Triple ionization and fragmentation of benzene trimers following ultrafast intermolecular Coulombic decay

Intermolecular interactions involving aromatic rings are ubiquitous in biochemistry and they govern the properties of many organic materials. Nevertheless, our understanding of the structures and dynamics of aromatic clusters remains incomplete, in particular for systems beyond the dimers, despite their high presence in many macromolecular systems such as DNA and proteins. Here, we study the fragmentation dynamics of benzene trimer that represents a prototype of higher-order aromatic clusters. The trimers are initially ionized by electron-collision with the creation of a deep-lying carbon 2s⁻¹ state or one outer-valence and one inner-valence vacancies at two separate molecules. The system can thus relax via ultrafast intermolecular decay mechanisms, leading to the formation of C\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${}_{6}{{{{{{{{{\rm{H}}}}}}}}}_{6}}^{+}\cdot$$\end{document}6H6+⋅C\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${}_{6}{{{{{{{{{\rm{H}}}}}}}}}_{6}}^{+}\cdot$$\end{document}6H6+⋅C\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${}_{6}{{{{{{{{{\rm{H}}}}}}}}}_{6}}^{+}$$\end{document}6H6+ trications and followed by a concerted three-body Coulomb explosion. Triple-coincidence ion momentum spectroscopy, accompanied by ab-initio calculations and further supported by strong-field laser experiments, allows us to elucidate the details on the fragmentation dynamics of benzene trimers.

Higher-order aromatic clusters are prevalent in biochemical systems, but a full understanding of their structural and dynamical properties is lacking. Here, the authors demonstrate that inner-valence ionization can induce ultrafast relaxation and further fragmentation mechanisms in benzene trimers.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of intramolecular cooperativity in cyclic benzene trimer motif

A series of new symmetrical tripodal molecules 1a–4b with a central benzene scaffold substituted with methyl/ethyl groups and three benzimidazolyl units having a bithiophene/biphenyl/5-alkylthiophene motif at the 2-position via a –CH₂– unit were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, HR-MS, and NMR spectroscopy. NMR spectral data reveal that all molecules adopt a cyclic benzene trimer (CBT) using three benzimidazolyl units. Intramolecular cooperative edge-to-face C–H⋯π interactions stabilize the CBT motif in solution and are strong in ethyl substituted molecules (1b–4b) compared to methyl substituted (1a–4a) ones. However, the strength of the CBT unit in the tripodal molecule is independent of the length of the substituent at the 2-position of the benzimidazolyl unit. The relative ¹H NMR chemical shift calculated at the MPW1PW91/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory corroborates the experimental values, and the calculations predict the distribution of the structures into syn isomers. The relative change in the NMR chemical shift is justified by the relative change in the magnitude of the (3,+3) critical point (CP) in the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) topography. Also, a linear correlation of the intramolecular C–H⋯π interactions evaluated at M062X/6-311+G(d,p) with the relative NMR chemical shift suggest the latter as a measure of intramolecular cooperativity.

A family of biaryl/alkylthiophene (R–R) benzimidazolyl-based tripodal molecules with cyclic benzene trimer (CBT) motif was synthesized and studied by NMR spectroscopy and MPW1PW91/6-311+G(d,p) theory.

Rhenium(i) based irregular pentagonal-shaped metallacavitands

Neutral ditopic flexible N-donor ligands (Ln = bis(4-(naphtho[2,3-d]imidazol-1-ylmethyl)phenyl)methane, L1 bis(4-(benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)phenyl)methane, L2 or bis(4-(2-nonylbenzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)phenyl)methane, L3) possessing a bis(4-methylphenyl)methane spacer with two imidazolyl donor units were designed and synthesized. The ligands were utilized to develop metallacavitands analogous to irregular pentagonal-shaped metallacavitands with larger cavities. The metallacavitands 1-4 were assembled from Re2(CO)10, a rigid bis-chelating donor (1,4-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone or chloranilic acid) and Lnvia a solvothermal approach. The ligands and the metallacavitands were characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods. The molecular structures of 1 and 4 were further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis which revealed that a toluene molecule resides in the hydrophobic cavity. Ln and 1-4 are emissive in DMSO at room temperature. The internal cavity of the metallacavitand acts as a host for aromatic guest molecules. The host-guest interaction properties of 1 with anthracene, naphthalene, nitrobenzene, 2-nitrotoluene, 4-nitrotoluene and 2,4-dinitrotoluene were studied by an emission spectroscopic method.

Perfect symmetrical cyclic aromatic trimer motif in tripodal molecule

A family of substituted benzimidazolyl-based tripodal molecules with alkyl substituted spacers was synthesized, showing perfect symmetric cyclic aromatic trimer motifs which remained intact in the solid as well as solution state.

Spheroid Metallacycles and Metallocavitands with Calixarene- and/or Cleft-Shaped Receptors on the Surface

Flexible hexatopic ligands, 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis(1H-naphtho[2,3-d]imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (L(2)) and 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis(4,5-diphenylimidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (L(3)), containing six neutral naphthanoimidazolyl and 4,5-diphenylimidazolyl N donors were synthesized and used to assemble M6L6L'-type [M = Re(CO)3, L = anionic angular rigid NN donors, and L' = flexible hexatopic N donors] spheroid metallacycles. These molecules with a diameter of ∼17 Å were obtained from Re2(CO)10, H-L (imidazole, benzimidazole, and naphthanoimidazole), and L' [1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis(benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (L(1)), L(2), and L(3)] in a one-step process. Ligands L(2) and L(3) were characterized by elemental analysis, electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS), and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Metallacycles 1-5 were characterized by elemental analysis, ESI-TOF-MS, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Molecules 1, 2, and 4 can be considered as metallocavitands and contain multiple solvent-accessible receptors, i.e., two metallocalix[3]arene units and six/four calix[4]arene-/cleft-shaped receptors, on the surface. Guests such as acetone molecules could be accommodated in the calix[4]arene/cleft-shaped receptor of the metallocavitands.