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Direction-dependent secondary bonds and their stepwise melting in a uracil-based molecular crystal studied by infrared spectroscopy and theoretical modeling

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Szekrényes, Z 
Nagy, PR 
Tarczay, G 
Bonifazi, D 

Abstract

Three types of supramolecular interactions are identified in the three crystallographic directions in crystals of 1,4-bis[(1-hexylurac-6-yl)ethynyl]benzene, a uracil-based molecule with a linear backbone. These three interactions, characterized by their strongest component, are: intermolecular double H-bonds along the molecular axis, London dispersion interaction of hexyl chains connecting these linear assemblies, and π--π stacking of the aromatic rings perpendicular to the molecular planes. On heating, two transitions happen, disordering of hexyl chains at 473 K, followed by H-bond melting at 534 K. The nature of the bonds and transitions was established by matrix-isolation and temperature-dependent infrared spectroscopy and supported by theoretical computations.

Description

Keywords

H-bond, DFT computations, Self-assembly

Journal Title

Chemical Physics Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0009-2614
1873-4448

Volume Title

691

Publisher

Elsevier BV