Gas-Phase Characterization of Hypervalent Carbon Compounds Bearing 7-6-7-Ring Skeleton: Penta- versus Tetra-Coordinate Isomers.

In this study, we afford explicit characterizations of the electronic and geometrical structures of recently reported hypervalent penta-coordinate carbon compounds by using gas-phase characterization techniques: photodissociation spectroscopy (PDS) and ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS). In particular for a compound with moderately electron-donating ligands, bearing p-methylthiophenyl substituents, the coexistence of tetra- and penta-coordinate isomers is confirmed, consistent with solution characterizations. It is in sharp contrast to the exclusive tetra-coordinate form (with normal valence of the central carbon atom) in the single crystal. This suggests that a non-polar environment makes the penta-coordinate structure thermodynamically most stable. This delicate difference between the tetra- and penta-coordinate structures, which depends on the environment, is a close reflection of the lower activation barrier of the SN 2 reaction found in neutral solvent or gas-phase reactions.

Electronic Interaction between Aromatic Chromophores in Dibenzo-Crown Ether Complexes with Alkali Metal Ions Investigated via Cold Gas-Phase Spectroscopy.

This study investigated the geometric and electronic structures of dibenzo-21-crown-7 (DB21C7) and dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8) complexes with alkali metal ions, identified as M+(DB21C7) and M+(DB24C8) (M = Na, K, Rb, and Cs), respectively. We observed the ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) spectra of these complexes under cold (∼10 K) gas-phase conditions. The conformations of the M+(DB21C7) and M+(DB24C8) complexes were determined by comparing the UVPD spectra with the calculated electronic transitions of the local-minimum forms. The interactions between the electronic excited states of the two benzene chromophores in the M+(DB21C7) and M+(DB24C8) complexes were examined and compared with those of previously studied complexes (dibenzo-15-crown-5 (DB15C5) and dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6)). The S1-S0 and S2-S0 electronic excitations of the M+(DB21C7) complexes were almost localized in one of the benzene rings. In contrast, the closed conformers of the M+(DB24C8) (M = K, Rb, and Cs) complexes were delocalized over the two chromophores for electronic excitations, exhibiting strong electronic interactions between the benzene rings. For the M+(DB24C8) complexes (M = K, Rb, and Cs), the short distance between the benzene rings (∼3.9 Å) led to a strong interaction between the benzene chromophores. We conclude that this strong interaction in the M+(DB24C8) complexes correlates strongly with the broad absorption in the UVPD spectra, suggesting the presence of an intramolecular excimer for the K+(DB24C8), Rb+(DB24C8), and Cs+(DB24C8) complexes.

Spherand complexes with Li+ and Na+ ions in the gas phase: encapsulation structure and characteristic unimolecular dissociation.

We investigated the complexes of Cram's hexa(p-anisole) spherands (SPR, 1) with Li+ and Na+ ions (1·Li+ and 1·Na+) isolated in the gas phase. Despite the small conformational difference between 1·Li+ and 1·Na+ owing to the rigid framework of 1, ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) spectroscopy under cryogenic (∼10 K) conditions yielded clearly distinguishable absorption edges: ∼34 000 and ∼34 500 cm-1 for 1·Li+ and 1·Na+, respectively. The spectral assignment and the preorganization characteristics of the host molecule were compared with those of dibenzo-18-crown-6-ether (DB18C6) complexes, which have more flexible frameworks. Furthermore, we revealed the characteristic unimolecular dissociation of the 1·Li+ complex using UVPD and collision-induced dissociation (CID); the formation of fragment ions with dibenzofuran moieties was detected. This dissociation pattern was ascribed to the efficient release of dimethyl ether molecule(s) from the 1·Li+ complex, which is characteristic of the cyclic skeleton formed with six methoxy groups in the SPR.

Gas-Phase UV Spectroscopy of Chemical Intermediates Produced in Solution: Oxidation Reactions of Phenylhydrazines by DDQ.

In this study, we demonstrated cold gas-phase spectroscopy of chemical intermediates produced in solution. Herein, we combined an electrospray ion source with a T-shaped solution mixer for introducing chemical intermediates in solution into the gas phase. Specifically, the oxidation reaction of 2-(4-nitrophenyl)hydrazinecarboxaldehyde (NHCA) by 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) was initiated by mixing the methanol solutions of NHCA and DDQ in the T-shaped mixer, and the chemical species were injected into the vacuum apparatus for ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) spectroscopy. A cationic intermediate was strongly observed at m/z 150 in the mass spectrum, and the UVPD spectrum was observed under cold (∼10 K) gas-phase conditions. The UVPD spectrum showed a strong, broad absorption at ∼38,000 cm-1, accompanied by a relatively weak component at ∼34,000 cm-1. These spectral patterns can be ascribed to a diazonium cation intermediate, whose existence has been predicted in a previous study. This report indicates that cold gas-phase UV spectroscopy can be a useful method for identifying the structure of chemical intermediates produced in solution.

Induced Fit of Crown Cavity to Ammonium Ion Guests and Photoinduced Intracavity Reactions: Cold Gas-Phase Spectroscopy of Dibenzo-18-Crown-6 Complexes with NH4+, CH3NH3+, and CH3CH2NH3.

Ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) spectra of dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) complexes with NH4+, CH3NH3+ (MeNH3+), and CH3CH2NH3+ (EtNH3+) [NH4+(DB18C6), MeNH3+(DB18C6), and EtNH3+(DB18C6), respectively] were observed under cold gas-phase conditions. We also measured the infrared (IR)-UV double-resonance spectra of these complexes in the NH stretching region to examine the encapsulation structure. The UVPD and IR-UV spectra were analyzed using quantum chemical calculations. All the ammonium complexes show sharp 0-0 bands at positions close to that of the K+(DB18C6) complex; the conformation of the DB18C6 component in the ammonium complexes is similar to that in K+(DB18C6). In addition, the ammonium complexes each have another type of isomer that the K+(DB18C6) complex does not show in the gas phase. In these isomers, the conformation of the DB18C6 cavity changes, and the strength of the NH···O hydrogen bond increases. During the UVPD, the NH4+(DB18C6) complex provides various photofragment species, such as the C8H9O2+ ion, resulting from cleavage of the DB18C6 component, whereas the dominant fragment ion for the MeNH3+(DB18C6) and EtNH3+(DB18C6) complexes is the ammonium ion itself. The UVPD investigation of deuterated systems suggests that after UV excitation of the NH4+(DB18C6) complex, the dissociation process is initiated by proton transfer from NH4+ to DB18C6, followed by the migration of hydrogen atoms in the crown cavity and the cleavage of the ether ring.

Conformation of K+(Crown Ether) Complexes Revealed by Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy.

The conformation and electronic structure of dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8) complexes with K+ ion were examined by ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS), ultraviolet (UV) photodissociation (UVPD) spectroscopy in the gas phase, and fluorescence spectroscopy in solution. Three structural isomers of DB24C8 (SymDB24C8, Asym1DB24C8, and Asym2DB24C8) in which the relative positions of the two benzene rings were different from each other were investigated. The IM-MS results at 86 K revealed a clear separation of two sets of conformers for the K+(SymDB24C8) and K+(Asym1DB24C8) complexes whereas the K+(Asym2DB24C8) complex revealed only one set. The two sets of conformers were attributed to the open and closed forms in which the benzene-benzene distances in the complexes were long (>6 Å) and short (<6 Å), respectively. IM-MS at 300 K could not separate the two conformer sets of the K+(SymDB24C8) complex because the interconversion between the open and closed conformations occurred at 300 K and not at 86 K. The crown cavity of DB24C8 was wrapped around the K+ ion in the complex, although the IM-MS results availed direct evidence of rapid cavity deformation and the reconstruction of stable conformers at 300 K. The UVPD spectra of the K+(SymDB24C8) and K+(Asym1DB24C8) complexes at ∼10 K displayed broad features that were accompanied by a few sharp vibronic bands, which were attributable to the coexistence of multiple conformers. The fluorescence spectra obtained in a methanol solution suggested that the intramolecular excimer was formed only in K+(SymDB24C8) among the three complexes because only SymDB24C8 could possibly assume a parallel configuration between the two benzene rings upon K+ encapsulation. The encapsulation methods for K+ ion (the "wraparound" arrangement) are similar in the three structural isomers of DB24C8, although the difference in the relative positions of the two benzene rings affected the overall cross-section. This study demonstrated that temperature-controlled IM-MS coupled with the introduction of appropriate bulky groups, such as aromatic rings to host molecules, could reveal the dynamic aspects of encapsulation in host-guest systems.

