Molecular electrostatic potentials and electron densities in nitrotriprismanes

Molecular electrostatic potential and Electron density topography in a series of nitrotriprismanes (C6H6-alpha(NO2), alpha= 1-6) have been analyzed using the Hartree-Fock and hybrid density functional methods. Weak, electrostatic C-H... 0 interactions, which render more stability to the isomers of nitroprismane, manifest in the shallow minima of the nitro groups along a series. As revealed from the molecular electron density topography the critical points of the X-N (X=C or N) bonds correlate well with the heat of formation derived from the isodesmic reaction approach. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.