Introduction: Noncovalent Interactions

How electrons still guard the space: Electron number distribution functions based on QTAIM∩ELF intersections

Despite the importance of the one-particle picture provided by the orbital paradigm, a rigorous understanding of the spatial distribution of electrons in molecules is still of paramount importance to chemistry. Considerable progress has been made following the introduction of topological approaches, capable of partitioning space into chemically meaningful regions. They usually provide atomic partitions, for example, through the attraction basins of the electron density in the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) or electron-pair decompositions, as in the case of the electron localization function (ELF). In both cases, the so-called electron distribution functions (EDFs) provide a rich statistical description of the electron distribution in these spatial domains. Here, we take the EDF concept to a new fine-grained limit by calculating EDFs in the QTAIM ∩ ELF intersection domains. As shown in AHn systems based on main group elements, as well as in the CO, NO, and BeO molecules, this approach provides an exquisitely detailed picture of the electron distribution in molecules, allowing for an insightful combination of the distribution of electrons between Lewis entities (such as bonds and lone pairs) and atoms at the same time. Besides mean-field calculations, we also explore the impact of electron correlation through Hartree-Fock (HF), density functional theory (DFT) (B3LYP), and CASSCF calculations.

Di- and Tricyanovinyl-Substituted Triphenylamines: Structural and Computational Studies

We report herein on the solid-state structures of three closely related triphenylamine derivatives endowed with tricyanovinyl (TCV) and dicyanovinyl (DCV) groups. The molecules described contain structural features commonly found in the design of functional organic materials, especially donor-acceptor molecular and polymeric architectures. The common feature noticeable in these structures is the impact of these exceptionally strong electron-accepting groups in forcing partial planarity of the portion of the molecule carrying these groups and directing the molecular packing in the solid state, resulting in the formation of π-stacks of dimers within the unit cell of each. Stacks are formed between phenyl groups bearing electron-accepting groups on two adjacent molecules. Short π-π stack distances ranging from 3.283 to 3.671 Å were observed. Such motif patterns are thought to be conducive for better charge transport in organic semiconductors and enhanced device performance. Intramolecular charge transfer is evident from the shortening of the observed experimental bond lengths in all three compounds. The nitrogen atoms (of the cyano groups) have been shown to be extensively involved in short contacts in all three structures, primarily through C-H···NC interactions with distances as short as 2.462 Å. The compounds reported here are (3,3-dicyano-2-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-1λ3-allylidene)amide or tricyanovinyltriphenylamine, Ph3NTCV (1); 2-(4-(diphenylamino)benzylidene)-malononitrile or dicyanovinyltriphenylamine, Ph3NDCV (2); and (3,3-dicyano-2-(4-(di-p-tolylamino)phenyl)-1λ3-allylidene)amide or dimethyltricyanovinyltriphenylamine, Me2Ph3NTCV (3). Results of density functional theory calculations using DFT-B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) indicate the lowering of LUMO levels as a result of the introduction of these groups with band gaps of 3.13, 2.61, and 2.55 eV for compounds 1-3, respectively, compared with 4.65 eV calculated for triphenylamine. This is supported by the electronic and fluorescence spectra of these molecules with absorption λmax of 483, 515, and 545 nm for compounds 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

Charge-Shift Bonding Propensity in Halogen-Bonded BXY (B Is a Small Lewis Base H2O or NH3; X and Y Are Halogen Atoms) Complexes: An NBO/NRT/AIM Investigation

Charge-shift (CS) bonding is a new bonding paradigm in the field of chemical bonds. Our recent study has revealed that certain Cu/Ag/Au-bonds display both CS bonding and ω-bonding characters. In this investigation, we extend our study to halogen bonding. Our focus is on scrutinizing the CS bonding in halogen-bonded BXY (B is a small Lewis base H2O or NH3; X and Y are halogen atoms) complexes by using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, natural resonance theory (NRT), and atoms in molecules (AIM) methods. The primary objective is to establish a connection between halogen bonding (B-X) in BXY and CS bonding in free XY (di-halogens). The calculations indicate that the studied BXY can be classified into two types. One type with a weak halogen bond shows closed-shell interaction. The other type with a stronger B-X interaction exhibits both CS bonding and ω-bonding characters (as seen in NH3ClF, NH3BrF, and NH3IF). Another interesting finding is a novel propensity that the CS bonding in free XY tends to carry over the halogen bonding in BXY, and the same propensity is found in Cu/Ag/Au ω-bonded species. The present study may offer an approach to probe CS bonding in many more 3c/4e ω-bonded molecules.

