Factors controlling photochemical cleavage of the energetically unfavorable Ph-Se bond of alkyl phenyl selenides

Primary photochemical paths of alkyl phenyl selenides (1) were investigated, and an origin of large deviations in the chemical yields of products obtained by carbon radical reactions induced by photolysis of phenyl selenides was clarified. KrF excimer laser photolyses of n-pentyl phenyl selenide (1a) yielded 1-pentene (2a), n-pentane (3a), n-decane (4a), dipentyl selenide (5a), benzene (6), dipentyl diselenide (7a), and diphenyl diselenide (7) as major photoproducts, with compounds 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 7 formed by pentyl-Se bond cleavage, and 5a, 6, and 7a by Ph-Se bond cleavage. The selectivity of the photoproducts revealed the occurrence of an unexpected amount of Ph-Se bond cleavage (35% in n-hexane at 248 nm) during photolysis. Solvent viscosity, wavelength of light, and the structure of alkyl substituents were the major factors that controlled Ph-Se bond cleavage. The ratio of Ph-Se bond cleavage decreased with increasing solvent viscosity and laser wavelength. The effect of alkyl substituents on the ratio of bond cleavages, Ph-Se/total C-Se, was investigated for five alkyl phenyl selenides; the ratio decreased in the order pentyl > 2-methylallyl > allyl > 1-ethylpropyl > tert-butyl groups. The contribution of Ph-Se bond cleavage is most probably the origin of the large deviations in the yields of radical reactions induced by photolyses of 1, which can be minimized by selecting appropriate solvents and wavelength of light.     

Indium-mediated cleavage of diphenyl diselenide and diphenyl disulfide: efficient one-pot synthesis of unsymmetrical diorganyl selenides, sulfides, and selenoesters

A convenient and efficient method was developed for the synthesis of alkyl phenyl selenides, sulfides, and selenoesters in one-pot reaction by using indium metal. The reaction showed the selectivity for tert-alkyl, benzylic, and allylic halides over primary and secondary alkyl halides. For the reaction of primary and secondary alkyl iodides and bromides, the yields of selenides were improved by the addition of a catalytic amount of iodine.     

Metal ion-promoted intramolecular electron transfer in a ferrocene-naphthoquinone linked dyad. Continuous change in driving force and reorganization energy with metal ion concentration

Thermal intramolecular electron transfer from the ferrocene (Fc) to naphthoquinone (NQ) moiety occurs efficiently by the addition of metal triflates (M(n)()(+): Sc(OTf)(3), Y(OTf)(3), Eu(OTf)(3)) to an acetonitrile solution of a ferrocene-naphthoquinone (Fc-NQ) linked dyad with a flexible methylene and an amide spacer, although no electron transfer takes place in the absence of M(n)()(+). The resulting semiquinone radical anion (NQ(*)(-)) is stabilized by the strong binding of M(n)()(+) with one carbonyl oxygen of NQ(*)(-)( )()as well as hydrogen bonding between the amide proton and the other carbonyl oxygen of NQ(*)(-). The high stability of the Fc(+)()-NQ(*)(-)/M(n)()(+)() complex allows us to determine the driving force of electron transfer by the conventional electrochemical method. The one-electron reduction potential of the NQ moiety of Fc-NQ is shifted to a positive direction with increasing concentration of M(n)()(+), obeying the Nernst equation, whereas the one-electron oxidation potential of the Fc moiety remains the same. The driving force dependence of the observed rate constant (k(ET)) of M(n)()(+)-promoted intramolecular electron transfer is well evaluated in light of the Marcus theory of electron transfer. The driving force of electron transfer increases with increasing concentration of M(n)()(+) [M(n)()(+)], whereas the reorganization energy of electron transfer decreases with increasing [M(n)()(+)] from a large value which results from the strong binding between NQ(*)(-) and M(n)()(+).     

