Host–Guest Interactions in the Confined Geometries Formed from Molecular Aggregates of Push–Pull Molecules

Abstract

We have considered push-pull molecules, aminonitroacetylene and aminonitrodiacetylene (O2N-(C≡C)n-NH2; n = 1 and 2) as the basic units to design a series of molecular aggregates containing favorable hydrogen bonding interactions. Linear, closed, and stacked geometries of dimers, trimers, tetramers, and pentamers formed from these molecules are found to have very good stabilization energies due to the strong hydrogen bonding abilities of the terminal -NO2 and -NH2 groups. The closed hydrogen-bonded assemblies can act as supramolecular hosts for accommodating some molecules and ions as guests. We have been able to find substantial host-guest interaction energies for the complexes of the hydrogen-bonded closed assemblies with some highly reactive molecules like hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine (RDX), octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX), pentafluoroethane (R-125), and difluoromethane (R-32). Further investigations on the interaction of the ions Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Al(3+), F(-), Cl(-), and Br(-) with the monomers as well as the oligomers reveal the formation of strong ion-σ complexes, unlike the conventional weak ion-π complexes found in similar acetylenic systems without the end groups. This opens up the possibility of tuning the nature of ionic interactions in π-systems by varying the terminal groups.