Factors influencing the reductive cleavage of C-x multiple bonds in their reactions with meal-meal multiple bonds (X = C, N, O, S)

Though metal-metal multiple bonds of the transition elements are redox active, their reactivity towards C-X multiple bonds (X = C, N, O, S) vary greatly depending principally on: 1. The coordination geometry of the metal. 2. The oxidation state of the metal and the electronic configuration of the M-M bond. 3. The nature of the attendant ligands. Specific examples of C-X multiple bond activation at dimolybdenum and ditungsten centers are presented that illustrate the importance of these factors. Evidence is presented to support the view that reductive cleavage of a C-X multiple bond can be considered to be equivalent to an intramolecular redox reaction within a [M2CX] "cluster complex," for which the frontier orbital energies of the C-X and M-M multiple bonds are of paramount importance. Some applications of these C-X reductive cleavage reactions toward organic synthesis are described.     

Topological analysis of the electronic charge density in the ethene protonation reaction catalyzed by acidic zeolite

In the present work, the distribution of the electronic charge density in the ethene protonation reaction by a zeolite acid site is studied within the framework of the density functional theory and the atoms in molecules (AIM) theory. The key electronic effects such as topological distribution of the charge density involved in the reaction are presented and discussed. The results are obtained at B3LYP/6-31G(**) level theory. Attention is focused on topological parameters such as electron density, its Laplacian, kinetic energy density, potential energy density, and electronic energy density at the bond critical points (BCP) in all bonds involved in the interaction zone, in the reactants, pi-complex, transition state, and alkoxy product. In addition, the topological atomic properties are determined on the selected atoms in the course of the reaction (average electron population, N(Omega), atomic net charge, q(Omega), atomic energy, E(Omega), atomic volume, v(Omega), and first moment of the atomic charge distribution, M(Omega)) and their changes are analyzed exhaustively. The topological study clearly shows that the ethene interaction with the acid site of the zeolite cluster, T5-OH, in the ethene adsorbed, is dominated by a strong O-H...pi interaction with some degree of covalence. AIM analysis based on DFT calculation for the transition state (TS) shows that the hydrogen atom from the acid site in the zeolitic fragment is connected to the carbon atom by a covalent bond with some contribution of electrostatic interaction and to the oxygen atom by closed shell interaction with some contribution of covalent character. The C-O bond formed in the alkoxy product can be defined as a weaker shared interaction. Our results show that in the transition state, the dominant interactions are partially electrostatic and partially covalent in nature, in which the covalent contribution increases as the concentration and accumulation of the charge density along the bond path between the nuclei linked increases.     

AIM Study on the Reaction of CH2SH Radical with Fluorine Atom

The reaction of CH2SH radical with fluorine atom was studied at the levels of B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) and MP2(Full)/6-311G(d,p). The computational results show that the reaction has three channels and proceeds by the addition of fluorine atoms on carbon or sulfur sites of CH2SH, forming initial intermediates. The calculated results show that the channel in which fluorine attaches to the carbon atom to form CH2S and HF, is the most likely reaction pathway. Topological analysis of electron density was carried out for the three channels. The change trends of the chemical bonds on the reaction paths were discussed. The energy transition states and the structure transition regions (states) of the three channels were found. The calculated results show that the structure transition regions are broad in unobvious exothermic reactions or unobvious endothermic reactions, and are narrow in obvious exothermic reactions or obvious endothermic reactions.     

INDO calculations on the sigmatropic [1, 5] H-Shift in 1,3-cyclohexadiene and 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene A homo-cyclopentadienyl transition state model

INDO calculations have been performed for the activated complex of the [1, 5] H.-shift in 1,3-cyclohexadiene and 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene. During the migration in the cyclohexadiene system a homoconjugation was calculated between the carbon atoms C₁ and C₅. For cycloheptatriene it could be demonstrated that one double bond does not participate in the reaction. Activation enthalpies are related to (homo)conjugation in the transition state of the reaction for cyclic conjugated dienes and trienes. The electron density on the migrating hydrogen can be related to the electron affinity of the ring system in the transition state.[/p]     