Beyond Duality: Rationalizing Repulsive Coulomb Barriers in Host-Guest Cyclodextrin-Dodecaborate Complexes

The repulsive Coulomb barrier (RCB), an intrinsic potential energy barrier along electron detachment or charge-separation coordinates in multiply charged anions (MCAs), provides dynamic stability to MCAs whose electronic and thermodynamic stabilities are largely dictated by strong internal Coulomb repulsions. Spectroscopic and theoretical characterizations of the RCB have been focused on isolated MCAs. In this work, we extend the RCB investigation beyond the previous scope by including noncovalent host-guest cyclodextrin-closo-dodecaborate dianionic complexes χCD·B₁₂X₁₂^2- (χ = α, β, γ; X = H, F-I). Photodechment photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the existence of two distinctly different RCBs, derived from detaching electrons from the guest dianions (RCB₁) or ionizing the host neutrals (RCB₂), respectively, with the latter being substantially smaller than the former. Theoretical calculations support the duality of RCBs in these complexes and further exhibit highly anisotropic nature of the RCBs.

Binding propensity and selectivity of cationic, anionic, and neutral guests with model hydrophobic hosts: A first principles study

Computations play a critical role in deciphering the nature of host-guest interactions both at qualitative and quantitative levels. Reliable quantum chemical computations were employed to assess the nature, binding strength, and selectivity of ionic, and neutral guests with benzenoid hosts. Optimized complex structures reveal that alkali and ammonium ions are found to be in the hydrophobic cavity, while halide ions are outside, while both complexes elicit substantial binding energy. The origin of the selectivity of host toward the guest has been traced to the interaction and deformation energies, and the nature of associated interactions is quantified using energy decomposition and the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules analyses. While the larger hosts lead to loosely bound complexes, as assessed by the longer intermolecular distances, the binding strengths are proportional to the size of the host systems. The binding of cationic complexes is electrostatic or polarization driven while exchange term dominates the anionic complexes. In contrast, dispersion contribution is a key in neutral complexes and plays a pivotal role in stabilizing the polyatomic complexes.

Accurate measurement of sequential Ar desorption energies from the dispersion-dominated Ar1-3 complexes of aromatic molecules

We present experimental determination of the energies associated with the gradual desorption of Ar atoms from the aromatic molecular surface. Non-covalently bound 2,2'-pyridylbenzimidazole-Ar_1-3 complexes were produced in the gas phase and characterized using resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) spectroscopy. The single Ar desorption from the PBI-Ar, PBI-Ar₂ and PBI-Ar₃ complexes were measured as 581 ± 18, 656 ± 30 and 537 ± 31 cm^-1, respectively. The energies were bracketed between the last observed band in the respective R2PI spectra and the disappeared intramolecular modes of PBI. The Ar_n dissociation energies in the S₁ state were measured as 581 ± 18, 1237 ± 48 and 1774 ± 79 cm^-1, respectively, for n = 1, 2 and 3. The calculated dissociation energies of the respective complexes, obtained using three computational methods, show excellent agreement with the experimental data. The ground state dissociation energies were estimated by subtracting the Δν shift of the origin band, and the respective values are 541 ± 18, 1160 ± 48 and 1634 ± 79 cm^-1. Overall, the calculated values resulted in scaling factors ranging from 0.956 to 1.017, which depict the predictive power of the methods to determine dispersion energies. The current investigation describes a unique methodology to accurately determine the dissociation and desorption energies of Ar atoms from the surfaces of bio-relevant aromatic molecules.

