Exploring the activities of vanadium,niobium, and tantalum PNP pincer complexes in the hydrogenation of phenyl-substituted CN,CN, CC,CC, and CO functional groups

The structures and stability of the designed PNP pincer amido M(NO)₂(PNP) and amino ^HM(NO)₂(PN^HP) complexes [M = V, Nb, and Ta, PNP = N(CH₂CH₂P(isopropyl)₂)₂, PN^HP = HN(CH₂CH₂P(isopropyl)₂)₂] and their hydrogenation mechanisms for phenyl-substituted unsaturated functional groups have been explored at the B3PW91 level of density functional theory. Under H₂ environment, these conjugated complexes can form equilibrium and fulfill the criteria of metal–ligand cooperated bifunctional hydrogenation catalysts. For the hydrogenation of Ph-CN, Ph-CHNH, Ph-CHNH-Ph, Ph-CHNCH₂Ph, Ph-CCH, Ph-CHCH₂, Ph-CHO, and Ph-COCH₃, the reaction prefers either a two-step or one-step mechanism for the hydridic MH and protonic NH transfer. These results clearly show that the V, Nb, and Ta complexes are promising catalysts for the hydrogenation reactions, and these provide experimental challenges.     

A 1-hydroxy-2,3,1-benzodiazaborine-containing π-conjugated system: Synthesis,optical properties and solvent-dependent response toward anions

Our interest in the functionalization of OH-substituted azaborines prompted us to synthesize a 1-hydroxy-2,3,1-benzodiazaborine conjugated with 1,8-naphthalimide 1. Its fluorescence was dramatically affected by the nature of the solvent. In particular, the use of DMSO, which has a relatively high donor number (DN = 29.8), led to a remarkable decrease in the fluorescence intensity (Φ_F = 0.0014), possibly due to intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions (Me₂SO?HOB). The presence of the hydroxyl group on boron led to a solvent-driven colorimetric response towards anions; high selectivity for F^? over other anions in DMSO, and responded to AcO^? and F^? in THF, as shown by UV/vis titrations, NMR, and mass spectroscopic analysis. The nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) indices suggested that hydrogen bonding interactions between Me₂SO and HOB reduced the aromaticity of the benzodiazaborine macrocycle, causing an increase in the negative character of the boron. The increase in the polarity of the BN bond may prevent acetate-binding of 1 in DMSO.     

Insight into hydrogen bonding of terephthalamides with amino acids: Synthesis,structural and spectroscopic investigations

Several bis-terephthalamides based on methyl esters of amino acids including glycine (1), β-alanine (2), γ-aminobutyric acid (3) and ε-aminocaproic acid (4), X(CH₂)_nHNOCC₆H₄CONH(CH₂)_nX (XCO₂CH_3,n = 1, 2, 3 and 5), have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic methods: FT-IR, polarized FT-IR, Raman, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. The four structures assemble via classical NH?O hydrogen bonds between amide functionalities linking the molecules into chains parallel to the short axis. The analysis of polarized IR spectra of pure and deuterated compounds reveals that a weak interchain (“through-space”) exciton coupling involves two closely-spaced hydrogen bonds belonging to two different adjacent chains. The exciton coupling magnitude decreases with the addition of methylene groups to the terephthalamide system. Isotope effects in terephthalamides show that the distribution of protons and deuterons in the crystalline lattice depends on the strength of the exciton couplings involving hydrogen bonds.     

Perturbation par l''oxygene de l''oxydation anodique De l''anion complexe cr(co)5cn

OsCl₂(CFCl)(CO)(PPh₃)₂ results from reaction between OsCl₂(CCl₂)(CO)(PPh₃)₂ and Cd(CF₃)₂(DME). The CFCl ligand is converted into CFNMe₂ and CFSEt ligands through reaction with Me₂NH and NaSEt, respectively. The crystal structure of RuCl₂(CFOCH₂CMe₃)(CO)(PPh₃)₂ reveals the following dimensions about the carbene-carbon atom: RuC, 1.914(5)Å; CO, 1.303(7)Å; CF, 1.307(6)Å; RuCF, 127.1(4)°; RuCO, 125.5(4)°; FCO, 107.4(5)°.     

