On the isomers of pyridine-4-carboxaldoxime and its nitrate salt: X-ray crystal structure and quantum chemical calculation

The reaction between nitric acid and pyridine-4-carboxaldoxime (P4A) afford the corresponding pyridinum nitrate salt (P4AN). Its X-ray structure is measured and compared with the related P4A salts. The DFT/B3LYP results showed that both the P4A and P4AN favored the Syn-I form which has the lowest energy among the other possible isomers. Transition state calculations predicted that the Syn-I form is the thermodynamically and kinetically most stable form. The X-ray solid state structure of the new nitrate salt (P4AN) indicated that the labile proton favored the N-atom of the pyridine ring. DFT studies showed that the same is true for its solution in polar solvents. In contrast, the pyridinium cation is not favored either in the gas phase or solution of P4AN in nonpolar solvent. In these cases, the proton favored to bond with one O-atom from the nitrate group. Second order interaction energies and Mayer bond order values revealed these results. The bond order of the Nsingle bondH bond is higher in polar solvents as well as at the experimental structure than either in the gas phase or non polar solvents. The topology parameters obtained from the atoms in molecules (AIM) analysis were used to describe the nature of the Nsingle bondH and Osingle bondH bonds. The bond critical points (BCP) were found to be close to the H-atoms in case of stronger interaction.