Carbon monoxide and hydrogen (syngas) as a C1-building block for selective catalytic methylation

A catalytic reaction using syngas (CO/H₂) as feedstock for the selective β-methylation of alcohols was developed whereby carbon monoxide acts as a C1 source and hydrogen gas as a reducing agent. The overall transformation occurs through an intricate network of metal-catalyzed and base-mediated reactions. The molecular complex [Mn(CO)₂Br[HN(C₂H₄PⁱPr₂)₂]] 1 comprising earth-abundant manganese acts as the metal component in the catalytic system enabling the generation of formaldehyde from syngas in a synthetically useful reaction. This new syngas conversion opens pathways to install methyl branches at sp³ carbon centers utilizing renewable feedstocks and energy for the synthesis of biologically active compounds, fine chemicals, and advanced biofuels.

A broadly applicable catalytic process for the selective β-methylation of alcohols is presented using syngas (CO/H₂) directly as a C1 building block and the shown manganese complex in the presence of a base as the catalytic system.     

Theoretical Study on the Reaction Mechanism of Ketene CH2CO with Isocyanate NCO Radical

The bimolecular single collision reaction potential energy surface of an isocyanate NCO radical with a ketene CH2CO molecule was investigated by means of B3LYP and QCISD（T） methods. The computed results indicate that two possible reaction channels exist on the surface. One is an addition-elimination reaction process, in which the CH2CO molecule is attacked by the nitrogen atom at its methylene carbon atom to lead to the formation of the intermediate OCNCH2CO followed by a C-C rupture channel to the products CH2NCO＋CO. The other is a direct hydrogen abstraction channel from CHzCO by the NCO radical to afford the products HCCO＋HNCO. Because of a higher barrier in the hydrogen abstraction reaction than in the addition-elimination reaction, the direct hydrogen abstraction pathway can only be considered as a secondary reaction channel in the reaction kinetics of NCO＋ CH2CO. The predicted results are in good agreement with previous experimental and theoretical investigations.     

Intermolecular acetaldehyde and dimethoxymethane formation mechanisms via ethenol and methoxymethylene precursors in reactions of atomic carbon with methanol: a computational study

Atomic carbon, a reactive intermediate abundant in the interstellar medium (ISM) can participate in various energetically demanding reactions in its extremely long living (69 min) first excited singlet state ((1)D). Several studies on reactions of oxygen containing species with carbon atoms have been reported, however mechanistic details of the title reaction remain obscure. We report here quantum chemical studies on reactions of methanol with (3)P and (1)D carbon atoms at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level of theory, with which experimentally well known facile CO production, intermolecular acetaldehyde formation, and intermolecular dimethoxymethane production mechanisms are explained. Energetics of the fragmentation, O-H insertion, C-H insertion, and O-C insertion channels on the triplet and singlet surfaces are studied. The CO production mechanism by C ((1)D) is identified as an oxygen abstraction and a triplet PES seems non-operative. Presenting novel features for the intermolecular reaction channels, current findings may be applicable to C + ROR reactions.     

In situ FTIR Study of the Adsorption of Formaldehyde, Formic Acid, and Methyl Formiate at the Surface of TiO2 (Anatase)

The catalytic properties of TiO₂ (anatase) in the reactions of formaldehyde oxidation and formic acid decomposition are examined. At 100–150°C, formaldehyde is converted into methyl formate with high selectivity regardless of the presence of oxygen in the reaction mixture. Formic acid is decomposed to CO and water. Surface compounds formed in the reactions of formaldehyde, formic acid, and methyl formate with TiO₂ (anatase) are identified by in situ FTIR spectroscopy. In a flow of a formaldehyde-containing mixture at 100°C, H-bonded HCHO, dioxymethylene species, bidentate formate, and coordinatively bonded HCHO are observed on the TiO₂ surface. In the adsorption of formic acid, H-bonded HCOOH and two types of formates (bidentate and unsymmetrical formates) are formed. In the adsorption of methyl formate, H-bonded HCOOCH₃, HCOOCH₃ coordinatively bonded via the carbonyl oxygen, and bidentate formate are identified.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the autoxidation of pentaerythrityl tetraheptanoate at 180–220°C

