How the Chalcogen Atom Size Dictates the Hydrogen‐Bond Donor Capability of Carboxamides, Thioamides, and Selenoamides

Abstract

The amino groups of thio- and selenoamides can act as stronger hydrogen-bond donors than of carboxamides, despite the lower electronegativity of S and Se. This phenomenon has been experimentally explored, particularly in organocatalysis, but a sound electronic explanation is lacking. Our quantum chemical investigations show that the NH₂ groups in thio- and selenoamides are more positively charged than in carboxamides. This originates from the larger electronic density flow from the nitrogen lone pair of the NH₂ group towards the lower-lying π*_C=S and π*_C=Se orbitals than to the high-lying π*_C=O orbital. The relative energies of the π* orbitals result from the overlap between the chalcogen np and carbon 2p atomic orbitals, which is set by the carbon-chalcogen equilibrium distance, a consequence of the Pauli repulsion between the two bonded atoms. Thus, neither the electronegativity nor the often-suggested polarizability but the steric size of the chalcogen atom determines the amide's hydrogen-bond donor capability.