title: Quantifying resonance through a Lewis valence bond approach: application to haloallyl and carbonyl cations.
abstract: A recent Valence Bond scheme based on Lewis structures, the VBB method (M. Linares, B. Braida and S. Humbel, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2006, 110, 2505 2509) is applied to resonance effect quantification. An accurate evaluation of this effect is provided by targeting pi interactions only, while all other factors remain constant. Valence Bond theory allows us to circumvent two main shortcomings of other approaches, i.e. the lack of a quantitative aspect, and the difficulty to properly separate resonance from other effects. The pi effect of fluorine and chlorine atoms is found to be comparable and quite significant (approximately 20 kcal mol(-1)), in both haloallyl and protonated carbonyl cations. The validity of the resonance model for carbonyl compounds is confirmed. Resonance in protonated formamide is indeed found to be significantly larger than in formic acids, itself being more resonant than the formyl fluoride cation. Comparisons with other methods of resonance effect evaluation are also made.
authors.affiliation: Université Paul Cézanne (Aix-Marseille III)/CNRS, UMR 6180 Chirotechnologies: Catalyse et Biocatalyse, Campus St Jérôme Case A 62, 13397 Marseille 20, France. mathieulinares@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humbel
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Braïda
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D000498:Allyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000737:chemistry*; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D000498:Allyl Compounds; D002412:Cations; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated