Substrate, molecular structure, and solvent effects in 2D self-assembly via hydrogen and halogen bonding

Recently, halogen···halogen interactions have been demonstrated to stabilize two-dimensional supramolecular assemblies at the liquid–solid interface. Here we study the effect of changing the halogen, and report on the 2D supramolecular structures obtained by the adsorption of 2,4,6-tris(4-bromophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TBPT) and 2,4,6-tris(4-iodophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TIPT) on both highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and the (111) facet of a gold single crystal. These molecular systems were investigated by combining room-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy in ambient conditions with density functional theory, and are compared to results reported in the literature for the similar molecules 1,3,5-tri(4-bromophenyl)benzene (TBPB) and 1,3,5-tri(4-iodophenyl)benzene (TIPB). We find that the substrate exerts a much stronger effect than the nature of the halogen atoms in the molecular building blocks. Our results indicate that the triazine core, which renders TBPT and TIPT stiff and planar, leads to stronger adsorption energies and hence structures that are different from those found for TBPB and TIPB. On the reconstructed Au(111) surface we find that the TBPT network is sensitive to the fcc- and hcp-stacked regions, indicating a significant substrate effect. This makes TBPT the first molecule reported to form a continuous monolayer at room temperature in which molecular packing is altered on the differently reconstructed regions of the Au(111) surface. Solvent-dependent polymorphs with solvent coadsorption were observed for TBPT on HOPG. This is the first example of a multicomponent self-assembled molecular networks involving the rare cyclic, hydrogen-bonded hexamer of carboxylic groups, R66(24) synthon.

Solvent effects on the structure of N-methylpyrrole as studied by nmr in nematic solvents

The proton NMR spectra of N-methylpyrrole oriented in the nematic phases of liquid crystals with positive and negative diamagnetic anisotropies and their mixtures are reported. Geometrical parameters derived from the spectra at the critical point in the mixture of liquid crystals with positive and negative diamagnetic anisotropies, where macroscopic diamagnetic anisotropy vanishes, are similar to those obtained in the solvent with negative diamagnetic anisotropy. However, significant distortions in the molecular structure attributed to solvent effects have been observed in liquid crystals with positive diamagnetic anisotropy. The minimum energy conformation has one C---H of the methyl perpendicular to the ring.

Understanding solvent effects on structure and reactivity of organic intermediates: a Raman study

The effect of solvent on chemical reactivity has generally been explained on the basis of the dielectric constant and viscosity. However a number of spectroscopic studies, including UV-VIS, IR and Raman, has led to numerous empirical parameters to define solvent effect based on either solvating ability or polarity scale. These parameters include solvent polarizability, dipolarity, Lewis acidity and Lewis basicity, E-T(30), pi*, alpha, beta etc. However, from a structural point of view, we can separate solvation as static and dynamic processes. The static solvation basically relates to stabilization of the molecular structure by the solvent to attain the equilibrium structure, both in the intermediate and ground state. Dynamic solvation relates to solvent reorganization-induced dynamics prior to the structural reorganization to reach the equilibrium state. In this paper, we present (a) structural distortions induced by the solvent due to preferential solvation of the triplet excited state, and (b) the importance of dynamic solvation induced by vibronic coupling (pseudo-Jahn-Teller coupling). The examples include the effect of solvent on structure and reactivity of excited states of 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone (TFA). Based on the comparison of time resolved resonance Raman (TR3) data of TFA and other substituted acetophenone systems, it was found that change in solvent polarity indeed results in electronic state switching and structural changes in the excited state, which explains the trend in reactivity. Further, a TR3 study of fluoranil (FA) in the triplet excited state in solvents of varying polarities indicates that the structure of FA in the triplet excited state is determined by vibronic coupling effects and thus distorted structure. These experimental results have been well supported by density functional theoretical computational studies.

