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Mata RA, Zhanabekova T, Obenchain DA, Suhm MA. Dispersion Control over Molecule Cohesion: Exploiting and Dissecting the Tipping Power of Aromatic Rings. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:1077-1086. [PMID: 38537179 PMCID: PMC11025128 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusWe have learned over the past years how London dispersion forces can be effectively used to influence or even qualitatively tip the structure of aggregates and the conformation of single molecules. This happens despite the fact that single dispersion contacts are much weaker than competing polar forces. It is a classical case of strength by numbers, with the importance of London dispersion forces scaling with the system size. Knowledge about the tipping points, however difficult to attain, is necessary for a rational design of intermolecular forces. One requires a careful assessment of the competing interactions, either by sensitive spectroscopic techniques for the study of the isolated molecules and aggregates or by theoretical approaches. Of particular interest are the systems close to the tipping point, when dispersion interactions barely outweigh or approach the strength of the other interactions. Such subtle cases are important milestones for a scale-up to realistic multi-interaction situations encountered in the fields of life and materials science. In searching for examples that provide ideal competing interactions in complexes and small clusters, aromatic systems can offer a diverse set of molecules with a variation of dispersion and electrostatic forces that control the dominant and peripheral interactions. Our combined spectroscopic and theoretical investigations provide valuable insights into the balance of intermolecular forces because they typically allow us to switch the aromatic substituent on and off. High-resolution rotational spectroscopy serves as a benchmark for molecular structures, as correct calculations should be based on correct geometries. When discussing the competition with other noncovalent interactions, obvious competitors are directional hydrogen bonds. As a second counterweight to aryl interactions, we will discuss aurophilic/metallophilic interactions, which also have a strong stabilization with a small number of atoms involved. Vibrational spectroscopy is most sensitive to interactions of light atoms, and the competition of OH hydrogen bonds with dispersion forces in a molecular aggregate can be judged well by the OH stretching frequency. Experiments in the gas phase are ideal for gauging the accuracy of quantum chemical predictions free of solvent forces. A tight collaboration utilizing these three methods allows experiment vs experiment vs theory benchmarking of the overall influence of dispersion in molecular structures and energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo A. Mata
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tlektes Zhanabekova
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel A. Obenchain
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin A. Suhm
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Czernek J, Brus J, Czerneková V. A computational inspection of the dissociation energy of mid-sized organic dimers. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:204303. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0093557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The gas-phase value of the dissociation energy ( D0) is a key parameter employed in both experimental and theoretical descriptions of noncovalent complexes. The D0 data were obtained for a set of mid-sized organic dimers in their global minima which was located using geometry optimizations that applied ample basis sets together with either the conventional second-order Møller–Plesset (MP2) method or several dispersion-corrected density-functional theory (DFT-D) schemes. The harmonic vibrational zero-point (VZP) and deformation energies from the MP2 calculations were combined with electronic energies from the coupled cluster theory with singles, doubles, and iterative triples [CCSD(T)] extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit to estimate D0 with the aim of inspecting values that were most recently measured, and an analogous comparison was performed using the DFT-D data. In at least one case (namely, for the aniline⋯methane cluster), the D0 estimate that employed the CCSD(T)/CBS energies differed from experiment in the way that could not be explained by a possible deficiency in the VZP contribution. Curiously, one of the DFT-D schemes (namely, the B3LYP-D3/def2-QZVPPD) was able to reproduce all measured D0 values to within 1.0 kJ/mol from experimental error bars. These findings show the need for further measurements and computations of some of the complexes. In order to facilitate such studies, the physical nature of intermolecular interactions in the investigated dimers was analyzed by means of the DFT-based symmetry-adapted perturbation theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Czernek
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Heyrovsky Square 2, 162 06 Praha 6, The Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Brus