AIEgens Based on Anion-π+ Interactions: Design, Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, and Their Applications in Material Science and Biology

The design of novel aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens), has generally been facilitated by disrupting the possibility of π-π stacking. The recent literature describes a novel strategy to design AIEgens by introducing anion-π⁺ interactions to prevent the detrimental π-π stacking. This new strategy provides access to intrinsically charged AIEgens whose photophysical properties can be tuned either by incorporating different substituents on the π-molecular scaffold to modulate the acidity for tuning the interaction energy between a π-acceptor and counter-anions. This concept article provides a brief overview of the field, focusing on the synthesis of AIEgens, their photophysical properties, crystallography studies and their applications in live cell fluorescence imaging.

Metal-catalysed C-H bond activation and borylation

Transition metal-catalysed direct borylation of hydrocarbons via C-H bond activation has received a remarkable level of attention as a popular reaction in the synthesis of organoboron compounds owing to their synthetic versatility. While controlling the site-selectivity was one of the most challenging issues in these C-H borylation reactions, enormous efforts of several research groups proved instrumental in dealing with selectivity issues that presently reached an impressive level for both proximal and distal C-H bond borylation reactions. For example, in the case of ortho C-H bond borylation reactions, innovative methodologies have been developed either by the modification of the directing groups attached with the substrates or by creating new catalytic systems via the design of new ligand frameworks. Whereas meta and para selective C-H borylations remained a formidable challenge, numerous innovative concepts have been developed within a very short period of time by the development of new catalytic systems with the employment of various noncovalent interactions. Moreover, significant advancements have occurred for aliphatic C(sp³)-H borylations as well as enantioselective borylations. In this review article, we aim to discuss and summarize the different approaches and findings related to the development of directed proximal ortho, distal meta/para, aliphatic (racemic and enantioselective) borylation reactions since 2014. Additionally, considering the C-H borylation reaction as one of the most important mainstream reactions, various applications of this C-H borylation reaction toward the synthesis of natural products, therapeutics, and applications in materials chemistry will be summarized in the last part of this review article.

Complexes of Alkaline and Ammonium Cations with Dopamine and Eumelanin Precursors: Dissecting the Role of Noncovalent Cation-π and Cation-Lone Pair (σ-Type) Interactions

Cation-π interactions and their possible competition with other noncovalent interactions (NCI) might play a key role in both dopamine- and eumelanin-based bioinspired materials. In this contribution, to unravel the delicate interplay between cation-π interactions and other possible competing forces, the configurational space of noncovalent complexes formed by dopamine or eumelanin precursors (o-benzoquinone, DHI and a semiquinone dimer) and three different cations (Na⁺, K⁺, and NH₄⁺) is sampled by means of accurate ab initio calculations. To this end, we resort to the mp2^mod method, recently validated by us for benzene-, phenol-, and catechol-cation complexes, whose computational convenience allows for an extensive exploration of the cation-molecule interaction energy surface, by sampling a total of more than 10⁴ arrangements. The mp2^mod interaction energy landscapes reveal that, besides the expected cation-π driven arrangements, for all considered molecule-cation pairs the most stable complexes are found when the cation lies within the plane containing the six-membered ring, thus maximizing the σ-type interaction with the oxygen's lone pairs. Due to the loss of aromaticity, the σ-type/cation-π strength ratio is remarkably large in o-benzoquinone, where cation-π complexes seem unlikely to be formed. The above features are shared among all considered cations but are significantly larger when considering the smaller Na⁺. Besides delivering a deeper insight onto the NCI network established by the considered precursors in the presence of ions, the present results can serve as a reference database to validate or refine lower level methods, as, for instance, the force fields employed in classical simulations.

Post-synthetic modifications of metal–organic cages

Metal-organic cages (MOCs) are discrete, supramolecular entities that consist of metal nodes and organic linkers, which can offer solution processability and high porosity. Thereby, their predesigned structures can undergo post-synthetic modifications (PSMs) to introduce new functional groups and properties by modifying the linker, metal node, pore or surface environment. This Review explores current PSM strategies used for MOCs, including covalent, coordination and noncovalent methods. The effects of newly introduced functional groups or generated complexes upon the PSMs of MOCs are also detailed, such as improving structural stability or endowing desired functionalities. The development of the aforementioned design principles has enabled systematic approaches for the development and characterization of families of MOCs and, thereby, provides insight into structure-function relationships that will guide future developments.

