Interplay between steric and electronic factors in determining the strength of intramolecular N—H...O resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds in β-enaminones
The crystal structures of five β-enaminones are reported: (2Z)-3-(benzylamino)-1,3-diphenyl-prop-2-en-1-one, (2Z)-3-(benzylamino)-3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-prop-2-en-1-one, (2Z)-3-(benzylamino)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-(3-nitrophenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one, 2-{1-[(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]ethylidene}cyclohexene-1,3-dione and 2-{1-[(3-methoxyphenyl)amino]ethylidene}cyclohexene-1,3-dione. The structures were analysed and compared with those of similar compounds in order to establish which factors determine the range (2.53–2.72 Å) of N...O hydrogen-bond distances in intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded β-enaminones. It has been shown that, beyond electronic resonance-assisted hydrogen-bond effects modulated by substituents, the necessary requirements to produce very short N—H...O hydrogen bonding are steric intramolecular repulsions, including the embedding of an enaminonic C—C or C—N bond in an aliphatic six-membered ring. By considering the structural features it is possible to expect the strength of N—H...O hydrogen bonds adopted by specific β-enaminones.