HCHO+X(X=F、Cl、Br)的反应机理

采用CCSD/6-311++G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p)方法研究了HCHO与卤素原子X(X=F、Cl、Br)的反应机理. 计算结果表明, 卤素原子X(X=F、Cl、Br)主要通过直接提取HCHO中的H原子生成HCO+HX(X=F、Cl、Br). 另外还可以生成稳定的中间体, 中间体再通过卤原子夺氢和氢原子直接解离两个反应通道分别生成HCO+HX(X=F、Cl、Br)和H+XCHO(X=F、Cl、Br). 其中卤原子夺氢通道为主反应通道, HCO和HX(X=F、Cl、Br)为主要的反应产物; 且三个反应的活化能均较低, 说明此类反应很容易进行, 计算结果与实验结果符合很好. 电子密度拓扑分析显示, 在HCHO+X反应通道(b)中出现了T型结构过渡态, 结构过渡态(STS)位于能量过渡态(ETS)之后. 并且按F、Cl、Br的顺序, 结构过渡态出现得越来越晚.     

A crossed beams study of the reaction of carbon atoms, C(3Pj), with vinyl cyanide, C2H3CN(X 1A')--investigating the formation of cyano propargyl radicals

The chemical dynamics of the reaction of ground state carbon atoms, C(3Pj), with vinyl cyanide, C2H3CN(X 1A'), were examined under single collision conditions at collision energies of 29.9 and 43.9 kJ mol(-1) using the crossed molecular beams approach. The experimental studies were combined with electronic structure calculations on the triplet C4H3N potential energy surface (H. F. Su, R. I. Kaiser, A. H. H. Chang, J. Chem. Phys., 2005, 122, 074320). Our investigations suggest that the reaction follows indirect scattering dynamics via addition of the carbon atom to the carbon-carbon double bond of the vinyl cyanide molecule yielding a cyano cyclopropylidene collision complex. The latter undergoes ring opening to form cis/trans triplet cyano allene which fragments predominantly to the 1-cyano propargyl radical via tight exit transition states; the 3-cyano propargyl isomer was inferred to be formed at least a factor of two less; also, no molecular hydrogen elimination channel was observed experimentally. These results are in agreement with the computational studies predicting solely the existence of a carbon versus hydrogen atom exchange pathway and the dominance of the 1-cyano propargyl radical product. The discovery of the cyano propargyl radical in the reaction of atomic carbon with vinyl cyanide under single collision conditions implies that this molecule can be an important reaction intermediate in combustion flames and also in extraterrestrial environments (cold molecular clouds, circumstellar envelopes of carbon stars) which could lead to the formation of cyano benzene (C6H5CN) upon reaction with a propargyl radical.     

Mechanism and energetics of intramolecular hydrogen transfer in amide and peptide radicals and cation-radicals

Intramolecular hydrogen transfer in five model amide and peptide radicals and cation-radicals was investigated by combined B3LYP-MP2 calculations. Hypervalent ammonium radicals produced by electron capture in protonated peptides undergo competitive elimination of ammonia, H-atom loss, and H-atom migration to neighboring amide carbonyls. The calculated transition state energies for H-atom migration are slightly but uniformly lower than those for H-atom loss. Transition state theory calculations with inclusion of quantum tunneling effects predict k(H migration)/k(H loss) branching ratios that increase with the ring size of the cyclic transition state for the migration. Intramolecular hydrogen-atom migration in amide and peptide radicals can be described by the proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism. The migrating hydrogen atom shows a negligible spin density and substantial positive charge that are typical of a proton migration. Electron transfer occurs through a pi-orbital system and proceeds in the same (clockwise) or opposite (counterclockwise) direction as the proton motion, depending on the electronic properties of the chain connecting the ammonium group and the amide bond.     

Topological characterization of HXO2 (X = Cl, Br, I) isomerization

The isomerization reactions of HOOX --> HOXO --> HXO2 (X = Cl, Br, I) have been studied by using the density functional theory. The breakage and formation of the chemical bonds of the titled reactions have been discussed by the topological analysis method of electronic density. The calculated results show that there is a transitional structure of a three-membered ring on each of the isomerization reaction paths. The "energy transition state (ETS)" and the "structure transition state (STS)" in all of the studied reactions have been found. In all these reactions, the position of the structure transition state and the scope of the structure transition region correlate well with the reaction energy. The STS appears after the ETS in the exothermic reaction but it appears before the ETS in the endothermic reaction. The less reaction energy there is, the wider scope of the structure transition region.     

