Regioselectivity in cycloaddition reaction between phosphaacetylene and diazomethane: An ab initio study

The [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of phosphaacetylene with diazomethane was investigated by means of high level ab initio calculations. It was deduced that the aromatic diazaphosphole is formed via a nonaromatic intermediate. The regiospecificity of the reaction is thus determined by the energy difference between the two transition states that lead to the two possible regioisomeric intermediates. Of the transition states in the concerted pathways, the one leading to the regioisomer with two PC bonds ( 3 ) was found to be more stable at all the levels of theory investigated, including coupled-cluster singles doubles (CCSD)(T)/6-311 + G^*//Møller-Plessett(MP)2/6-311 + G^* (+ basis set superposition, BSSE, correction). The energy difference between the two transition states, however, is always less than 2 kcal/mol. When the free energies in the two reactions are calculated by use of the harmonic frequencies, the energy separation between the two transition structures remains practically unchanged. The free energy of activation ΔG^† was 21 kcal/mol at the CCSD(T)/6-311 + G^* level of theory and use of the MP2/6-31 + G^* frequencies. At the MP2 level, a rather stable complex is obtained in the initial phase of the reaction. However, the stability of the complexes decreases at the CCSD(T) level, and application of the BSSE correction results in unstable complexes. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An ab initio study of ascorbic acid

The conformations of ascorbic acid and its singly ionized analog are found to agree with the X-ray structures. The calculations are discussed in terms of the known chemistry of ascorbic acid and its metabolites.     

DFT and ab initio study on the reaction mechanism of CH2SH + O2

The mechanism for the CH₂SH + O₂ reaction was investigated by DFT and ab initio chemistry methods. The geometries of all possible stationary points were optimized at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level, and the single point energy was calculated at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVXZ(X = D and T), G3MP2 and BMC-CCSD levels. The results indicate that the oxidation of CH₂SH by O₂ to form HSCH₂OO is a barrierless process. The most favorable channel is the rearrangement of the initial adduct HSCH₂OO (IM1) to form another intermediate H₂C(S)OOH (IM3) via a five-center transition state, and then the C–O bond fission in IM3 leads to a complex CH₂S. . .HO₂ (MC1), which finally gives out to the major product CH₂S + HO₂. Due to high barriers, other products including cis- and trans-HC(O)SH + HO could be negligible. The direct abstraction channel was also determined to yield CH₂S + HO₂, with the barrier height of 22.3, 18.1 and 15.0 kcal/mol at G3MP2, CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ and BMC-CCSD levels, respectively, it is not competitive with the addition channel, in which all stationary points are lower than reactant energetically. The other channels to produce cis- and trans-CHSH + HO₂ are also of no importance.     

An ab initio study of pyruvic acid

The geometries and vibrational frequencies of two conformers of pyruvic acid have been obtained at the ab initio second order Möller-Plesset level of theory using the 6-311++G^** basis set. While the calculated geometries have been compared to the experimental microwave data, the vibrational frequencies have been assigned, using the experimental gas phase IR spectra of 13 isotopes of pyruvic acid by a recently developed scaling procedure (IRPROG). An attempt has been made to explain the stability of the eclipsed conformation over the staggered conformation of pyruvic acid by taking account of the molecular orbitals.     

An ab initio benchmark study of the H + CO --> HCO reaction

The H + CO --> HCO reaction has been characterized with correlation consistent basis sets at five levels of theory in order to benchmark the sensitivities of the barrier height and reaction ergicity to the one-electron and n-electron expansions of the electronic wave function. Single and multireference methods are compared and contrasted. The coupled cluster method RCCSD(T) was found to be in very good agreement with Davidson-corrected internally-contracted multireference configuration interaction (MRCI+Q). Second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) was also employed. The estimated complete basis set (CBS) limits for the barrier height (in kcal/mol) for the five methods, including harmonic zero-point energy corrections, are MP2, 4.66; RCCSD, 4.78; RCCSD(T), 4.15; MRCI, 5.10; and MRCI+Q, 4.07. Similarly, the estimated CBS limits for the ergicity of the reaction are: MP2, -17.99; RCCSD, -13.34; RCCSD(T), -13.79; MRCI, -11.46; and MRCI+Q, -13.70. Additional basis set explorations for the RCCSD(T) method demonstrate that aug-cc-pVTZ sets, even with some functions removed, are sufficient to reproduce the CBS limits to within 0.1-0.3 kcal/mol.     