A kinetic and mechanistic study of the autoxidation of liquid pentaerythrityl tetraheptanoate (PETH) at 180–220°C has been carried out utilizing a stirred-flow reactor. The results are consistent with the occurrence of a chain reaction scheme similar to that proposed for n-hexadecane autoxidation, namely, the formation of monohydroperoxides by the intermolecular abstraction reaction (3), the formation of α,γ- and α,δ-dihydroperoxides and α,γ- and α,δ-hydroperoxyketones by intramolecular peroxy radical abstraction reactions (4) and (4*), the bimolecular termination of peroxy radicals, reaction (6), and the rapid conversion of α,γ-hydroperoxyketones to the corresponding cleavage acids and methyl ketones, reaction (7). Comparisons of various rate parameters for the n-hexadecane and PETH systems reveal that the values of k₇ and (k₃/H atom)/(2 k₆)^1/2 are within experimental uncertainties identical for the two systems at 180°C. The proposed reaction scheme includes the concurrent formation of hydroxy radicals and hydroperoxyketone species. The results of kinetic analysis and the experimentally observed isomer distributions of primary and secondary monohydroperoxide products at high and low oxygen pressures suggest that ≈60% of the hydrogen abstractions from PETH at high oxygen pressures occur by hydroxy radicals.     

Radiation Chemistry of Polysaccharides: 1. Mechanisms of Carbon Monoxide and Formic Acid Formation

Based on an analysis of author's experimental results and published data on the buildup of HCOOH and CO in starches and other high polymers of glucose irradiated in the presence of O₂, it was concluded that both of these products result from multistage transformations of a primary radical of H abstraction from C1. Peroxide radicals are the source of HCOOH, whereas acyl radicals, which are produced in radical reactions with aldehyde groups, are the precursor of CO. Based on the values of G(HCOOH), G(CO), and G(cleavage) and the mass balance on these products, a conclusion was drawn that the formation of these products requires the degradation of three neighboring monomer units. A reaction mechanism for the formation of HCOOH and CO was proposed.     

An ab initio study of the reaction of ammonium ion with hydride ion and lithium hydride

Both the abstraction and substitution mechanisms for the reaction of NH⁺₄ with H^? and the abstraction mechanisms for the reaction with LiH in the gas phase have been investigated by theoretical methods. LiH results to be a better reagent and reactions with and without scrambling are competitive in accordance with experimental findings.     

The rate constant of the reaction HO2 + COCO2 + OH

The high-temperature oxidation of formaldehyde in the presence of carbon monoxide was investigated to determine the rate constant of the reaction HO₂ + CO ? CO₂ + OH (10). In the temperature range of 878–952°K from the initial parts of the kinetic curves of the HO₂ radicals and CO₂ accumulation at small extents of the reaction, when the quantity of the reacted formaldehyde does not exceed 10%, it was determined that the rate constant k₁₀ is A computer program was used to solve the system of differential equations which correspond to the high-temperature oxidation of formaldehyde in the presence of carbon monoxide. The computation confirmed the experimental results. Also discussed are existing experimental data related to the reaction of HO₂ with CO.     

On the hydrogenation of CO and CO2 over copper/zirconia and palladium/zirconia catalysts

Summary Zirconia-supported hydrogenation catalysts were obtained by activation of the amorphous precursors Cu₇₀Zr₃₀ and Pd₂₅Zr₇₅ under CO₂ hydrogenation conditions. Catalysts of comparable compositions prepared by co-precipitation and wet impregnation of zirconia with copper- and palladium salts, respectively, served as reference materials. The catalyst surfaces under reaction conditions were investigated by diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy. Carbonates, formate, formaldehyde, methylate and methanol were identified as the pivotal surface species. The appearance and surface concentrations of these species were correlated with the presence of CO₂ and CO as reactant gases, and with the formation of either methane or methanol as reaction products. Two major pathways have been identified from the experimental results. i) The reaction of CO₂/H₂-mixtures on Cu/zirconia and Pd/zirconia primarily yields surface formate, which is hydrogenated to methane without further observable intermediates. ii) The catalytic reaction between CO and hydrogen yields -bonded formaldehyde, which is subsequently reduced to methylate and methanol. Interestingly, there is no observable correlation between absorbed formaldehyde or methylate on the one hand, and gas phase methane on the other hand. The reactants, CO₂ and CO, can be interconverted catalytically by the water gas shift reaction. The influence of the metals on this system of coupled reactions gives rise to different product selectivities in CO₂ hydrogenation reactions. On zirconia-supported palladium catalysts, surface formate is efficiently reduced to methane, which consequently appears to be the principal CO₂ hydrogenation product. In contrast, there is a favorable reaction pathway on copper in which CO is reduced to methanol without C-O bond cleavage; surface formate does not participate significantly in this reaction. In CO₂ hydrogenations on copper/zirconia, methanol can be obtained as the main product, from a sequence of the reverse water gas shift reaction followed by CO reduction.     

