Heterogeneous H2O2-based selective oxidations over zirconium tungstate α-ZrW2O8.

Catalytic properties of a crystalline zirconium tungstate, ZrW2O8, the material known mainly for its isotropic negative coefficient of thermal expansion, have been assessed for the liquid-phase selective oxidation of a range of organic substrates comprising CC, OH, S and other functional groups using aqueous hydrogen peroxide as the green oxidant. Samples of ZrW2O8 were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and characterised by N2 adsorption, PXRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR and Raman spectroscopic techniques. Studies by IR spectroscopy of adsorbed probe molecules (CO and CDCl3) revealed the presence of Brønsted acidic and basic sites on the surface of ZrW2O8. It was demonstrated that ZrW2O8 is able to activate H2O2 under mild conditions and accomplish the epoxidation of CC bonds in alkenes and unsaturated ketones, oxidation of thioethers to sulfoxides and sulfones, along with the oxidation of alcoholic functions to produce ketones and aldehydes. The oxidation of tetramethylethylene and α-terpinene over ZrW2O8 revealed the formation of peroxidation products, 2,3-dimethyl-3-butene-2-hydroperoxide and endoperoxide ascaridole, respectively, indicating the involvement of singlet oxygen in the oxidation process. The ZrW2O8 catalyst preserves its structure and morphology under the turnover conditions and does not suffer from metal leaching. It can be easily recovered, regenerated by calcination, and reused without the loss of activity and selectivity.

Hydrogen Bonds: Raman Spectroscopic Study.

The work outlines general ideas on how the frequency and the intensity of proton vibrations of X-H···Y hydrogen bonding are formed as the bond evolves from weak to maximally strong bonding. For this purpose, the Raman spectra of different chemical compounds with moderate, strong, and extremely strong hydrogen bonds were obtained in the temperature region of 5 K-300 K. The dependence of the proton vibrational frequency is schematically presented as a function of the rigidity of O-H···O bonding. The problems of proton dynamics on tautomeric O-H···O bonds are considered. A brief description of the N-H···O and C-H···Y hydrogen bonds is given.

Oxochloroselenate(IV) with Incorporated {Cl2 }: The Case of Strong Cl⋠⋠⋠Cl Halogen Bonding.

Reaction of SeO2 , tetramethylammonium (TMA) chloride, aqueous HCl and Cl2 yields oxochloroselenate with incorporated Cl2 units, TMA3 {[Se2 O2 Cl7 ](Cl2 )}. The main feature of this compound is the strong (up to 3.5 kcal mol-1 , according to DFT calculations) Cl⋅⋅⋅Cl bonding, which is also detected by Raman spectroscopy.

Rule, Not Exclusion: Formation of Dichlorine-Containing Supramolecular Complexes with Chlorometalates(IV).

Supramolecular derivatives of chlorostannate(IV) and -plumbate(IV) with {Cl2} units, Cat2{[MCl6](Cl2)x} (1-5; M = Sn, Pb, cat = 1-methylpyridinium (1-MePy), tetramethylammonium (TMA)) were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. In particular, the TMA-containing complexes demonstrate remarkable thermal stability, releasing Cl2 only at elevated temperatures.

One-Dimensional Diiodine-Iodobismuthate(III) Hybrids Cat3{[Bi2I9](I2)3}: Syntheses, Stability, and Optical Properties.

One-dimensional iodine-rich iodobismuthates(III), Cat3{[Bi2I9](I2)3} [Cat = 1,4-MePy (1) and 1-EtBMAP (2)], feature the highest amount of "trapped" diiodine units in polyhalogen-halometalates of p-block elements. Both complexes have narrow optical band gaps (1.55 and 1.63 eV, respectively) and moderate thermal stability.

Proton motion inside [(DMF)2H]2[W6Cl14]: structural, Raman and luminescence studies.

