Anab initio investigation of rotation and inversion barriers in formylphosphine

Rotation about N–CO bonds in amides has been extensively investigated, but a corresponding barrier to rotation about the P–CO bond in an acylphosphine has yet to be observed. In the present 4-31Gab initio study of formylphosphine, rotation barriers of 9.6 and 13.5 kJ mol^–1 and a phosphorus pyramidal inversion barrier of 108.0 kJ mol^–1 are predicted. A comparison of STO-3G and STO-3G^* barriers suggests that polarization functions are not needed to describe rotation in this system.

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Eine ab initio Untersuchung von Rotations- und Inversions-Barrieren in Formylphosphin

Zusammenfassung Die Rotation um N–CO-Bindungen in Amiden wurde bisher intensiv untersucht, eine entsprechende Rotationsbarriere für Drehungen um die P–CO-Bindung in Acylphosphinen wurde jedoch nicht beobachtet. Eine 4-31Gab initio-Untersuchung an Formylphosphin ergibt Rotationsbarrieren von 9,6 und 13,5 kJ mol^–1 und eine pyramidale Inversionsbarriere von 108,0 kJ mol^–1 als Voraussage. Ein Vergleich der STO-3G und STO-3G^* Barrieren legt nahe, daß Polarisationsfunktionen für die Beschreibung der Rotation in diesen Systemen nicht nötig sind.

     

New trends in the chemistry of α-fluorinated ethers, thioethers, amines and phosphines

Fluorine, the most electronegative element plays nowadays a key role in pharmaceutical, agrochemical and material sciences. About 20% of all pharmaceuticals and about 30% of agrochemicals under development or recently introduced on the market contain fluorine. However, when one examines the relevant structures more closely, one quickly recognizes a structural monotony. The same fluorine bearing aromatic or heterocyclic “cores” appear over and over again. The search for novel molecules having “emergent” fluorinated groups and the development of an efficient access toward them is a challenging task for industrial as well as academic laboratories. For example, the trifluoromethoxy group finds increased utility as a substituent in bioactives, but it is still perhaps the least well understood fluorine substituent in currency. The present review will give an updated overview on the synthesis of α-fluorinated ethers, thioethers, amines and phosphines.     

Anab initio investigation of Cu2Se and Cu4Se2

Summary Experimentally known copper selenium clusters show extraordinary geometrical features, especially short Cu-Cu distances. We report the first theoretical investigation of Cu₂Se and Cu₄Se₂. Various quantum chemical methods (SCF, MP2, CPF, CCSD, CCSD(T), LDF) are applied to determine the importance of dynamic electron correlation. We find that inclusion of correlation does not essentially change the electronic structure of the clusters but has a strong influence on geometries. To reduce the computational effort we apply effective core potentials (ECPs) in combination with small, but carefully optimized basis sets. The applicability of simple modellings of correlation energies for approximate inclusion of correlation effects in SCF geometry optimizations is tested.     

Fluoroalkenyl, fluoroalkynyl and fluoroalkyl phosphines

A review of the methods available for the preparation of monodentate P(III) compounds containing fluoroalkenyl, fluoroalkynyl and fluoroalkyl groups is given. The synthesis, properties and coordination chemistry of some fluoroalkenyl- and fluoroalkynyl-containing phosphines derived from HFC-134a (CF₃CH₂F) and HFC-245fa (CF₃CH₂CH₂F) is summarised. The development of the reaction between trimethylsilyl-containing phosphines and R_fI which provides a general method by which bulky fluoroalkyl groups, such as i-C₃F₇, t-C₄F₉, c-C₆F₁₁, can be readily introduced into phosphorus(III) centres is reported. Together these methods provide a way of generating P(III) systems of the type R_3−nP(R_f)_n capable of possessing a wide range of steric and electronic properties.     

Palladium-catalysed synthesis of biaryl phosphines

Monodentate, biphenyl-type phosphines have emerged as a powerful class of ligands in homogeneous catalysis. Synthetic methods for these ligands are limited, however. We report that the palladium-catalysed Suzuki coupling of OPR₂(o-C₆H₄X) (R=Ph, t-Bu; X=Br, I) with arylboronic acids affords a variety of biaryl phosphine oxides including those that contain heterocycles. The corresponding phosphines are readily obtained by treatment with HSiCl₃. The methodology provides an easy entry to monodentate biaryl and heterobiaryl P^?X (X=N, O, S) phosphines with diverse steric and electronic properties.     