Reactions of acetylenes with noble-metal carbonyl halides: III. Chemical and structural studies of σ-alkenyl complexes of platinum(II)

The reaction of [Pt(CO)Cl(ROOCCC(Cl)COOR)] and of the anions [cisPt(CO)Cl₂(ROOCCC(Cl)COOR)]? (R = Me or Et) with primary and secondary alcohols (MeOH, EtOH, n-PrOH, i-PrOH, allyl-OH) gives rise to specific alcoholysis of the γ-alkoxy group. The specificity is interpreted in terms of the interaction of the β-carboalkoxy group with platinum.The crystal structure of (PPN)[cis-Pt(CO)Cl₂(EtOOCCC(Cl)COOPr-i)] has been solved by X-ray analysis.     

Iron-catalyzed CC bond activation/CO bond formation: Direct conversion of ketones to esters

The iron-catalyzed oxidative activation of the (O)CC bond in ketones has been developed. This method enables direct synthesis of esters by the reaction between ketones and alcohols via conversion of the (O)CC bond to the (O)CO bond. The reaction runs selectively: the (O)CC_Alkyl bond is activated, while the (O)CC_Aryl bond remains intact (i.e., iron-catalyzed intermolecular anti-Baeyer-Villiger activation of the (O)CC bond). The reaction conditions are carefully optimized and allow the production of esters with yields of up to 95%. The method is based on the inexpensive and commercially available catalyst (FeCl₃), oxidant ((NH₄)₂S₂O₈), and solvent (DCE) without using any ligands or additives.     

A scaling theoretical analysis of vibrational relaxation experiments: rotational effects and long-range collisions

Expressions for the quantum number scaling of vibration—translation (VT) and vibration—vibration (VV) rates are derived. The derivation uses the recently developed scaling theory of non-reactive processes and invokes the assumption of rotational equilibrium. However, the VV and VT scaling relationships include rotational effects through the rotational energy gaps and the rotational distributions. The variables in this theory are a fundamental set of rates and the average collision range, l_c, for the particular inelastic process. The physically transparent meaning of these variables, combined with the a priori nature of the scaling coefficients, allows one to investigate actual dynamical effects and not just merely fit data. A detailed analysis of VV energy transfer in the COCO system is presented. Three conclusions are drawn: (1) rotational effects are crucially important in the scaling of the rates; (2) the process is predominantly long-range with l_c = 5.5 ± 0.5 au; and, (3) the available experimental data is consistent with single quanta vibrational changes in the VV rates.     

Late stage modification of peptides via CH activation reactions

Recently developed strategies for late stage modification of peptides through CH activation, an arena of contemporary interest in chemical biology and drug discovery, are discussed. Through this tactic, non-polar amino acids in peptides have been selectively functionalized and CH activation enabled new CC and CX bond formations (arylation, alkynylation, fluorination, hydroxylation, azidation, etc.) are documented. Significant advances have been made in Pd or Au-catalyzed, racemization-free, tryptophan specific modifications of large peptides via CH arylation and alkynylation reactions without any protecting group requirement. Development of a new biaryl stapling technique for complex peptides, 18F radiofluorine introduction and diversity oriented post synthetic applications on bio-active cyclopeptides like valinomycin and aureobasidin are additional highlights which underscores the vast potential of late stage CH activation reactions in peptide based therapeutics research.     

A theoretical study on the alkene insertion step in Rh-Yanphos catalyzed hydroformylation

This paper studied the mechanism of the alkene insertion elementary step in the asymmetric hydroformylation （AHF） catalyzed by RhH（CO）2[（R,S）-Yanphos] using four alkene substrates （CH2=CH- Ph, CH2=CH-Ph-（p）-Me, CH2=CH-C（==O）OCH3 and CH2=CH-OC（=O）-Ph, abbreviated as A1-A4）. Interestingly, the equatorial vertical coordination mode （A mode） with respect to the Rh center was found for AI and A2 but not for A3 and A4, although the equatorial in-plane coordination mode （E mode） was found for A1 -A4. The relative energy of the E mode of the -q2-intermediates is lower than that of the A mode. In the alkene insertion step, Path 1 is more favorable than Path 2 for this system. As for AI and A2, there could be a transformation between 2eq and 2ax.     

