Potassium-alkane interactions within a rigid hydrophobic pocket

Abstract

A NON-issue: Potassium complexes of an extremely rigid and sterically encumbered NON-donor ligand have been prepared, and the solid-state structures (see figure) feature remarkably short potassium-alkane distances. DFT calculations highlight the presence of an electrostatic cation-induced dipole potassium-alkane interaction supported by interactions between the alkane and the surrounding ligand framework. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.