Anab initio investigation of the inner shell excited states of the molecule Cl2

Restricted Hartree-Fock calculations of the Cl₂ molecule have been carried out to investigate the X-ray excited states below Cl 2p-electron ionization potential. Some inner shell excited states are shown to have a valence or a valence-Rydberg nature that results in a considerable intensity of the appropriate transitions in the X-ray absorption spectrum. A significant interaction among some electron configurations with a 2p vacancy is predicted.     

Electronic states of NiFe. Anab initio HF-CI study

Ab initio Hartree-Fock and configuration interaction methods have been employed in describing the interaction between a Ni and an Fe atom. The chemical bond between the atoms is due to a 4sσ molecular orbital. The 3d orbitals merely cause small splittings between the potential energy curves. Equilibrium distance, dissociation energy and vibrational frequency are predicted for the ground state of the molecule.     

Ab initio study of cyclobutane: molecular structure, ring-puckering potential, and origin of the inversion barrier

The structure and ring-puckering properties of cyclobutane and its perdeuterated isotopomer are studied using high-level ab initio methods and complete basis set extrapolations. Calculations reveal significant coupling between the ring-puckering (theta) and CH(2)-rocking (alpha) motions, with equilibrium angles (theta(eq) = 29.59 degrees and alpha(eq) = 5.67 degrees) that are within the range of experimentally determined values. Our best estimate of the inversion barrier is 482 cm(-1), in excellent agreement with recent experimental determinations. Ring-inversion transition frequencies are evaluated from the eigenstates of the intrinsic reaction coordinate potentials for cyclobutane and cyclobutane-d(8). Natural bond orbital analysis shows that sigma(CC) --> sigma(CH)* and sigma(CH) --> sigma(CH)* hyperconjugative interactions are strengthened as cyclobutane puckers, thereby suggesting that inversion barriers in four-membered ring systems are a consequence of electronic delocalization rather than torsional strain.     

Ab initio study of the inversion barrier in NF3+

Ab initio Hartree–Fock, Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP 2), and quadratic configuration interaction, using single and double substitutions (QCISD ), calculations were carried out for the NF₃⁺ ion. Optimized structures were examined at the various levels of theory. Calculation of the inversion barrier height shows the importance of optimizing the geometry at the post-Hartree–Fock level and the inclusion of polarization functions. The best calculated inversion barrier was 13.3 kcal/mol, compared to an experimental value of 17.3 kcal/mol. The dissociation transition state was computed to determine the well depth of the NF₃⁺ ion and its stability toward dissociation. The computed well depth was 28 and 48 kcal/mol at the SCF and MP 2 levels, respectively. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Ab initio calculation of the inversion barrier in the germyl radical

Equilibrium geometry, vibrational frequencies and inversion barrier of the GeH₃ radical have been calculated using ab initio molecular orbital methods at both the SCF and correlated levels. At the SCF level, the effect of several small and medium size basis sets of Ge on these properties are studied systematically. Electron correlation corrections as incorporatedvia fourth-order unrestricted Møller-Plesset perturbation theory in conjunction with large Gaussian basis sets were found to reduce the GeH₃ inversion barrier appreciably relative to the UHF values. The final barrier height of 4.5 kcal/mol can be compared with a recent estimate of 4.4 kcal/mol inferred from the REMPI study.     

Recent advances in chemoselective acylation of amines

N-chemoselective acylation of amines in the presence of competing nucleophiles, like alcohols and thiols, is by no means a simple achievement in organic synthesis and even more difficulties arise when distinctions between primary, secondary, and aromatic amines need to be made. The present digest will review some recent achievements in this field, ranging from transamidation reactions to carboxylic acid derivatives transacylations. In addition, more creative strategies, involving chemoenzymatic reactions and metal-catalyzed acylations and carbonylations, will be discussed in order to furnish a concise view of the state-of-the-art approaches to this synthetic challenge.     

Ionization potentials of ferrocene and Koopmans' theorem. Anab initio LCAO-MO-SCF calculation

The first ionization potentials of ferrocene have been computed in the LCAO-MO-SCF scheme as the difference of the total energy for the neutral molecule and the positive ion. The corresponding sequence of ionization potentials is found to be IP.(e _2g ) _1g )1u e _1g ) in good agreement with the experimental assignment. However, this is different from the sequence of orbital energies for the neutral molecule which is found to bea _1g (3d)<e _2g (-Cp)a _2u (-Cp)e _2u (-Cp)<e _2g (3d)1g (-Cp)e _1u (-Cp).It is concluded that Koopmans' theorem is not valid for the ferrocene molecule. This is traced to the different extent of the electronic rearrangement which occurs upon ionization, depending on the nature (ligand or metal) of the orbital involved in the ionization process.

