Microhydration of substituted diamondoid radical cations of biological relevance: infrared spectra of amantadine+-(H2O)n = 1-3 clusters

Photoelectron spectra of functionalized adamantanes

Diamondoids are a class of aliphatic molecules with cage-like structures and serve as a bridge between small hydrocarbons and large nanodiamond macromolecules. Because their optical properties are highly dependent on the size, shape, and functionalization of the carbon network, they have many applications in the fields of nanotechnology and spectroscopy. Still, much remains to understand the geometric and electronic effects induced by functionalization of diamondoids. To this end, we perform gas phase photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) of functionalized adamantanes using a helium discharge lamp as a photon source and a hemispherical electron analyzer. We present the photoelectron spectra of 1-cyanoadamantane, 1-amantadine, and 2-adamantanol and compare these to the known PES spectra of adamantane, 1-adamantanol, and urotropine, remeasured herein with improved resolution and a more thorough assignment of vibronic features, with the aid of time-dependent density functional theory calculations.

Infrared spectrum of the 1-cyanoadamantane cation: evidence of hydrogen transfer and cage-opening upon ionization

The radical cations of diamondoids are important intermediates in their functionalization reactions and are also candidates as carriers for astronomical absorption and emission features. Although neutral diamondoids have been studied extensively, information regarding their radical cations is largely lacking, particularly for functionalized diamondoid derivatives. Herein, we characterize the structure of the 1-cyanoadamantane radical cation (C10H15CN+, AdCN+) using infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy of mass selected AdCN+N2 clusters in the XH stretch range (2400-3500 cm-1) and dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations (B3LYP-D3BJ/cc-pVTZ). A group of three distinct CH stretch bands are observed in the 2800-3000 cm-1 range, in addition to a highly redshifted absorption at 2580 cm-1 attributed to the acidic CH proton predicted by calculations. An unexpected broad absorption peaking at 3320 cm-1 is also detected and assigned to an NH stretch mode based on its width and frequency. Calculations indicate that hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) from the adamantyl cage (C10H15, Ady) to the N atom of the CN group yields lower energy structures, with an open-cage isomer exhibiting such hydrogen transfer being the global minimum on the potential energy surface. The energy barriers involved in the formation of this open-cage isomer are also lower than those calculated for generation of the analogous open-cage 1-amantadine cation isomer which has previously been identified by IRPD. The combined consideration of IRPD spectra and calculations indicates a major population of the nascent canonical closed-cage isomer and a smaller population of the global minimum isomer featuring both cage-opening and hydrogen transfer.

Microhydration of the adamantane cation: intracluster proton transfer to solvent in [Ad(H2O)n=1-5]+ for n ≥ 3

Radical cations of diamondoids are important intermediates in their functionalization reactions in polar solvents. To explore the role of the solvent at the molecular level, we characterize herein microhydrated radical cation clusters of the parent molecule of the diamondoid family, adamantane (C₁₀H₁₆, Ad), by infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy of mass-selected [Ad(H₂O)_n=1-5]⁺ clusters. IRPD spectra of the cation ground electronic state recorded in the CH/OH stretch and fingerprint ranges reveal the first steps of this fundamental H-substitution reaction at the molecular level. Analysis of size-dependent frequency shifts with dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations (B3LYP-D3/cc-pVTZ) provides detailed information about the acidity of the proton of Ad⁺ as a function of the degree of hydration, the structure of the hydration shell, and the strengths of the CH⋯O and OH⋯O hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) of the hydration network. For n = 1, H₂O strongly activates the acidic C-H bond of Ad⁺ by acting as a proton acceptor in a strong CH⋯O ionic H-bond with cation-dipole configuration. For n = 2, the proton is almost equally shared between the adamantyl radical (C₁₀H₁₅, Ady) and the (H₂O)₂ dimer in a strong C⋯H⋯O ionic H-bond. For n ≥ 3, the proton is completely transferred to the H-bonded hydration network. The threshold for this size-dependent intracluster proton transfer to solvent is consistent with the proton affinities of Ady and (H₂O)_n and confirmed by collision-induced dissociation experiments. Comparison with other related microhydrated cations reveals that the acidity of the CH proton of Ad⁺ is in the range of strongly acidic phenol⁺ but lower than for cationic linear alkanes such as pentane⁺. Significantly, the presented IRPD spectra of microhydrated Ad⁺ provide the first spectroscopic molecular-level insight of the chemical reactivity and reaction mechanism of the important class of transient diamondoid radical cations in aqueous solution.

