H). With SiCl4 this ligand reacts under liberation of HCl and formation of the complex L(1)2SiCl2. In related reactions with HSiCl3 or H2SiCl2, the same chlorosilicon complex is formed under liberation of HCl and H2 or liberation of H2, respectively. The chlorine atoms of L(1)2SiCl2 can be replaced by fluoride and triflate using ZnF2 and Me3Si-OTf, respectively. The use of a supporting base (triethylamine) is required for the complexation of phenyltrichlorosilane and diphenyldichlorosilane. The complexes L(1)2SiCl2, L(1)2SiF2, L(1)2Si(OTf)2, L(1)2SiPhCl, and L(1)2SiPh2 exhibit various configurations of the octahedral silicon coordination spheres (i.e. cis or trans configuration of the monodentate substituents, different orientations of the bidentate chelating ligands relative to each other). Furthermore, cationic silicon complexes L(1)3Si(+) and L(1) SiPh(+) were synthesized by chloride abstraction with GaCl3. In contrast, reaction of L(1)2SiCl2 with a third equivalent of L(1)H in the presence of excess triethylamine produced a charge-neutral hexacoordinate Si complex with a new tetradentate chelating ligand which formed by Si-templated C-C coupling of two ligands L(1).

Unusual hydrogen bond patterns contributing to supramolecular assembly: conformational study, Hirshfeld surface analysis and density functional calculations of a new steroid derivative

Structural and conformational study of a new steroid derivative using X-ray and density functional calculations.