Comparison of tetrel bonds in neutral and protonated complexes of pyridineTF3and furanTF3(T = C, Si, and Ge) with NH3.
Ab initio calculations have been performed for the complexes H+-PyTX3NH3and H+-furanTF3NH3(T = C, Si, and Ge; X = F and Cl) with focus on geometries, energies, orbital interactions, and electron densities to study the influence of protonation on the strength of tetrel bonding. The primary interaction mode between α/β-furanCF3/p-PyCF3and NH3changes from an FH hydrogen bond to a CN tetrel bond as a result of protonation. Importantly, the protonation has a prominent enhancing effect on the strength of tetrel bonding with an increase in binding energy from 14 to 30 kcal mol-1. The tetrel bonding becomes stronger in the order H+-p-PySiF3NH3< H+-m-PySiF3NH3< H+-o-PySiF3NH3, showing a reverse trend from that of the neutral analogues. In addition, there is competition between the tetrel and hydrogen bonds in the protonated complexes, in which the hydrogen bond is favored in the complexes of H+-p-PyCF3but the tetrel bond is preferred in the complexes of H+-p-PyTX3(T = Si, Ge; X = F, Cl) and H+-o/m-PySiF3.
The Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, People's Republic of China. liqingzhong1990@sina.com.
Mingxiu
M
Liu
The Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, People's Republic of China. liqingzhong1990@sina.com.
Qingzhong
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1486-6772
Q
Li
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-0300, USA. steve.scheiner@usu.edu.
Steve
S
Scheiner