Hydrogen Isotope Absorption in Unary Oxides and Nitrides with Anion Vacancies and Substitution

The absorption states of hydrogen isotopes in various ceramic materials were investigated by density functional theory. For pristine ceramic materials, main-group oxides do not form any bond with a hydrogen atom. However, transition metal oxides form hydroxyl groups and absorb hydrogen atoms. Main-group and transition metal nitrides form ionic bonds between a hydrogen atom and the surrounded cation. For anion-deficient ceramic materials, hydrogen atoms are negatively charged because of excess electrons induced by anion vacancies, and ionic bonds form with the surrounded cation, which stabilizes the hydrogen absorption state. N substitutional doping into oxides introduces an electron hole, while O substitutional doping into the nitrides introduces an excess of electrons. Therefore, hydrogen isotopes form covalent bonds in N-substituted oxides, and form hydride ions in O-substituted nitrides. Thus, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, CrN, and TiN are promising materials as hydrogen permeation barriers.     

CH2XH→CH3X (X＝O, S, Se)异构化的量子拓扑研究

利用从头算和量子拓扑方法讨论了CH₂XH→CH₃X (X＝O, S, Se)异构化过程的反应机理. 着重从电子密度拓扑分析计算了反应进程中的各点, 讨论了反应进程中键的断裂和生成, 上述反应都经历了三元环过渡结构, 找到了这类反应的"能量过渡态"和"结构过渡态", 且结构过渡态均在能量过渡态之后出现. 三元结构过渡态结构出现的范围与反应热成正比.     

Chain length effects in the competition between intramolecular hydrogen migrations in the molecular ions of hydrogen migration in the molecular ions of α-benzylamino-ω-benzyloxyalkanes as studied by deuterium labelling

The unimolecular decompositions upon electron impact of the bifunctional compounds ØCH₂-NH? (CH₂)_n-O? CH₂Ø(n=2 to 7)have been studied by deuterium labelling. The molecular ions lose a benzyl radical and/or a benzaldehyde molecule, depending on the length of the aliphatic chain. Both reactions appear to be the result of the transfer of a hydrogen atom to the charge localized amino function in a cyclic transition state. The ring size of this transition state turns out to play a far more important role than the difference in reactivity of the migrating hydrogen atoms.     

Ab initio and experimental study on thermally degradable polycarbonates: the effect of substituents on the reaction rates.

Thermal elimination reactions on polycarbonates are investigated from both theoretical and experimental points of view, to obtain insight into the microscopic aspects that influence the reaction mechanism and rates. In particular, attention is focused on the influence of the type of substituents in the polymer chain on the reaction rates. Ab initio density functional theory calculations are performed on a series of model compound systems for the polycarbonates under study, in particular carbonates differing by the groups attached at the alpha and beta carbon atoms. Reactants, products, and transition states are optimized at the B3LYP/6-311g level of theory. The structures of the activated complex give insight into the mechanistic details of this type of E(i) elimination reactions. The C(alpha)-O bond dissociates before the C(beta)-H bond, developing some carbocation character in the transition state on the C(alpha) atom. The kinematics of the thermal decomposition reactions have been studied by means of transition state theory by construction of the microscopic partition functions. It turns out that the rates of the E(i) elimination reactions are increased by the presence of those substituents on the C(alpha) and C(beta) carbon atoms which are stabilizing the carbocation character in the transition state. In a second part, degradation temperatures have been experimentally measured for some polycarbonates through thermogravimetric analysis. It is investigated whether the relative rates of the model compound carbonate systems are representative of the behavior of the thermal degradation temperatures in polycarbonates. The study as presented here proves that ab initio calculations on small model systems, which are representative for the active area of the degradation process in polycarbonates, can provide insight into the principal ingredients that govern the reaction rates.     