Reduced Species （HSO2^-, SO2^·-） Promoted One-Pot Efficient Synthesis of Phenyl Alkyl Selenides

Reduced species （HSO2^-, SO2^·-） promoted one-pot synthesis of phenyl alkyl selenides has been developed. This synthetic method was achieved by reactions of diphenyl diselenide with alkyl halides at room temperature. It is noteworthy that the reactions were operated under mild reaction conditions, required short time, and got good resuits. A single electron transfer reaction mechanism was proposed for the reaction.     

Group Transfer Carbonylations: Photoinduced Alkylative Carbonylation of Alkenes Accompanied by Phenylselenenyl Transfer

The photolysis of methyl alpha-(phenylseleno)acetate (1b) and related compounds in the presence of an alkene and CO leads to acyl selenides 2 via group transfer carbonylation. The mechanism of this three-component coupling reaction involves the addition of a (methoxycarbonyl)methyl radical to an alkene, the trapping of the produced alkyl free radical by CO, and termination of the reaction by a phenylselenenyl group transfer from the starting material.     

A single transition state serves two mechanisms: an ab initio classical trajectory study of the electron transfer and substitution mechanisms in reactions of ketyl radical anions with alkyl halides

Molecular dynamics has been used to investigate the reaction of a series of ketyl anion radicals and alkyl halides, CH2O(*)(-) + CH3X (X = F, Cl, Br) and NCCHO(*)(-) + CH3Cl. In addition to a floppy outer-sphere transition state which leads directly to ET products, there is a strongly bound transition state that yields both electron transfer (ET) and C-alkylated (SUB(C)) products. This common transition state has significant C-- C bonding and gives ET and SUB(C) products via a bifurcation on a single potential energy surface. Branching ratios have been estimated from ab initio classical trajectory calculations. The SUB(C) products are favored for transition states with short C--C bonds and ET for long C--C bonds. ET reactivity can be observed even at short distances of r(C)(-)(C) = ca. 2.4 A as in the transition state for the reaction NCCHO(*)(-) + CH3Cl. Therefore, the ET/SUB(C) reactivity is entangled over a significant range of the C--C distance. The mechanistic significance of the molecular dynamics study is discussed.     

Fundamental Difference in Reductive Lithiations with Preformed Radical Anions versus Catalytic Aromatic Electron‐Transfer Agents: N,N‐Dimethylaniline as an Advantageous Catalyst

The reductive lithiation of phenyl thioethers, or alkyl chlorides, by either preformed aromatic radical anions or by lithium metal and an aromatic electron‐transfer catalyst, is commonly used to prepare organolithiums. Revealed herein is that these two methods are fundamentally different. Reductions with radical anions occur in solution, whereas the catalytic reaction occurs on the surface of lithium, which is constantly reactivated by the catalyst, an unconventional catalyst function. The order of relative reactivity is reversed in the two methods as the dominating factor switches from electronic to steric effects of the alkyl substituent. A catalytic amount of N,N‐dimethylaniline (DMA) and Li ribbon can achieve reductive lithiation. DMA is significantly cheaper than alternative catalysts, and conveniently, the Li ribbon does not require the removal of the oxide coating when DMA is used as the catalyst.     

Chemical and electrical passivation of silicon (111) surfaces through functionalization with sterically hindered alkyl groups

Crystalline Si(111) surfaces have been alkylated in a two-step chlorination/alkylation process using sterically bulky alkyl groups such as (CH3)2CH- (iso-propyl), (CH3)3C- (tert-butyl), and C6H5- (phenyl) moieties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) data in the C 1s region of such surfaces exhibited a low energy emission at 283.9 binding eV, consistent with carbon bonded to Si. The C 1s XPS data indicated that the alkyls were present at lower coverages than methyl groups on CH(3)-terminated Si(111) surfaces. Despite the lower alkyl group coverage, no Cl was detected after alkylation. Functionalization with the bulky alkyl groups effectively inhibited the oxidation of Si(111) surfaces in air and produced low (<100 cm s(-1)) surface recombination velocities. Transmission infrared spectroscopy indicated that the surfaces were partially H-terminated after the functionalization reaction. Application of a reducing potential, -2.5 V vs Ag+/Ag, to Cl-terminated Si(111) electrodes in tetrahydrofuran resulted in the complete elimination of Cl, as measured by XPS. The data are consistent with a mechanism in which the reaction of alkyl Grignard reagents with the Cl-terminated Si(111) surfaces involves electron transfer from the Grignard reagent to the Si, loss of chloride to solution, and subsequent reaction between the resultant silicon radical and alkyl radical to form a silicon-carbon bond. Sites sterically hindered by neighboring alkyl groups abstract a H atom to produce Si-H bonds on the surface.     