Theoretical study on the reaction mechanism of CN radical with ketene

The bimolecular single collision reaction potential energy surface of CN radical with ketene (CH2CO) was investigated by means of B3LYP and QCISD(T) methods. The calculated results indicate that there are three possible channels in the reaction. The first is an attack reaction by the carbon atom of CN at the carbon atom of the methylene of CH2CO to form the intermediate NCCH2CO followed by a rupture reaction of the C-C bond combined with -CO group to the products CH2CN CO. The second is a direct addition reaction between CN and CH2CO to form the intermediate CH2C(O)CN followed by its isomerization into NCCH2CO via a CN-shift reaction, and subsequently, NCCH2CO dissociates into CH2CN CO through a CO-loss reaction. The last is a direct hydrogen abstraction reaction of CH2CO by CN radical. Because of the existence of a 15.44 kJ/mol reaction barrier and higher energy of reaction products, the path can be ruled out as an important channel in the reaction kinetics. The present theoretical computation results, which give an available suggestion on the reaction mechanism, are in good agreement with previous experimental studies.     

Insertion reactions of metal carbonyl anions with methyl formate in the gas phase as revealed by 13C- and D-labeling

School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia Institute of Mass Spectrometry, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht The gas-phase reactions of coordinatively unsaturated metal carbonyl anions (M(CO) _n ^? , M=Cr, Mn, Fe, Co; n=0-3 and Co(CO)_nNO^?, n=0-2) with unlabeled and D- and ¹³C-labeled methyl formate have been studied with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The reactions proceed in most instances by loss of one or more CO molecules from the collision complex. In the reactions of the dicarbonyl and tricarbonyl anions with H¹³COOCH₃, part of the eliminated carbon monoxide molecules contain the label revealing the occurrence of initial insertion of the metal center into the bonds adjacent to the carbonyl function of the substrate with formation of five- or six-coordinate intermediates, respectively. In addition, the MnCCO) ₃ ^? , Fe(CO) ₂ ^? , and CoCCO) ₂ ^? ions react by the loss of methanol and a [C,H₂,O] neutral species. The D- and ¹³C-labeling show that methanol is expelled in a reductive elimination from a five- or six-coordinate species, whereas the [C,H₂,O] loss is a more complex process possibly involving the competing losses of formaldehyde and CO + H₂. In the reaction of Fe(CO) ₃ ^? with H ₁₃ ¹³ COOCH₃, a facile consecutive exchange of all three CO ligands of the reactant ion for ¹³CO is observed. This novel reaction appears to involve initial insertion into the H¹³CO—OCH₃-bond followed by facile hydrogen shifts from the formyl ligand to a CO Hgand prior to the loss of unlabeled methyl formate.     

A continuous stirred tank reactor investigation of the gas-phase reaction of hydroxyl radicals and toluene

A continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was used to study the gas-phase reaction between HO? and toluene. HO? was generated by the in situ photolysis of nitrous acid. Flow reactor operation at steady-state conditions with a residence time of 20 min allowed investigation of primary and very rapid secondary reactions. CSTR and batch reactor experiments were also performed with selected products. Both gas-phase and aerosol products were identified by chromatography and mass spectroscopy, with total product yields between 55 and 75% of reacted carbon. Toluene reaction products included cresols, nitrocresols, nitrotoluenes, 3,5-dinitrotouluene, benzaldehyde, benzyl nitrate, nitrophenols, methyl-p-benzoquinone, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, formaldehyde, methyl nitrate, PAN, and CO. The fraction of HO? methyl hydrogen abstraction was calculated to be 0.13 ± 0.04. The ratio of reaction rate constants for nitrotoluene versus cresol formation from the HO?-adduct was calculated to be about 3.3 × 10⁴. Also, the ratio of cresol formation versus O₂ addition to the HO?-adduct was estimated to be ≥0.5 for atmospheric conditions. Comparisons of these measurements with previous values and the implications with respect to photochemical kinetics modeling of the atmosphere are discussed.     