Non-Covalent Interactions in Organic, Organometallic, and Inorganic Supramolecular Systems Relevant for Medicine, Materials Science, and Catalysis

The structure, fundamental properties, and reactivity of chemical systems at various hierarchical levels of organization of matter is the paradigm of chemistry. A qualitative and quantitative description of various intermolecular and intramolecular non-covalent interactions in chemical systems is the main tool for supramolecular design and the driving force of smart prediction of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of chemical reactions. This perspective is dedicated to highlighting the recent progress of our research group in the investigation of various non-covalent contacts in organic, organometallic, and inorganic chemical systems relevant for medicine, materials science, and catalysis. This research is interdisciplinary in nature and lies at the intersection of computer modeling with such natural science disciplines as chemistry, physics, crystallography, biology, and medicine, as well as directly related to materials science and nanotechnology.

Exploring Intra- and Intermolecular Interactions in Selected N-Oxides-The Role of Hydrogen Bonds

Intra- and intermolecular interactions have been explored in selected N-oxide derivatives: 2-(N,N-dimethylamino-N-oxymethyl)-4,6-dimethylphenyl (1) and 5,5’-dibromo-3-diethylaminomethyl-2,2’-biphenol N-oxide (2). Both compounds possess intramolecular hydrogen bonding, which is classified as moderate in 1 and strong in 2, and resonance-assisted in both cases. Density Functional Theory (DFT) in its classical formulation as well as Time-Dependent extension (TD-DFT) were employed to study proton transfer phenomena. The simulations were performed in the gas phase and with implicit and explicit solvation models. The obtained structures of the studied N-oxides were compared with experimental data available. The proton reaction path was investigated using scan with an optimization method, and water molecule reorientation in the monohydrate of 1 was found upon the proton scan progress. It was found that spontaneous proton transfer phenomenon cannot occur in the electronic ground state of the compound 1. An opposite situation was noticed for the compound 2. The changes of nucleophilicity and electrophilicity upon the bridged proton migration were analyzed on the basis of Fukui functions in the case of 1. The interaction energy decomposition of dimers and microsolvation models was investigated using Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT). The simulations were performed in both phases to introduce polar environment influence on the interaction energies. The SAPT study showed rather minor role of induction in the formation of homodimers. However, it is worth noticing that the same induction term is responsible for the preference of water molecules’ interaction with N-oxide hydrogen bond acceptor atoms in the microsolvation study. The Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis was performed for the complexes with water to investigate the charge flow upon the polar environment introduction. Finally, the TD-DFT was applied for isolated molecules as well as for microsolvation models showing that the presence of solvent affects excited states, especially when the N-oxide acceptor atom is microsolvated.

Recent advances in studying the nonnegligible role of noncovalent interactions in various types of energetic molecular crystals

This highlight summarizes the research progress on the considerable effects of noncovalent interactions on diverse types of energetic materials and enlighten us to explore new factors that affect the key performance of explosives.

Exploiting non-covalent interactions in selective carbohydrate synthesis

Non-covalent interactions (NCIs) are a vital component of biological bond-forming events, and have found important applications in multiple branches of chemistry. In recent years, the biomimetic exploitation of NCIs in challenging glycosidic bond formation and glycofunctionalizations has attracted significant interest across diverse communities of organic and carbohydrate chemists. This emerging theme is a major new direction in contemporary carbohydrate chemistry, and is rapidly gaining traction as a robust strategy to tackle long-standing issues such as anomeric and site selectivity. This Review thus seeks to provide a bird's-eye view of wide-ranging advances in harnessing NCIs within the broad field of synthetic carbohydrate chemistry. These include the exploitation of NCIs in non-covalent catalysed glycosylations, in non-covalent catalysed glycofunctionalizations, in aglycone delivery, in stabilization of intermediates and transition states, in the existence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding networks and in aggregation by hydrogen bonds. In addition, recent emerging opportunities in exploiting halogen bonding and other unconventional NCIs, such as CH-π, cation-π and cation-n interactions, in various aspects of carbohydrate chemistry are also examined.