Photoinduced electron-transfer reactions with quinolinic and trimellitic acid imides: experiments and spin density calculations(1)

The regioselectivity of photoinduced electron-transfer (PET) reactions of unsymmetrical phthalimides is controlled by the spin density distribution of the intermediate radical anions. ROHF ab initio calculations were found to be most suitable for atomic spin density analysis. Intramolecular PET reactions of quinolinic acid imides were studied with the potassium butyrate and hexanoate 1a,b and a cysteine derivative 3. The photocyclizations products 2a,b and 4 were formed with moderate regioselectivities (68:32, 57:43, and 81:19) showing preferential ortho cyclization. The intermolecular reaction of potassium propionate and potassium isobutyrate with N-methylquinolinic acid imide (5) yielded as addition products the dihydropyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridines 6a,b with slight ortho regioselectivity (55:45). In contrast to these low regioselectivities, the PET reaction of potassium propionate with the methyl ester of N-methyltrimellitic acid imide (9) yielded solely the para addition product 10. Likewise, the intramolecular photoreaction of the cysteine derivative 7 gave a 75:25 (para/meta) mixture of regioisomeric cyclization products 8. The regioselectivity originates from donor-acceptor interactions prior to electron transfer and differences in spin densities in the corresponding imide radical anions. The results of DFT and ab initio calculations for the radical anions of the quinolinic acid imide (11(*)(-)) and the methyl ester of trimellitic acid imide (12(*)(-))( )()were in agreement with the latter assumption: spin densities in 11(*)(-) were higher for the imido ortho carbon atoms (indicating preferential ortho coupling); for 12(*)(-) the spin densities were higher for the imido para carbon atoms (indicating preferential para coupling). These correlations became more significant when the additional spin densities at the carbonyl oxygen and the adjacent carbon atoms were taken into account. The cyclization selectivities for 2, 4, and 8 deviate from the intermolecular examples probably because of ground-state and solvent effects.     

Properties and reactivity of xanthyl radical in the excited state

The properties and reactivity of the 9-xanthyl radical (X(*)) in the doublet excited state (X(*)(D(1))) were investigated using nanosecond-picosecond two-color two-laser flash photolysis. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of X(*)(D(1)) were observed for the first time. The reactivity of X(*)(D(1)) toward a series of halogen donors and electron acceptors in acetonitrile and 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) was investigated. It is confirmed that X(*)(D(1)) has a halogen abstraction ability from a series of halogen donors. On the basis of the solvent effect on the quenching rate constants of X(*)(D(1)), an electron transfer from X(*)(D(1)) to CCl(4) was indicated.     

Using spin dynamics of covalently linked radical ion pairs to probe the impact of structural and energetic changes on charge recombination

We have synthesized a series of structurally related, covalently linked electron donor-acceptor triads having highly restricted conformations to study the effects of radical ion pair (RP) structure, energetics, and solvation on charge recombination. The chromophoric electron acceptor in these triads is a 4-aminonaphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide (6ANI), in which the 4-amine nitrogen atom is part of a piperazine ring. The second nitrogen atom of the piperazine ring is part of a para-substituted aniline donor, where the para substituents are X = H, OMe, and NMe(2). The imide group of 6ANI is linked to a naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) (NI) electron acceptor across a phenyl spacer in a meta relationship. The triads undergo two-step photoinduced electron transfer to yield their respective XAn(*)(+)-6ANI-Ph-NI(*)(-) RP states, which undergo radical pair intersystem crossing followed by charge recombination to yield (3)NI. Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance experiments on the spin-polarized RPs and triplet states carried out in toluene and in E-7, a mixture of nematic liquid crystals (LCs), show that for all three triads, the XAn(*)(+)-6ANI-Ph-NI(*)(-) RPs are correlated radical pairs and directly yield values of the spin-spin exchange interaction, J, and the dipolar interaction, D. The values of J are all about -1 mT and show that the LC environment most likely enforces the chair conformation at the piperazine ring, for which the RP distance is larger than that for the corresponding boat conformation. The values of D yield effective RP distances that agree well with those calculated earlier from the spin distributions of the radical ions. Within the LC, changing the temperature shows that the CR mechanism can be changed significantly as the energy levels of the RPs change relative to that of the recombination triplet.     

