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The structures of five fluorinated benzimidazoles and one intermediate (an open double amide) have been determined by X-ray crystallography. In the analysis of these heterocycles, particular attention has been paid to N−H•••H hydrogen bonds and to fluorine−fluorine intermolecular contacts. Thus, one of the shortest F•••F distances ever reported, 2.596(3) Å, has been observed in 4,5,6,7-tetrafluoro-1H-benzimidazole-2(3H)-one. The 13 C, 15 N, and 19 F solid-state NMR data for all benzimidazoles are also given.

SummaryThis paper reports the 1H, 13C and 15N NMR experimental study of five benzimidazoles in solution and in the solid state (13C and 15N CPMAS NMR) as well as the theoretically calculated (GIAO/DFT) chemical shifts. We have assigned unambiguously the "tautomeric positions" (C3a/C7a, C4/C7 and C5/C6) of NH-benzimidazoles that, in some solvents and in the solid state, appear different (blocked tautomerism). In the case of 1H-benzimidazole itself we have measured the prototropic rate in HMPA-d 18.

Pyridine substituted with one and two bicyclic guanidine groups has been studied as a potential source of superbases. 2-{hpp}C5H4N (I) and 2,6-{hpp}2C5H3N (II) (hppH = 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidine) were protonated using [HNEt3][BPh4] to afford [I-H][BPh4] (1a), [II-H][BPh4] (2), and [II-H2][BPh4]2 (3). Solution-state (1)H and (15)N NMR spectroscopy shows a symmetrical cation in 2, indicating a facile proton-exchange process in solution. Solid-state (15)N NMR data differentiates between the two groups, indicating a mixed guanidine/guanidinium. X-ray diffraction data are consistent with protonation at the imine nitrogen, confirmed for 1a by single-crystal neutron diffraction. The crystal structure of 1a shows association of two [I-H](+) cations within a cage of [BPh4](-) anions. Computational analysis performed in the gas phase and in MeCN solution shows that the free energy barrier to transfer a proton between imino centers in [II-H](+) is 1 order of magnitude lower in MeCN than in the gas phase. The results provide evidence that linking hpp groups with the pyridyl group stabilizes the protonation center, thereby increasing the intrinsic basicity in the gas phase, while the bulk prevents efficient cation solvation, resulting in diminished pKa(MeCN) values. Spectrophotometrically measured pKa values are in excellent agreement with calculated values and confirm that I and II are superbases in solution.

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