What is the preferred structure of the Meisenheimer-Wheland complex between sym-triaminobenzene and 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan?

The geometries, energies, and electronic properties of possible configurations of Meisenheimer-Wheland (M-W) complexes of sym-triaminobenzenes and 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan (DNBF) were investigated theoretically by MP2 and a variety of DFT methods. The pi-pi complex is preferred thermodynamically by more than 15 kcal/mol over the sigma-complexes for the unsubstituted species. However, the N-substituents of the 1,3,5-triaminobenzenes influence the relative stabilities of the alternative configurations significantly. The sigma-syn configuration of the M-W complex of 1,3,5-tris(N-piperidyl)benzene and DNBF has the lowest energy, followed closely by the sigma-anti and pi-pi forms. The small energy differences between different configurations are consistent with the dynamic interconversion of three homomeric structures observed experimentally by NMR. The ca. 1.63 A C-C interring bond exchanges among three equivalent sites. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis provided insights into the nature of the intermonomer interactions. Charge transfer and sigma bonding account for the stability and remarkably large binding energies of the M-W complexes.