The main focus of this proposal is the chemistry of the proton (H+), in acids and hydrogen bonding. Metalloporphyrins are an additional interest. The broad objective is to uncover fundamental new chemistry that provides a basis for the molecular level understanding of protons and hemoproteins in chemical and biological systems. A knowledge base of fundamental chemistry is important to the molecular underpinnings of the modern medicine.
Specific aims i nclude (i) the characterization of successive hydrates of the proton (H5O2+, H7O3+, H9O4+ etc. up to Haq+) and understanding their distinctive and peculiar IR spectral properties (ii) the measurement of acid strength outside presently accessible ranges so that the newly recognized phenomenon of basicity suppression can be quantified, (iii) the development of an infrared ?NH basicity scale for ? bases (arenes, alkenes, alkynes), (iv) the exploration of new bifurcated H-bonds, (v) the activation of alkanes with carborane acids, and (vi) the exploitation of strong, carborane-based electrophiles to isolate novel dications. In porphyrin research, specific aims include (i) questioning the long-accepted concept of quantum mechanically admixed S = 3/2,5/2 spin states in iron(III) porphyrins and (ii) investigating whether there is a relationship between field strength in the Magnetochemical Series and the binding strength of axial ligands in iron(III) porphyrins. The research plan exploits the special properties of carborane anions as weakly coordinating anions and as superweak conjugate bases of carborane acids. Emphasis in these studies is placed on the definitive characterization of pure materials by X-ray crystallography and a variety of spectroscopic methods, particularly NMR and IR spectroscopies.
The study of the proton is central to fundamental chemistry which, in turn, is the hidden engine of modern biomedical science. Fundamental chemistry gives foundation to the molecular level understanding of disease control and thus, is critical to public health. As well as expanding the knowledge base, NIH-funded fundamental chemistry is a critically important and exceptionally fertile ground for training the next generation of scientists in problem solving in the chemically-based sciences, encouraging the best of them to pursue careers in chemistry and biomedical science.
| Nava, Matthew; Stoyanova, Irina V; Cummings, Steven et al. (2014) The strongest Brønsted acid: protonation of alkanes by H(CHB(11)F(11)) at room temperature. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 53:1131-4 |
| Reed, Christopher A; Stoyanov, Evgenii S; Tham, Fook S (2013) Hydrogen bonding versus hyperconjugation in condensed-phase carbocations. Org Biomol Chem 11:3797-802 |
| Reed, Christopher A (2013) Myths about the proton. The nature of H+ in condensed media. Acc Chem Res 46:2567-75 |
| Stoyanov, Evgenii S; Stoyanova, Irina V; Tham, Fook S et al. (2012) Evidence for C-H hydrogen bonding in salts of tert-butyl cation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 51:9149-51 |
| Stoyanov, Evgenii S; Gunbas, Gorkem; Hafezi, Nema et al. (2012) The R3O+···H+ hydrogen bond: toward a tetracoordinate oxadionium(2+) ion. J Am Chem Soc 134:707-14 |
| Nava, Matthew; Reed, Christopher A (2011) Triethylsilyl Perfluoro-Tetraphenylborate, [Et(3)Si][F(20)-BPh(4)], a widely used Non-Existent Compound. Organometallics 30:4798-4800 |
| Nava, Matthew J; Reed, Christopher A (2010) High yield C-derivatization of weakly coordinating carborane anions. Inorg Chem 49:4726-8 |
| Stoyanov, Evgenii S; Stoyanova, Irina V; Reed, Christopher A (2010) The structure of the hydrogen ion (H(aq)+) in water. J Am Chem Soc 132:1484-5 |
| Reed, Christopher A (2010) H(+), CH(3)(+), and R(3)Si(+) carborane reagents: when triflates fail. Acc Chem Res 43:121-8 |
| Stoyanov, Evgenii S; Stoyanova, Irina V; Tham, Fook S et al. (2009) H(aq)+ structures in proton wires inside nanotubes. J Am Chem Soc 131:17540-1 |
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