Hydrogen Bonding New Insights

This book uses examples from experimental studies to illustrate theoretical investigations, allowing greater understanding of hydrogen bonding phenomena. The most important topics in recent studies are covered. This volume is an invaluable resource that will be of particular interest to physical and theoretical chemists, spectroscopists, crystallographers and those involved with chemical physics.

Because of the importance of the hydrogen bond, there have been scores of insights gained about its fundamental nature by quantum chemical computations over the years. Such methods can probe subtle characteristics of the electronic structure and examine regions of the potential energy surface that are simply not accessible by experimental means. The maturation of the techniques, codes, and computer hardware have permitted calculations of unprecedented reliability and rivaling the accuracy of experimental data. This book strives first toward an appreciation of the power of quantum chemistry to analyze the deepest roots of the hydrogen bond phenomenon. It offers a systematic and understandable account of decades of such calculations, focusing on the most important findings. This book provides readers with the tools to understand the original literature, and to perhaps carry out some calculations of their very own on systems of interest.

Computational methods, and in particular quantum chemistry, have taken the lead in our growing understanding of noncovalent forces, as well as in their categorization. This volume describes the current state of the art in terms of what we now know, and the current questions requiring answers in the future. Topics range from very strong (ionic) to very weak (CH--π) interactions. In the intermediate regime, forces to be considered are H-bonds, particularly CH--O and OH--metal, halogen, chalcogen, pnicogen and tetrel bonds, aromatic stacking, dihydrogen bonds, and those involving radicals. Applications include drug development and predictions of crystal structure.

This book gives an extensive description of the state-of-the-art in research on excited-state hydrogen bonding and hydrogen transfer in recent years. Initial chapters present both the experimental and theoretical investigations on the excited-state hydrogen bonding structures and dynamics of many organic and biological chromophores. Following this, several chapters describe the influences of the excited-state hydrogen bonding on various photophysical processes and photochemical reactions, for example: hydrogen bonding effects on fluorescence emission behaviors and photoisomerization; the role of hydrogen bonding in photosynthetic water splitting; photoinduced electron transfer and solvation dynamics in room temperature ionic liquids; and hydrogen bonding barrier crossing dynamics at bio-mimicking surfaces. Finally, the book examines experimental and theoretical studies on the nature and control of excited-state hydrogen transfer in various systems. Hydrogen Bonding and Transfer in the Excited State is an essential overview of this increasingly important field of study, surveying the entire field over 2 volumes, 40 chapters and 1200 pages. It will find a place on the bookshelves of researchers in photochemistry, photobiology, photophysics, physical chemistry and chemical physics.

Hydrogen bonded systems play an important role in all aspects of science but particularly chemistry and biology. Notably, the helical structure of DNA is heavily reliant on the hydrogens bonds between the DNA base pairs. Although the area of hydrogen bonding is one that is well established, our understanding has continued to develop as the power of both computational and experimental techniques has improved. Understanding Hydrogen Bonds presents an up-to-date overview of our theoretical and experimental understanding of the hydrogen bond. Well-established and novel approaches are discussed, including quantum theory of ‘atoms in molecules’ (QTAIM); the electron localization function (ELF) method and Car–Parinnello molecular dynamics; the natural bond orbital (NBO) approach; and X-ray and neutron diffraction and spectroscopy. The mechanism of hydrogen bond formation is described and comparisons are made between hydrogen bonds and other types of interaction. The author also takes a look at new types of interaction that may be classified as hydrogen bonds with a focus on those with multicentre proton acceptors or with multicentre proton donors. Understanding Hydrogen Bonds is a valuable reference for experimentalists and theoreticians interested in updating their understanding of the types of hydrogen bonds, their role in chemistry and biology, and how they can be studied.

This book defines, for the first time, the rules for predicting H-bond energies and geometries from the properties of the interacting molecules. This new knowledge is used to investigate the molecular mechanisms in systems relevant to chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, crystallography, and material sciences.

Summarizing our current knowledge of the topic, this book describes the roles and effects of hydrogen bonding in polymer materials by reviewing the latest developments over recent years. To this end, it discusses all relevant aspects from the fundamentals, via characterization, to properties and applications in various polymeric materials, including polymer blends, block copolymers, mesoporous materials, biomacromolecules and nanocomposites. Invaluable reading for scientists in polymers and materials as well as those working in macromolecular chemistry.