Palladium-catalysed cross-coupling as a key step in the synthesis of pyridyl-benzamides, -benzylamines and -sulfonamides

Novel N-, O- and S-substituted pyridyl-benzamides, -benzylamines and -sulfonamides were prepared by means of palladium-catalysed cross-coupling reactions. The synthetic approach, using Pd₂(dba)₃ as palladium source and rac-BINAP as supporting ligand, proved to be successful for CN, CO and CS cross-coupling reactions. One of the substrates underwent an unexpected nucleophilic aromatic substitution of fluorine, rather than the expected CN cross-coupling reaction.     

Pathways of cycloaddition of carbodiimides to N-alkenylidenetriflamides: A theoretical study

Possible cyclization pathways for the reaction of (1E,2E)-N-(but-2-en-1-ylidene)triflamide with N,N'-dimethylcarbodiimide have been investigated by DFT and MP2 calculations. The [4+2] route is shown to be thermodynamically unfavorable due to a small content of the reactive s-cis conformer of the azadiene. The [2_CN+2_CN] route has ΔGº>0 and therefore is thermodynamically forbidden. The only allowed route is the [2_CN+2_CC] cycloaddition, which has ΔGº < 0 and leads to 2-methylimino-3-(2-trifliminomethyl)-1,4-dimethylazetidine with further isomerization to 3-(triflamidomethylidene)-2-methylimino-1,4-dimethylazetidine in full agreement with the experimental results. These results indicate the necessity of considering free energy changes rather than only enthalpy changes for accurate prediction of the course of cyclization reactions.     

The Crystal and Molecular Structure of Bis(cyclopentadienyldicarbonylchromium) (CrCr)

The crystal structure of bis(cyclopentadienyldicarbonyl-chromium) has been determined by x-ray diffraction. The compound crystalizes in the triclinic system, space group P1¯(C¹_i, No. 2) with unit cell parameters: a, 7.829(3); b, 14.543(6); c, 6.588(2)Å; α, 94.67(3), β, 110.70(3); γ, 104.04°(3); V, 699.1(4)ų; z=2. There are two independent molecules per unit cell located at the inversion centers at O,O,O and O, 1/2, O. The CrCr bond distances are, respectively 2.200(3) and 2.230(3), thus supporting their formulation as triple bonds. The CpCrCr angles in the two molecules are 165.0° and 158.7°, respectively. The structural features are compared with those of Cp₂Mo₂(CO)₄, which has a linear CpMoMoCp axis; and the differences rationalized in terms of electronic interactions of the Cp-ligand with the orbitals of the M₂ unit. The differences observed in the structures of the two independent molecules are also related to the proposed bonding model and to packing considerations.     

Metal- and solvent-free,iodine-catalyzed cyclocondensation and CH bond sulphenylation: A facile access to C-4 sulfenylated pyrazoles via a domino multicomponent reaction

We describe herein a green and efficient MCRs protocol to synthesize C-4 sulfenylated pyrazoles by iodine-catalyzed cyclocondensation and direct CH bond sulphenylation reactions. Through this protocol, two new CN bonds and one CS bond are constructed simultaneously in a single step. This method provides a straightforward and sustainable way to construct valuable sulfenylated pyrazoles under metal- and solvent-free conditions.     

Acetylene diethers: Dineopentyloxyethyne

Dineopentyloxyethyne has been synthesized fromtrans-2,3-dichloro-1,4-dioxane according to a general procedure already described. In contrast with alkyl neopentyloxyacetylenes, RC=COCH₂Bu^t, which only polymerize when are strongly heated (150°), dineopentyloxyethyne is a kinetically unstable acetylene diether that polymerizes readily at room temperature. However, the compound has been trapped with Co₂(CO)₈ to give either the corresponding hexacarbonyl complex, m.p. 74–75°, or the cyclic trimer, m.p. 205–206°, depending upon the experimental conditions.     