Protonation of DMF by (H7O3)2[W6Cl14] results in the appearance of strongly proton coupled [(DMF)2H]+ dimers. Such units are captured as the cationic part of [(DMF)2H]2[W6Cl14] (1). The proton behavior in such dimers was studied for the first time with single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) and 1H MAS NMR, Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopic techniques. The experimental data reveal the presence of two types of [(DMF)2H]+ dimers in 1 (cisoidal and transoidal, with respect to the mutual orientations of their C-O groups) which differ in terms of the degree to which they interact with the cluster anions as the temperature decreases. At room temperature all the OO distances in the [(DMF)2H]+ dimers are very short (2.375 Å) and almost equal. 1H MAS NMR spectra show a resonance line at 18.7 ppm which is very close to that observed in sodium hydrogen maleate with a strong hydrogen bond belonging to a single-well potential of proton motion. The temperature decrease leads to the differentiation of [(DMF)2H]+ dimers due to the elongation of the OO distance in one pair while keeping a practically constant OO distance in the second pair. The analysis of the cation-anion interactions reveals a strong difference between these two types of dimers which results from the shifting of one DMF molecule toward a terminal Cl- ligand of the cluster anion. The DFT calculations were used to show the difference in OH+O stretches for two different dimers. Moreover, we have found the PL of such dimeric units in the solid state. The temperature screening of the PL behavior demonstrates two types of luminescent centers at low temperatures which coalesce at 298 K. The proton motion in the hydrogen bond was studied using Raman spectroscopy, which was beneficial to monitor the complex behavior over a very broad temperature range from 5 to 298 K. According to the Raman data, we are dealing with a symmetric double-well potential for the hydrogen bond at room temperature, which becomes a broad single well potential below 110 K for the [(DMF)2H]+ cation with a longer OO distance (the cisoidal isomer) and below 60 K for the [(DMF)2H]+ cation with a shorter OO distance (the transoidal isomer).

Opening the Third Century of Polyhalide Chemistry: Thermally Stable Complex with "Trapped" Dichlorine.

Unlike polyhalides of heavier halogens, polychlorides still remain exotic curiosities. Herein, we report preparation and investigation of complexes Cat2 {[TeCl6 ](Cl2 )} (cat=1-methylpyridinium (1) and tetramethylammonium (2)) where dichlorine units are "trapped" by chlorotellurate(IV) anions via a system of non-covalent Cl⋅⋅⋅Cl interactions. Complex 2 reveals a record thermal stability (>100 °C) for inclusion compounds with Cl2 , indications that such compounds can be used as solid Cl2 source.

One- and Two-Dimensional Iodine-Rich Iodobismuthate(III) Complexes: Structure, Optical Properties, and Features of Halogen Bonding in the Solid State.

Reactions of BiI3, I2, and iodide salts of two different pyridinum cations result in the formation of the novel iodine-rich iodobismuthates(III) (1,3-MePy)4{[Bi4I16](I2)} (1) and (1-MePy){[BiI4](I2)0.5) (2), where the halometalate anions are connected by diiodine linkers into one- or two-dimensional supramolecular structures. Both complexes reveal narrow optical band gaps and fairly high thermal stability, favoring their potential use in photovoltaic devices.

Tautomeric Hydrogen Bond in Dimers of Ibuprofen.

The Raman spectra of polycrystalline samples of ( RS)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-propionic acid of the common name ibuprofen have been measured in the temperature range 5-300 K. In the low-frequency spectrum of the normal C12H17(COOH) and deuterated C12H17(COOD) species, modes with ∼103 and ∼95 cm-1 wavenumbers were detected, which corresponded to translational vibrations of O-H(D)···O hydrogen bonds of two different tautomers: left L and right R , respectively. At temperatures below 150 K, only the L-tautomer is found, and at T ≥ 150 K, both tautomers are observed. The energy difference Δ E of the ground vibrational state of potential minima for L- and R-tautomers is ∼80 meV for COOH and ∼70 meV for COOD. At T ≥ 150 K, the vibrational frequency of the C═O bond in the COOH moiety exhibits an unusual temperature dependence.

Raman spectra of crystalline secondary amides.

We present a Raman-spectroscopic study of secondary amides (acetanilide, methacetin, phenacetine, orthorhombic and monoclinic polymorphs of paracetamol) as well as simple amides formanilide and benzanilide. The study was carried out on single crystals and in the temperature range of 5-300K. The series of compounds with the same molecular fragment - acetamide group - can serve as a model system to study the interrelation between this group and the properties of the intermolecular "peptide-type" NH⋯OC hydrogen bonds. For all of the "acetamide family" of the compounds, similar changes in the Raman spectra were observed upon cooling of the samples: emergence of new Amide I(-) and Amide I(+) bands, which are red and blue shifted, respectively, from the conventional Amide-I band by around of 5-10cm-1. Corresponding changes in the same temperature range were observed for the NH out-of-plane bending (Amide V) and NH stretching vibrations of the NH⋯OC hydrogen bond. All of the spectral changes observed upon cooling of the samples can be presumed to result from a delocalization of the Amide-I and NH modes and appearance of dynamical (Davydov's) splitting at low temperature.

