Electronic structure and reactivity of guanylthiourea: A quantum chemical study

Abstract

Electronic structure analysis of guanylthiourea (GTU) and its isomers has been carried out using quantum chemical methods. Two major tautomeric classes (thione and thiol) have been identified on the potential energy (PE) surface. In both the cases conjugation of pi‐electrons and intramolecular H‐bonds have been found to play a stabilizing role. Various isomers of GTU on its PE surface have been analyzed in two different groups (thione and thiol). The interconversion from the most stable thione conformer (GTU‐1) to the most stable thiol conformer (GTU‐t1) was found to take place via bimolecular process which involves protonation at sulfur atom of GTU‐1 followed by subsequent CN bond rotation and deprotonation. The detailed analysis of the protonation has been carried out in gas phase and aqueous phase (using CPMC model). Sulfur atom (S1) was found to be the preferred protonation site (over N4) in GTU‐1 in gas phase whereas N4 was found to be the preferred site of protonation in aqueous medium. The mechanism of S‐alkylation reaction in GTU has also been studied. The formation of alkylated analogs of thiol isomers (alkylated guanylthiourea) is believed to take place via bimolecular process which involves alkyl cation attack at S atom followed by CN bond rotation and deprotonation. The reactive intermediate RS(NH2)CNC(NH2)2+ belongs to the newly identified ⊕N(←L)2 class of species and provides the necessary dynamism for easy conversion of thione to thiol.