Naphthazarin Derivatives in the Light of Intra- and Intermolecular Forces

Our long-term investigations have been devoted the characterization of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in cyclic compounds. Our previous work covers naphthazarin, the parent compound of two systems discussed in the current work: 2,3-dimethylnaphthazarin (1) and 2,3-dimethoxy-6-methylnaphthazarin (2). Intramolecular hydrogen bonds and substituent effects in these compounds were analyzed on the basis of Density Functional Theory (DFT), Møller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory (MP2), Coupled Clusters with Singles and Doubles (CCSD) and Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics (CPMD). The simulations were carried out in the gas and crystalline phases. The nuclear quantum effects were incorporated a posteriori using the snapshots taken from ab initio trajectories. Further, they were used to solve a vibrational Schrödinger equation. The proton reaction path was studied using B3LYP, ωB97XD and PBE functionals with a 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis set. Two energy minima (deep and shallow) were found, indicating that the proton transfer phenomena could occur in the electronic ground state. Next, the electronic structure and topology were examined in the molecular and proton transferred (PT) forms. The Atoms In Molecules (AIM) theory was employed for this purpose. It was found that the hydrogen bond is stronger in the proton transferred (PT) forms. In order to estimate the dimers' stabilization and forces responsible for it, the Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT) was applied. The energy decomposition revealed that dispersion is the primary factor stabilizing the dimeric forms and crystal structure of both compounds. The CPMD results showed that the proton transfer phenomena occurred in both studied compounds, as well as in both phases. In the case of compound 2, the proton transfer events are more frequent in the solid state, indicating an influence of the environmental effects on the bridged proton dynamics. Finally, the vibrational signatures were computed for both compounds using the CPMD trajectories. The Fourier transformation of the autocorrelation function of atomic velocity was applied to obtain the power spectra. The IR spectra show very broad absorption regions between 700 cm-1-1700 cm-1 and 2300 cm-1-3400 cm-1 in the gas phase and 600 cm-1-1800 cm-1 and 2200 cm-1-3400 cm-1 in the solid state for compound 1. The absorption regions for compound 2 were found as follows: 700 cm-1-1700 cm-1 and 2300 cm-1-3300 cm-1 for the gas phase and one broad absorption region in the solid state between 700 cm-1 and 3100 cm-1. The obtained spectroscopic features confirmed a strong mobility of the bridged protons. The inclusion of nuclear quantum effects showed a stronger delocalization of the bridged protons.

Visible-Light-Induced Selective Photolysis of Phosphonium Iodide Salts for Monofluoromethylations

The sigma (σ)-hole effect has emerged as a promising tool to construct novel architectures endowed with new properties. A simple yet effective strategy for the generation of monofluoromethyl radicals is a continuing challenge within the synthetic community. Fluoromethylphosphonium salts are easily available, air- and thermally stable, as well as simple-to-handle. Herein, we report the ability of the σ-hole effect to facilitate the visible-light-triggered photolysis of phosphonium iodide salts, a charge-transfer complex, selectively giving fluoromethyl radicals. The usefulness and versatility of this new protocol are demonstrated through the mono-, di-, and trifluoromethylation of a variety of alkenes.

Non-Covalent Forces in Naphthazarin-Cooperativity or Competition in the Light of Theoretical Approaches

Non-covalent interactions responsible for molecular features and self-assembly in Naphthazarin C polymorph were investigated on the basis of diverse theoretical approaches: Density Functional Theory (DFT), Diffusion Quantum Monte Carlo (DQMC), Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT) and Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics (CPMD). The proton reaction paths in the intramolecular hydrogen bridges were studied. Two potential energy minima were found indicating that the proton transfer phenomena occur in the electronic ground state. Diffusion Quantum Monte Carlo (DQMC) and other levels of theory including Coupled Cluster (CC) employment enabled an accurate inspection of Potential Energy Surface (PES) and revealed the energy barrier for the proton transfer. The structure and reactivity evolution associated with the proton transfer were investigated using Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity - HOMA index, Fukui functions and Atoms In Molecules (AIM) theory. The energy partitioning in the studied dimers was carried out based on Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT) indicating that dispersive forces are dominant in the structure stabilization. The CPMD simulations were performed at 60 K and 300 K in vacuo and in the crystalline phase. The temperature influence on the bridged protons dynamics was studied and showed that the proton transfer phenomena were not observed at 60 K, but the frequent events were noticed at 300 K in both studied phases. The spectroscopic signatures derived from the CPMD were computed using Fourier transformation of autocorrelation function of atomic velocity for the whole molecule and bridged protons. The computed gas-phase IR spectra showed two regions with OH absorption that covers frequencies from 2500 cm−1 to 2800 cm−1 at 60 K and from 2350 cm−1 to 3250 cm−1 at 300 K for both bridged protons. In comparison, the solid state computed IR spectra revealed the environmental influence on the vibrational features. For each of them absorption regions were found between 2700–3100 cm−1 and 2400–2850 cm−1 at 60 K and 2300–3300 cm−1 and 2300–3200 cm−1 at 300 K respectively. Therefore, the CPMD study results indicated that there is a cooperation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in Naphthazarin molecule.

