T
he dependence of
hydrogen-bond interaction energiesbetween identical amides (two formamides andtwo
N-met
hylacetamides) on t
he
hydrogen bond lengt
h(
rO···H), t
he two
hydrogen bond angles(
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
COH and
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
NHO), andt
he di
hedral between t
he two amides (
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/P
hi.gif" BORDER=0 >
CNCN)
has beenassessed by semiempirical calculations (SAM1 wit
h singlepoint transfers to AM1/SM2.1 aqueous solvation calculations).
Ab initio calculations(MP2/6-31+G(d,p)//HF/6-31+G(d,p)) at given values of
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/P
hi.gif" BORDER=0 >
CNCN and
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
COH predict t
he same c
hange in interaction energies wit
hc
hanges in
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
NHO as t
he semiempirical calculations. Wit
hformamide,
hydrogen-bond interaction energies are independentoft
he di
hedral angle
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/P
hi.gif" BORDER=0 >
CNCN w
hen
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
COH and
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
NHO deviate less t
han 40
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
from 180
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
. Mostimportantly, t
he increasedinteraction energies at
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
COH and
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
NHO below140
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
and above 220
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
are found to be associated wit
h stericinterferencebetween t
he carbonyl oxygen of t
he
hydrogen-bond acceptor and t
he amidenitrogen of t
he
hydrogen-bond donor.Comparing formamide and
N-met
hylacetamide, t
he anglerequirements (
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
COH,
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/t
heta.gif" BORDER=0 >
NHO, and
![](/images/gifc<font color=)
hars/P
hi.gif" BORDER=0 >
CNCN) of favorable
hydrogen-bond interaction energies are muc
h more stringent for t
he latter due tot
he steric effects of t
he met
hyl substituents.In summary, by bot
h semiempirical SAM1 and
ab initioMP2/6-31+G(d,p)//HF/6-31+G(d,p) calculations, t
hestrengt
hof amide
hydrogen bonding in t
he absence of steric
hindrance isessentially independent of t
he angles defining t
he
hydrogen bond.