Ab initio evaluation of the thermodynamic and electrochemical properties of alkyl halides and radicals and their mechanistic implications for atom transfer radical polymerization

High-level ab initio molecular orbital calculations are used to study the thermodynamics and electrochemistry relevant to the mechanism of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Homolytic bond dissociation energies (BDEs) and standard reduction potentials (SRPs) are reported for a series of alkyl halides (R-X; R = CH 2CN, CH(CH 3)CN, C(CH 3) 2CN, CH 2COOC 2H 5, CH(CH 3)COOCH 3, C(CH 3) 2COOCH 3, C(CH 3) 2COOC 2H 5, CH 2Ph, CH(CH 3)Ph, CH(CH 3)Cl, CH(CH 3)OCOCH 3, CH(Ph)COOCH 3, SO 2Ph, Ph; X = Cl, Br, I) both in the gas phase and in two common organic solvents, acetonitrile and dimethylformamide. The SRPs of the corresponding alkyl radicals, R (*), are also examined. The computational results are in a very good agreement with the experimental data. For all alkyl halides examined, it is found that, in the solution phase, one-electron reduction results in the fragmentation of the R-X bond to the corresponding alkyl radical and halide anion; hence it may be concluded that a hypothetical outer-sphere electron transfer (OSET) in ATRP should occur via concerted dissociative electron transfer rather than a two-step process with radical anion intermediates. Both the homolytic and heterolytic reactions are favored by electron-withdrawing substituents and/or those that stabilize the product alkyl radical, which explains why monomers such as acrylonitrile and styrene require less active ATRP catalysts than vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate. The rate constant of the hypothetical OSET reaction between bromoacetonitrile and Cu (I)/TPMA complex was estimated using Marcus theory for the electron-transfer processes. The estimated rate constant k OSET = approximately 10 (-11) M (-1) s (-1) is significantly smaller than the experimentally measured activation rate constant ( k ISET = approximately 82 M (-1) s (-1) at 25 degrees C in acetonitrile) for the concerted atom transfer mechanism (inner-sphere electron transfer, ISET), implying that the ISET mechanism is preferred. For monomers bearing electron-withdrawing groups, the one-electron reduction of the propagating alkyl radical to the carbanion is thermodynamically and kinetically favored over the one-electron reduction of the corresponding alkyl halide unless the monomer bears strong radical-stabilizing groups. Thus, for monomers such as acrylates, catalysts favoring ISET over OSET are required in order to avoid chain-breaking side reactions.     

Zirconocene-catalyzed alkylative dimerization of 2-methylene-1,3-dithiane via a single electron transfer process to provide symmetrical vic-bis(dithiane)s

A mixture of tertiary alkyl halide and 2-methylene-1,3-dithiane was treated with butylmagnesium bromide in the presence of a catalytic amount of zirconocene dichloride. The reaction resulted in alkylative dimerization to yield the corresponding vic-bis(dithiane). The reaction would proceed as follows. A single electron transfer from low-valent zirconocene to alkyl halide would generate the corresponding alkyl radical. The radical adds to 2-methylene-1,3-dithiane to afford the corresponding radical stabilized by the two sulfur atoms. A couple of the stable radicals finally undergo dimerization.     

Molecular structure of substituted phenylamine alpha-OMe- and alpha-OH-p-benzoquinone derivatives. Synthesis and correlation of spectroscopic, electrochemical, and theoretical parameters.

