SN2 reactions in the gas phase. Alkyl group structural effects

The gas phase heats and entropies of S_N2-like association of bromide ions with a series of alkyl bromides are reported. Comparison of this data with published data for the same reactions in solution suggests that the alkyl group structural effects on S_N2 reactivity in solution are controlled entirely by the solvent.     

SN2 reactions in the gas phase. Structure of the transition state

The alkylhalide-halide association ions, [RX₂]^? that are observed in the negative chemical ionization mass spectra of alkyl halides appear to be directly related to the corresponding S_N2 transition states in solution. ‘Frontside’ association of halide ions with bridgehead alkyl halides does not occur in our system. The Change in heats and entropies of association for the chloromethane series is consistent with delocalization in the [RX]₂^? ions.     

Steric retardation of SN2 reactions in the gas phase and solution

The gas-phase S(N)2 reactions of chloride with ethyl and neopentyl chlorides and their alpha-cyano derivatives have been explored with B3LYP, CBS-QB3, and PDDG/PM3 calculations. Calculations predict that the steric effect of the tert-butyl group raises the activation energy by about 6 kcal/mol relative to methyl in both cases. Solvent effects have been computed with QM/MM Monte Carlo simulations for DMSO, methanol, and water, as well as with a polarizable continuum model, CPCM. Solvents cause a large increase in the activation energies of these reactions but have a very small differential effect on the ethyl and neopentyl substrates and their cyano derivatives. The theoretical results contrast with previous conclusions that were based upon gas-phase rate measurements.     

Substituent effects on SN2 reaction between substituted benzyl chloride and chloride ion in gas phase

Nucleophilic substitution reaction between some substituted benzyl chlorides and chloride ion has been investigated by ab initio and DFT methods. New calculated energy data are in better agreement with experimental data. The electron‐withdrawing groups increase the energy barriers and the electron‐donating groups decrease them. The changes of geometrical parameters and energy data are in good agreement with the results of atoms in molecules and natural bond orbital analyses. The relationship between Hammett coefficients and energy data (and geometry parameters) has been established and the ρ constant has been calculated for this reaction. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

A Unified Framework for Understanding Nucleophilicity and Protophilicity in the SN2/E2 Competition

The concepts of nucleophilicity and protophilicity are fundamental and ubiquitous in chemistry. A case in point is bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (S_N2) and base-induced elimination (E2). A Lewis base acting as a strong nucleophile is needed for S_N2 reactions, whereas a Lewis base acting as a strong protophile (i.e., base) is required for E2 reactions. A complicating factor is, however, the fact that a good nucleophile is often a strong protophile. Nevertheless, a sound, physical model that explains, in a transparent manner, when an electron-rich Lewis base acts as a protophile or a nucleophile, which is not just phenomenological, is currently lacking in the literature. To address this fundamental question, the potential energy surfaces of the S_N2 and E2 reactions of X⁻+C₂H₅Y model systems with X, Y = F, Cl, Br, I, and At, are explored by using relativistic density functional theory at ZORA-OLYP/TZ2P. These explorations have yielded a consistent overview of reactivity trends over a wide range in reactivity and pathways. Activation strain analyses of these reactions reveal the factors that determine the shape of the potential energy surfaces and hence govern the propensity of the Lewis base to act as a nucleophile or protophile. The concepts of “characteristic distortivity” and “transition state acidity” of a reaction are introduced, which have the potential to enable chemists to better understand and design reactions for synthesis.     

Quantum dynamics of gas-phase SN2 reactions.

Understanding the state-resolved dynamics of elementary chemical reactions involving polyatomic molecules, such as the well-known reaction mechanism of nucleophilic bimolecular substitution (SN2), is one of the principal goals in chemistry. In this Review, the progress in the quantum mechanical treatment of SN2 reactions in the gas phase is reviewed. The potential energy profile of this class of reactions is characterized by two relatively deep wells, which correspond to pre- and post-reaction chargedipole complexes. As a consequence, the complex-forming reaction is dominated by Feshbach resonances. Calculations in the energetic continuum constitute a major challenge because the high density of resonance states imposes considerable requirements on the convergence and the energetic resolution of the scattering data. However, the effort is rewarding because new insights into the details of multimode quantum dynamics of elementary chemical reactions can be obtained.     

Protein structural effects in gas phase ion/molecule reactions with diethylamine.

