Anomeric effects in the symmetrical and asymmetrical structures of triethylamine. Blue-shifts of the C-h stretching vibrations in complexed and protonated triethylamine.

Quantum mechanical calculations using density functional theory with the hybrid B3LYP functional and the 6-31++G(d,p) basis set are performed on isolated triethylamine (TEA), its hydrogen-bond complex with phenol, and protonated TEA. The calculations include the optimized geometries and the results of a natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis (occupation of sigma* orbitals, hyperconjugative energies, and atomic charges). The harmonic frequencies of the C-H stretching vibrations of TEA are predicted at the same level of theory. Two stable structures are found for isolated TEA. In the most stable symmetrical structure (TEA-S), the three C-C bond lengths are equal and one of the C-H bond of each of the three CH2 groups is more elongated than the three other ones. In the asymmetrical structure (TEA-AS), one of the C-C bonds and two C-H bonds of two different CH2 groups are more elongated than the other ones. These structures result from the hyperconjugation of the N lone pair to the considered sigma*(C-H) orbitals (TEA-S) or to the sigma*(C-C) and sigma*(C-H) orbitals of the CH2 groups (TEA-AS). The formation of a OH...N hydrogen bond with phenol results in a decrease of the hyperconjugation, a contraction of the C-H bonds, and blue-shifts of 28-33 cm-1 (TEA-S) or 40-48 cm-1 (TEA-AS) of the nus(CH2) vibrations. The nu(CH3) vibrations are found to shift to a lesser extent. Cancellation of the lone pair reorganization in protonated TEA-S and TEA-AS results in large blue-shifts of the nu(CH2) vibrations, between 170 and 190 cm-1. Most importantly, in contrast with the blue-shifting hydrogen bonds involving C-H groups, the blue-shifts occurring at C-H groups not participating in hydrogen bond formation is mainly due to a reduction of the hyperconjugation and the resulting decrease in the occupation of the corresponding sigma*(C-H) orbitals. A linear correlation is established between the C-H distances and the occupation of the corresponding sigma*(C-H) orbitals in the CH2 groups.