title: Enhanced anion binding of N-(anilino)thioureas. Contribution of the N-anilino-NH proton acidity.
abstract: We report here that N-anilino-N'-phenythioureas in general function as a new family of thiourea-based efficient anion receptors superior to classical N-alkyl(aryl)thioureas, when the N-anilino-NH proton is acidic enough; that is, the N-phenyl substituent is not less electron-withdrawing than m-Cl. Changes due to anion binding in the absorption spectra of these N-anilinothioureas are much more substantial than those of N-alkyl(aryl)thioureas, and anion binding constants in MeCN, at 10(6)-10(7) mol(-1) L order of magnitude for AcO(-) for example, are much higher despite a similar acidity of the thioureido-NH protons. Crystal structure and (1)H NMR data show that the N-aniline chromophore is electronically decoupled from the thiourea anion binding site by the N-N bond, and an intramolecular hydrogen bond exists in MeCN but not in DMSO between the N-anilino-NH nitrogen atom and the other thioureido-NH proton. Conformation changes in the N-anilinothioureas upon anion binding were assumed to occur and lead to a much higher increment in the electron-donating ability in the N-aniline chromophore that the charge transfer (CT) is enhanced or switched on, compared to not switching on a CT in the case of N-phenylthioureas. The anion binding constant shows a stronger dependence on the N-phenyl substituent than on the N'-phenyl substituent, opposite to that observed with N-benzamidothioureas, and the CT band position of the anion binding complex depends much more on the N-phenyl substituent than that of the anion binding complexes of N-benzamidothioureas. The implications of these findings for new anion-receptors design and thiourea-based organocatalysts development are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and The MOE Key Laboratory of Analytical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fang-Ying
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Ai-Fang
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yun-Bao
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Jiang