Conformation of alkali metal ion-calix[4]arene complexes investigated by IR spectroscopy in the gas phase.

We measure the IR spectra of calix[4]arene (C4A) complexes with K+, Rb+, and Cs+ ions in the 3200-3700 cm-1 region by IR-UV double-resonance spectroscopy performed under cold (∼10 K) gas-phase conditions. All the complexes show two bands that can be assigned to the stretching vibrations of hydrogen-bonded OH groups in the C4A part. Quantum chemical calculations predict several isomers having different IR spectra, but the IR spectrum of the "cone" conformer reproduces the IR-UV spectrum very well, indicating that all the complexes adopt the cone conformation including the metal ions in the cone. The frequency of the OH stretching vibrations decreases with increasing the ion size from K+ (3357 and 3513 cm-1) to Rb+ (3323 and 3463 cm-1) and Cs+ (3279 and 3379 cm-1), but it is substantially higher than that of hydrogen-bonded OH groups in bare C4A (3158 cm-1). These results suggest that C4A encapsulates the metal ions by distorting the cone cavity, and that the distortion of the cone conformation is reduced more and the hydrogen bond between the OH groups becomes stronger with increasing the ion size from K+ to Cs+. The Cs+ complex has the smallest distortion of the C4A cavity among the alkali metal ion complexes. This can be one origin for the predominant encapsulation of Cs+ ions by C4A over smaller alkali metal ions in solution.

Geometric and Electronic Structures of Ag+(benzo-18-crown-6), Ag+(dibenzo-18-crown-6), and Ag+(dibenzo-15-crown-5) Complexes Investigated by Cold Gas-Phase Spectroscopy.

The UV photodissociation (UVPD) spectra of Ag+ complexes with benzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6), dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6), and dibenzo-15-crown-5 (DB15C5) [Ag+(B18C6), Ag+(DB18C6), and Ag+(DB15C5)] are observed under cold gas-phase conditions. Ag+(B18C6) and Ag+(DB18C6) show sharp vibronic bands in the 36000-37200 cm-1 region, while the UVPD spectrum of Ag+(DB15C5) is very broad. These UV bands are assigned to the π-π* transition, which is localized on the B18C6, DB18C6, and DB15C5 part of the complexes. Quantum chemical calculations suggest that the broad UV feature of Ag+(DB15C5) can be attributed to the short lifetimes of optically excited ππ* states due to internal conversion (IC) to low-lying excited states that are present only for this complex. The appearance of the π-π* transition in the same UV region as that of the neutral crown ethers and their complexes with alkali metal ions indicates that the positive charge is localized on the Ag atom in these complexes. However, the fragment ions produced after UV absorption are B18C6+, DB18C6+, and DB15C5+ radical ions, indicating that they are produced via charge transfer (CT) between the Ag+ ion and benzo-crown ethers. The CT during fragmentation is attributed to the higher ionization energy of Ag atom when compared to the benzo-crown ethers. In the complexes, the Ag+ ion is effectively encapsulated by the crown cavity of the benzo-crown ethers without transferring the positive charge from Ag+ to the crown. However, UV excitation of the Ag+(B18C6), Ag+(DB18C6), and Ag+(DB15C5) complexes can reduce the Ag+ ion and produce a Ag atom with high efficiency in the gas phase.

Selective Probing of Potassium Ion in Solution by Intramolecular Excimer Fluorescence of Dibenzo-Crown Ethers.