Organic fragments from graphene oxide: Isolation, characterization and solvent effects

As-prepared graphene oxide (GO) contains oxidative debris which can be washed using basic solutions. We present the isolation and characterization of these debris. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is used to monitor the separation of the debris in various solvents in the presence of different protic and aprotic alkylamino bases. The study reveals that the debris are rich in carbonyl functional groups and water is an essential component for separation and removal of the debris from GO under oxidative reaction conditions.

Solvent effects on spectrophotometric titrations and vibrational spectroscopy of 5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin in aqueoius DMF

The spectrophotometric titration by sodium hydroxide of 5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin ((OH)(1)PH2) is studied as a function of solvent composition of DMF-H2O binary solvent mixture ([OH-] = 0.04 M). Combining the structure changes of the porphyrin and the "four orbital" model of Gouterman, many features of the optical spectra of this deprotonated para-hydroxy-substituted tetraphenylporphyrin in different composition of binary solvent mixtures can be rationalized. In highly aqueous solvents, the changes of the titration curves are shown to be mainly due to hydrogen-bonding of the oxygen of the phenoxide anion group by the hydroxylic solvent, Which decreases the energy of the phenoxide anion pi orbital. Thus the phenoxide anion pi orbital cannot cross over the porphyrin Tr orbital being a different HOMO. However, its energy is close to that of the porphyrin pi orbitals. As a result, in the visible region, no charge-transfer band is observed, while in the visible-near region, the Soret peak split into two components. In nonaqueous solvents, the changes are mainly attributed to further deprotonation of pyrrolic-Hs of (OH) 1PH2 by NaOH and coordination with two sodium ions to form the sodium complex of (OH) 1PH2, which turns hyperporphyrin spectra of deprotonated of phenolic-H of (OH)(1)PH2 into three-banded spectra of regular metalloporphyrin.

Solvent effects of a fluorescent polyquinoline chemosensor for metal ions

Red shift and quenching effects of the fluorecence spectra of polyquinoline (PQH) solutions in different solvents are observed upon the addition of metal ions, which demonstrates the extraordinary solvent effects on metal-ion recognition and sensing ability (including sensitivity and selectivity) of PQH.

A combined DFT and SCRF study of solvent effects on 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one

The IR spectrum of 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one is interpreted with the aid of normal coordinate calculations within the Onsager self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) model, using a density functional theory (DFT) method at the Becke3LYP/6-31G* level. The solvent effects on the geometry, energy, dipole moment, and vibrational frequencies of 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one in the solution and in the liquid phase are calculated using the Onsager SCRF model. The calculated vibrational frequencies in the liquid-phase are in good agreement with the experimental values. The solvent reaction field has generally weak influence. For the two main bands of C=C and C=O mixed vibrational modes, small frequency shifts (5-6 cm(-1)), but relatively large changes in IR intensities (up to 101 km mol(-1) in the liquid phase) are found. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science BV. All rights reserved.

Concertedness and solvent effects in multiple proton transfer reactions: The formic acid dimer in solution

The issue of multiple proton transfer (PT) reactions in solution is addressed by performing molecular dynamics simulations for a formic acid dimer embedded in a water cluster. The reactant species is treated quantum mechanically, within a density functional approach, while the solvent is represented by a classical model. By constraining different distances within the dimer we analyze the PT process in a variety of situations representative of more complex environments. Free energy profiles are presented, and analyzed in terms of typical solvated configurations extracted from the simulations. A decrease in the PT barrier height upon solvation is rationalized in terms of a transition state which is more polarized than the stable states. The dynamics of the double PT process is studied in a low-barrier case and correlated with solvent polarization fluctuations. Cooperative effects in the motion of the two protons are observed in two different situations: when the solvent polarization does not favor the transfer of one of the two protons and when the motion of the two protons is not synchronized. This body of observations is correlated with local structural and dynamical properties of the solvent in the vicinity of the reactant. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)51121-0].

