Performance of 3D-space-based atoms-in-molecules methods for electronic delocalization aromaticity indices

Several definitions of an atom in a molecule (AIM) in three-dimensional (3D) space, including both fuzzy and disjoint domains, are used to calculate electron sharing indices (ESI) and related electronic aromaticity measures, namely, Iringand multicenter indices (MCI), for a wide set of cyclic planar aromatic and nonaromatic molecules of different ring size. The results obtained using the recent iterative Hirshfeld scheme are compared with those derived from the classical Hirshfeld method and from Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules. For bonded atoms, all methods yield ESI values in very good agreement, especially for C-C interactions. In the case of nonbonded interactions, there are relevant deviations, particularly between fuzzy and QTAIM schemes. These discrepancies directly translate into significant differences in the values and the trends of the aromaticity indices. In particular, the chemically expected trends are more consistently found when using disjoint domains. Careful examination of the underlying effects reveals the different reasons why the aromaticity indices investigated give the expected results for binary divisions of 3D spaceM.S. is grateful for the nancial help furnished by the Spanish MICINN Project No. CTQ2008-03077/BQU and by the Catalan DIUE through project No. 2009SGR63

Real-Space In Situ Bond Energies: Toward A Consistent Energetic Definition of Bond Strength

CTQ2015-65790-P; GRUPIN14-049, FICYT, Fundación para el Fomento en Asturias de la Investigación Científica Aplicada y la Tecnologí

Relativistic-dft study of the electronic structure, bonding and energetic of the [ref8]־ and [uf8]2- ions

Indexación: ScieloABSTRACT In this study we evaluated the importance of the relativistic effects (scalar and spin-orbit) on the description of the electronic structure, bonding and the energetic of the [ReF8]- and [UF8]2- ions. We described the bonding interaction between ligands and metal center using the energy decomposition analysis (EDA) proposed by Morokuma and Ziegler, in which it can be appreciated a strong ionic behavior for both ions since the electrostatic interaction energy (∆Ezlestat) is greater than the orbitalic interaction energy (∆EOrb). Furthermore, a qualitative analysis using the mapping of the electrostatic potential over the total electronic density evidence an increase of the ionic character, as well as, the polarization of the electronic density as U > Re. The electron localization function (ELF) corroborates the bonding analysis because of the lack of di-synaptic basins on the metal-ligand bonding region

Halogen bonding stabilizes a cis-azobenzene derivative in the solid state: A crystallographic study

Crystals of trans- and cis-isomers of a fluorinated azobenzene derivative have been prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The presence of F atoms on the aromatic core of the azobenzene increases the lifetime of the metastable cis-isomer, allowing single crystals of the cis-azobenzene to be grown. Structural analysis on the cis-azobenzene, complemented with density functional theory calculations, highlights the active role of the halogen-bond contact (N...I synthon) in promoting the stabilization of the cis-isomer. The presence of a long aliphatic chain on the azobenzene unit induces a phase segregation that stabilizes the molecular arrangement for both the trans- and cis-isomers. Due to the rarity of cis-azobenzene crystal structures in the literature, our paper makes a step towards understanding the role of non-covalent interactions in driving the packing of metastable azobenzene isomers. This is expected to be important in the future rational design of solid-state, photoresponsive materials based on halogen bonding. We show by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies and computational analysis that halogen bonding can stabilize a metastable cis-azobenzene derivative in the solid state

Polarization and Charge Transfer in the Hydration of Chloride Ions

A theoretical study of the structural and electronic properties of the chloride ion and water molecules in the first hydration shell is presented. The calculations are performed on an ensemble of configurations obtained from molecular dynamics simulations of a single chloride ion in bulk water. The simulations utilize the polarizable AMOEBA force field for trajectory generation, and MP2-level calculations are performed to examine the electronic structure properties of the ions and surrounding waters in the external field of more distant waters. The ChelpG method is employed to explore the effective charges and dipoles on the chloride ions and first-shell waters. The Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) is further utilized to examine charge transfer from the anion to surrounding water molecules. From the QTAIM analysis, 0.2 elementary charges are transferred from the ion to the first-shell water molecules. The default AMOEBA model overestimates the average dipole moment magnitude of the ion compared with the estimated quantum mechanical value. The average magnitude of the dipole moment of the water molecules in the first shell treated at the MP2 level, with the more distant waters handled with an AMOEBA effective charge model, is 2.67 D. This value is close to the AMOEBA result for first-shell waters (2.72 D) and is slightly reduced from the bulk AMOEBA value (2.78 D). The magnitude of the dipole moment of the water molecules in the first solvation shell is most strongly affected by the local water-water interactions and hydrogen bonds with the second solvation shell, rather than by interactions with the ion.Comment: Slight revision, in press at J. Chem. Phy