An efficient route to pyrimidine nucleoside analogues by [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction

We report here an efficient synthesis for pyrimidine nucleoside analogues by [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. These compounds were obtained by convergent chemistry from glycosyl isothiocyanates 3a-f (pyranoses, furanoses, and dissaccharides) and diazadienium salt 5. In fact, diazapentadienium iodide 5 prepared from vinylthioamide 4 is an efficient intermediate in heterocyclic synthesis and reacts with isothiocyanates 3a-f affording beta-D-uracil analogues 7a-f in good yields and with total regiocontrol. All compounds were fully characterized by IR, HRMS, and 13C and 1H NMR (COSY and HMQC).     

Direct ab initio dynamics study of the OH + HOCO reaction

The reaction between OH and HOCO has been examined using the coupled-cluster method to locate and optimize the critical points on the ground-state potential energy surface. The energetics are refined using the coupled-cluster method with basis set extrapolation to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. Results show that the OH + HOCO reaction produces H2O + CO2 as final products and the reaction passes through an HOC(O)OH intermediate. In addition, the OH + HOCO reaction has been studied using a direct dynamics method with a dual-level ab initio theory. Dynamics calculations show that hydrogen bonding plays an important role during the initial stages of the reaction. The thermal rate constant is estimated over the temperature range 250-800 K. The OH + HOCO reaction is found to be nearly temperature-independent at lower temperatures, and at 300 K, the thermal rate constant is predicted to be 1.03 x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). In addition, there may be an indication of a small peak in the rate constant at a temperature between 300 and 400 K.     

An ab initio study of substituent effects in [1,3]-hydrogen shifts

Reports in the literature place the TS for the [1,3]-H shift in propene comparable to or higher in energy than loss of the allylic H. However, [1,3]-H shifts have been repeatedly observed experimentally in enolates. We used GAUSSIAN 98 to examine the origin of this apparent contradiction. We found the first TS for an antarafacial [1,3]-H shift that is clearly lower in energy than simple dissociation of the migrating H. This occurs in the [1,3]-H shift in the acetone enolate. Symmetrical substituents (H, O(-), ethynyl) have TSs with C(2) symmetry, implying that they, and probably most [1,3]-H shift TSs, are antarafacial. Conjugating substituents at C2 lower the energy of [1,3]-H shifts and raise the energy of dissociation by loss of a hydrogen atom from C3, increasing the likelihood of the former type of reaction. Strongly electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents are more effective than neutral substituents in lowering the energy requirement of [1,3] shifts. Our best calculations predict that a [1,3]-H shift is lower in energy than dissociation by loss of the H by 27.8 kJ/mol in 2-methyl-1-butene-3-yne, by 36.8 kJ/mol in isoprene, by 55.9 kJ/mol in 2-aminopropene, by 114.5 kJ/mol in the acetone enolate, and by 120.8 kJ/mol in the 1-methylacryloyl cation. Thus, there is a chance of experimental observation of [1,3] shifts in conjugated alkenes and related species.     

Competing pathways in the [2 + 2] cycloadditions of cyclopentyne and benzyne. A DFT and ab initio study

The [2 + 2] cycloadditions of cyclopentyne and benzyne to ethylene are explored at the B3LYP and CASSCF levels, supplemented by CCSD(T) and CAS-MP2 calculations at the stationary points. The biradical path in the benzyne system is computed to be about 4.1 kcal/mol lower than the concerted path, consistent with the experimentally observed loss of original stereochemistry in this cycloaddition. However, computations fail to confirm the 99% stereoretention in the corresponding reaction of cyclopentyne. The concerted and biradical paths in the latter reaction are found to involve nearly isoenergetic barriers, thus predicting only about 75% stereoretention. More sophisticated theoretical methods seem to be needed to resolve the issue in the cyclopentyne system.     

