4 research outputs found
Enhanced Basicity of Push–Pull Nitrogen Bases in the Gas Phase
Nitrogen bases containing
one or more pushing amino-group(s) directly
linked to a pulling cyano, imino, or phosphoimino group, as well as
those in which the pushing and pulling moieties are separated by a
conjugated spacer (CX)<sub>n</sub>, where X is CH or N, display
an exceptionally strong basicity. The n-π conjugation between
the pushing and pulling groups in such systems lowers the basicity
of the pushing amino-group(s) and increases the basicity of the pulling
cyano, imino, or phosphoimino group. In the gas phase, most of the
so-called push–pull nitrogen bases exhibit a very high basicity.
This paper presents an analysis of the exceptional gas-phase basicity,
mostly in terms of experimental data, in relation with structure and
conjugation of various subfamilies of push–pull nitrogen bases:
nitriles, azoles, azines, amidines, guanidines, vinamidines, biguanides,
and phosphazenes. The strong basicity of biomolecules containing a
push–pull nitrogen substructure, such as bioamines, amino acids,
and peptides containing push–pull side chains, nucleobases,
and their nucleosides and nucleotides, is also analyzed. Progress
and perspectives of experimental determinations of GBs and PAs of
highly basic compounds, termed as “superbases”, are
presented and benchmarked on the basis of theoretical calculations
on existing or hypothetical molecules
Can Nitriles Be Stronger Bases Than Proton Sponges in the Gas Phase? A Computational Analysis
DFT
calculations have been performed for a series of push–pull
nitriles [(R<sub>2</sub>N)<sub><i>n</i></sub>(XY)<sub><i>i</i></sub>CN, where <i>i</i> = 0,
1, or 2, <i>n</i> = 1, 2, or 3, R<sub>2</sub>N = H<sub>2</sub>N, Me<sub>2</sub>N, or C<sub>4</sub>H<sub>8</sub>N, X = CH, N, or
P, Y = CH or N]. The possible protonation <i>N</i>-sites
(<i>N</i>-cyano, <i>N</i>-imino, and <i>N</i>-amino) have been examined and their proton affinities (PA) estimated.
For all compounds in the series, even for those containing the guanidino,
phosphazeno, and diphosphazeno pushing groups, the <i>N</i>-cyano atom is the favored site of protonation. The n−π
conjugation strongly decreases the PA value of the pushing amino group
in favor of the pulling cyano one. Nitriles with the phosphazeno groups
[(R<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>PNP(R<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>2</sub>N and (R<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>PN] exhibit
the strongest basicity in the series. Some of them (with PA > 1000
kJ mol<sup>–1</sup>) are stronger bases than DMAN, the so-called
“proton sponge”. Nitriles bearing the guanidino group
[(R<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>2</sub>CN] are less basic than those
with the phosphazeno group [(R<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>PN]
but more basic than those with the formamidino group (R<sub>2</sub>NCHN) containing the same substituent R. The <i>N</i>-imino atoms, present in the transmitter group (XN,
X = CH, N, or P), display PA values lower than those of the <i>N</i>-cyano site by more than 30 kJ mol<sup>–1</sup>.
When proceeding from the unsubstituted derivatives (R = H) to the
methylated ones (R = Me), the Me groups at the <i>N</i>-amino
atom increase the PA value of the <i>N</i>-cyano site for
Me<sub>2</sub>NXYCN (X, Y = CH or
N) by <i>ca</i>. 30–60 kJ mol<sup>–1</sup>. For the guanidino and phosphazeno derivatives containing two and
three amino groups, respectively, this effect is not additive. The
four Me groups for (Me<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>2</sub>CNCN
and the six Me groups for (Me<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>PNCN
increase the PA(<i>N</i>-cyano) values by only 30–50
kJ mol<sup>–1</sup>. The CN bond lengths of the neutral
forms are well correlated with the PA(<i>N</i>-cyano) values
Exceptionally High Proton and Lithium Cation Gas-Phase Basicity of the Anti-Diabetic Drug Metformin
Substituted
biguanides are known for their biological effect, and
a few of them are used as drugs, the most prominent example being
metformin (1,1-dimethylbiguanide, IUPAC name: <i>N,N</i>-dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide). Because of the presence of
hydrogen atoms at the amino groups, biguanides exhibit a multiple
tautomerism. This aspect of their structures was examined in detail
for unsubstituted biguanide and metformin in the gas phase. At the
density functional theory (DFT) level {essentially B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)},
the most stable structures correspond to the conjugated, push–pull,
system (NR<sub>2</sub>)(NH<sub>2</sub>)CN–C(NH)NH<sub>2</sub> (R = H, CH<sub>3</sub>), further stabilized by an internal
hydrogen bond. The structural and energetic aspects of protonation
and lithium cation adduct formation of biguanide and metformin was
examined at the same level of theory. The gas-phase protonation energetics
reveal that the more stable tautomer is protonated at the terminal
imino CNH site, still with an internal hydrogen bond maintaining
the structure of the neutral system. The calculated proton affinity
and gas-phase basicity of the two molecules reach the domain of superbasicity.
By contrast, the lithium cation prefers to bind the less stable, not
fully conjugated, tautomer (NR<sub>2</sub>)C(NH)–NH–C(NH)NH<sub>2</sub> of biguanides, in which the two CNH groups are separated
by NH. This less stable form of biguanides binds Li<sup>+</sup> as
a bidentate ligand, in agreement with what was reported in the literature
for other metal cations in the solid phase. The quantitative assessment
of resonance in biguanide, in metformin and in their protonated forms,
using the HOMED and HOMA indices, reveals an increase in electron
delocalization upon protonation. On the contrary, the most stable
lithium cation adducts are less conjugated than the stable neutral
biguanides, because the metal cation is better coordinated by the
not-fully conjugated bidentate tautomer
Quantum-Chemical Studies on the Favored and Rare Tautomers of Neutral and Redox Adenine
All possible twenty-three prototropic tautomers of neutral
and
redox adenine (nine amine and fourteen imine forms, including geometric
isomerism of the exo NH group) were examined in vacuo {DFT(B3LYP)/6-311+G(d,p)}.
The NH → NH conversions as well as those usually omitted, NH
→ CH and CH → CH, were considered. An interesting change
of the tautomeric preference occurs when proceeding from neutral to
reduced adenine. One-electron reduction favors the nonaromatic amine
C8H–N10H tautomer. This tautomeric preference is similar to
that (C2H) for reduced imidazole. Water molecules (PCM model) seem
to not change this trend. They influence solely the relative energies.
The DFT vertical detachment energy in the gas phase is positive for
each tautomer, e.g., 0.03 eV for N9H–N10H and 1.84 eV for C8H–N10H.
The DFT adiabatic electron affinity for the favored process, neutral
N9H–N10H → reduced C8H–N10H (ground states),
is equal to 0.18 eV at 0 K (ZPE included). One-electron oxidation
does not change the tautomeric preference in the gas phase. The aromatic
amine N9H–N10H tautomer is favored for the oxidized molecule
similarly as for the neutral one. The DFT adiabatic ionization potential
for the favored process, neutral N9H–N10H → oxidized
N9H–N10H (ground states), is equal to 8.12 eV at 0 K (ZPE included).
Water molecules (PCM model) seem to influence solely the composition
of the tautomeric mixture and the relative energies. They change the
energies of the oxidation and reduction processes by ca. 2 eV