The Role of Non-Covalent Interactions on Cluster Formation: Pentamer, Hexamers and Heptamer of Difluoromethane

The role of non-covalent interactions (NCIs) has broadened with the inclusion of new types of interactions and a plethora of weak donor/acceptor partners. This work illustrates the potential of chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave technique, which has revolutionized the field of rotational spectroscopy. In particular, it has been exploited to reveal the role of NCIs' in the molecular self-aggregation of difluoromethane where a pentamer, two hexamers and a heptamer were detected. The development of a new automated assignment program and a sophisticated computational screening protocol was essential for identifying the homoclusters in conditions of spectral congestion. The major role of dispersion forces leads to less directional interactions and more distorted structures than those found in polar clusters, although a detailed analysis demonstrates that the dominant interaction energy is the pairwise interaction. The tetramer cluster is identified as a structural unit in larger clusters, representing the maximum expression of bond between dimers.

Advancement in functionalized luminescent frameworks and their prospective applications as inkjet-printed sensors and anti-counterfeit materials

Supramolecular luminescent frameworks with conjugated architectures exhibits interesting photophysical properties with phenomenal chemical and thermal stability. This has instigated global researchers towards its extensive application in toxic analyte detection and the formulation of anti-counterfeit materials. In correlation with this present scenario, luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs), possessing tailorable structural and functional properties and exceptional physicochemical features, have been categorized as emerging 'smart materials'. Interestingly, LMOFs have assisted in the rapid development of an effectual sensing platform and swift fabrication of anti-counterfeit materials on desirable substrates with the aid of 'Inkjet Printing', which is a viable, low-cost, and high-resolution technology. Inkjet printing is an excellent material deposition technique in the modern era owing to its easy settling over flexible substrates, simplistic emergence of large area image patterns with improved throughput, minimal cost, explicit resolution, and least waste generation. The present review provides state-of-the-art progress on LMOFs based (i) luminescent security ink fabrication with static and dynamic multinodal luminescent materials and (ii) sensory device formulation for the easy and instantaneous recognition of hazardous analytes through the 'Inkjet Printing' technology. This techno-chemical integration will be certainly beneficial to prevent the growth of counterfeit materials and monitor the bioaccumulation of hazardous analytes in our ecological system.

Nature of the Hydrogen Bond Enhanced Halogen Bond

The factors responsible for the enhancement of the halogen bond by an adjacent hydrogen bond have been quantitatively explored by means of state-of-the-art computational methods. It is found that the strength of a halogen bond is enhanced by ca. 3 kcal/mol when the halogen donor simultaneously operates as a halogen bond donor and a hydrogen bond acceptor. This enhancement is the result of both stronger electrostatic and orbital interactions between the XB donor and the XB acceptor, which indicates a significant degree of covalency in these halogen bonds. In addition, the halogen bond strength can be easily tuned by modifying the electron density of the aryl group of the XB donor as well as the acidity of the hydrogen atoms responsible for the hydrogen bond.

Characterizing the lone pair⋯π–hole interaction in complexes of ammonia with perfluorinated arenes

Stronger and more flexible lone pair⋯π–hole interaction of ammonia with respect to water in complexes with perfluorinated arenes.

