Liquid state 1H and 19F NMR experiments in the temperature range between 110 and 150 K have been performed on mixtures of tetrabutylammonium fluoride with HF dissolved in a 1:2 mixture of CDF3 and CDF2Cl. Under these conditions hydrogen bonded complexes between F− and a varying number of HF molecules were observed in the slow proton and hydrogen bond exchange regime. At low HF concentrations the well known hydrogen bifluoride ion [FHF]− is observed, exhibiting a strong symmetric H‐bond. At higher HF concentrations the species [F(HF)2]−, [F(HF)3]− are formed and a species to which we assign the structure [F(HF)4]−. The spectra indicate a central fluoride anion which forms multiple hydrogen bonds to HF. With increasing number of HF units the hydrogen bond protons shift towards the terminal fluorine's. The optimized gas‐phase geometries of [F(HF)n]−, n = 1 to 4, calculated using ab initio methods confirm the D∞h, C2v, D3h and Td symmetries of these ions. For the first time, both one‐bond couplings between a hydrogen bond proton and the two heavy atoms of a hydrogen bridge, here 1JHF and 1JHF where |1JHF|≥|1JHF'|, as well as a two‐bond coupling between the heavy atoms, here 2JFF, have been observed. The analysis of the differential width of various multiplet components gives evidence for the signs of these constants, i.e. 1JHF and 2JSF>0, and 1JHF|. <0. Ab initio calculations of NMR chemical shifts and the scalar coupling constants using the Density Functional formalism and the Multi‐configuration Complete Active Space method show a reasonable agreement with the experimental parameters and confirm the covalent character of the hydrogen bonds studied.

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ln the 'H NMR spectra of 2-diethylaminomethyl-3,4,6-trichlorophenoi (1) below 260 K, an additional splitting of the CH, signal was found, which can be ascribed to the hindered nitrogen inversion. In the molecule of the 0-methylated derivative (2) this process is fast (on the NMR time-scale) down to 150 K. The frequencies and the activation parameters of the nitrogen inversion in (1) were measured by DNMR, which indicated that the inversion requires a preliminary stage of breaking an intramolecular hydrogen bond. The activation enthalpy, AH:",, of the inversion stage was evaluated as 28.5 f 6.7 kJ mol-'.

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