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From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
4-Bromo-anilinium perchlorate 18-crown-6 clathrate
1Ordered Matter Science Research Center, College of Chemistry and Chemical, Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China.
Summary
Researchers synthesized a novel compound from 4-bromo-aniline, 18-crown-6, and perchloric acid. The protonated aniline derivative exhibits unique hydrogen bonding interactions with the crown ether molecule.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Organic Synthesis
- Crystallography
Background:
- Crown ethers are macrocyclic compounds known for their ability to selectively bind cations.
- Aniline derivatives are versatile building blocks in organic chemistry.
- Hydrogen bonding plays a crucial role in molecular recognition and crystal engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel supramolecular complex involving a protonated aniline derivative and a crown ether.
- To investigate the structural features and hydrogen bonding interactions within the synthesized compound.
Main Methods:
- The title compound was synthesized via the reaction of 4-bromo-aniline, 18-crown-6, and perchloric acid in methanol.
- Structural characterization was likely performed using techniques such as X-ray crystallography.
Main Results:
- The reaction successfully yielded the target compound with the formula C(6)H(7)BrN(+)·ClO(4) (-)·C(12)H(24)O(6).
- The crystal structure revealed that the protonated amino group (-NH(3)(+)) of the 4-bromo-anilinium cation forms three bifurcated N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds with oxygen atoms of the 18-crown-6 ether.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates the successful co-crystallization of a protonated organic molecule with a crown ether.
- The observed bifurcated hydrogen bonding highlights the intricate intermolecular interactions governing the assembly of supramolecular structures.
- This work contributes to the understanding of host-guest chemistry and the design of novel functional materials.
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Crown Ethers
Crown ethers are cyclic polyethers that contain multiple oxygen atoms, usually arranged in a regular pattern. The first crown ether was synthesized by Charles Pederson while working at DuPont in 1967. For this work, Pedersen was co-awarded the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Crown ethers are named using the formula x-crown-y, where x is the total number of atoms in the ring and y is the number of ether oxygen atoms. The term 'crown' refers to the crown-like shape that these ether molecules take.
Halogenation of Alkenes
Halogenation is the addition of chlorine or bromine across the double bond in an alkene to yield a vicinal dihalide. The reaction occurs in the presence of inert and non-nucleophilic solvents, such as methylene chloride, chloroform, or carbon tetrachloride.
Consider the bromination of cyclopentene. Molecular bromine is polarized in the proximity of the π electrons of cyclopentene. An electrophilic bromine atom adds across the double bond, forming a cyclic bromonium ion intermediate.
Consider the bromination of cyclopentene. Molecular bromine is polarized in the proximity of the π electrons of cyclopentene. An electrophilic bromine atom adds across the double bond, forming a cyclic bromonium ion intermediate.
Alkyl Halides
Structural Properties
Alkyl halides are halogen-substituted alkanes wherein one or more hydrogen atoms of an alkane is replaced by a halogen atom such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The carbon atom in an alkyl halide is bonded to the halogen atom, which is sp3-hybridized and exhibits a tetrahedral shape.
Unlike alkyl halides, compounds in which a halogen atom is bonded to an sp2 -hybridized carbon atom of a carbon-carbon double bond (C=C) are called vinyl halides. Whereas aryl...
Alkyl halides are halogen-substituted alkanes wherein one or more hydrogen atoms of an alkane is replaced by a halogen atom such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The carbon atom in an alkyl halide is bonded to the halogen atom, which is sp3-hybridized and exhibits a tetrahedral shape.
Unlike alkyl halides, compounds in which a halogen atom is bonded to an sp2 -hybridized carbon atom of a carbon-carbon double bond (C=C) are called vinyl halides. Whereas aryl...
Ionic Crystal Structures
Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
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Preparation of Acid Anhydrides
One of the methods for preparing symmetrical or unsymmetrical acid anhydrides involves the treatment of acid chlorides with the sodium salt of carboxylic acids. The reaction proceeds via a nucleophilic acyl substitution.
The carboxylate ion acts as a nucleophile that attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acid chloride to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Subsequently, the re-formation of the carbonyl group with the loss of the chloride ion as a leaving group leads to the formation of an acid...
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Halogens
Group 17 elements, known as halogens, are nonmetals. At room temperature, fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine is a liquid, and iodine a solid. Astatine is a highly unstable radioactive element, so currently, most of its properties are unknown due to its short half-life. Tennessine is a synthetic element also predicted to be in this group.

