On the transferability of QTAIMC descriptors derived from X-ray diffraction data and DFT calculations: substituted hydropyrimidine derivatives.

The combined study of electron-density features in three substituted hydropyrimidines of the Biginelli compound family has been fulfilled. Results of the low-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements and density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP/6-311++G** calculations of these compounds are described. The experimentally derived atomic and bonding characteristics determined within the quantum-topological theory of atoms in molecules and crystals (QTAIMC) were demonstrated to be fully transferable within chemically similar structures such as the Biginelli compounds. However, for certain covalent bonds they differ significantly from the theoretical results because of insufficient flexibility of the atom-centered multipole electron density model. It was concluded that currently analysis of the theoretical electron density provides a more reliable basis for the determination of the transferability of QTAIMC descriptors for molecular structures. Empirical corrections making the experimentally derived QTAIMC bond descriptors more transferable are proposed.

Molecular and crystal properties of ethyl 4,6-dimethyl-2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate from experimental and theoretical electron densities.

The electron density and electronic energy densities in ethyl 4,6-dimethyl-2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate have been studied from accurate X-ray diffraction measurements at 110 K and theoretical single-molecule and periodic crystal calculations. The Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules and Crystals (QTAMC) was applied to analyze the electron-density and electronic energy-density features to estimate their reproducibility in molecules and crystals. It was found that the local electron-density values at the bond critical points derived by different methods are in reasonable agreement, while the Laplacian of the electron density computed from wavefunctions, and electron densities derived from experimental or theoretical structure factors in terms of the Hansen-Coppens multipole model differ significantly. This disagreement results from insufficient flexibility of the multipole model to describe the longitudinal electron-density curvature in the case of shared atomic interactions. This deficiency runs through all the existing QTAMC bonding descriptors which contain the Laplacian term. The integrated atomic characteristics, however, suffer noticeably less from the aforementioned shortcoming. We conclude that the electron-density and electronic energy QTAMC characteristics derived from wavefunctions, especially the integrated quantities, are nowadays the most suitable candidates for analysis of the transferability of atoms and atomic groups in similar compounds.

Chemical bonding in energetic materials: beta-NTO.

The electron density and related properties of the quasi-stable beta form of 5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (NTO; space group P2(1)/c) have been determined from a low-temperature [100 (1) K] X-ray diffraction experiment. Intensities were measured with a 2K CCD Bruker diffractometer using Ag Kalpha radiation. Two detector settings, several varphi settings, 0.3 degrees omega scans and 160 s exposure time per frame gave R(int) = 0.0215 for 68 989 (4080 unique) reflections and (sin straight theta/lambda)(max) = 1.23 A(-1). The Hansen-Coppens [Acta Cryst. (1978), A34, 909-921] multipole model as implemented in the XD program gave R = 0.0333 (all reflections), which allowed calculation of the electron density, Laplacian and electrostatic potential distributions. The bonding (3,-1) critical points and the molecular dipole moment of 3.2 (1) D were also obtained. Chemical bonding in the molecule is discussed.

Anisotropic thermal expansion of potassium dinitramide: a variable-temperature crystallographic study.

The structure of potassium dinitramide (KDN), KN(3)O(4), has been refined in the temperature range 85-298 K from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The unit-cell axial lengths and the cell volume decrease linearly on cooling with the b axis being the most sensitive to the change of temperature. The beta cell angle increases with decreasing temperature. The thermal expansion of KDN is significantly anisotropic, expanding along the b axis [010] more than three times the amount parallel to any other crystallographic direction. Other eigenvectors of the thermal expansion tensor lie approximately parallel to the diagonals of the ac plane. A rigid-body analysis of the dinitramide ion using the TLS formalism was performed and shows that the thermal motion of the anion is well represented by the rigid-body model. The eigenvalues of the libration tensor show significant anisotropy, whereas the translation tensor is close to isotropic. The variation of all descriptions of the thermal motion with respect to temperature indicates an anharmonic contribution to the mean field potential. The direction of greatest unit-cell expansion coincides with the largest components of the displacement tensor of the potassium ions and the direction of the largest atomic amplitudes due to the libration of the dinitramide anions.

Electron density and atomic displacements in KTaO3.

The atomic interactions and anharmonicity of atomic displacements in the virtual ferroelectric KTaO3, potassium tantalate, have been studied using accurate single-crystal X-ray diffraction at room temperature. The multipole analysis of electron density and Gram-Charlier series description of anharmonic atomic displacements allowed us to perform a quantitative analysis of the chemical bonding and atomic motion in this crystal. Closed-shell interactions between Ta-O and K-O pairs of atoms were found, while no interaction was observed for the Ta-K and O-O atomic pairs. The character of the anharmonic atomic displacements is discussed and compared with those in SrTiO3.