Macroscopic and Structural Effects of Hydrogen-bond Transformations

Perceptible isotopic effect in 3D-framework of α-glycine at low temperatures

Glycine, the most fundamental amino acid, albeit studied for many decades, has kept researchers captivated with interesting structural variations relevant to important biological, astrophysical and technological applications. We report here a noticeable effect of deuteration on the three dimensional hydrogen bonding network of α-glycine using low temperature infrared absorption studies in a wide spectral range, corroborated with Raman scattering studies. These systematic studies in the range 300-4.2 K have demonstrated a relatively compact assembly of glycine molecules in the three dimensional bilayered structure of hydrogenated glycine (gly-h) at low temperatures. This is inferred from a remarkable temperature effect in the weak intra-bilayer hydrogen bond ~ along the b-axis, which strengthens upon cooling. A pronounced increase in the intensity of NH₃ torsional and NH stretching modes has been observed. This is accompanied with a large rate of stiffening and softening respectively of these modes upon cooling and a change in slope across 210 K and 80 K. In contrast, the D---O hydrogen bond lengths in fully deuterated isotope (gly-d), as estimated using empirical correlation, show that the weak intra-bilayer hydrogen bond is not strengthened upon cooling down to 180 K, whereas the stronger intra-layer hydrogen bonds in the ac-plane become further strong. The ND₃ torsional vibrations show no temperature effect. This implies a relatively stable two dimensional layered structure formed by strongly hydrogen bonded glycine sheets in the ac-plane. Below 180 K, similar qualitative trends have been obtained for the hydrogen bond lengths in the two isotopes. In addition, temperature induced variation of the characteristic "indicator" band of zwitterionic gly-h and gly-d has also been reported.

Pressure-induced phase transition in N–H⋯O hydrogen-bonded crystalline malonamide

In this study, malonamide (C₃H₆N₂O₂) was compressed under up to 10.4 GPa of pressure in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature.

Bistable N–H⋯N hydrogen bonds for reversibly modulating the dynamic motion in an organic co-crystal

Bistable N–H⋯N hydrogen bonds enable the modulation of the dynamic molecular motion by slowing down the fast rotation in 1,2-diazabicyclo(2.2.2)octane bis(thiourea).

Supramolecular interactions in the solid state

In the last few decades, supramolecular chemistry has been at the forefront of chemical research, with the aim of understanding chemistry beyond the covalent bond. Since the long-range periodicity in crystals is a product of the directionally specific short-range intermolecular interactions that are responsible for molecular assembly, analysis of crystalline solids provides a primary means to investigate intermolecular interactions and recognition phenomena. This article discusses some areas of contemporary research involving supramolecular interactions in the solid state. The topics covered are: (1) an overview and historical review of halogen bonding; (2) exploring non-ambient conditions to investigate intermolecular interactions in crystals; (3) the role of intermolecular interactions in morphotropy, being the link between isostructurality and polymorphism; (4) strategic realisation of kinetic coordination polymers by exploiting multi-interactive linker molecules. The discussion touches upon many of the prerequisites for controlled preparation and characterization of crystalline materials.

Weak hydrogen bonds formed by thiol groups in N-acetyl-(L)-cysteine and their response to the crystal structure distortion on increasing pressure

