Proton Sponge Zwitterions with Positively and Negatively Charged Hydrogen Bonds: Extremely Polar Organic Compounds and Interplay of [NHN]+ and [NHN]- Properties.

Six previously unknown zwitterions with positively and negatively charged [NHN] hydrogen bonds were synthesized by acylation of 4,5-bis(dimethylamino)-1-tosylamino-8-aminonaphthalene with subsequent alkaline treatment of the resulting 8-acylamino derivatives. Using NMR and XRD measurements in conjunction with quantum chemical DFT/PBE1PBE/6-311++G(d,p) calculations, it was shown that the negatively charged [NHN]- bond in such compounds commonly differs from the [NHN]+ bond by significantly lower linearity, higher asymmetry, and moderate to strong paramagnetic shift of the chelated NH proton signal. Among other remarkable findings, the most important are (1) unusually high polarity (µ = 21-26 D) of the obtained zwitterions, (2) sharp difference in structures of the solid 1,8-bis(tosylated) zwitterion (BTZ) grown from MeCN or DMF, and (3) registration for one of the stereoisomers of BTZ with the record short [NHN]- hydrogen bridge (N···N = 2.510 Å) almost reaching the theoretical limit (2.50 Å) for the [NHN]+ hydrogen bond.

Naphthalene proton sponges as hydride donors: diverse appearances of the tert-amino-effect.

It has been shown that the 1-NMe(2) group in the 2-substituted 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalenes (proton sponges) can intramolecularly donate a hydride ion to an appropriate electron-accepting ortho-substituent such as diarylcarbenium ion, ß,ß'-dicyanovinyl or methyleneiminium group. This produces the 1-N(+)(Me)=CH(2) functionality and triggers a number of further transformations (tert-amino effect) including peri-cyclization, ortho-cyclization or hydrolytic demethylation. In each particular case, the course of the reaction is determined by the nature of the ortho-substituent and the most potent nucleophile presenting in the reaction mixture. For 2,7-disubstituted 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalenes, two types of tandem tert-amino effect with the involvement of both peri-NMe(2) groups have been registered. The conclusion was made that proton sponges are generally more active in the tert-amino reactions than the corresponding monodimethylaminoarenes. This is ascribed both to higher electron donor ability of proton sponges and markedly shortened distance between electrophilic C(α)-atom in the ortho-substituent and hydrogen atoms of the nearest NMe(2) group. Most conversions observed proceed in good to high yields and are useful for the preparation of derivatives of benzo[h]quinoline, quino[7,8:7',8']quinoline, 2,3-dihydroperimidine, N,N,N'-trimethyl-1,8-diaminonaphthalene and proton sponge itself.