Thirteen C(6) para-substituted anilinebenzoquinones derived from perezone (PZ) (2-(1,5-dimethyl-4-hexenyl)-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone) were prepared to analyze the effect of the substituents on quinone electronic properties. The effect of a hydrogen bond between the alpha-hydroxy and carbonyl C(4)-O(4) groups was determined in perezone derivatives by substituting electron-donor and electron-acceptor groups such as -OMe, -Me, -Br, and -CN and comparing the -OH (APZs) and -OMe (APZms) derivatives. Reduction potentials of these compounds were measured using cyclic voltammetry in anhydrous acetonitrile. The typical behavior of quinones, with or without alpha-phenolic protons, in an aprotic medium was not observed for APZs due to the presence of coupled, self-protonation reactions. The self-protonation process gives rise to an initial wave, corresponding to the irreversible reduction reaction of quinone (HQ) to hydroquinone (HQH(2)), and to a second electron transfer, attributed to the reversible reduction of perezonate (Q(-)) formed during the self-protonation process. This reaction is favored by the acidity of the alpha-OH located at the quinone ring. To control the coupled chemical reaction, we considered both methylation of the -OH group (APZms) and addition of a strong base, tetramethylammonium phenolate (Me(4)N(+)C(6)H(5)O(-)), to completely deprotonate the APZs. Methylation led to recovery of reversible, bi-electronic behavior (Q/Q(*)(-) and Q(*)(-)/Q(2)(-)), indicating the nonacidic properties of the NH group. The addition of a strong base resulted in reduction of perezonate (Q(-)) obtained from the acid-base reaction of APZs with Me(4)N(+)C(6)H(5)O(-) to produce the dianion radical (Q(*)(2)(-)). Although the nitrogen atom interferes with direct conjugation between both rings by binding the quinone with the para-substituted ring, the UV-vis spectra of these compounds showed the existence of intramolecular electronic transfer from the respective aniline to the quinone moiety. (13)C NMR chemical shifts of the quinone atoms provided additional evidence for this electron transfer. These findings were also supported by linear variation in cathodic peak potentials (E(pc)) vs Hammett sigma(p) constants associated with the different electrochemical transformations: Q/Q(*)(-), Q(*)(-)/Q(2)(-) for APZms or HQ/HQH(2) and Q(-)/Q(*)(2)(-) for APZs. The electronic properties of model anilinebenzoquinones were determined at a B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory within the framework of the density functional theory. Our theoretical calculations predicted that all the compounds are floppy molecules with a low rotational C-N barrier, in which the degree of conjugation of the lone nitrogen pair with the quinone system depends on the magnitude of the electronic effect of the substituents of the aniline ring. Natural charges show that C(1) is more positive than C(4) although the LUMO orbital is located at C(4). Hence, if the natural charge distribution in the molecule controls the first electron addition, this should occur at carbon atom C(1). If the process is controlled by the LUMO orbitals, however, electron addition would first occur at C(4). For the APZms series susceptibility of the first reduction wave to the substitution effect (rho(pi) = 147 mV) is lower than that of the second reduction wave (rho(pi) = 156 mV). Thus, the first, one-electron transfer in the quinone system is controlled by the natural charge distribution of the molecule and therefore takes place at C(1).     

Tandem homolytic addition/substitution sequences and their application to tin-free radical chemistry

Alkyl pent-4-enyl selenides (3a, b, e and f), pent-4-enylseleno benzoate (3c) and phenyl (pent-4-enylseleno)formate (3d) act as precursors of alkyl, acyl and oxyacyl radicals by reaction with diethyl 2-phenylselenomalonate (1) under photochemical conditions in a process involving tandem homolytic addition/substitution to afford tetrahydroselenophenes (5, 11) and the corresponding phenylselenides (6).     

