Intramolecular hydrogen bonding in chemoselective synthesized 2-substituted pyrrole stable phosphorus ylide: GIAO, AIM, and NBO approaches

The chemoselectivity of geometrically ylide compounds is often hard to assign from experimental techniques, particular system with intramolecular hydrogen bonding (IHB) are even more challenging. Herein, theoretical calculations were performed to investigate whether theoretical results would provide consistent evidence for the existence of IHB to confirm experimental data and to evaluate strength of the N–H···O IHB from geometrical synthesized 2-substituted pyrrole stable phosphorus ylide (dimethyl 2-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(triphenylphosphoranylidene) butanedioate in a single chemoselective compound. Topological parameters at the bond critical points (BCP) of intramolecular hydrogen bonds from Bader’s atoms in molecules (AIM) theory and Winhold’s natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations were analyzed at the B3LYP/6-311++g** level in details. A series of gage-including atomic orbital chemical shift (GIAO c.s.) calculations at the HF and DFT levels of theory were carried out to assign the 1H NMR chemical shifts. The best prediction of the experimental 1H NMR values was obtained at the mPW1PW91 levels using the 6-31G** basis set. Theoretical results, in agreement with the experimental data, were confirmed the N–H···O IHB was caused the deshielding of the proton to lower field. The barriers in double bond and single bond rotation were theoretically estimated in detailed and the AIM and NPA approaches were confirmed the loss of charge of the hydrogen atom involving in intramolecular N–H···O hydrogen bonding. The geometrical and topological parameters from AIM and NBO analyses were indicated the medium N–H···O IHB.