Mechanistic insights on how hydroquinone disarms OH and OOH radicals

Phenol derivatives are distinguished as successful free radical scavengers. We present a detailed analysis of hydroxyl hydrogen abstraction from hydroquinone by hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radical with emphasis on changes that take place in the vicinity of the transition state. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules is employed to elucidate the sequence of positive and negative charge transfer by studying selected properties of the three key atoms (the transferring hydrogen, the donor atom, and the acceptor atom) along intrinsic reaction path. The presented results imply that in both reactions, which are examples of proton coupled electron transfer, proton, and electron get simultaneously transferred to the radical oxygen atom. The fact that the hydrogen's charge and volume do not monotonously change in the vicinity of the transition state in the product valley results from the adjacency of the proton and the electron to the donor and the acceptor oxygen atoms. Obtaining a detailed understanding of mechanisms by which free radicals are disarmed is of paramount importance given the effects of those highly reactive species on biological systems. A comprehensive analysis of hydroxyl hydrogen abstraction from hydroquinone by hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals, based on changes of selected electronic properties of the three most relevant atoms (hydrogen donor, hydrogen acceptor, and the hydrogen itself), along the reaction coordinate, can be obtained by first‐principles calculations.     

Proton-coupled electron transfer versus hydrogen atom transfer in benzyl/toluene,methoxyl/methanol,and phenoxyl/phenol self-exchange reactions

Degenerate hydrogen atom exchange reactions have been studied using calculations, based on density functional theory (DFT), for (i) benzyl radical plus toluene, (ii) phenoxyl radical plus phenol, and (iii) methoxyl radical plus methanol. The first and third reactions occur via hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanisms. The transition structure (TS) for benzyl/toluene hydrogen exchange has C(2)(h)() symmetry and corresponds to the approach of the 2p-pi orbital on the benzylic carbon of the radical to a benzylic hydrogen of toluene. In this TS, and in the similar C(2) TS for methoxyl/methanol hydrogen exchange, the SOMO has significant density in atomic orbitals that lie along the C-H vectors in the former reaction and nearly along the O-H vectors in the latter. In contrast, the SOMO at the phenoxyl/phenol TS is a pi symmetry orbital within each of the C(6)H(5)O units, involving 2p atomic orbitals on the oxygen atoms that are essentially orthogonal to the O.H.O vector. The transferring hydrogen in this reaction is a proton that is part of a typical hydrogen bond, involving a sigma lone pair on the oxygen of the phenoxyl radical and the O-H bond of phenol. Because the proton is transferred between oxygen sigma orbitals, and the electron is transferred between oxygen pi orbitals, this reaction should be described as a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). The PCET mechanism requires the formation of a hydrogen bond, and so is not available for benzyl/toluene exchange. The preference for phenoxyl/phenol to occur by PCET while methoxyl/methanol exchange occurs by HAT is traced to the greater pi donating ability of phenyl over methyl. This results in greater electron density on the oxygens in the PCET transition structure for phenoxyl/phenol, as compared to the PCET hilltop for methoxyl/methanol, and the greater electron density on the oxygens selectively stabilizes the phenoxyl/phenol TS by providing a larger binding energy of the transferring proton.     

Highly efficient induction of chirality in intramolecular

Highly stereocontrolled, intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloadditions between ketenimines and imines leading to 1,2-dihydroazeto[2, 1-b]quinazolines have been achieved. The source of stereocontrol is a chiral carbon atom adjacent either to the iminic carbon or nitrogen atom. In the first case, the stereocontrol stems from the preference for the axial conformer in the first transition structure. In the second case, the origin of the stereocontrol lies on the two-electron stabilizing interaction between the C-C bond being formed and the sigma orbital corresponding to the polar C-X bond, X being an electronegative atom. These models can be extended to other related systems for predicting the stereochemical outcome in this intramolecular reaction.     

Elimination of water from the molecular ion of cycloheptanol

Under electron impact cycloheptanol decomposes by four fragmentation paths: (1) α-cleavage with subsequent losses of C¹-C⁵ fragments, (2) elimination of water, (3) loss of the hydrogen atom from C-1 and (4) loss of the hydroxyl group. The mechanism of water elimination was investigated by means of deuterium labelling. 1,4-Elimination of water predominates in cycloheptanol, with the stereospecific cis-1,3-elimination also being operative. The loss of water is preceded by extensive exchange of the hydroxyl hydrogen with those of the ring. This is attributed to a very facile transannular interaction of the hydroxyl group with the C-3 to C-6 positions that are made accessible due to conformational properties of the 7-membered ring. A kinetic model is proposed, describing migrations of the ring hydrogen atoms.     