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Heyrovsky Square 2, 162 06 Praha 6, The Czech Republic
| | - Vladimíra Czerneková
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Praha 8, The Czech Republic
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Hazrah AS, Nanayakkara S, Seifert NA, Kraka E, Jäger W. Structural study of 1- and 2-naphthol: new insights into the non-covalent H-H interaction in cis-1-naphthol. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:3722-3732. [PMID: 35080568 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp05632h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Previous microwave studies of naphthol monomers were supplemented by measuring spectra of all 13C mono-substituted isotopologues of the cis- and trans-conformers of 1-naphthol and 2-naphthol in their natural abundances. The resulting data were utilized to determine substitution structures and so-called semi-experimental effective structures. Results from electronic structure calculations show that the OH group of cis-1-naphthol points ≈6° out of plane, which is consistent with the inertial defect data of cis- and trans-1-naphthol. The non-planarity of cis-1-naphthol is a result of a close-contact H-atom-H-atom interaction. This type of H-H interaction has been the subject of much controversy in the past and we provide here an in-depth theoretical analysis of it. The naphthol system is particularly well-suited for such analysis as it provides internal standards with its four different isomers. The methods used include quantum theory of atoms in molecules, non-covalent interactions, independent gradient model, local vibrational mode, charge model 5, and natural bond orbital analyses. We demonstrate that the close-contact H-H interaction is neither a purely attractive nor repulsive interaction, but rather a mixture of the two.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arsh S Hazrah
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G2, Canada.
| | - Sadisha Nanayakkara
- Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, 75275-0314, USA.
| | - Nathan A Seifert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G2, Canada.
| | - Elfi Kraka
- Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, 75275-0314, USA.
| | - Wolfgang Jäger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G2, Canada.
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Quesada-Moreno MM, Schnell M, Obenchain DA. Rotational analysis of naphthol-aromatic ring complexes stabilized by electrostatic and dispersion interactions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 24:1598-1609. [PMID: 34942639 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp04337d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
For complexes involving aromatic species, substitution effects can influence the preferred geometry. Using broadband rotational spectroscopy, we report the structures of three naphthol-aromatic ring complexes with different heteroatoms (furan and thiophene) and alkyl groups (2,5-dimethylfuran). The aim was to analyze the influence of the presence of heteroatoms or alkyl groups on the structure of the complex and the kind of intermolecular forces that control it. Face or edge arrangements can take place in these complexes via π-π or O-H⋯O/O-H⋯π interactions, respectively. All the experimentally observed complexes present O-H⋯O/O-H⋯π interactions with the hydroxyl group, with different structures and intermolecular interactions depending on the heteroatom present in the five-membered aromatic rings, yielding different symmetries in the experimental structure. Structures are experimentally identified through the use of planar moments of inertia. Further results from SAPT calculations show that dispersion and electrostatic interactions contribute similarly to the stabilization of all the studied complexes. These new spectroscopic results shed light on the influence of dispersion and hydrogen bonding in molecular aggregation of systems with substituted aromatic residues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melanie Schnell
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraβe 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Physical Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Max-Eyth-Straβe 1, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
| | - Daniel A Obenchain
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraβe 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
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Knochenmuss R, Sinha RK, Leutwyler S. Benchmark Experimental Gas-Phase Intermolecular Dissociation Energies by the SEP-R2PI Method. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2020; 71:189-211. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-050317-014224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The gas-phase ground-state dissociation energy D0( S0) of an isolated and cold bimolecular complex is a fundamental measure of the intermolecular interaction strength between its constituents. Accurate D0 values are important for the understanding of intermolecular bonding, for benchmarking high-level theoretical calculations, and for the parameterization of dispersion-corrected density functionals or force-field models that are used in fields ranging from crystallography to biochemistry. We review experimental measurements of the gas-phase D0( S0) and D0( S1) values of 55 different M⋅S complexes, where M is a (hetero)aromatic molecule and S is a closed-shell solvent atom or molecule. The experiments employ the triply resonant SEP-R2PI laser method, which involves M-centered ( S0 → S1) electronic excitation, followed by S1 → S0 stimulated emission spanning a range of S0 state vibrational levels. At sufficiently high vibrational energy, vibrational predissociation of the M⋅S complex occurs. A total of 49 dissociation energies were bracketed to within ≤1.0 kJ/mol, providing a large experimental database of accurate noncovalent interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Knochenmuss