Dramatic solvent effects on ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cycloalkenes

A series of metathesis polymers and copolymers have been formed and their structures were analysed by C-13 NMR spectroscopy. Noble metal and non-noble metal salt catalysts are distinguished by their behaviour in various solvents. Thus, in phenolic solvents, the former class produce alternating copolymers from cyclopentene and norbornene, while the latter are unaffected and produce random copolymers. In contrast, ether solvents have the effect of markedly increasing the cis content of polymers from the latter catalysts while the former are unaffected.

Solvent effects in the hydrogenation of 2-butanone

In liquid-phase reaction systems, the role of the solvent is often limited to the simple requirement of dissolving and/or diluting substrates. However, the correct choice, either pure or mixed, can significantly influence both reaction rate and selectivity. For multi-phase heterogeneously catalysed reactions observed variations may be due to changes in mass transfer rates, reaction mechanism, reaction kinetics, adsorption properties and combinations thereof. The liquid-phase hydrogenation of 2-butanone to 2-butanol over a Ru/SiO catalyst, for example, shows such complex rate behaviour when varying water/isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solvent ratios. In this paper, we outline a strategy which combines measured rate data with physical property measurements and molecular simulation in order to gain a more fundamental understanding of mixed solvent effects for this heterogeneously catalysed reaction. By combining these techniques, the observed complex behaviour of rate against water fraction is shown to be a combination of both mass transfer and chemical effects. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting solvent effects on the structure of porous organic molecules

A computational approach for the prediction of the open, metastable, conformations of porous organic molecules in the presence of solvent is developed.

The kinetics and solvent effects on the thermal decomposition of isopropyl peroxide and 1, 2-dioxane

Rates of H2 formation have been determined for the thermal decomposition of isopropyl peroxide at l30o-l50oC in toluene and methanol and at l400C in isopropyl alcohol and water. Product studies have been carried out at l400C in these solvents. The decomposition of isopropyl peroxide was shown to be unimolecular with energies of activation in toluene, and methanol of 39.1, 23.08 Kcal/mole respectively. It has been shown that the rates of H2 formation in decomposition of isopropyl peroxide are solvent dependent and that the ~ vs "'2';' values (parameters for solvent polarity) givesastraight line. Mechanisms for hydrogen production are discussed which satisfactorily explain the stabilization of the six-centered transition state by the solvent. One possibility is that of conformation stabilization by solvent and the other, a transition state with sufficient ionic character to be stabilized by a polar solvent. Rates of thermal decomposition of 1,2-dioxane in tert-butylbenzene at l40o-l70oC have been determined. The activation energy was found to be 33.4 Kcal/mole. This lower activation energy, compared to that for the decomposition of isopropyl peroxide in toluene (39.1 Kcal/mole) has been explained in terms of ring strain. Decomposition of 1,2 dioxane in MeOH does not follow a first order reaction. Several mechanisms have been suggested for the products observed for decomposition of 1;2-dioxane in toluene and methanol.

Solvent Effects on the Formation of Nanoparticles and Multilayered Coatings Based on Hydrogen-Bonded Interpolymer Complexes of Poly(acrylic acid) with Homo- and Copolymers of N-Vinyl Pyrrolidone

The formation of hydrogen-bonded interpolymer complexes between poly(acrylic acid) and poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) as well as amphiphilic copolymers of N-vinyl pyrrolidone with vinyl propyl ether has been studied in aqueous and organic solutions. It was demonstrated that introduction of vinyl propyl ether units into the macromolecules of the nonionic polymer enhances their ability to form complexes in aqueous solutions due to more significant contribution of hydrophobic effects. The complexation was found to be a multistage process that involves the formation of primary polycomplex particles, which further aggregate to form spherical nanoparticles. Depending on the environmental factors (pH, solvent nature), these nanoparticles may either form stable colloidal solutions or undergo further aggregation, resulting in precipitation of interpolymer complexes. In organic solvents, the intensity of complex formation increases in the following order: methanol < ethanol < isopropanol < dioxane. The multilayered coatings were developed using layer-by-layer deposition of interpolymer complexes on glass surfaces. It was demonstrated that the solvent nature affects the efficiency of coating deposition.