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Adenine is one of the basic molecules of life; it is also an important building block in the synthesis of new pharmaceuticals, electrochemical (bio)sensors, or self-assembling molecular materials. Therefore, it is important to know the effects of the solvent and substituent on the electronic structure of adenine tautomers and their stability. The four most stable adenine amino tautomers (9H, 7H, 3H, and 1H), modified by substitution (C2- or C8-) of electron-withdrawing NO2 and electron-donating NH2 groups, are studied theoretically in the gas phase and in solvents of different polarities (1 ≤ e < 109). Solvents have been modeled using the polarizable continuum model. Comparison of the stability of substituted adenine tautomers in various solvents shows that substitution can change tautomeric preferences with respect to the unsubstituted adenine. Moreover, C8 substitution results in slight energy differences between tautomers in polar solvents (

Numerous studies on nitro group properties are associated with its high electron-withdrawing ability, by means of both resonance and inductive effect. The substituent effect of the nitro group may be well described using either traditional substituent constants or characteristics based on quantum chemistry, i.e., cSAR, SESE, and pEDA/sEDA models. Interestingly, the cSAR descriptor allows to describe the electron-attracting properties of the nitro group regardless of the position and the type of system. Analysis of classical and reverse substituent effects of the nitro group in various systems indicates strong pi-electron interactions with electron-donating substituents due to the resonance effect. This significantly affects the pi-electron delocalization of the aromatic ring decreasing the aromatic character, evidenced clearly by HOMA values. Use of the pEDA/sEDA model allows to measure the population of electrons transferred from the ring to the nitro group.

Aromaticity/aromatic and substituent/substituent effects belong to the most commonly used terms in organic chemistry and related fields. The quantitative description of aromaticity is based on energetic, geometric (e.g., HOMA), magnetic (e.g., NICS) and reactivity criteria, as well as the properties of the electronic structure (e.g., FLU). The substituent effect can be described using either traditional Hammett-type substituent constants or characteristics based on quantum-chemistry. For this purpose, the energies of properly designed homodesmotic reactions and electron density distribution are used. In the first case, a descriptor named SESE (energy stabilizing the substituent effect) is obtained, while in the second case cSAR (charge of the substituent active region), which is the sum of the charge of the ipso carbon atom and the charge of the substituent. The use of the above-mentioned characteristics of aromaticity and the substituent effect allows revealing the relationship between them for mono-, di-, and polysubstituted π-electron systems, including substituted heterocyclic rings as well as quasi-aromatic ones. It has been shown that the less aromatic the system, the stronger the substituent influence on its π-electron structure. In all cases, when the substituent changes number of π-electrons in the ring in the direction of 4N+2, its aromaticity increases. Intramolecular charge transfer (a resonance effect) is privileged in cases where the number of bonds between the electron-attracting and electron-donating atoms is even. Quasi-aromatic rings, when attached to a truly aromatic hydrocarbon, simulate well the “original” aromatic rings, alike the benzene. For larger systems, a long-distance substituent effect has been found.

The solvent effect on the stability and electron-accepting properties (EA) of the nitro group attached to the C2, C6, or C8 position of nitropurine NH tautomers is investigated. For this purpose, the density functional theory (DFT) and the polarizable continuum model (PCM) of solvation in a wide range of solvents (1 &lt, ε &lt, 109) are used. We show that the EA properties of the NO2 group, described by the charge of the substituent active region (cSAR) model, are linearly dependent on the reciprocal of the solvent dielectric constant, in all cases, solvation enhances the EA properties of this group. Furthermore, the sensitivity of EA properties of the nitro group to the solvent effect depends on the proximity effects. It has been shown that the proximity of two endocyclic N atoms (two repulsive interactions) results in higher sensitivity than the asymmetric proximity of the endocyclic N atom and NH group (one repulsive and one attractive interaction). To explain this phenomenon, the geometry of the nitro group in coplanar form and after forcing its rotation around the CN bond is discussed. Relative stabilities of nitropurine tautomers in different solvents are also presented. Differences in the stabilities and solvation energies are explained by aromaticity, electronic structure, and intramolecular interactions of the nitropurine tautomers.