Observation of an excimer fluorescence in solution is proposed for detecting the encapsulation of potassium ion as opposed to other alkali ions by dibenzo-crown ethers. The scheme has been validated by ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) spectroscopy of dibenzo-21-crown-7 and dibenzo-24-crown-8 complexes with potassium ion, K+ ⋅ DB21C7 and K+ ⋅ DB24C8, performed under cold (∼10 K) conditions in the gas phase and by quantum chemical calculations of the geometry and electronic structures of the complexes. Calculations suggest the formation of a closely spaced excimer structure of benzene rings only for the K+ ⋅ DB24C8. Interaction of the rings may lead to lifetime broadening in UV absorption, which is experimentally observed in the gas phase, indeed, only for this cold complex. Consistently, intramolecular excimer fluorescence of DB24C8 in solution is observed only for K+ ⋅ DB24C8. The excimer fluorescence is not observed with other alkali metal ions. The detection of such intramolecular excimer fluorescence can, therefore, potentially serve as a simple, background-free, selective probe of potassium ion in solution.

Pseudorotaxanes in the gas phase: structure and energetics of protonated dibenzylamine-crown ether complexes.

We observe UV spectra of protonated dibenzylamine (dBAMH+) and its complexes with 15-crown-5 (dBAMH+-15C5), 18-crown-6 (dBAMH+-18C6), and 24-crown-8 (dBAMH+-24C8) under cold (∼10 K) gas-phase conditions by UV photodissociation (UVPD) and UV-UV hole-burning (HB) spectroscopy. The UVPD spectrum of the dBAMH+-15C5 complex shows an extensive low-frequency progression, which originates from a unique conformation of the dBAMH+ part with benzene rings facing closely to each other, while UVPD and calculation results suggest open conformations of the dBAMH+ part for dBAMH+-18C6 and dBAMH+-24C8. UV-UV HB spectra of the dBAMH+-24C8 complex indicate that there exist at least two conformers; multiple conformations can contribute to high stability of dBAMH+-24C8 pseudorotaxane due to "conformational" entropic effects. The UVPD experiment indicates that the dissociation probability of dBAMH+-24C8 into dBAMH+ and 24C8 is substantially smaller than that of dBAMH+-15C5 and dBAMH+-18C6, which can be related to the barrier height in the dissociation process. The energetics of the dBAMH+-24C8 complex is investigated experimentally with NMR spectroscopy and theoretically with the global reaction route mapping (GRRM) method. An energy barrier of ∼60 kJ mol-1 is present in the pseudorotaxane formation in solution, whereas there is no barrier in the gas phase. In the course of the photodissociation, excited dBAMH+-24C8 complexes can be trapped at many local minima corresponding to multiple conformations. This can result in effective dissipation of internal energy into degrees of freedom not correlated to the dissociation and decrease the dissociation probability for the dBAMH+-24C8 complex in the gas phase. The energy barrier for the pseudorotaxane formation in solution originates not simply from the slippage process but rather from solvent effects on the dBAMH+-24C8 complex.

Geometric and Electronic Structures of Dibenzo-15-Crown-5 Complexes with Alkali Metal Ions Studied by UV Photodissociation and UV-UV Hole-Burning Spectroscopy.

We measure UV photodissociation (UVPD) and UV-UV hole-burning (HB) spectra of dibenzo-15-crown-5 (DB15C5) complexes with alkali metal ions, M+·DB15C5 (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs), under cold (∼10 K) conditions in the gas phase. The UV-UV HB spectra of the M+·DB15C5 (M = K, Rb, and Cs) complexes indicate that there is one dominant conformation for each complex except the Na+·DB15C5 complex, which has two conformers with a comparable abundance ratio. It was previously reported that the M+·(benzo-15-crown-5) (M+·B15C5, M = K, Rb, and Cs) complexes each have three conformers. Thus, the attachment of one additional benzene ring to the crown cavity of benzo-15-crown-5 reduces conformational flexibility, giving one dominant conformation for the M+·DB15C5 (M = K, Rb, and Cs) complexes. In the UVPD spectra of the K+·DB15C5, Rb+·DB15C5, and Cs+·DB15C5 complexes, the S1-S0 and S2-S0 transitions are observed independently at different positions with different vibronic structures. The spectral features are substantially different from those of the K+·(dibenzo-18-crown-6) (K+·DB18C6) complex, which belongs to the C2v point group and exhibits exciton splitting with an interval of 2.7 cm-1. The experimental and theoretical results suggest that in the M+·DB15C5 complexes the two benzene rings are not symmetrically equivalent with each other and the S1-S0 and S2-S0 electronic excitations are almost localized in one of the benzene rings. The electronic interaction energy between the two benzene chromophores is compared between the K+·DB15C5 and K+·DB18C6 complexes by quantum chemical calculations. The interaction energy of the K+·DB15C5 complex is estimated to be less than half of that of the K+·DB18C6 complex (∼30 cm-1) due to less suitable relative angles between the transition dipole moments of the two benzene chromophores in K+·DB15C5.