One-pot synthetic method of unsymmetrical diorganyl selenides: reaction of diphenyl diselenide with alkyl halides in the presence of lanthanum metal

A convenient synthetic method of unsymmetrical selenides has been developed. When diphenyl diselenide was allowed to react with two equimolar amounts of primary alkyl iodides and bromides in the presence of an equimolar amount of lanthanum metal, alkyl phenyl selenides were formed in moderate to good yields. For the reaction of primary alkyl chlorides and secondary alkyl iodides, the yields of the selenides were low; however, the yields were dramatically improved by the addition of TMEDA or HMPA. A reaction pathway involving the generation of a lanthanum phenylselenolate intermediate was suggested.     

Scandium ion-promoted reduction of heterocyclic N=N double bond. Hydride transfer vs electron transfer

Hydride transfer from 10-methyl-9,10-dihydroacridine (AcrH(2)) to 3,6-diphenyl-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (Ph(2)Tz), which contains a N=N double bond, occurs efficiently in the presence of Sc(OTf)(3) (OTf = OSO(2)CF(3)) in deaerated acetonitrile (MeCN) at 298 K, whereas no reaction occurs in the absence of Sc(3+). The observed second-order rate constant (k(obs)) increases with increasing Sc(3+) concentration to approach a limited value. When AcrH(2) is replaced by the dideuterated compound (AcrD(2)), the rate of Sc(3+)-promoted hydride transfer exhibits the same primary kinetic isotope effect (k(H)/k(D) = 5.2+/-0.2), irrespective of Sc(3+) concentration. Scandium ion also promotes an electron transfer from CoTPP (TPP(2)(-) = tetraphenylporphyrin dianion) and 10,10'-dimethyl-9,9'-biacridine [(AcrH)(2)] to Ph(2)Tz, whereas no electron transfer from CoTPP or (AcrH)(2) to Ph(2)Tz occurs in the absence of Sc(3+). In each case, the observed second-order rate constant of electron transfer (k(et)) shows a first-order dependence on [Sc(3+)] at low concentrations and a second-order dependence at higher concentrations. Such dependence of k(et) on [Sc(3+)] is ascribed to formation of 1:1 and 1:2 complexes between Ph(2)Tz(*)(-) and Sc(3+) at the low and high concentrations of Sc(3+), respectively, which results in acceleration of the rate of electron transfer. The formation of 1:2 complex has been confirmed by the ESR spectrum in which the hyperfine structure is different from that of free Ph(2)Tz(*)(-). The 1:2 complex formation results in the saturated kinetic dependence of k(obs) on [Sc(3+)] for the Sc(3+)-promoted hydride transfer, which proceeds via Sc(3+)-promoted electron transfer from AcrH(2) to Ph(2)Tz, followed by proton transfer from AcrH(2)(*)(+) to the 1:1 Ph(2)Tz(*)(-)-Sc(3+) complex and the subsequent facile electron transfer from AcrH(*) to Ph(2)TzH(*). The effects of counteranions on the Sc(3+)-promoted electron transfer and hydride transfer reactions are also reported.     

Metal ion-catalyzed cycloaddition vs hydride transfer reactions of NADH analogues with p-benzoquinones