An MEDT study of the mechanism and selectivities of the [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of tomentosin with benzonitrile oxide

The [3+2] cycloaddition (32CA) reaction of tomentosin with benzonitrile oxide yielding a spiro-isoxazoline has been studied within the Molecular Electron Density Theory at the B3LYP/6-31(d,p) computational level. Given the multifunctionality of tomentosin, this 32CA reaction can take place along 16 competitive reaction paths. The chemo-, regio-, and stereoisomeric reaction paths involving the two C C double bonds of tomentosin have been studied. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations account for the total chemo- and regioselectivity, in complete agreement with the experimental outcomes, being suggestive of low diastereofacial selectivity. Analysis of the conceptual DFT indices accounts for the nonpolar character of this 32CA reaction. On the other hand, the topological analysis of the electron localization function of the selected points of the intrinsic reaction coordinate associated with the formation of the C C and C O single bonds emphasizes the zw-type reactivity of the phenyl nitrile oxide; the reaction taking place through a non-concerted two-stage one-step mechanism initialized with the formation of the C C single bond involving the β-conjugated carbon of tomentosin.     

An ab initio MO study on the thiol—disulphide exchange reaction

The characteristics of the thiol—disulphide exchange reaction are examined by an ab initio MO method. It is shown that this exchange reaction proceeds via one transition state, with almost no conformational distortion.     

CH自由基和NO~2反应研究: II.反应的动力学计算

采用MP2(FULL)/6-31G(d)方法从动力学计算上探讨了CH自由基与NO~2反应的可能途径,找到了反应物,中间体及产物之间的能量通道和过渡态,报道了它们的构型、电子态及能量。并通过频率分析和IRC方法对所有的过渡态进行了验证。在此基础上求出了各步反应的活化能。在以前热力学研究的基础上,对于可能的反应通道进一步作了动力学分析,找到了反应主产物通道的分支比,与实验得到的分支比基本吻合。     

含吡唑基查尔酮的[2+2]环加成反应研究

在氢氧化钾存在下,用4-甲酰基吡唑类化合物和取代苯乙酮发生反应得到含吡唑基查尔酮的[2+2]环加成产物,对其进行了波谱表征,并对其反应机理进行了讨论.     

CH自由基和NO~2反应研究: I. 反应的热力学计算

探讨了CH自由基与NO~2反应的可能路径,通过计算确定了反应物,产物和稳定中间体的电子状态和平衡构型,并运用Gaussian-3方法和MRCISD方法对可能的反应路径进行了热力学计算。在多数情况下与实验值符合较好。对于个别与理论计算差别较大的实验值进行了评述。     

A formal [3 + 3] cycloaddition reaction. 5. An enantioselective intramolecular formal aza-[3 + 3] cycloaddition reaction promoted by chiral amine salts

A detailed account on chiral secondary amine salt promoted enantioselective intramolecular formal aza-[3 + 3] cycloadditions is described here for the first time. The dependence of enantioselectivity on the structural feature of these chiral amines is thoroughly investigated. This study also reveals a very interesting reversal of the stereochemistry in the respective cycloadducts obtained using C(1)- and C(2)-symmetric amine salts. In addition, the influence of solvents, counteranions, and temperatures on the enantioselectivity is described, and a unified mechanistic model based on experimental results as well as semiempirical calculations is proposed.     

Asymmetric catalysis of the [5 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of vinylcyclopropanes and pi-systems

As part of our studies of metal-catalyzed [m + n (+...o)] cycloadditions, we have previously reported the rhodium-catalyzed [5 + 2] cycloaddition of vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) and pi-systems. These studies have led to Rh(I) complexes that catalyze these reactions in minutes at room temperature or in water without organic solvents. We describe a comparative evaluation of several chiral catalysts for the [5 + 2] reaction, evaluation of a preferred catalyst, [((R)-BINAP)Rh]+SbF6-, with substrates differing in substitution and tether types-producing enantiomeric excesses >/=95% for several systems. A predictive model for the selectivity is also presented.     

Synthesis of 4-heterocyclyl-hexahydro-8-methoxyfuro[3,2-c]quinolines by Lewis acid catalyzed [4 + 2]cycloaddition reaction

Synthesis of 2-substituted quinoline derivatives by Lewis acid catalyzed [4 + 2]cycloaddition was investigated.