Geometry and spectral properties of the protonated homodimer of pyridine in the liquid and solid states. A combined NMR, X-ray diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering study.

The structure and spectral signatures of the protonated homodimer of pyridine in its complex with a poorly coordinating anion have been studied in solution in CDF(3)/CDClF(2) down to 120 K and in a single crystal. In both phases, the hydrogen bond is asymmetric. In the solution, the proton is involved in a fast reversible transfer that determines the multiplicity of NMR signals and the sign of the primary H/D isotope effect of --0.95 ppm. The proton resonates at 21.73 ppm that is above any value reported in the past and is indicative of a very short hydrogen bond. By combining X-ray diffraction analysis with model computations, the position of the proton in the crystal has been defined as d(N-H) = 1.123 Å and d(H···N) = 1.532 Å. The same distances have been estimated using a (15)N NMR correlation. The frequency of the protonic out-of-plane bending mode is 822 cm(-1) in agreement with Novak's correlation.

The "hockey sticks" effect revisited: the conformational and electronic properties of 3,7-dithia-1,5-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane from the QTAIM perspective.

The conformational effects in bicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes, while thoroughly studied, have not yet received the full theoretical explanation. R. F. W. Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules presents unique opportunities for studying the stereoelectronic interactions (SEI) and weak intramolecular bonding leading to these effects. Here, we report the study of 3,7-dithia-1,5-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane by means of the topological analysis of the calculated (MP2(full)/6-311++G**) and experimental (X-ray derived) charge density to reveal the origins of the so-called "hockey sticks" effect observed in similar compounds. A new explanation of the relative stability of bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane conformers based on the analysis of the QTAIM atomic energies is given. The H···H and S···S interactions in bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane and its dithia derivatives are shown to be significant factors contributing to the differences in the relative stability of the conformers.

A new polymorph of triphenylmethylamine: the effect of hydrogen bonding.

Crystallization of the hexane reaction mixture after treatment of LiGe(OCH(2)CH(2)NMe(2))(3) with Ph(3)CN(3) gives rise to a new triclinic (space group P\overline{1}) polymorph of triphenylmethylamine, C(19)H(17)N, (I), containing dimers formed by N-H...N hydrogen bonds, whereas the structure of the known orthorhombic (space group P2(1)2(1)2(1)) polymorph of this compound, (II), consists of isolated molecules. While the dimers in (I) lie across crystallographic inversion centres, the molecules are not truly related by them. The centrosymmetric structure is due to the statistical disordering of the amino H atoms participating in the N-H...N hydrogen-bonding interactions, and thus the inversion centre is superpositional. The conformations and geometric parameters of the molecules in (I) and (II) are very similar. It was found that the polarity of the solvent does not affect the capability of triphenylmethylamine to crystallize in the different polymorphic modifications. The orthorhombic polymorph, (II), is more thermodynamically stable under normal conditions than the triclinic polymorph, (I). The experimental data indicate the absence of a phase transition in the temperature interval 120-293 K. The densities of (I) (1.235 Mg m(-3)) and (II) (1.231 Mg m(-3)) at 120 K are practically equal. It would seem that either the kinetic factors or the effects of the other products of the reaction facilitating the hydrogen-bonded dimerization of triphenylmethylamine molecules are the determining factor for the isolation of the triclinic polymorph (I) of triphenylmethylamine.

Carboranes: chemical concepts derived from the AIM study of the experimental and theoretical electron density distribution functions.

On the basis of high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies as well as quantum-chemical calculations of five carborane derivatives the peculiarities of electron density distribution functions have been analyzed. The data obtained permitted a deeper insight into the nature of unusual properties of the C-C bond in o-carborane and investigating intermolecular H ... H interactions in crystal. It was shown that such an approach allows estimating the values of lattice energy for the crystals of carboranes.