The influence of a solvent on the substituent effect (SE) in 1,4-disubstituted derivatives of benzene (BEN), cyclohexa-1,3-diene (CHD), and bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (BCO) is studied by the use of polarizable continuum model method. In all X–R–Y systems for the functional group Y (NO2, COOH, OH, and NH2), the following substituents X have been chosen: NO2, CHO, H, OH, and NH2. The substituent effect is characterized by the charge of the substituent active region (cSAR(X)), substituent effect stabilization energy (SESE), and substituent constants σ or F descriptors, the functional groups by cSAR(Y), whereas π-electron delocalization of transmitting moieties (BEN and CHD) is characterized by a geometry-based index, harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity. All computations were carried out by means of B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method. An application of quantum chemistry SE models (cSAR and SESE) allows to compare the SE in water solutions and in the gas phase. Results of performed analyses indicate an enhancement of the SE by water. The obtained Hammett-type relationships document different nature of interactions between Y and X in aromatic and olefinic systems (a coexistence of resonance and inductive effects) than in saturated ones (only the inductive effect). An increase of electric permittivity clearly enhances communications between X and Y for BEN and CHD systems.

Substituents effects in cyclic diene derivatives are studied using quantum chemical modeling and compared to the corresponding effects in aromatic (benzene) and fully saturated (bicyclo[2.2.2]octane) compounds. In particular, electronic properties of the fixed group Y in a series of 3- and 4-X-substituted cyclohexa-1,3-diene-Y derivatives (where Y = NO2, COOH, COO− OH, O−, NH2, and X = NMe2, NH2, OH, OMe, Me, H, F, Cl, CF3, CN, CHO, COMe, CONH2, COOH, NO2, NO) are examined using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method. For this purpose, quantum chemistry models of the substituent effect: cSAR (charge of the substituent active region) and SESE (substituent effect stabilization energy) as well as traditional Hammett’s substituent constants (σ) and their inductive (F) and resonance (R) components are used. π-electron delocalization of the transmitting moiety (butadiene fragment of the CHD) is described by the HOMA index. This comparative study reveals interplay between inductive and resonance contributions to the substituent effect.

An application of a charge of the substituent active region concept to 1-Y,4-X-disubstituted derivatives of bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (BCO) [where Y = NO2, COOH, OH, and NH2 and X = NMe2, NH2, OH, OMe, Me, H, F, Cl, CF3, CN, CHO, COMe, CONH2, COOH, NO2, and NO] provides a quantitative information on the inductive component of the substituent effect (SE). It is shown that the effect is highly additive but dependent on the kind of substituents. An application of the SE stabilization energy characteristics to 1,4-disubstituted derivatives of BCO and benzene allows the definition of inductive and resonance contributions to the overall SE. Good agreements with empirical approaches are found. All calculations have been carried out by means of the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method.

Electron-accepting properties of the nitro group were studied in a series of meta- and para-X-substituted nitrobenzene derivatives (X = NMe2, NH2, OH, OMe, CH3, H, F, Cl, CF3, CN, CHO, COMe, CONH2, COOH, COCl, NO2, NO). For this purpose Hammett-like approaches were applied based on quantum chemistry modeling; the B3LYP/6-311++ G(d,p) method was used. The substituent effect (SE) was characterized by the mutually interrelated descriptors: the charge of the substituent active region, cSAR(X), and substituent effect stabilization energy, SESE, as well as substituent constants, σ. Classical SE is realized by dependences of the structural parameters of the nitro group (ONO angle and NO bond lengths) and cSAR(NO2) on the above mentioned SE descriptors. The reverse substituent effect was clearly documented by a comparison of cSAR(X) values for monosubstituted benzenes, meta- and para-substituted nitrobenzenes as well as, additionally, for meta- and para-X-substituted anilines. For para-substituted systems the electron-accepting ability of the nitro group increases from cSAR(NO2) = −0.170 up to −0.284 in dinitrobenzene and nitroaniline, respectively.

