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.

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.

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.

Indole- and carbazole-substituted pyridinium iodide salts: a rare case of conformational isomerism in crystals.

A series of indole- and carbazole-substituted pyridinium iodide salts has been synthesized and characterized. X-ray analysis revealed that the iodide salt of the indole-substituted cation (E)-4-(1H-indol-3-ylvinyl)-N-methylpyridinium (IMPE(+)), C(16)H(15)N(2)(+) x I(-), (I), has two polymorphic modifications, (Ia) and (Ib), and a hemihydrate structure, C(16)H(15)N(2)(+) x I(-) x 0.5H(2)O, (II). Until now, only one crystal modification has been identified for the (E)-4-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-ylvinyl)-N-methylpyridinium (ECMPE(+)) iodide salt, C(22)H(21)N(2)(+) x I(-), (III). Crystals of (Ia) and (Ib) comprise stacks of antiparallel cations with iodide anions located in the channels between the stacks. Due to the presence of the water molecules, the packing in (II) is quite different to that found in (Ia) and (Ib), and positional disorder involving a statistical superposition of two rotamers of IMPE(+), with different orientations of the indole fragment, was found. Crystals of (III) contain two independent ECMPE(+) rotamers with different orientations of their carbazole substituents. The cations are packed in stacks, with the iodide anions located in the channels between the stacks. In (III), the iodide was found to be disordered over two sites, with occupancies of 0.83 and 0.17.

Crown compounds for anions: sandwich and half-sandwich complexes of cyclic trimetric perfluoro-o-phenylenemercury with polyhedral closo-[B10H10]2- and closo-[B12H12]2- anions.

It has been shown by IR and NMR spectroscopy that cyclic trimeric perfluoro-o-phenylenemercury (o-C6F4-Hg)3 (1) is capable of binding closo-[B10H10]2- and closo-[B12H12]2- anions to form complexes [[(o-C6F4Hg)3](B10-H10)]2- (2), [[(o-C6F4Hg)3]2(B10H10)]2-(3), [[(o-C6F4Hg)3](B12H12)]2- (4), and [[(o-C6F4Hg)3]2(B12H12)]2- (5). According to IR data, the bonding of the [B10H10]2- and [B12H12]2- ions to the macrocycle in these complexes is accomplished through the formation of B-H-Hg bridges. Complexes 2, 3, and 5 have been isolated in analytically pure form and have been characterized by spectroscopic means. X-ray diffraction studies of 3 and 5 have revealed that these compounds have unusual sandwich structures, in which the polyhedral di-anion is located between the planes of two molecules of 1 and is bonded to each of them through two types of B-H-Hg bridges. One type is the simultaneous coordination of a B-H group to all three Hg atoms of the macrocycle. The other type is the coordination of a B-H group to a single Hg atom of the cycle. According to X-ray diffraction data, complex 2 has an analogous but half-sandwich structure. The obtained complexes 2-5 are quite stable; their stability constants in THF/acetone (1:1) at 20 degrees C have been determined as 1.0 x 10(2)Lmol(-1), 2.6 x 10(3)L(2)mol(2), 0.7 x 10(2)Lmol(-1), and 0.98 x 10(3)L(2)mol(-2), respectively.

Conformational polymorphs of 22-cyano-N-methyl-5-phenylpent-2-en-4-ynamide.

Although the two polymorphic modifications, (I) and (II), of the title compound, C(13)H(10)N(2)O, crystallize in the same space group (P2(1)/c), their asymmetric units have Z' values of 1 and 2, respectively. These are conformational polymorphs, since the molecules in phases (I) and (II) adopt different rotations of the phenyl ring with respect the central 2-cyanocarboxyaminoprop-2-enyl fragment. Calculations of crystal packing using Cerius(2) [Molecular Simulations (1999). 9685 Scranton Road, San Diego, CA 92121, USA] have shown that (I) is more stable than (II), by 1.3 kcal mol(-1) for the crystallographically determined structures and by 1.56 kcal mol(-1) for the optimized structures (1 kcal mol(-1) = 4.184 kJ mol(-1)). This difference is mainly attributed to the different strengths of the hydrogen bonding in the two forms.

Two isostructural carboranes: 3-phenyl-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane(12) and 1-phenyl-1,7-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane(12).

Two phenyl-substituted carboranes, 3-phenyl-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane(12), C8H16B10, (I), and 1-phenyl-1,7-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane(12), C8H16B10, (II), were found to be isostructural. Comparison of the bond angles at the ipso-C atoms of the phenyl substituent for (I) and (II) [117.71 (3) and 118.45 (10) degrees, respectively] indicates that electron donation of the carborane cage for B- and C-substituted carboranes is different.

[Genetic variability and fluctuating asymmetry of morphological signs of Drosophila melanogaster during development in a pesticide-containing environment]. / Geneticheskaia izmenchivost' i fluktuiruiushchaia asimmetriia morfologicheskikh priznakov Drosophila melanogaster pri razvitii na srede, soderzhashchei pestitsid.

The effects of chlorine-organic insecticide endosulfane (thiodan) on phenotypic and genetic variation in four morphological traits of Drosophila melanogaster (wing length, thorax length, the number of orbital bristles and the number of sternopleural bristles) were examined. In addition, the effect of this pesticide on stability of development measured as fluctuating asymmetry of bilateral traits was estimated. On the medium with endosulfane, phenotypic variation of morphometric traits was significantly higher. No difference in fluctuating asymmetry between the stressed and the control samples was found. The among-line variance of morphometric traits of flies reared on the endosulfane-containing medium was significantly higher as compared to the corresponding variance under control conditions. The efficiency of using fluctuating asymmetry and phenotypic variation of morphometric and meristic traits as indicators of environmental stress in insect populations is discussed.

[Stability in development and variability in morphological signs in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster: seasonal dynamics in 1999]. / Stabil'nost' razvitiia i izmenchivost' morfologicheskikh priznakov v prirodnoi populiatsii Drosophila melanogaster: sezonnaia dinamika v 1999 g.

Seasonal dynamics of developmental stability and variability of morphological traits was examined in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster in order to compare these two parameters as indicators of temperature stress. Morphometric (thorax length and wing length) and meristic (number of sternopelural and orbital bristles) were studied. Variability was measured as the coefficient of variation. Stability of development was estimated as fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of bilateral traits. Thorax length and wing length did not exhibit consistent seasonal trends whereas wing loading significantly decreased. Significant seasonal changes in FA were not detected in any trait examined. Two traits showed reduced variation in autumn. The use of FA as an indicator of ecological stresses in insects is discussed on the basis of these results and the literature evidence.

Two new diterpenoids, sarcophytins B and C, from the Indian Ocean soft coral Sarcophyton species.

Two new diterpenoids, sarcophytins B and C (1, 2), and the previously known sarcophytin (4) have been isolated from the Indian Ocean soft coral Sarcophyton sp. Structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectral data and supported by X-ray analysis of 1.

trans-1-Cyano-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-nitroethylene.

The title compound, C(10)H(8)N(2)O(3), has been prepared by condensation of 2-methoxybenzaldehyde and nitroacetonitrile in ethanol at room temperature. Its investigation has been undertaken as a part of search for new nonlinear optical compounds. The pi-conjugated molecule is almost planar. Molecules in the crystal are packed in stacks with antiparallel molecular orientation and slightly alternating distances between mean molecular planes.