Manipulating the proton transfer process in molecular complexes: synthesis and spectroscopic studies

The proton transfer process in carefully designed molecular complexes has been investigated directly in the solid and solution phase. SCXRD studies have been employed to investigate the N–H–O bonding interaction sites of the molecular complexes, with additional experimental support from FTIR and Raman spectroscopic studies, to gain information on the relative position of hydrogen in between the N and O centers. Further, the proton transfer process in solution is studied using UV-Visible spectroscopy through monitoring the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process in these molecular complexes, which is primarily governed by the number of electron withdrawing groups (nitro groups) on proton donor moieties (NP, DNP and TNP). It is found that the magnitude of the ICT process depends on the extent of proton transfer, which on the other hand depends on the relative stabilities of the constituent species (phenolate species). A correlation is observed between an increase in the number of nitro groups and an increase in the melting point of the molecular complexes, indicating the enhancement of ionic character due to the proton transfer process. The aliphatic H-bonding is identified and monitored using 1H-NMR spectroscopy, which reveals that the identity of molecular complexes in solution interestingly depends on the extent of proton transfer, in addition to the nature of the solvents. The aliphatic C–H–O H-bonding interaction between the oxygen atom of the nitro group and the alkyl hydrogen in piperidinium was also found to play a significant role in strengthening the primary interaction involving a hydrogen transfer process. The conductivity of the molecular complexes increases with an increase in the number of nitro groups, indicating the enhancement in ionic character of the molecular complexes.