Unusual behavior of benzoic acid at low temperature: Raman spectroscopic study.

The Raman spectra of benzoic acid single crystals have been measured in the temperature range of 5-300K. At T<60K the spectra show at least two anomalous features, one of which is of direct relevance to intensity changes of the lattice modes in the low-wavenumber region. The intensity of modes at ∼86 and ∼146cm(-1) tends to zero at T→0K. It is associated with appearance of two H-bonds of different length in the same l-tautomer, and with the loss of the inversion center in the dimer. The modes at ∼86 and ∼146cm(-1) are assigned to symmetric stretching intra-dimer vibrations of the OH⋯O hydrogen bonds of the first and second order, respectively. The assignment is based on the measurements of spectral parameters as function of temperature. The other anomaly is that the series of weak and narrow bands arises in the high-wavenumber region of 2500-3700cm(-1). The bands are assigned to combination tones of O-H hydrogen bonded stretching vibration and intramolecular modes. This effect results from a low-temperature transition of a conventional two wells potential of short H-bond in the l-tautomer to asymmetrical single well potential, and is due to a strong coupling of intramolecular vibrations to O-H stretching.

High proton conductivity and spectroscopic investigations of metal-organic framework materials impregnated by strong acids.

Strong toluenesulfonic and triflic acids were incorporated into a MIL-101 chromium(III) terephthalate coordination framework, producing hybrid proton-conducting solid electrolytes. These acid@MIL hybrid materials possess stable crystalline structures that do not deteriorate during multiple measurements or prolonged heating. Particularly, the triflic-containing compound demonstrates the highest 0.08 S cm(-1) proton conductivity at 15% relative humidity and a temperature of 60 °C, exceeding any of today's commercial materials for proton-exchange membranes. The structure of the proton-conducting media, as well as the long-range proton-transfer mechanics, was unveiled, in a certain respect, by Fourier transform infrared and (1)H NMR spectroscopy investigations. The acidic media presumably constitutes large separated droplets, coexisting in the MIL nanocages. One component of proton transfer appears to be related to the facile relay (Grotthuss) mechanism through extensive hydrogen-bonding interactions within such droplets. The second component occurs during continuous reorganization of the droplets, thus ensuring long-range proton transfer along the porous structure of the material.

Polymorphism of paracetamol: a new understanding of molecular flexibility through local methyl dynamics.

This study focuses on the interplay of molecular flexibility and hydrogen bonding manifested in the monoclinic (form I) and orthorhombic (form II) polymorphs of paracetamol. By means of incoherent inelastic neutron scattering and density functional theory calculations, the relaxation processes related to the methyl side-group reorientation were analyzed in detail. Our computational study demonstrates the importance of considering quantum effects to explain how methyl reorientations and subtle conformational changes of the molecule are intertwined. Indeed, by analyzing the quasi elastic signal of the neutron data, we were able to show a unique and complex motional flexibility in form II, reflected by a coupling between the methyl and the phenyl reorientation. This is associated with a higher energy barrier of the methyl rotation and a lower Gibbs free energy when compared to form I. We put forward the idea that correlating solubility and molecular flexibility, through the relation between pKa and methyl rotation activation energy, might bring new insights to understanding and predicting drug bioavailability.

An interpretation of the "anomalous" changes in the low-wavenumber range of the Raman spectra of L-alanine crystals.

"Anomalous changes" in the temperature- and pressure- dependences of the intensities and wavenumbers of the two low-wavenumber modes in Raman spectra of single-crystals of L-alanine have been interpreted in terms of a change in relative contributions of stretching and deformational components into the intermolecular vibrational bands. The relative contributions of the two components into a lattice vibration result from a change of relative orientations of molecules linked by hydrogen bonds in a three-dimensional network on variations of temperature or pressure.