An application of the quantum chemical modeling allowed to investigate the nature of the field/inductive substituent effect (SE). For this purpose, series of X-tert-butyl···tert-butane (TTX) complexes (where X = NMe2, NH2, OH, OMe, Me, H, F, Cl, CF3, CN, CHO, COMe, CONH2, COOH, NO2, NO) were studied. A starting distance between central carbon atoms in substituted and unsubstituted fragments of TTX, dC1–C4, was the same as the distance C1–C4 in X-substituted bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (BCO), where the SE acts both via bonds and via space. A strength of interaction between substituted and unsubstituted components of TTX was described by deformation and interaction energies. The substituent effect on electronic structure through the bonds and the space was characterized using charge of the substituent active region (cSAR) approach. The comparison of the SE characteristics obtained for alicyclic BCO and for TTX complexes document a significantly stronger field/inductive effect through bonds than through space.

An application of quantum chemical modeling allowed us to investigate a substituent effect on a σ and π electron structure of a ring and the nitro group in a series of meta- and para-X-substituted nitrobenzene derivatives (X = NMe2, NHMe, NH2, OH, OMe, Me, H, F, Cl, CF3, CN, CHO, COMe, CONH2, COOH, NO2, and NO). The obtained pEDA and sEDA parameters (the π- and σ-electron structure characteristics of a given planar fragment of the system obtained by the summation of π- and σ-orbital occupancies, respectively) of the NO2 group and the benzene ring allowed us to reveal the impact of the substituents on their mutual relations as well as to analyze them from the viewpoint of substituent characteristics. The decisive factor for dependence of pEDA on sEDA of the ring is electronegativity of the atom linking the substituent with the ring; in subgroups an increase of sEDA is associated with a decrease of pEDA. The obtained mutual relation between pEDA(NO2) and pEDA(ring) characteristics documents strong resonance interactions for electron-donating substituents in the para position. The observed substituent effect on the σ-electron structure of the nitro group, sEDA(NO2), is significantly greater (∼1.6 times) for meta derivatives than for the para ones.

The effect of strongly electron-accepting and electron-donating substituents on the aromaticity of the benzene ring has been revealed based on experimental and computational data. It has been documented that the nitro group affects the π-electron structure of the ring in its benzene derivative ca. 2.8 times weaker than the amino group. However, their joint effects in the meta and para nitroaniline, compared to nitrobenzene, results in a decrease of the delocalization in the ring by a factor ca. 4.0 and 6.5, respectively.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C10H9N2 +·0.5C2O4 2−·C2H2O4·H2O, consists of a 2,2′-bipyridinium cation, half an oxalate dianion, one oxalic acid and one water molecule. One N atom in 2,2′-bipyridine is unprotonated, while the second is protonated and forms an N—H...O hydrogen bond. In the crystal, the anions are connected with surrounding acid molecules and water molecules by strong near-linear O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The water molecules are located between the anions and oxalic acids; their O atoms participate as donors and acceptors, respectively, in O—H...O hydrogen bonds, which form sheets arranged parallel to the ac plane.

The title compound, C10H8N4O3S, is almost planar [dihedral angle between the rings = 2.2 (2)°; r.m.s. deviation for the non-H atoms = 0.050 Å]. In the crystal, C—H...O and C—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules into (10-2) layers.

In the title compound, C22H23F3NO3P, the dihedral angles between the pyrrole ring and the benzyl and phenyl rings are 81.38 (7) and 46.21 (8)°, respectively. The ethyl phosphate groups present with P—O—C—C torsion angles of −178.47 (10) and 106.72 (16)°, and an intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond occurs. In the extended structure, molecules are linked by C—H...O and C—H...F hydrogen bonds to generate [001] chains.

Electron structures of the fused rings in 7H and 9H tautomers of purine and adenine follow the 4N + 2 rule; the values of pEDA, HOMA, NICS and FLU indices document their aromatic character. In the 1H and 3H tautomers, these rings contain five or seven π electrons, hence they do not follow this rule and consequently exhibit lower aromaticity. This also applies to the aromaticity of whole molecules.

Pactola corporosa sp. n. is described from New Caledonia. Illustrations of body parts, terminalia of both sexes and distributional data of the new species are provided. The genus Pactola Pascoe, 1876 now contains thirteen species distributed in New Zealand, New Caledonia and Taevuni Island (Fiji Archipelago).