Dehydrotropylium-Co2(CO)6 ion: generation, reactivity and evaluation of cation stability

The dehydrotropylium–Co₂(CO)₆ ion was generated by the action of HBF₄ or BF₃ ? OEt₂ on the corresponding cycloheptadienynol complex, which in turn has been prepared in four steps from a known diacetoxycycloheptenyne complex. The reaction of the cycloheptadienynol complex via the dehydrotropylium–Co₂(CO)₆ ion with several nucleophiles results in substitution reactions with reactive nucleophiles (N>1) under normal conditions, and a radical dimerisation reaction in the presence of less reactive nucleophiles. Competitive reactions of the cycloheptadienynol complex with an acyclic trienynol complex show no preference for generation of the dehydrotropylium–Co₂(CO)₆ ion over an acyclic cation. DFT studies on the dehydrotropylium–Co₂(CO)₆ ion, specifically evaluation of its harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity (HOMA) value (+0.95), its homodesmotic‐reaction‐based stabilisation energy (≈2.8 kcal mol^?1) and its NICS(1) value (?2.9), taken together with the experimental studies suggest that the dehydrotropylium–Co₂(CO)₆ ion is weakly aromatic.     

Visible‐Light‐Driven Palladium‐Catalyzed Radical Alkylation of C−H Bonds with Unactivated Alkyl Bromides

Reported herein is a novel visible‐light photoredox system with Pd(PPh₃)₄ as the sole catalyst for the realization of the first direct cross‐coupling of C(sp³)−H bonds in N‐aryl tetrahydroisoquinolines with unactivated alkyl bromides. Moreover, intra‐ and intermolecular alkylations of heteroarenes were also developed under mild reaction conditions. A variety of tertiary, secondary, and primary alkyl bromides undergo reaction to generate C(sp³)−C(sp³) and C(sp²)−C(sp³) bonds in moderate to excellent yields. These redox‐neutral reactions feature broad substrate scope (>60 examples), good functional‐group tolerance, and facile generation of quaternary centers. Mechanistic studies indicate that the simple palladium complex acts as the visible‐light photocatalyst and radicals are involved in the process.     

Liquid-phase autoxidation of organic compounds at elevated temperatures. Absolute rate constant for intermolecular hydrogen abstraction in hexadecane autoxidation at 120–190°C

The absolute rate constants for the intermolecular hydrogen abstraction reactions of secondary hydrogens by secondary alkylperoxy radicals in hexadecane autoxidation, k₃, have been determined in the temperature range of 120–190°C using the stirred flow reactor technique. Absolute rate constants determined in this study for hexadecane are in good agreement with those determined for other hydrocarbons in liquid phase, on a per hydrogen basis, at lower temperatures. Arrhenius parameters for k₃/H derived from this study are A = 10^8.6 M^?1 s^?1 and E_a = 16.0 kcal/mol. The values of these parameters provide experimental confirmation for previous estimates made from both lower temperature reactions in the liquid phase and higher temperature reactions in the gas phase. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Mechanism and Kinetics of the Reaction of Nitrosamines with OH Radical: A Theoretical Study

The reaction of nitrosodimethylamine, nitrosoazetidine, nitrosopyrrolidine, and nitrosopiperidine with the hydroxyl radical has been studied using electronic structure calculations in gas and aqueous phases. The rate constant was calculated using variational transition state theory. The reactions are initiated by H‐atom abstraction from the αC─H group of nitrosamines and leads to the formation of alkyl radical intermediate. In the subsequent reactions, the initially formed alkyl radical intermediate reacts with O₂ forming a peroxy radical. The reaction of peroxy radical with other atmospheric oxidants, such as HO₂ and NO radicals, is studied. The structures of the reactive species were optimized by using the density functional theory methods, such as M06‐2X, MPW1K, and BHandHLYP, and hybrid methods G3B3. The single‐point energy calculations were also performed at CCSD(T)/6‐311+G(d,p)// M062X/6‐311+G(d,p) level. The calculated thermodynamical parameters show that the reactions corresponding to the formation of intermediates and products are highly exothermic. We have calculated the rate constant for the initial H‐atom abstraction and subsequent favorable secondary reactions using canonical variational transition state theory over the temperature range of 150–400 K. The calculated rate constant for initial H‐atom abstraction reaction is ∼3 × 10⁻¹² cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ and is in agreement with the previous experimental results. The calculated thermochemical data and rate constants show that the reaction profile and kinetics of the reactions are less dependent on the number of methyl groups present in the nitrosoamines. Furthermore, it has been found that the atmospheric lifetime of nitrosamines is around 5 days in the normal atmospheric OH concentration.     

