Proton transfer in hydrogen-bonded pyridine/acid systems: the role of higher aggregation

In this work the role of higher molecular aggregation in the proton transfer processes within hydrogen bond (H-bond) is investigated. The H-bonded complex consisting of 4-cyanopyridine (CyPy) with trichloroacetic acid (TCA) has been studied in the solutions of acetonitrile, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform and dichloroethane as solvent by FTIR spectroscopy and quantum chemical DFT calculations. In order to illustrate the effect of increasing H-bond strength FTIR investigations have also been performed on solutions of CyPy with H2O, acetic-, trifluoroacetic- and methanesulfonic acids. Proton states in the H-bond have been monitored using vibrational CyPy ring modes in FTIR spectra. The stabilization of the CyPy/TCA complex in its protonated form upon increasing polarity of the solvent has been evidenced. It was shown that formation of the CyPy/(TCA)2 aggregates in the solutions favors the proton transfer process. An X-ray diffraction study has been performed on a single 1 : 2 co-crystal of pyridine/3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid. The H-bond motif found in this system exhibits the same connectivity by strong hydrogen bonds N–H+⋯O− and O–H⋯O as that in the CyPy/(TCA)2 complex predicted by DFT calculation. Certain discrepancies are observed in C–H⋯O connectivity only. The networks of H-bonds in both assemblies differ from those usually pictured for 1 : 2 base/carboxylic acid complexes in the literature.