What Is Special about Aromatic-Aromatic Interactions? Significant Attraction at Large Horizontal Displacement. uri icon

abstract

  • High-level ab initio calculations show that the most stable stacking for benzene-cyclohexane is 17% stronger than that for benzene-benzene. However, as these systems are displaced horizontally the benzene-benzene attraction retains its strength. At a displacement of 5.0 , the benzene-benzene attraction is still 70% of its maximum strength, while benzene-cyclohexane attraction has fallen to 40% of its maximum strength. Alternatively, the radius of attraction (>2.0 kcal/mol) for benzene-benzene is 250% larger than that for benzene-cyclohexane. Thus, at relatively large distances aromatic rings can recognize each other, a phenomenon that helps explain their importance in protein folding and supramolecular structures.

published proceedings

  • ACS Cent Sci

altmetric score

  • 5.85

author list (cited authors)

  • Ninkovi, D. B., Blagojevi Filipovi, J. P., Hall, M. B., Brothers, E. N., & Zari, S. D.

citation count

  • 25

complete list of authors

  • Ninković, Dragan B||Blagojević Filipović, Jelena P||Hall, Michael B||Brothers, Edward N||Zarić, Snežana D

publication date

  • March 2020