Extensive analysis of N-H...O hydrogen bonding in four classes of phosphorus compounds: a combined experimental and database study

Environmentally Benign and Self-Extinguishing Multilayer Nanocoating for Protection of Flammable Foam

Most current flame-retardant nanocoatings for flexible polyurethane foam (PUF) consist of passive barriers, such as clay, graphene oxide, or metal hydroxide. In an effort to develop a polymeric and environmentally benign nanocoating for PUF, positively charged chitosan (CH) and anionic sodium hexametaphosphate (PSP) were deposited using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. Only six bilayers of CH/PSP film can withstand flame penetration during exposure to a butane torch (∼1400 °C) for 10 s and stop flame spread on the foam. Additionally, cone calorimetry reveals that the fire growth rate, peak heat release rate, and maximum average rate of heat emission are reduced by 55, 43, and 38%, respectively, compared with uncoated foam. This multilayer thin film quickly dehydrates to form an intumescent charred exoskeleton on the surface of the open-celled structure of polyurethane, inhibiting heat transfer and completely eliminating melt dripping. This entirely polymeric nanocoating provides a safe and effective alternative for reducing the fire hazard of polyurethane foam that is widely used for cushioning and insulation.

Weak functional group interactions revealed through metal-free active template rotaxane synthesis

Modest functional group interactions can play important roles in molecular recognition, catalysis and self-assembly. However, weakly associated binding motifs are often difficult to characterize. Here, we report on the metal-free active template synthesis of [2]rotaxanes in one step, up to 95% yield and >100:1 rotaxane:axle selectivity, from primary amines, crown ethers and a range of C=O, C=S, S(=O)2 and P=O electrophiles. In addition to being a simple and effective route to a broad range of rotaxanes, the strategy enables 1:1 interactions of crown ethers with various functional groups to be characterized in solution and the solid state, several of which are too weak - or are disfavored compared to other binding modes - to be observed in typical host-guest complexes. The approach may be broadly applicable to the kinetic stabilization and characterization of other weak functional group interactions.

The synergistic co-operation of N-H...O=P hydrogen bonds and C-H...OX weak intermolecular interactions (X is =P or -C) in the (CH3O)2P(O)(NH-NHC6F5) amidophosphoester: a combined X-ray crystallographic and theoretical study

The asymmetric unit of O,O'-dimethyl [(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)hydrazinyl]phosphonate, C₈H₈F₅N₂O₃P, is composed of two symmetry-independent molecules with significant differences in the orientations of the C₆F₅ and OMe groups. In the crystal structure, a one-dimensional assembly is mediated from classical N-H...O hydrogen bonds, which includes R₂²(8), D(2) and some higher-order graph-set motifs. By also considering weak C-H...O=P and C-H...O-C intermolecular interactions, a two-dimensional network extends along the ab plane. The strengths of the hydrogen bonds were evaluated using quantum chemical calculations with the GAUSSIAN09 software package at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. The LP(O) to σ*(NH) and σ*(CH) charge-transfer interactions were examined according to second-order perturbation theory in natural bond orbital (NBO) methodology. The hydrogen-bonded clusters of molecules, including N-H...O and C-H...O interactions, were constructed as input files for the calculations and the strengths of the hydrogen bonds are as follows: N-H...O [R₂²(8)] > N-H...O [D(2)] > C-H...O. The decomposed fingerprint plots show that the contribution portions of the F...H/H...F contacts in both molecules are the largest.

Dicyclohexylammonium O,O’-Diphenyl Phosphate, [(C6H11)2NH2][(C6H5O)2P(O)(O)]: Spectroscopic Study, Crystal Structure, and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis

The title salt, [(C6H11)2NH2][(C6H5O)2P(O)(O)], crystallizes in the chiral space group P212121, composed of achiral cation and anion components. The strong charge-assisted N–H…O hydrogen bonds build a linear assembly along the a axis, including a non-centrosymmetric C22(6) chain graph-set motif. The intra and intermolecular C–H…O interactions as well as the C–H…π-electron ring interactions also exist in the crystal structure. Fingerprint plots are used for a detailed investigation of intermolecular interactions participating in the crystal packing. The spectroscopic features (IR, 1H NMR, 13C{1H} NMR, 31P{1H} NMR, and mass) are studied.