Imaging of ultrafast molecular elimination reactions

Ultrafast molecular elimination reactions are studied using the velocity map ion imaging technique in combination with femtosecond pump-probe laser excitation. A pump laser is used to initiate the dissociative reaction, and after a predetermined time delay a probe laser "interrogates" the molecular system. Ionic fragments are detected with a two-dimensional velocity map imaging detector providing detailed information about the energetic and vectorial properties of mass selected photofragments. In this paper we discuss the ultrafast elimination of molecular iodine, I(2), from IF(2)C-CF(2)I, where the iodine atoms originate from neighboring carbon atoms. By varying the femtosecond delay between pump and probe pulse, it is found that elimination of molecular iodine is a concerted process, although the two carbon-iodine bonds are not broken synchronously. Energetic considerations suggest that the crucial step in this fragmentation process is an electron transfer between the two iodine atoms in the parent molecule, which leads to Coulombic attraction and the creation of an ion-pair state in the molecular iodine fragment.     

Unsaturated Molecules Containing Main Group Metals

Molecules in which there are neighboring electrophilic and nucleophilic centers are unusually reactive. Oligomerization can be prevented only by bulky groups attached to the main group metal atom that would act as electron pair acceptor, or to the basic non-metal atom. The basic and the acid centers behave as a single unit in chemical reactions; the system is similar to a “double bond” whose π-electron density is largely concentrated at one atom. The unsaturated nature of these molecules can be seen in (for example) their addition reactions with hydrogen compounds of non-metals, or in reactions that are distantly related to cycloadditions at homopolar double bonds. The selection of suitable reaction partners leads to polycyclic, cage-like molecules containing metal atoms. If these atoms possess lone pairs (as is usual in the lower oxidation states of the third and fourth main groups), these can be utilized to form bonds to further (Lewis acid) metal centers. In some cases large assemblies can be built up from polycyclic systems in this way; a characteristic of these assemblies is a one-dimensional array of metal atoms. Commonly occurring structural features of the polycyclic species are tetrahedra, trigonal bipyramids and cubes.     

Topological characteristics of electron density distribution in SSXY --> XSSY (X or Y = F, Cl, Br, I) isomerization reactions

The reactions of SSXY to XSSY (X or Y = F, Cl, Br, I) have been studied at B3LYP/6-311++G(2df) and MP2/6-311++G(2df) levels based on B3LYP/6-311++G(2df) optimized geometries. There are two pathways (X or Y atom transferring) for each reaction of SSXY to XSSY(X or Y = F, Cl, Br, I). The "Atoms in Molecules" theory has been applied to analyze the topological characteristics of electron density distribution along the reaction path. (a) The S-S-X or S-S-Y ring structure transition region (STR) is contributed to S(1)-X or S(1)-Y bond formation and S(2)-X or S(2)-Y bond annihilation. The STR and structure transition state (STS) are defined. (b) Comparing the two pathways of each SSXY --> XSSY (X, Y = F, Cl, Br, I) reaction, X or Y atom transferring, the broader the STR is, the later the STS appears, and the pathway is easier. (c) When X linked to the same S site of a three-member ring (S-S-F, S-S-Cl, S-S-Br, or S-S-I), the ring STR becomes broader and the STS appears later according to the sequence of X = F, Cl, Br, and I. And in these cases, for exothermic reactions, the higher the DeltaE(P-->TS1) is, the broader the STR is and the later the STS appears. (d) When the same Y atom linked to different three-member-ring S-S-X, the STR becomes broader and the STS appears later according to the sequence of X = F, Cl, Br, and I in the ring. And in these cases, for exothermic reactions, the lower the DeltaE(P-->TS2) is, the broader the STR is and the later the STS appears.     

Bromothiophene reactions. II. A novel rearrangement in the zinc and acetic acid reduction

The elimination of the α-bromine atoms of the bromothienylethanolamine derivatives 2a,b,c,d with zinc and acetic acid unexpectedly involved a migration of the ethanolamine side chain from the 3 to the 2 position in the thiophene ring. Experiments carried out with simpler analogous compounds 3, 4 and 6 seem to indicate that this rearrangement takes place only in those cases in which the carbon atom of the side chain next to the ring supports an oxygen atom capable of being protonated in the reaction medium. A tentative mechanism is proposed to explain the experimental results.