Effect of pressure on crystalline L- and DL-serine: revisited by a combined single-crystal X-ray diffraction at a laboratory source and polarized Raman spectroscopy study.

Information on the effect of pressure on hydrogen bonds, which could be derived from single-crystal X-ray diffraction at a laboratory source and polarized Raman spectroscopy, has been compared. L-Serine and DL-serine were selected for this case study. The role of hydrogen bonds in pressure-induced phase transitions in the first system and in the structural stability of the second one are discussed. Non-monotonic distortion of selected hydrogen bonds in the pressure range below ~1-2 GPa, a change in the compression mechanism at ~2-3 GPa, and the evidence of formation of bifurcated N-H...O hydrogen bonds in DL-serine at ~3-4 GPa are considered.

Low-temperature phase transition in glycine-glutaric acid co-crystals studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry.

The occurrence of a first-order reversible phase transition in glycine-glutaric acid co-crystals at 220-230 K has been confirmed by three different techniques - single-crystal X-ray diffraction, polarized Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The most interesting feature of this phase transition is that every second glutaric acid molecule changes its conformation, and this fact results in the space-group symmetry change from P2(1)/c to P1. The topology of the hydrogen-bonded motifs remains almost the same and hydrogen bonds do not switch to other atoms, although the hydrogen bond lengths do change and some of the bonds become inequivalent.

Dynamics of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the polymorphs of paracetamol in relation to crystal packing and conformational transitions: a variable-temperature polarized Raman spectroscopy study.

The properties of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the monoclinic (Form I) and the orthorhombic (Form II) polymorphs of paracetamol, C(8)H(9)NO(2), have been studied by single crystal polarized Raman spectroscopy (40 to 3700 cm(-1)) in a wide temperature range (5 K < T < 300 K) in relation to the dynamics of methyl-groups of the two forms. A detailed analysis of the temperature dependence of the wavenumbers, bandwidths and integral intensities of the spectral bands has revealed an essential difference between the two polymorphs in the strength and ordering of OH···O and NH···O hydrogen bonds. The compression of intermolecular hydrogen bonds is interrelated with crystal packing and the dynamics of methyl-groups. On structural compression of the orthorhombic polymorph on cooling, a compromise is to be sought between the shortening of OH···O and NH···O bonds, attractive CH···O and repulsive CH···H contacts in the crystal structure. As a result of a steric conflict at temperatures below 100 K, N-H···O hydrogen bonds become significantly disordered, and an extended intramolecular transition from the conformation "staggered" with respect to the C=O bond to the one "staggered" with respect to the NH bond is observed. In most of the studied crystals this transition was only about 60% complete even at 5 K, but in some of the crystals the orientation of all the methyl-groups became staggered with respect to the NH bond at low temperatures. This complete transition was coupled to a sharp shortening of the OH···O and NH···O hydrogen bonds at <100 K, the appearance of new additional positions of the protons in these H-bonds, and a slight strengthening of the C-HO bonds formed by methyl-groups. The same conformational transition has been observed also in the monoclinic polymorph at T < 80 K. The crystal packing in Form I prevents the O-H···O hydrogen bonds from adopting the optimum geometry, and they are significantly disordered at all the temperatures, especially at ≤200 K. The packing of molecules in Form I is also not favourable to form C-H···O hydrogen bonds involving methyl-groups. One can conclude from the comparison of diffraction and spectroscopic data that the higher stability of Form I results not from a larger strength of individual OH···O and NH···O hydrogen bonds, but is a cumulative effect: all the hydrogen bonds together stabilize the structure of the monoclinic polymorph more than that of the orthorhombic polymorph.

Monitoring selected hydrogen bonds in crystal hydrates of amino acid salts: combining variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction and polarized Raman spectroscopy.