Fragmentations of Hydroxymethyl Radical Cation: An Ab Initio Study

The probable fragmentation channels of hydroxymethyl radical cation were studied through the H‐and H₂‐abstraction and C‐O bond breaking reactions including their related isomerization reactions. The energy barriers for hydroxymethyl cation undergoing isomerization reactions are generally higher than those undergoing the concerted 1,2‐elimination reactions to generate CHO⁺ and H₂. The fragmentation reaction to form CHO⁺ and H₂ through the 1,2‐elimination pathways is the major fragmentation channel for hydroxymethyl cation, consistent with the experimental observation. H abstraction from the hydroxyl group of CH₂OH⁺ is more difficult than that from the methylene group. The feasible path to lose H is to generate CHOH₂⁺ through hydrogen transfer reaction as the first step and then to undergo H‐elimination to generate trans‐CHOH⁺. Among all the reactions found in this study, the OH‐elimination to generate CH₂⁺ has the highest energy barrier. Our calculation results indicate that the major signals contributed from the related species of hydroxymethyl cation found in the mass spectrum should be m/e 29, m/e 30.     

Rate constants and vibrational distributions for water-forming reactions of OH and OD radicals with thioacetic acid, 1,2-ethanedithiol and tert-butanethiol

Reactions of OH and OD radicals with CH₃C(O)SH, HSCH₂CH₂SH, and (CH₃)₃CSH were studied at 298 K in a fast-flow reactor by infrared emission spectroscopy of the water product molecules. The rate constants (1.3 ± 0.2) × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ for the OD + CH₃C(O)SH reaction and (3.8 ± 0.7) × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ for the OD + HSCH₂CH₂SH reaction were determined by comparing the HOD emission intensity to that from the OD reaction with H₂S, and this is the first measurement of these rate constants. In the same manner, using the OD + (C₂H₅)₂S reference reaction, the rate constant for the OD + (CH₃)₃CSH reaction was estimated to be (3.6 ± 0.7) × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹. Vibrational distributions of the H₂O and HOD molecules from the title reactions are typical for H-atom abstraction reactions by OH radicals with release of about 50% of the available energy as vibrational energy to the water molecule in a 2:1 ratio of stretch and bend modes.     

Iron carburization in CO‐H2‐He gases,Part II: Numerical model

A numerical model for the carburization of iron in CO‐H₂‐He mixtures was developed and compared with experimental data over the temperature range of 850°C–1150°C, CO partial pressures from 1% to 12%, and H₂ partial pressures from 5% to 99%. The reaction mechanism was established on the basis of data input from recent quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics calculations as well as from rate constant estimates from kinetic and transition state theory. Sensitivity and reaction flux analyses were performed to identify the rate‐controlling and fastest reactions. Model predictions of carbon weight gain in iron samples versus time were compared with experimental data. The most sensitive reactions were refined by least‐squares fitting the model to the experiment. The resulting model can simulate and predict the trends of iron carburization in CO‐H₂‐He‐CO₂‐H₂O mixtures for most conditions studied experimentally. Critical reactions and model parameters are identified for additional study to improve the model and understanding of the carburization mechanism. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 337–348, 2009     

Insight into the Mechanism of the Initial Reaction of an OH Radical with DNA/RNA Nucleobases: A Computational Investigation of Radiation Damage

Earlier theoretical investigations of the mechanism of radiation damage to DNA/RNA nucleobases have claimed OH radical addition as the dominating pathway based solely on energetics. In this study we supplement calculations of energies with the kinetics of all possible reactions with the OH radical through hydrogen abstraction and OH radical addition onto carbon sites, using DFT at the ωB97X‐D/6‐311++G(2df,2pd) level with the Eckart tunneling correction. The overall rate constants for the reaction with adenine, guanine, thymine, and uracil are found to be 2.17×10^?12, 5.64×10^?11, 2.01×10^?11, and 5.03×10^?12 cm³ molecules^?1 s^?1, respectively, which agree exceptionally well with experimental values. We conclude that abstraction of the amine group hydrogen atoms competes with addition onto C₈ as the most important reaction pathway for the purine nucleobases, while for the pyrimidine nucleobases addition onto C₅ and C₆ competes with the abstraction of H₁. Thymine shows favourability against abstraction of methyl hydrogens as the dominating pathway based on rate constants. These mechanistic conclusions are partly explained by an analysis of the electrostatic potential together with HOMO and LUMO orbitals of the nucleobases.