Directing Foldamer Self-Assembly with a Cyclopropanoyl Cap

The rational design of self-assembling organic materials is extremely challenging due to the difficulty in precisely predicting solid-state architectures from first principles, especially if synthons are conformationally flexible. A tractable model system to study self-assembly was constructed by appending cyclopropanoyl caps to the N termini of helical α/β-peptide foldamers, designed to form both N-H⋅⋅⋅O and C^α -H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonds, which then rapidly self-assembled to form foldectures (foldamer architectures). Through a combined analytical and computational investigation, cyclopropanoyl capping was observed to markedly enhance self-assembly in recalcitrant substrates and direct the formation of a single intermolecular N-H⋅⋅⋅O/C^α -H⋅⋅⋅O bonding motif in single crystals, regardless of peptide sequence or foldamer conformation. In contrast to previous studies, foldamer constituents of single crystals and foldectures assumed different secondary structures and different molecular packing modes, despite a conserved N-H⋅⋅⋅O/C^α -H⋅⋅⋅O bonding motif. DFT calculations validated the experimental results by showing that the N-H⋅⋅⋅O/C^α -H⋅⋅⋅O interaction created by the cap was sufficiently attractive to influence self-assembly. This versatile strategy to harness secondary noncovalent interactions in the rational design of self-assembling organic materials will allow for the exploration of new substrates and speed up the development of novel applications within this increasingly important class of materials.

A combined X-ray crystallography and theoretical study of N-H...OX (X is =P and -C) hydrogen bonds in two new structures with a (C-O)2(N)P(=Y) (Y is O and S) skeleton

The crystal structures of N,N'-(cyclohexane-1,4-diyl)bis(O,O'-diphenylphosphoramide), C₃₀H₃₂N₂O₆P₂ or (C₆H₅O)₂P(O)(1-NH)(C₆H₁₀)(4-NH)P(O)(OC₆H₅)₂, (I), and N,N'-(1,4-phenylene)bis(O,O'-dimethylthiophosphoramide), C₁₀H₁₈N₂O₄P₂S₂ or (CH₃O)₂P(S)(1-NH)(C₆H₄)(4-NH)P(S)(OCH₃)₂, (II), have been investigated. In the structure of (I), with an (O)₂(N)P(O) skeleton, two symmetry-independent phosphoramide molecules are linked through N-H...O=P hydrogen bonds. In the structure of (II), with an (O)₂(N)P(S) skeleton, the ester O atoms take part in N-H...O-C hydrogen bonds as acceptors; the P=S groups do not participate in hydrogen-bonding interactions. The strengths of these hydrogen bonds were evaluated, using quantum chemical calculations with the GAUSSIAN09 software package at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. For this, LP(O) to σ*(NH) charge transfers were studied, according to the second-order perturbation theory in natural bond orbital (NBO) methodology, for a three-component cluster of hydrogen-bonded molecules for both structures, including all of the independent N-H...O hydrogen bonds observed in the crystal packing. The details of the intermolecular interactions were studied by Hirshfeld surface maps and two-dimensional fingerprint plots.

Evaluation of N-H...S and N-H...π interactions in O,O'-diethyl N-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)thiophosphate: a combination of X-ray crystallographic and theoretical studies

In the crystal structure of O,O'-diethyl N-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)thiophosphate, C₁₃H₂₂NO₂PS, two symmetrically independent thiophosphoramide molecules are linked through N-H...S and N-H...π hydrogen bonds to form a noncentrosymmetric dimer, with Z' = 2. The strengths of the hydrogen bonds were evaluated using density functional theory (DFT) at the M06-2X level within the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set, and by considering the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM). It was found that the N-H...S hydrogen bond is slightly stronger than the N-H...π hydrogen bond. This is reflected in differences between the calculated N-H stretching frequencies of the isolated molecules and the frequencies of the same N-H units involved in the different hydrogen bonds of the hydrogen-bonded dimer. For these hydrogen bonds, the corresponding charge transfers, i.e. lp (or π)→σ*, were studied, according to the second-order perturbation theory in natural bond orbital (NBO) methodology. Hirshfeld surface analysis was applied for a detailed investigation of all the contacts participating in the crystal packing.