2-Chloromalonaldehyde, a model system of resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding: vibrational investigation

Triel Bond Formed by Malondialdehyde and Its Influence on the Intramolecular H-Bond and Proton Transfer

Malondialdehyde (MDA) engages in a triel bond (TrB) with TrX₃ (Tr = B and Al; X = H, F, Cl, and Br) in three modes, in which the hydroxyl O, carbonyl O, and central carbon atoms of MDA act as the electron donors, respectively. A H···X secondary interaction coexists with the TrB in the former two types of complexes. The carbonyl O forms a stronger TrB than the hydroxyl O, and both of them are better electron donors than the central carbon atom. The TrB formed by the hydroxyl O enhances the intramolecular H-bond in MDA and thus promotes proton transfer in MDA-BX₃ (X = Cl and Br) and MDA-AlX₃ (X = halogen), while a weakening H-bond and the inhibition of proton transfer are caused by the TrB formed by the carbonyl O. The TrB formed by the central carbon atom imposes little influence on the H-bond. The BH₂ substitution on the central C-H bond can also realise the proton transfer in the triel-bonded complexes between the hydroxyl O and TrH₃ (Tr = B and Al).

Resonance-assisted intramolecular triel bonds

The possibility that the intramolecular Tr⋯S triel bond is strengthened by resonance is examined by quantum chemical calculations within the planar five-membered ring of TrH₂-CRCR-CRS (Tr = Al, Ga, In; R = NO₂, CH₃). This internal bond is found to be rather short (2.4-2.7 Å) with a large bond energy between 12 and 21 kcal mol^-1. The pattern of bond length alternation and atomic charges within the ring is consistent with resonance involving the conjugated double bonds. This resonance enhances the triel bond strength by some 25%. The electron-withdrawing NO₂ group weakens the bond, but it is strengthened by the electron-donating CH₃ substituent. NICS analysis suggests the presence of a certain degree of aromaticity within the ring.

Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy and Nuclear Spin Conversion of Propyne Suspended in Solid Parahydrogen

Parahydrogen (pH₂) quantum solids are excellent matrix isolation hosts for studying the rovibrational dynamics and nuclear spin conversion (NSC) kinetics of molecules containing indistinguishable nuclei with nonzero spin. The relatively slow NSC kinetics of propyne (CH₃CCH) isolated in solid pH₂ is employed as a tool to assign the rovibrational spectrum of propyne in the 600-7000 cm^-1 region. Detailed analyses of a variety of parallel (ΔK = 0) and perpendicular (ΔK=±1) bands of propyne indicate that the end-over-end rotation of propyne is quenched, but K rotation of the methyl group around the C₃ symmetry axis still persists. However, this single-axis K rotation is significantly hindered for propyne trapped in solid pH₂ such that the energies of the K rotational states do not obey simple energy-level expressions. The NSC kinetics of propyne follows first-order reversible kinetics with a 287(7) min effective time constant at 1.7 K. Intensity-intensity correlation plots are used to determine the relative line strengths of individual ortho- and para-propyne rovibrational transitions, enabling an independent estimation of the ground vibrational state effective A″ constant of propyne.

Intramolecular hydrogen tunneling in 2-chloromalonaldehyde trapped in solid para-hydrogen

The internal dynamics of a 2-chloromalonaldehyde (2-ClMA) molecule, possessing a strong internal hydrogen bond (IHB), was examined by means of matrix isolation spectroscopy in a soft host: para-hydrogen (pH₂). 2-ClMA is a chlorinated derivative of malonaldehyde (MA), a model molecule in hydrogen transfer studies, better suited to low temperature experiments than its parent molecule. The infrared absorption spectra of 2-ClMA isolated in pH₂ exhibit temperature dependent structures which are explained as transitions occurring from split vibrational levels induced by hydrogen tunneling. The doublet components associated with higher and lower energy levels are changing reversibly with the increase/decrease of the matrix temperature. The ground state splitting is measured to be 7.9 ± 0.1 cm^-1. The presence of oH₂ impurities in the pH₂ matrix close to the neighborhood of the 2-ClMA molecule is found to quench the H tunneling. The data provide a powerful insight into the dynamical picture of intramolecular hydrogen tunneling in a molecule embedded in a very weakly perturbing environment.

Selective photoisomerisation of 2-chloromalonaldehyde

Isomerization of 2-chloromalonaldehyde (2-ClMA) is explored giving access to new experimental data on this derivative of malonaldehyde, not yet studied much. Experiments were performed isolating 2-ClMA in argon, neon, and para-hydrogen matrices. UV irradiation of the matrix samples induced isomerization to three open enolic forms including two previously observed along with the closed enolic form after deposition. IR spectra of these specific conformers were recorded, and a clear assignment of the observed bands was obtained with the assistance of theoretical calculations. UV spectra of the samples were measured, showing a blue shift of the π^* ← π absorption with the opening of the internal hydrogen bond of the most stable enol form. Specific sequences of UV irradiation at different wavelengths allowed us to obtain samples containing only one enol conformer. The formation of conformers is discussed. The observed selectivity of the process among the enol forms is analyzed.

Large amplitude motions within molecules trapped in solid parahydrogen

Molecules of the β-diketone and β-dialdehyde families were trapped in solid parahydrogen (pH2) to investigate the vibrational behavior of systems containing an intramolecular hydrogen bond (IHB). In the simplest β-diketone, acetylacetone (AcAc), H transfer related to the IHB is coupled with methyl torsions. In pH2, the study of nuclear spin conversion (NSC) in methyl groups allows the characterisation of the influence of these large amplitude motions on the vibrational modes. The deuteration of the OH group involved in the IHB has important consequences on the vibrational spectrum of the molecule and evidence of NSC in methyl groups is difficult to obtain. In the chlorine derivative (3-chloroacetylacetone), the H-transfer is no longer coupled with methyl torsion, and NSC has undetectable effects on the IR spectrum. A search of H tunnelling splitting in the IR spectra of β-dialdehydes trapped in pH2 was performed. A few modes of 2-chloromalonaldehyde appear as doublets and were assigned to tunnelling levels. The spectroscopic results related to large amplitude motions are detailed and discussed, highlighting puzzling effects.