The phenoxyl group-modulated interplay of cation-π and σ-type interactions in the alkali metal series

The interaction potential energy surfaces (IPESs) of four alkaline metal cations (Na+, K+, Rb+ and Cs+) complexed with phenol and catechol were explored by accurate ab initio calculations to investigate the interplay of different noncovalent interactions and their behavior along the alkali metal series and upon -OH substitution. Selected one-dimensional interaction energy curves revealed two different minimum energy configurations for all phenol- and catechol-metal complexes, characterized either by cation-π or σ-type interactions. For each investigated complex several two-dimensional IPES maps were also computed, exploiting the computational advantages of the MP2mod approach. The size of the alkali cation was found to play a similar role in modulating both kinds of complexes, as the interaction strength always decreases along the metal series, from Na+ to Cs+. Conversely, the number of hydroxyl substituents markedly affected cation-π complexes vs. σ-type ones. As a most relevant finding, in catechol-metal complexes the strength of cation-π interactions is around half that of the σ-type ones. It is argued that the combined effect of cation dimensions and hydroxyl substitution in catechol-Na+ complexes makes σ-type configurations remarkably more stable and easily accessible than cation-π ones. Besides shedding new light on the origin of biological phenomena connected with underwater adhesion, the quantum mechanical interaction energy database provided herein may offer a useful reference for tuning accurate force fields, suitable for molecular dynamics simulations, where environmental effects might be also taken into account.

Automated parameterization of quantum-mechanically derived force-fields including explicit sigma holes: A pathway to energetic and structural features of halogen bonds in gas and condensed phase

In classical molecular dynamics, general purpose atomistic force-fields (FFs) often deliver inaccurate results when dealing with halogen bonds (XBs), notwithstanding their crucial role in many fields of science, ranging from material design to drug development. Given the large dimensions of the systems of interest, it would be therefore desirable to increase the FF accuracy maintaining the simplicity of the standard Lennard-Jones (LJ) plus point charge description to avoid an excessive computational cost. A simple yet effective strategy consists in introducing a number of virtual sites able to mimic the so-called "explicit σ-hole." In this work, we present an automated FF parameterization strategy based on a global optimization of both LJ and charge parameters with respect to accurate quantum mechanical data, purposely computed for the system under investigation. As a test case, we report on two homologue series, characterized either by weak or strong XBs, namely, the di-halogenated methanes and the mono-, di-, and tri-substituted acetonitriles, taking into consideration Cl, Br, and I substituents. The resulting quantum mechanically derived FFs are validated for each compound in the gas and in the condensed phase by comparing them to general purpose and specific FFs without virtual sites and to highly accurate reference quantum mechanical data. The results strongly support the adoption of the specific FFs with virtual sites, which overcome the other investigated models in representing both gas phase energetics and the structural patterns of the liquid phase structure related to the presence of XBs.

Structural Characterization, DFT Calculation, NCI, Scan-Rate Analysis and Antifungal Activity against Botrytis cinerea of (E)-2-{[(2-Aminopyridin-2-yl)imino]-methyl}-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol (Pyridine Schiff Base)

Botrytis cinerea is a ubiquitous necrotrophic filamentous fungal phytopathogen that lacks host specificity and can affect more than 1000 different plant species. In this work, we explored L1 [(E)-2-{[(2-aminopyridin-2-yl)imino]-methyl}-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol], a pyridine Schiff base harboring an intramolecular bond (IHB), regarding their antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea. Moreover, we present a full characterization of the L1 by NMR and powder diffraction, as well as UV–vis, in the presence of previously untested different organic solvents. Complementary time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations were performed, and the noncovalent interaction (NCI) index was determined. Moreover, we obtained a scan-rate study on cyclic voltammetry of L1. Finally, we tested the antifungal activity of L1 against two strains of Botrytis cinerea (B05.10, a standard laboratory strain; and A1, a wild type strains isolated from Chilean blueberries). We found that L1 acts as an efficient antifungal agent against Botrytis cinerea at 26 °C, even better than the commercial antifungal agent fenhexamid. Although the antifungal activity was also observed at 4 °C, the effect was less pronounced. These results show the high versatility of this kind of pyridine Schiff bases in biological applications.