UV-visible and 1H or 13C NMR spectroscopic studies on the specific interaction between lithium ions and the anion from tropolone or 4-isopropyltropolone (hinokitiol) and on the formation of protonated tropolones in acetonitrile or other solvents.

The specific interaction between lithium ions and the tropolonate ion (C(7)H(5)O(2)-: L-) was examined by means of UV-visible and 1H or 13C NMR spectroscopy in acetonitrile and other solvents. On the basis of the electronic spectra, we can propose the formation of not only coordination-type species (Li+(L-)2) and the ion pair (Li+L-) but also a "triple cation" ((Li+)2L-) in acetonitrile and acetone; however, no "triple cation" was found in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), solvents of higher donicities and only ion pair formation between Li+ and L- in methanol of much higher donicity and acceptivity. The 1H NMR chemical shifts of the tropolonate ion with increasing Li+ concentration verified the formation of (Li+)2L- species in CD3CN and acetone-d6, but not in DMF-d6 or CD(3)OD. With increasing concentration of LiClO(4) in CD(3)CN, the 1H NMR signals of 4-isopropyltropolone (HL') in coexistence with an equivalent amount of Et(3)N shifted first toward higher and then toward lower magnetic-fields, which were explained by the formation of (Li+)(Et(3)NH+)L'- and by successive replacement of Et(3)NH+ with a second Li+ to give (Li+)2L'-. In CD(3)CN, the 1,2-C signal in the 13C NMR spectrum of tetrabutylammnium tropolonate (n-Bu(4)NC(7)H(5)O) appeared at an unexpectedly lower magnetic-field (184.4 ppm vs TMS) than that of tropolone (172.7 ppm), while other signals of the tropolonate showed normal shifts toward higher magnetic-fields upon deprotonation from tropolone. Nevertheless, with addition of LiClO(4) at higher concentrations, the higher and lower shifts of magnetic-fields for 1,2-C and other signals, respectively, supported the formation of the (Li+)2L- species, which can cause redissolution of LiL precipitates. All of the data with UV-visible and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that the protonated tropolone (or the dihydroxytropylium ion), H(2)L+, was produced by addition of trifluoromethanesulfonic or methanesulfonic acid to tropolone in acetonitrile. The order of the 5-C and 3,7-C signals in 13C NMR spectra of the tropolonate ions was altered by addition of less than an equivalent amount of H+ to the tropolonate ion in CD(3)CN. Theoretical calculations satisfied the experimental 13C NMR chemical shift values of L-, HL, and H(2)L+ in acetonitrile and were in accordance with the proposed reaction schemes.