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rajeev K. Sinha
- Department of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Samuel Leutwyler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Knochenmuss R, Sinha RK, Balmer FA, Ottiger P, Leutwyler S. Intermolecular dissociation energies of 1-naphthol complexes with large dispersion-energy donors: Decalins and adamantane. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:104304. [PMID: 32171216 DOI: 10.1063/1.5144773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The ground-state intermolecular dissociation energies D0(S0) of supersonic-jet cooled intermolecular complexes of 1-naphthol (1NpOH) with the bi- and tricycloalkanes trans-decalin, cis-decalin, and adamantane were measured using the stimulated-emission-pumping/resonant two-photon ionization (SEP-R2PI) method. Using UV/UV holeburning, we identified two isomers (A and B) of the adamantane and trans-decalin complexes and four isomers (A-D) of the cis-decalin complex. For 1NpOH·adamantane A and B, the D0(S0) values are 21.6 ± 0.15 kJ/mol and 21.2 ± 0.32 kJ/mol, those of 1NpOH·trans-decalin A and B are 28.7 ± 0.3 kJ/mol and 28.1 ± 0.9 kJ/mol, and those of 1NpOH·cis-decalin A and B are 28.9 ± 0.15 kJ/mol and 28.7 ± 0.3 kJ/mol. Upon S0 → S1 electronic excitation of the 1NpOH moiety, the dissociation energies of adamantane, trans-decalin, and the cis-decalin isomer C change by <1% and those of cis-decalin isomers A, B, and D increase only slightly (1%-3%). This implies that the hydrocarbons are dispersively adsorbed to a naphthalene "face." Calculations using the dispersion-corrected density functional theory methods B97-D3 and B3LYP-D3 indeed predict that the stable structures have face geometries. The B97-D3 calculated D0(S0) values are within 1 kJ/mol of the experiment, while B3LYP-D3 predicts D0 values that are 1.4-3.3 kJ/mol larger. Although adamantane has been recommended as a "dispersion-energy donor," the binding energies of the trans- and cis-decalin adducts to 1NpOH are 30% larger than that of adamantane. In fact, the D0 value of 1NpOH·adamantane is close to that of 1NpOH·cyclohexane, reflecting the nearly identical contact layer between the two molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Knochenmuss
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rajeev K Sinha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Franziska A Balmer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Ottiger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Samuel Leutwyler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Oswald S, Suhm MA. Soft experimental constraints for soft interactions: a spectroscopic benchmark data set for weak and strong hydrogen bonds. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:18799-18810. [PMID: 31453998 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp03651b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
An experimental benchmark data base on rotational constants, vibrational properties and energy differences for weakly and more strongly hydrogen-bonded complexes and their constituents from the spectroscopic literature is assembled. It is characterized in detail and finally contracted to a more compact, discriminatory set (ENCH-51, for Experimental Non-Covalent Harmonic with 51 entries). The meeting points between theory and experiment consist of equilibrium rotational constants and harmonic frequencies and energies, which are back-corrected from experimental observables and are very easily accessible by quantum chemical calculations. The relative performance of B3LYP-D3, PBE0-D3 and M06-2X density functional theory predictions with a quadruple-zeta basis set is used to illustrate systematic errors, error compensation and selective performance for structural, vibrational and energetical observables. The current focus is on perspectives and different benchmarking methodologies, rather than on a specific theoretical method or a specific class of compounds. Extension of the data base in chemical, observable and quantum chemical method space is encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sönke Oswald
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Göttingen, Tammannstr. 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Martin A Suhm
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Göttingen, Tammannstr. 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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