The relationship between gas-phase protein structure and ion/molecule reactivity is explored in comparisons between native and disulfide-reduced aprotinin, lysozyme, and albumin. Reactions are performed in the atmospheric-pressure inlet to a quadrupole mass spectrometer employing a novel capillary interface-reactor. In reactions with equal concentrations of diethylamine, multiply protonated molecules generated by electrospray ionization (ESI) of 'native' proteins shifted to lower charge states than did multiply protonated molecules from ESI of the disulfide-reduced counterparts, suggesting that the disulfide-reduced protein ions are less reactive than native protein ions of the same charge state. Differences in reactivity may arise from protonation of different amino acid residues and/or differences in the proximities of charge sites in the two molecules. These results suggest that the reactivity of multiply charged proteins can be significantly affected by their gas-phase structure.     

Solvents effect on SN2 reactions

We attempt to find out the origin of rate difference of the S_N2 reaction in the gas phase and in the aqueous solution which is about twenty orders of magnitude. To do this, we calculate the interaction energies of both reactant-complex and activated-complex of the S_N2 reaction with the hydrated water molecules and their interaction energy differences, varying the number of hydrated water molecules step by step. The calculated results show that the rate of the S_N2 reaction decreases with an increase of the number of hydrated water molecules due to the increase of the reaction barrier height and also about sixty or more water molecules are needed to explain the rate difference of the S_N2 reaction in the gas phase and solution.     

Comprehensive theoretical studies on the gas phase SN2 reactions of anionic nucleophiles toward chloroamine and N-chlorodimethylamine with inversion and retention mechanisms

The anionic S(N)2 reactions at neutral nitrogen, Nu(-) + NR(2)Cl → NR(2)Nu + Cl(-) (R = H, Me; Nu = F, Cl, Br, OH, SH, SeH, NH(2), PH(2), AsH(2)) have been systematically studied computationally at the modified G2(+) level. Two reaction mechanisms, inversion and retention of configuration, have been investigated. The main purposes of this work are to explore the reactivity trend of anions toward NR(2)Cl (R = H, Me), the steric effect on the potential energy surfaces, and the leaving ability of the anion in S(N)2@N reactions. Our calculations indicate that the complexation energies are determined by the gas basicity (GB) of the nucleophile and the electronegativity (EN) of the attacking atom, and the overall reaction barrier in the inversion pathway is basically controlled by the GB value of the nucleophile. The retention pathway in the reactions of NR(2)Cl with Nu(-) (Nu = F, Cl, Br, OH, SH, SeH) is energetically unfavorable due to the barriers being larger than those in the inversion pathway by more than 120 kJ mol(-1). Activation strain model analyses show that a higher deformation energy and a weaker interaction between deformed reactants lead to higher overall barriers in the reactions of NMe(2)Cl than those in the reactions of NH(2)Cl. Our studies on the reverse process of the title reactions suggest that the leaving ability of the anion in the gas phase anionic S(N)2@N reactions is mainly determined by the strength of the N-LG bond, which is related to the negative hyperconjugation inherent in NR(2)Nu (R = H, Me; Nu = HO, HS, HSe, NH(2), PH(2), AsH(2)).     

The alpha-effect in gas-phase SN2 reactions revisited

This paper re-examines gas-phase S(N)2 reactions at saturated carbon for model reactions Nu(-) + CH(3)Cl --> CH(3)Nu + Cl(-) (Nu(-) = HO(-), MeO(-), NH(2)(-), HS(-), Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), HOO(-), MeOO(-), HSS(-), and NH(2)NH(-)) using the G2(+) theory. The calculated results show that the alpha-effect does exist in the gas-phase S(N)2 reaction at the sp(3) carbon, contrary to the currently accepted notion of the absence of the alpha-effect in the gas phase.     

Hydrogen abstraction from organosilicon compounds. The reactions of fluoromethyl radicals with tetramethylsilane. Polar effects in gas phase reactions

The photolysis of 1,1,3,3-tetrafluoroacetone has been reinvestigated as a source of CHF₂ radicals at temperatures up to 578°K, and the following rate constant ratio was determined for the reactions

1 θ= 2.303 RT in kcal/mole.

