Journal of Molecular Structure 892 (2008) 188–194
Journal of Molecular Structure
Studies of the complexes of the 4-cyanophenyl[bis(ethylsulfonyl)]methane
and 4-cyanophenyl[bis(benzylsulfonyl)]methane C-acids and TBD
and MTBD N-bases
*
Iwona Binkowska , Adam Huczy n´ ski, Bogumił Brzezinski, Arnold Jarczewski
Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Pozna n´ , Poland
a r t i c l e i n f o
a b s t r a c t
Article history:
Received 3 April 2008
Received in revised form 22 April 2008
Accepted 6 May 2008
Available online 20 May 2008
The 1:1 complexes of 4-cyanophenyl[bis(ethylsulfonyl)]methane (CHA) and 4-cyanophenyl[bis(benzyl-
sulfonyl)]methane (CHB) with 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) and 7-methyl-1,5,7-triazabicy-
clo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (MTBD) have been examined by ESI MS, H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. In all
complexes, the proton transfer from the CAH acid to the N-base was observed with the formation of
the ionic pairs. The presence of carbanions within the complexes was directly detected in the negative
ion mode ESI MS spectra. The fragmentation pathways of the carbanions of CHA and CHB are proposed.
Ó 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
1
Keywords:
Carbon acids
TBD
MTBD
Negative ESI-MS
FT-IR
1
. Introduction
Also the interaction of the TBD base with the oxygen atoms of
the p-NO
2
group of 4-nitrophenyl[bis(ethylsulfonyl)]methane
The carbon acids derivatives of methane activated by 4-X-
phenyl (where X = H, Cl, NO , CN) and two sulfonyl groups
2
was unexpectedly observed in acetonitrile solvent to make the
complex which was indicated by FT-IR spectrum [3,10,13]. How-
ever, this last complex was unexpected, so the ab initio compu-
tations of this structure and the energetics at the MP2/cc-pVDZ
level were completed [14]. This ion-pair complex was predicted
to be the least favorable in the solid state because of its high rel-
ative energy (ꢀ25.4 kcal mol ). However, the solvation of the
complex by acetonitrile solvent shifts its relative energy value
closer to that, estimated for complex in which the hydrogen
bonding between sulfonyl oxygens and NH groups of TBD base
takes place [14], thus making it possible in the solution.
substituted by ethyl or benzyl groups have much different prop-
erties in comparison with 1-nitro-1-(4-nitrophenyl)alkanes [1–8].
The nitroalkanes react with strong organic bases giving anions,
which are mostly dissociated into free anions in polar acetoni-
trile solvent, whereas in the less polar THF there were the ion
pairs as indicated by a blue shift in the UV–VIS spectra suggest-
ing an interaction with the countercation [5,9]. However, the C-
acids activated by cyano electron withdrawing group substituted
ꢁ1
on an
case, the negative charge is mostly localized on an
atom, but not diffused on the other electron withdrawing sub-
stituents [2]. The sulfonyl groups on an -carbon atom of the
a
-carbon atom have much different characteristics. In this
a-carbon
It is obvious that the strong organic bases such as TBD and
MTBD are the interesting compounds for kinetic and spectro-
scopic studies due to their similar pK values [15] but different
a
a
carbon acid, modifies the polarity of the molecule in such a
way that the negative charge of the anion formed after the pro-
ton abstraction can be delocalized to the oxygen atoms of these
groups. The negative charge can be shifted, in some extent to the
steric hindrance caused by the frontal methyl group in the vicin-
ity of the reaction center of the latter [1,3,16–21]. Recently, we
discussed the spectroscopic and crystallographic data of the 4-
nitrophenyl[bis(ethylsulfonyl)]methane and phenyl[bis(ethyl-
sulfonyl)]methane complexes with TBD and MTBD in solid as
well as in chloroform and acetonitrile solutions [10,13]. In these
complexes, the protons have been transferred from carbon acid
to TBD or MTBD molecules yielding ion-pairs. On the basis of
p-substituted electron withdrawing group such as: Cl, F, CN, NO
via the phenyl ring depending on their withdrawal force [1–12].
2
1
the FT-IR and H NMR studies it was demonstrated that the
MTBD complexes in acetonitrile have been fully dissociated. In
the case of the phenyl[bis(ethylsulfonyl)]methane–TBD complex
*
Jarczewski).
0
022-2860/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.molstruc.2008.05.021