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Zusammenfassung Das erste Ionisierungspotential von Ferrocen ist im Rahmen des LCAO-MO-SCF-Verfahrens als Differenz der Gesamtenergie von Molekül zu Ion berechnet worden. Dabei ergibt sich in guter Übereinstimmung mit dem Experiment die Folge I.P.(e _2g )1g )e _1u )e _1g ). Sie ist allerdings durchaus von der Orbitalreihenfolge des neutralen Moleküls, diea _1g (3d)<e _2g (-Cp)a _2u (-Cp)e _2u (-Cp)<e _2g (3d)<e _1g (-Cp)e _1u(-Cp). ist, verschieden, woraus sich die Nichtgültigkeit des Koopmans-Theorems für Ferrocen ergibt, und zwar läßt sie sich auf den unterschiedlichen Umfang der Elektronenumordnung infolge Ionisation zurückverfolgen, je nachdem, aus welchem MO die Ionisierung stattfindet.

     

One-pot synthesis of ultra-branched mixed tetradentate tripodal phosphines and phosphine chalcogenides

Ultra-branched mixed tetradentate tripodal phosphines and phosphine chalcogenides have been synthesized by the exhaustive regioselective addition of secondary phosphines, phosphine sulfides and phosphine selenides to available tris(4-vinylbenzyl)phosphine oxide under free-radical conditions (UV irradiation or AIBN) in good to excellent yields.     

Steric promotion in the cycloplatination of primary amines

The reactions of primary amines (S)-(−)-α-methylbenzylamine (1a) and (R)-(+)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine (1b) with cis-[PtCl₂(dmso)₂] in the presence of Na(CH₃CO₂) carried out in refluxing toluene–methanol mixtures produced cyclometallated compounds [PtCl{NH₂CH(CH₃)C₆H₄}{SOMe₂}] (2a) and [PtCl{NH₂CH(CH₃)C₁₀H₆}{SOMe₂}] (2b) in moderate and quantitative yields, respectively. Compound 2b was also obtained at room temperature, in the absence of Na(CH₃CO₂). The reactions of 2a and 2b with phosphines were studied. The obtained compounds were fully characterized and the factors that facilitate cycloplatination of primary amines are discussed.     

Influence of organic ligands on the stabilization of palladium nanoparticles

The synthesis of palladium nanoparticles is performed by hydrogenation of a precursor, Pd₂(dba)₃ (1) or [Pd(C₃H₅)Cl]₂ (2) in the presence of either a weakly coordinating ligand (hexadecylamine, HDA) or good ligands (polyphosphines). It is shown in the case of 1 that good ligands lead to stable spherical nanoparticles of small size (near 2 nm) whereas the protective effect of HDA depends on the amount of ligand added as a result of equilibria present at the surface of the particles as monitored by solution NMR spectroscopy. The decomposition of 2 being very fast, the particle growth cannot be controlled except in the case of the use of a large excess of HDA which leads to spongelike particles resulting from the agglomeration of initially obtained nanocrystallites.     

A theoretical investigation into the inversion barrier of dipole-stabilized alpha-aminoorganolithiums

[reaction: see text] Results from density functional theory calculations (B3LYP/6-31+G) suggest that inversion of the monomer of 2-lithio-N-formylpyrrolidine (2) in coordinating ethereal solvent occurs with an activation barrier of 15.7 kcal/mol, while the inversion of the monomer in a noncoordinating hydrocarbon solvent is considerably slower. However, aggregation into a trimer in hydrocarbon solvent restores the low inversion barrier. This study suggests that solvation and aggregation may influence the mechanism and rate of racemization of dipole-stabilized alpha-aminoorganolithiums.     

NH4I-promoted N-acylation of amines via the transamidation of DMF and DMA under metal-free conditions

An unprecedented NH₄I-promoted N-formylation and N-acetylization of various amines with dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylacetamide (DMA) has been developed. This protocol shows broad substrate scope for aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic amines, which provides a metal-free strategy for N-acylation featuring mild reaction conditions, as well as inexpensive and readily available starting materials.     

Rotational barrier and structure of aminoborane determined by AB initio calculations

Ab initio calculations have been used to determine the structural parameters of both the planar and the orthogonal form of H₂BNH₂. The BN bond lengths were found to be 1.378 Å and 1.469 Å, respectively. The arrangement about nitrogen is pyramidal in the orthogonal form. The best estimate of the barrier to internal rotation is 33.3 kcal/mole.     

Synthesis of fluorous trialkyl phosphines with the complete exclusion of PH3

A novel synthetic protocol has been developed for the synthesis of fluorous tertiary phosphines excluding the use of hazardous PH₃ and with control over the number of methylene spacers and the length of fluorous ponytails.