1,1-Difluoro- and 1,1,3,3-tetrafluoroacetone were photolyzed in the presence of tetramethylsilane, and Arrhenius parameters were measured for the hydrogen abstraction reactions: R + Me₄Si → RH + Me₃SiCH₂

The α‐effect exhibited in gas‐phase SN2@N and SN2@C reactions

In order to explore the existence of α‐effect in gas‐phase S_N2@N reactions, and to compare its similarity and difference with its counterpart in S_N2@C reactions, we have carried out a theoretical study on the reactivity of six α‐oxy‐Nus (FO^?, ClO^?, BrO^?, HOO^?, HSO^?, H₂NO^?) in the S_N2 reactions toward NR₂Cl (R = H, Me) and RCl (R = Me, i‐Pr) using the G2(+)_M theory. An enhanced reactivity induced by the α‐atom is found in all examined systems. The magnitude of the α‐effect in the reactions of NR₂Cl (R = H, Me) is generally smaller than that in the corresponding S_N2 reaction, but their variation trend with the identity of α‐atom is very similar. The origin of the α‐effect of the S_N2@N reactions is discussed in terms of activation strain analysis and thermodynamic analysis, indicating that the α‐effect in the S_N2@N reactions largely arises from transition state stabilization, and the “hyper‐reactivity” of these α‐Nus is also accompanied by an enhanced thermodynamic stability of products from the n_(N) → σ*_(O?Y) negative hyperconjugation. Meanwhile, it is found that the reactivity of oxy‐Nus in the S_N2 reactions toward NMe₂Cl is lower than toward i‐PrCl, which is different from previous experiments, that is, the S_N2 reactions of NH₂Cl is more facile than MeCl. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Isotope effects in dissociation reactions of proton bound amine dimers in the gas phase

Kinetic and thermodynamic isotope effects on the unimolecular dissociation of proton bound dimers were studied in the gas phase using mass spectrometry techniques. In addition proton transfer reactions were investigated using equilibrium techniques in conjunction with a theoretical study. Normal isotope effects were observed for all of the amine systems studied. The effect of label position, extent of labeling, size and structure of the proton bound dimers have been discussed with respect to (i) the kinetic and thermodynamic isotope effect on the dissociation reaction, (ii) the kinetic energy release on the dissociation reaction, (iii) the thermodynamic isotope effect on the proton exchange reaction between the labeled and unlabeled amines, and (iv) the effective temperatures and the excess energies of the metastable proton bound dimers. Other compound classes (CH₃OH, (CH₃)₂O, CH₃CN and (CH₃)₂CO) were studied and discussed in the same way, though not as thoroughly. All the systems show normal isotope effects, except for the proton bound dimer of CH₃CN and CD₃CN, which showed an inverse isotope effect.     

Elimination reactions of ions in the gas phase

The loss of water from the molecular ion of 2-adamantanol was investigated using specifically labelled deuterium derivatives, and, in particular that stereospecifically labelled in position 4. Water is lost predominantly in a stereospecific 1, 3 fashion by two clearly distinguishable mechanisms. Determination of metastable ion characteristics proved to be essential for drawing this distinction.     

Nonequilibrium solvent polarization in kinetics of SN2 reactions

The solvent effect on the experimental activation barriers for the reactions of methyl iodide with chloride and thiocyanate ions was analyzed according to the Marcus and Shaik theories, considering S_N2 mechanism in terms of a single electron shift. The linear increase in the solvent reorganization energy of the Marcus theory (after removing contributions from the specific solvation) with the solvent Pekar factor, describing the effect of the nonequilibrium solvent polarization, was observed for six aprotic solvents. The direct support of the title effect based on the Shaik theory was less evident; however, in general, the calculated activation barriers in 10 solvents change parallel with the experimental ones. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 61–66, 2003     

Imaging the dynamics of gas phase reactions

Ion imaging methods are making ever greater impact on studies of gas phase molecular reaction dynamics. This article traces the evolution of the technique, highlights some of the more important breakthroughs with regards to improving image resolution and in image processing and analysis methods, and then proceeds to illustrate some of the many applications to which the technique is now being applied--most notably in studies of molecular photodissociation and of bimolecular reaction dynamics.     

An analysis of the interaction energy in some SN2 reactions

The interaction energy between an incoming group X^– and the substrate CRH₂Y at the geometry of the transition state (TS) for bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reactions (with X, Y, and R equal to H and F) has been subjected to decomposition according to the Morokuma scheme. The influence of the basis set and of the geometry chosen for the TS is examined. The results bring out regular trends in the different terms of the decomposition along the whole set of reactions, but they are not sufficient to give a rationale of the energetic factors involved in these reactions.