A Proton Complex of p-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene-tetrakis(N,N-dimethylthioacetamide): NMR Evidence and Probable Structure

Abstract

Using ¹H and ¹³C NMR together with density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations, it is shown that p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene-tetrakis(N,N-dimethylthioacetamide) (1) forms a stable equimolecular complex with proton in the form of hydroxonium ion in nitrobenzene-d ₅. Protons were offered by hydrogen bis(1,2-dicarbollyl) cobaltate (HDCC) and converted to hydroxonium ions by traces of water. The complex 1·H₃O⁺ adopts a slightly asymmetric but rapidly motionally averaged conformation, which is distinctly more cone-like than ligand 1. The hydroxonium ion H₃O⁺ is bound partly to thiocarbonyl sulphur atoms and partly to phenoxy oxygen atoms of 1 by strong hydrogen bonds and other electrostatic interactions.

Keywords:

• Calixarene complex
• Protonation
• NMR
• DFT

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Project T400500402, the Czech Science Foundation, Project 203/04/P168 and the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Projects MSM 4977751303, MSM 6046137307, MS 0021620835.