Microhydrated clusters of a pharmaceutical drug: infrared spectra and structures of amantadineH+(H2O)n

Solvation of pharmaceutical drugs has an important effect on their structure and function. Analysis of infrared photodissociation spectra of amantadineH⁺(H₂O)_n=1-4 clusters in the sensitive OH, NH, and CH stretch range by quantum chemical calculations (B3LYP-D3/cc-pVTZ) provides a first impression of the interaction of this pharmaceutically active cation with water at the molecular level. The size-dependent frequency shifts reveal detailed information about the acidity of the protons of the NH₃⁺ group of N-protonated amantadineH⁺ (AmaH⁺) and the strength of the NH⋯O and OH⋯O hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) of the hydration network. The preferred cluster growth begins with sequential hydration of the NH₃⁺ group by NH⋯O ionic H-bonds (n = 1-3), followed by the extension of the solvent network through OH⋯O H-bonds. However, smaller populations of cluster isomers with an H-bonded solvent network and free N-H bonds are already observed for n ≥ 2, indicating the subtle competition between noncooperative ion hydration and cooperative H-bonding. Interestingly, cyclic water ring structures are identified for n ≥ 3, each with two NH⋯O and two OH⋯O H-bonds. Despite the increasing destabilization of the N-H proton donor bonds upon gradual hydration, no proton transfer to the (H₂O)_n solvent cluster is observed up to n = 4. In addition to ammonium cluster ions, a small population of microhydrated iminium isomers is also detected, which is substantially lower for the hydrophilic H₂O than for the hydrophobic Ar environment.

Opening of the Diamondoid Cage upon Ionization Probed by Infrared Spectra of the Amantadine Cation Solvated by Ar, N2 , and H2 O

Radical cations of diamondoids, a fundamental class of very stable cyclic hydrocarbon molecules, play an important role in their functionalization reactions and the chemistry of the interstellar medium. Herein, we characterize the structure, energy, and intermolecular interaction of clusters of the amantadine radical cation (Ama+ , 1-aminoadamantane) with solvent molecules of different interaction strength by infrared photodissociation (IRPD) spectroscopy of mass-selected Ama+ Ln clusters, with L=Ar (n≤3) and L=N2 and H2 O (n=1), and dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations (B3LYP-D3/cc-pVTZ). Three isomers of Ama+ generated by electron ionization are identified by the vibrational properties of their rather different NH2 groups. The ligands bind preferentially to the acidic NH2 protons, and the strength of the NH…L ionic H-bonds are probed by the solvation-induced red-shifts in the NH stretch modes. The three Ama+ isomers include the most abundant canonical cage isomer (I) produced by vertical ionization, which is separated by appreciable barriers from two bicyclic distonic iminium ions obtained from cage-opening (primary radical II) and subsequent 1,2 H-shift (tertiary radical III), the latter of which is the global minimum on the Ama+ potential energy surface. The effect of solvation on the energetics of the potential energy profile revealed by the calculations is consistent with the observed relative abundance of the three isomers. Comparison to the adamantane cation indicates that substitution of H by the electron-donating NH2 group substantially lowers the barriers for the isomerization reaction.

Infrared spectra and structures of protonated amantadine isomers: detection of ammonium and open-cage iminium ions

The protonated form of amantadine (1-C₁₀H₁₅NH₂, Ama), the amino derivative of adamantane (C₁₀H₁₆, Ada), is a wide-spread antiviral and anti-Parkinsonian drug and plays a key role in many pharmaceutical processes. Recent studies reveal that the adamantyl cage (C₁₀H₁₅) of Ama can open upon ionization leading to distonic bicyclic iminium isomers, in addition to the canonical nascent Ama⁺ isomer. Herein, we study protonation of Ama using infrared photodissociation spectroscopy (IRPD) of Ar-tagged ions and density functional theory calculations to characterize cage and open-cage isomers of AmaH⁺ and the influence of the electron-donating NH₂ group on the cage-opening reaction potential. In addition to the canonical ammonium isomer (AmaH⁺(I)) with an intact adamantyl cage, we identify at least one slightly less stable protonated bicyclic iminium ion (AmaH⁺(II)). While the ammonium ion is generated by protonation of the basic NH₂ group, AmaH⁺(II) is formally formed by H addition to a distonic bicyclic iminium ion produced upon ionization of Ama and subsequent cage opening.

Infrared Spectrum of the Amantadine Cation: Opening of the Diamondoid Cage upon Ionization

Radical cations of diamondoids, a fundamental class of highly stable cycloalkanes, are intermediates in functionalization reactions and possibly present in the interstellar medium. Herein, we characterize the structure of the radical cation of 1-amantadine (1-C₁₀H₁₅NH₂⁺, Ama⁺), the amino derivative of the parent adamantane (C₁₀H₁₆⁺, Ada⁺), by infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The structural isomers of Ama⁺ produced by electron ionization are probed by infrared photodissociation of cold Ar-tagged ions. In addition to the canonical nascent Ama⁺ isomer with an intact C₁₀H₁₅ cage, we identify two distonic bicyclic iminium isomers in which the adamantyl cage opens upon ionization, one of which is lower in energy than the cage isomer. The reaction profile with barriers and intermediates for this cage-opening reaction are determined. Comparison with Ada⁺ suggests that this type of ionization-induced cage-opening may be a common feature for diamondoids and important for their reactivity.