1-Benzyl-4-tert-butyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (t-BuBNAH) reacts efficiently with p-benzoquinone (Q) to yield a [2+3] cycloadduct (1) in the presence of Sc(OTf)(3) (OTf = OSO(2)CF(3)) in deaerated acetonitrile (MeCN) at room temperature, while no reaction occurs in the absence of Sc(3+). The crystal structure of 1 has been determined by the X-ray crystal analysis. When t-BuBNAH is replaced by 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH), the Sc(3+)-catalyzed cycloaddition reaction of BNAH with Q also occurs to yield the [2+3] cycloadduct. Sc(3+) forms 1:4 complexes with t-BuBNAH and BNAH in MeCN, whereas there is no interaction between Sc(3+) and Q. The observed second-order rate constant (k(obs)) shows a first-order dependence on [Sc(3+)] at low concentrations and a second-order dependence at higher concentrations. The first-order and the second-order dependence of the rate constant (k(et)) on [Sc(3+)] was also observed for the Sc(3+)-promoted electron transfer from CoTPP (TPP = tetraphenylporphyrin dianion) to Q. Such dependence of k(et) on [Sc(3+)] is ascribed to formation of 1:1 and 1:2 complexes between Q(*)(-) and Sc(3+) at the low and high concentrations of Sc(3+), respectively, which results in acceleration of the rate of electron transfer. The formation constants for the 1:2 complex (K(2)) between the radical anions of a series of p-benzoquinone derivatives (X-Q(*)(-)) and Sc(3+) are determined from the dependence of k(et) on [Sc(3+)]. The K(2) values agree well with those determined from the dependence of k(obs) on [Sc(3+)] for the Sc(3+)-catalyzed addition reaction of t-BuBNAH and BNAH with X-Q. Such an agreement together with the absence of the deuterium kinetic isotope effects indicates that the addition proceeds via the Sc(3+)-promoted electron transfer from t-BuBNAH and BNAH to Q. When Sc(OTf)(3) is replaced by weaker Lewis acids such as Lu(OTf)(3), Y(OTf)(3), and Mg(ClO(4))(2), the hydride transfer reaction from BNAH to Q also occurs besides the cycloaddition reaction and the k(obs) value decreases with decreasing the Lewis acidity of the metal ion. Such a change in the type of reaction from a cycloaddition to a hydride transfer depending on the Lewis acidity of metal ions employed as a catalyst is well accommodated by the common reaction mechanism featuring the metal-ion promoted electron transfer from BNAH to Q.     

Rate constants for reactions of alkyl radicals with water and methanol complexes of triethylborane

Reactions of secondary alkyl radicals with triethylborane and several of its complexes were studied. The H-atom transfer reactions from Et3B-OH2 and Et3B-OD2 were suppressed by addition of pyridine to the reaction mixture. Rate constants for reactions of secondary alkyl radicals with triethylborane and its complexes with water, deuterium oxide, methanol, and THF at ambient temperature were determined by radical clock methods. Cyclization of the 1-undecyl-5-hexenyl radical and ring opening of the 1-cyclobutyldodecyl radical were evaluated as clock reactions. The cyclobutylcarbinyl radical ring opening had the appropriate velocity for relatively precise determinations of the ratios of rate constants for H-atom transfer trapping and rearrangement, and these ratios combined with an estimated rate constant for the cyclobutylcarbinyl radical ring opening gave absolute values for the rate constants for the H-atom transfer reactions. For example, the triethylborane-water complex reacts with a secondary alkyl radical in benzene at 20 degrees C with a rate constant of 2 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1). Variable temperature studies with the Et3B-CH3OH complex in toluene indicate that the hydrogen atom transfer reaction has unusually high entropic demand, which results in substantially more efficient hydrogen atom transfer trapping reactions in competition with radical ring opening and cyclization reactions at reduced temperatures.     

Radical-based destruction of nitramines in water: kinetics and efficiencies of hydroxyl radical and hydrated electron reactions

In support of the potential use of advanced oxidation and reduction process technologies for the removal of carcinogenic nitro-containing compounds in water reaction rate constants for the hydroxyl radical and hydrated electron with a series of low molecular weight nitramines (R(1)R(2)-NNO(2)) have been determined using a combination of electron pulse radiolysis and transient absorption spectroscopy. The hydroxyl radical reaction rate constant was fast, ranging from 0.54-4.35 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), and seen to increase with increasing complexity of the nitramine alkyl substituents suggesting that oxidation primarily occurs by hydrogen atom abstraction from the alkyl chains. In contrast, the rate constant for hydrated electron reaction was effectively independent of compound structure, (k(av) = (1.87 ± 0.25) × 10(10) M(-1) s(-1)) indicating that the reduction predominately occurred at the common nitramine moiety. Concomitant steady-state irradiation and product measurements under aerated conditions also showed a radical reaction efficiency dependence on compound structure, with the overall radical-based degradation becoming constant for nitramines containing more than four methylene groups. The quantitative evaluation of these efficiency data suggest that some (～40%) hydrated electron reduction also results in quantitative nitramine destruction, in contrast to previously reported electron paramagnetic measurements on these compounds that proposed that this reduction only produced a transient anion adduct that would transfer its excess electron to regenerate the parent molecule.