Predicting behaviour of hydrogen bonds with varying temperature, in particular-correlating donor-acceptor distances in the O-H···O hydrogen bonds with the frequencies of O-H stretching vibrations is important for understanding dynamics of biomolecules and phase transitions in crystals. A commonly used correlation suggested earlier in the literature is based on statistical analysis of different compounds [A. Novak, Structure and Bonding, 1974, 18, 177; K. Nakamoto, M. Margoshes, R. E. Rundle, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1955, 77, 6480]. The present study is a rare example when correlations between geometry and energy parameters have been found for selected individual hydrogen bonds in the same crystalline compound at multiple temperatures. The properties of several types of O-H···O hydrogen bonds in bis(DL-serinium) oxalate dihydrate and DL-alaninium semi-oxalate monohydrate have been studied by a combination of variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction and polarized Raman spectroscopy. The changes in the hydrogen bonds geometry could be compared with the changes of the corresponding spectral modes. The correlation suggested by Novak is roughly followed, better for medium and weak, than for short hydrogen bonds. Fine details of spectral changes differ for individual bonds. The way how H-bonds are affected by cooling depends on their environment in the crystal structure. Short O-H···O hydrogen bonds in bis(DL-serinium) oxalate dihydrate expand or remain almost unchanged on cooling, whereas in DL-alaninium semi-oxalate monohydrate all strong H-bonds are compressed under these conditions. The distortion of individual hydrogen bonds on temperature variations is correlated with the anisotropy of lattice strain.

Phase transitions in the crystals of L- and DL-cysteine on cooling: the role of the hydrogen-bond distortions and the side-chain motions. 2. DL-cysteine.

Structural strain and a first-order phase transition in the crystalline DL-cysteine on cooling and on reverse heating were followed by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The transition is reversible and has a large hysteresis (over 100 K). The temperature at which the transition is observed depends strongly on the cooling/heating rate. The phase transition is accompanied by crystal fragmentation. The low-temperature phase could be obtained not only as a result of the solid-state transformation in situ as a polycrystalline sample (with strong preferred orientation, or without it, depending on the preparative technique), but also (using an original crystallization technique) as a single crystal of the quality suitable for structural analysis. For the first time, the crystal structure of the low-temperature phase was solved independently by powder and by single-crystal diffraction techniques. The spectral changes were correlated with the precise diffraction data on the intramolecular conformations and the intermolecular hydrogen bonding before and after the phase transition. The role of the distortion of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds and of the motions of the -CH(2)SH side chains in the phase transition is discussed in a comparison with the low-temperature phase transition in L-cysteine, which is of a different type and preserves the single crystals intact (Kolesov et al. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2008, 112 (40), 12827-12839).

Phase transitions in the crystals of L- and DL-cysteine on cooling: intermolecular hydrogen bonds distortions and the side-chain motions of thiol-groups. 1. L-cysteine.

The role of the distortion of the hydrogen bond network and of the motions of the -CH 2SH side chains in the phase transition in the orthorhombic L-cysteine ( (+)NH 3-CH(CH 2SH)-COO (-)) on cooling and the reverse transformation on heating is discussed. The extended character of the phase transition, which was recently discovered by adiabatic calorimetry [ J. Phys. Chem. B 2007, 111, 9186 ], and its very high sensitivity to the thermal prehistory of the sample could be interpreted based on the changes in the polarized Raman spectra measured for the single-crystals in several orientations in the temperature range 3-300 K and precise diffraction data on the changes in intramolecular conformations and intermolecular hydrogen bonding. In the low-temperature phase the SH...S hydrogen bonds dominate as compared to the weaker SH...O contacts, and at ambient temperature the situation is inverse. The transition from one phase to another goes via a series of states differing in conformations of the cysteine zwitterions and the intermolecular contacts of the thiol-group. Motions of different molecular fragments (NH 3 (+), CH 2, CH, SH) are activated at different temperatures. Structural strain on cooling involves several dynamic processes, such as a rigid rotation of the molecule in the lattice, a rigid rotation of the NH 3 group with respect to NH 3-CH bond, and the rotation of the thiol side chain resulting in the switching of S-H hydrogen bonding from one type to another. Different NH...O hydrogen bonds forming the framework in the L-cysteine crystal structure are distorted to a different extent, and this provokes the rotation of the -CH 2SH side chains within the cavities of this framework resulting in a change in the coordination from SH...O to SH...S at low temperatures. The results are interesting for understanding the polymorphism of molecular crystals and the factors determining their dynamics and structural instability, and also for biophysical chemistry, since the properties of the hydrogen bonded thiole-groups in biomolecules can be mimicked using L-cysteine in the crystalline state, variations in temperature and pressure serving as powerful tools, to modify the intramolecular conformations and the intermolecular hydrogen bonding.