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on single crystals of N-acetyl-l-cysteine was followed at multiple pressure points from 10(-4) to 6.2 GPa with a pressure step of 0.2-0.3 GPa by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Since in the crystals of N-acetyl-l-cysteine the thiol group is involved in intermolecular hydrogen bonds not as a donor only (bonds S-H···O) but also as an acceptor (bonds N-H···S), increasing the pressure does not result in phase transitions. This makes a contrast with the polymorphs of l- and dl-cysteine, in which multiple phase transitions are observed already at relatively low hydrostatic pressures and are related to the changes in the conformation of the thiol side chains only weakly bound to the neighboring molecules in the structure and thus easily switching over the weak S-H···O and S-H···S hydrogen bonds. No phase transitions occur in N-acetyl-l-cysteine with increasing pressure, and changes in cell parameters and volume vs pressure do not reveal any peculiar features. Nevertheless, a more detailed analysis of the changes in intermolecular distances, in particular, of the geometric parameters of the hydrogen bonds based on X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis, complemented by an equally detailed study of the positions of all the significant bands in Raman spectra, allowed us to study the fine details of subtle changes in the hydrogen bond network. Thus, as pressure increases, a continuous shift of the hydrogen atom of the thiol group from one acceptor (a carboxyl group) to another acceptor (a carbonyl group) is observed. Precise single-crystal X-ray diffraction and polarized Raman spectroscopy structural data reveal the formation of a bifurcated S-H···O hydrogen bond with increasing pressure starting with ∼1.5 GPa. The analysis of the vibrational bands in Raman spectra has shown that different donor and acceptor groups start "feeling" the formation of the bifurcated S-H···O hydrogen bond in different pressure ranges. The results are discussed in relation to some of the previously published data on the effect of high pressure on the polymorphs of l-cysteine, dl-cysteine, and glutathione, that show similarity with the effects reported here for N-acetyl-l-cysteine. The results obtained in this work allow one to suggest new models for the pressure-induced structural rearrangements in the whole family of cysteine-containing crystals.

A high-pressure single-crystal to single-crystal phase transition in DL-alaninium semi-oxalate monohydrate with switching-over hydrogen bonds

A single-crystal to single-crystal transition in DL-alaninium semi-oxalate monohydrate at a pressure between 1.5 and 2.4 GPa was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. This is the first example of a single-crystal diffraction study of a high-pressure phase transition in a crystalline amino acid salt hydrate. Selected hydrogen bonds switch over and become bifurcated, whereas the others are compressed continuously. The transition is accompanied by pronounced discontinuities in the cell parameters and volume versus pressure, although no radical changes in the molecular packing are induced. Although, in contrast to DL-alanine, in the crystal structure of the salt there are short O-H···O hydrogen bonds, the structure of the salt is more compressible. At the same time, the structure of DL-alanine does not undergo pressure-induced phase transitions, whereas the structure of DL-alaninium semi-oxalate monohydrate does, and at a relatively low pressure. The anisotropy of lattice strain for the low-pressure phase differs from that on cooling at ambient pressure; interestingly, the anisotropy of the pressure-induced compression of the high-pressure phase is quite similar to the lattice strain of the low-pressure phase on cooling.

Effect of pressure on crystalline L- and DL-serine: revisited by a combined single-crystal X-ray diffraction at a laboratory source and polarized Raman spectroscopy study

Information on the effect of pressure on hydrogen bonds, which could be derived from single-crystal X-ray diffraction at a laboratory source and polarized Raman spectroscopy, has been compared. L-Serine and DL-serine were selected for this case study. The role of hydrogen bonds in pressure-induced phase transitions in the first system and in the structural stability of the second one are discussed. Non-monotonic distortion of selected hydrogen bonds in the pressure range below ∼ 1–2 GPa, a change in the compression mechanism at ∼ 2–3 GPa, and the evidence of formation of bifurcated N—H...O hydrogen bonds in DL-serine at ∼ 3–4 GPa are considered.

Structural properties and halogen bonds of cyanuric chloride under high pressure

The effects of high pressure on cyanuric chloride (C(3)N(3)Cl(3)), a remarkable crystal structure dominated by halogen bonds, have been studied by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy in a diamond anvil cell. The results of high pressure experiments revealed that there was no obvious phase transition up to 30 GPa, indicating that halogen bonding is an effective noncovalent interaction to stabilize the crystal structure. Moreover, cyanuric chloride exhibited a high compressibility and a strong anisotropic compression, which can be explained by the layered crystal packing. Ab initio calculations were also performed to account for the high pressure Raman spectra and the high pressure behavior of halogen bonding.

