Preparation and Characterization of Protonated Fumaric Acid

Abstract

Fumaric acid was reacted with the binary superacidic systems HF/SbF5 and HF/AsF5. The O,O'-diprotonated [C4H6O4]2+([MF6]–)2 (M = As, Sb) and the O-monoprotonated [C4H5O4]+[MF6]– (M = As, Sb) species are formed depending on the stoichiometric ratio of the Lewis acid to fumaric acid. The colorless salts were characterized by low-temperature vibrational spectroscopy. In case of the hexafluoridoantimonates single-crystal X-ray structure analyses were carried out. The [C4H6O4]2+([SbF6]–)2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with four formula units per unit cell and [C4H5O4]+[SbF6]– crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with one formula unit per unit cell. The protonation of fumaric acid does not cause a notable change of the C=C bond length. The experimental data are discussed together with quantum chemical calculations of the cations [C4H6O4 · 4 HF]2+ and [C4H6O4 · 2 H2CO · 2 HF]2+.