Dithioester-enabled chemodivergent synthesis of acids,amides and isothiazoles via CC bond cleavage and CO/CN/CS bond formations under metal- and catalyst-free conditions

An operationally simple and user-friendly process to access privileged scaffolds such as acids, amides and isothiazoles has been devised employing β-ketodithioesters for the first time. Remarkably, the new protocol involves combination of CC bond cleavage and CO/CN/NS bond formations in one-pot. Aqueous ammonia led to the formation of skeletally distinct amide and isothiazole, whereas aqueous NaOH enabled the formation of aromatic acid near quantitative yield. This practical approach, which can dramatically streamline the synthesis of simple molecules, is highly chemoselective, cost-effective, amenable to gram scale, insensitive to moisture as well as bears high functional group compatibility.     

Regioselective preferential CH activation of sterically hindered 1,3-dienes over [4+2] cycloaddition

The study of Pd-catalyzed preferential CH activation of sterically hindered α, β-olefinic indoles onto alkenes beyond [4 + 2] cycloaddition has been described. The carbazole derivatives were readily synthesized via activation of vinylic CH bonds with excellent regioselectivity. Further, the one-pot strategy has been employed for the synthesis of tricyclic carbazoles. The double and triple CH activation followed by concomitant Michael addition provides an economical approach for the synthesis of N-protected carbazole. A wide range of alkenes at the α- and β-position are compatible with this reaction. The mechanistic and X-ray crystallographic studies supported the designed chemistry of CH activation.     

Palladium-catalyzed annulation of 2-(aryldiazenyl) aniline with dimethyl sulfoxide to access N-aryl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-amine

A palladium-catalyzed annulation of 2-(aryldiazenyl) aniline and dimethyl sulfoxide was developed to access N-aryl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-amine in moderate to good yields. Activated by 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bis(sulfur dioxide) adduct (DABSO), DMSO served as a “CH” fragment during this procedure. It represents a facile pathway leading to benzimidazoles.     

In silico quest for stable phosphastannaallenes

A computational study at different levels of theory was performed for the not yet synthesized phosphastannaallenes >SnCP– in order to evaluate the strength of the SnC bond, the main postulated factor to stabilize such species, and the geometry in R₂SnCPR derivatives. The influence of the substituents with various electronic effects (H, Me, Ph, F, Cl, OMe, SiMe₃) at the Sn or P atoms of the SnCP unit on the SnC bond order was evaluated in the quest for a substituent that would stabilize the phosphastannaallenic unit. PC bond orders have also been calculated.     

The molecular structure and dynamic NMR spectrum of bis[(η5-cyclopentadienyl)dicarbonylmolybdenum]-μ-ethyne(MoMo)

The title compound, (η⁵-C₅H₅)₂Mo₂(CO)₄(μ-HCCH) has a molecular structure practically identical to that of its previously described analog containing μ-EtCCEt. Its¹³C NMR at ?144°C has a broad doublet in the terminal CO region; this sharpens at ?118°C then again broadens (-100°C) and finally coalesces below ?58°C to a single resonance. The appearance of a semi-bridging CO (SBCO) ligand in the title compound and its EtCCEt analog, but not in a related compound with μ-H₂CCCH₂ is attributed to internal crowding and it is suggested that these compounds may provide the most unambiguous examples of such an effect.     

Computational study of Rh(I)-Catalyzed Cycloaddition–Fragmentation of N-cyclopropylacrylamides

Rh-catalyzed cycloaddition–fragmentation of N-cyclopropylacrylamides is an effective method to directly obtain substituted azocanes. In this transformation, the challenging step is insertion of CO and alkene into the more hindered proximal cyclopropane CC bond while avoiding competitive less hindered proximal CC activation. Given the importance of this novel strategy, we performed a density functional theory study to clarify the catalytic mechanism. The calculations confirm that cleavage of the more hindered bond is more favorable than cleavage of the less hindered bond for Rh-catalyzed (7 + 1) cycloaddition of N-cyclopropylacrylamides. Comparison between Rh-catalyzed (3 + 1 + 2) and (7 + 1) cycloaddition shows that the coordination mode with different ligand plays a crucial role in enabling different CC cleavage. The main factors responsible for the occurrence of β-hydride elimination rather than CC reductive elimination are also discussed. The kinetic preference for β-hydride elimination can be attributed to the transition state of CC reductive elimination being more distorted and forming in a much more concerted fashion than that of β-hydride elimination. Additionally, C4H elimination is disfavored owing to weaker interaction energy compared with C7H elimination by analyzing using the distortion/interaction model.