Pressure-induced phase transitions in L-alanine, revisited

The effect of pressure on L-alanine has been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (up to 12.3 GPa), single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and optical microscopy (up to ∼ 6 GPa). No structural phase transitions have been observed. At ∼ 2 GPa the cell parameters a and b become accidentally equal to each other, but without a change in space-group symmetry. Neither of two transitions reported by others (to a tetragonal phase at ∼ 2 GPa and to a monoclinic phase at ∼ 9 GPa) was observed. The changes in cell parameters were continuous up to the highest measured pressures and the cells remained orthorhombic. Some important changes in the intermolecular interactions occur, which also manifest themselves in the Raman spectra. Two new orthorhombic phases could be crystallized from a MeOH/EtOH/H2O pressure-transmitting mixture in the pressure range 0.8–4.7 GPa, but only if the sample was kept at these pressures for at least 1–2 d. The new phases converted back to L-alanine on decompression. Judging from the Raman spectra and cell parameters, the new phases are most probably not L-alanine but its solvates.

Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the γ-polymorph of glycine. 1. A polymorphic transition into a new δ-form

The results of a high-resolution powder diffraction study of the effect of high hydrostatic pressure up to 8 GPa on the pure γ-polymorph of glycine (P31) are discussed. A phase transition with a jumpwise change of cell volume and cell parameters was observed. The transition starts at about 2.73 GPa and is still not complete even at 7.85 GPa. The crystal structure of the previously unknown high-pressure polymorph of glycine (δ-polymorph) could be solved and refined in the space group Pn. In this structure, glycine zwitter-ions are linked via NH…O hydrogen bonds into layers, which form double-layered bands via additional NH…O hydrogen bonds. The structure of the individual layers in the high-pressure polymorph is similar to that in the previously known α- (P21/n) and β- (P21) forms, but the packing of the layers is essentially different. The pressure-induced polymorphic transformation in the γ-glycine can be compared with a change in the secondary structure of a peptide, when a helix is transformed into a sheet.

A comparative study of the anisotropy of lattice strain induced in the crystals of L-serine by cooling down to 100 K or by increasing pressure up to 4.4 GPa

The anisotropy of lattice strain in the crystals of L-serine (P212121, at ambient conditions a = 5.615(1) Å, b = 8.589(2) Å, c = 9.346(2) Å) on cooling down to 100 K and with increasing hydrostatic pressure up to 4.4 GPa was compared with each other and also with the results previously obtained for the polymorphs of glycine. On cooling, the structure expanded slightly along the crystallographic a-direction, compression along the crystallographic b- and c-directions (normal to the chains of the serine zwitter-ions) was very similar. With increasing pressure, the same structure compressed in all the crystallographic directions, linear strain along c-axis was the largest, linear strain along a-axis — the smallest, linear compression along the b-axis with increasing pressure was slightly larger than that along the a-axis. The different anisotropy of lattice strain of the same structure on cooling and under pressure could be correlated with different response of intermolecular hydrogen bonds to these two scalar actions.

Stability of hydrogen-bonded supramolecular architecture under high pressure conditions: pressure-induced amorphization in melamine-boric acid adduct

The effects of high pressure on the structural stability of the melamine-boric acid adduct (C3N6H(6).2H3BO3, M.2B), a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded supramolecular architecture, were studied by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. M.2B exhibited a high compressibility and a strong anisotropic compression, which can be explained by the layerlike crystal packing. Furthermore, evolution of XRD patterns and Raman spectra indicated that the M.2B crystal undergoes a reversible pressure-induced amorphization (PIA) at 18 GPa. The mechanism for the PIA was attributed to the competition between close packing and long-range order. Ab initio calculations were also performed to account for the behavior of hydrogen bonding under high pressure.

High-pressure diffraction studies of molecular organic solids. A personal view

This paper discusses the trends in the experimental studies of molecular organic solids at high pressures by diffraction techniques. Crystallization of liquids, crystallization from solutions and solid-state transformations are considered. Special attention is paid to the high-pressure studies of pharmaceuticals and of biomimetics.