Conformation of Alkali Metal Ion-Benzo-12-Crown-4 Complexes Investigated by UV Photodissociation and UV-UV Hole-Burning Spectroscopy.

We measure UV photodissociation (UVPD) spectra of benzo-12-crown-4 (B12C4) complexes with alkali metal ions, M(+)·B12C4 (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs), in the 36300-37600 cm(-1) region. Thanks to the cooling of ions to ∼10 K, all the M(+)·B12C4 complexes show sharp vibronic bands in this region. For UV-UV hole-burning (HB) spectroscopy, we first check if our experimental system works well by observing UV-UV HB spectra of the K(+) complex with benzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6), K(+)·B18C6. In the UV-UV HB spectra of the K(+)·B18C6 complex, gain signals are also observed; these are due to vibrationally hot K(+)·B18C6 complex produced by the UV excitation of cold K(+)·B18C6 complex. Then we apply UV-UV HB spectroscopy to the M(+)·B12C4 complexes, and only one conformer is found for each complex except for the Li(+) complex, which has two conformers. The vibronic structure around the origin band of the UVPD spectra is quite similar for all the complexes, indicating close resemblance of the complex structure. The most stable structures calculated for the M(+)·B12C4 (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs) complexes also have a similar conformation among them, which coincides with the UVPD results. In these conformers the metal ions are too big to be included in the B12C4 cavity, even for the Li(+) ion. In solution, it was reported that 12-crown-4 (12C4) shows the preference of Na(+) ion among alkali metal ions. From the similarity of the structure for the M(+)·B12C4 complexes, it is suggested that the solvation of free metal ions, not of the M(+)·12C4 complexes, may lead to the selectivity of Na(+) ion for 12C4 in solution.

Ultraviolet Photodissociation Spectroscopy of the Cold K⁺·Calix[4]arene Complex in the Gas Phase.

The cooling of ionic species in the gas phase greatly simplifies the UV spectrum, which is of special importance when studying the electronic and geometric structures of large systems, such as biorelated molecules and host-guest complexes. Many efforts have been devoted to achieving ion cooling with a cold, quadrupole Paul ion trap (QIT), but one problem was the insufficient cooling of ions (up to ∼30 K) in the QIT. In this study, we construct a mass spectrometer for the ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) spectroscopy of gas-phase cold ions. The instrument consists of an electrospray ion source, a QIT cooled with a He cryostat, and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. With great care given to the cooling condition, we can achieve ∼10 K for the vibrational temperature of ions in the QIT, which is estimated from UVPD spectra of the benzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6) complex with a potassium ion, K(+)·B18C6. Using this setup, we measure a UVPD spectrum of cold calix[4]arene (C4A) complex with potassium ion, K(+)·C4A. The spectrum shows a very weak band and a strong one at 36018 and 36156 cm(-1), respectively, accompanied by many sharp vibronic bands in the 36000-36600 cm(-1) region. In the geometry optimization of the K(+)·C4A complex, we obtain three stable isomers: one endo and two exo forms. On the basis of the total energy and UV spectral patterns predicted by density functional theory calculations, we attribute the structure of the K(+)·C4A complex to the endo isomer (C2 symmetry), in which the K(+) ion is located inside the cup of C4A. The vibronic bands of K(+)·C4A at 36 018 and 36 156 cm(-1) are assigned to the S1(A)-S0(A) and S2(B)-S0(A) transitions of the endo isomer, respectively.