The reactions of some interstellar ions with benzene,cyclopropane and cyclohexane

The reactions of the cyclic molecules C₆H₆ (benzene), c-C₃H₆ (cyclopropane) and c-C₆H₁₂ (cyclohexane) with ArH⁺ (ArD⁺), H₃⁺, N₂H⁺, CH₅⁺, HCO⁺, OCSH⁺, C₂H₃⁺, CS₂H⁺ and H₃O⁺ have been studied at 300 K using a SIFT apparatus. All the reactions except those of C₂H₃⁺ proceed via proton transfer and all are fast except the H₃O⁺ and CS₂H⁺ reactions with c-C₆H₁₂ which are endothermic and which establish that the proton affinity of c-C₆H₁₂ is 160 ± 1 kcal mol⁻¹, which is considerably lower than the published value. In the c-C₃H₆ and the c-C₆H₁₂ reactions multiple products are observed and hence “breakdown curves” for the protonated molecules are constructed and the appearance energies of the various ion products are consistent with available thermochemical data. The reactions of C₂H₃⁺ with these cyclic molecules are atypical within this series of reactions in that they appear to proceed largely via hydride ion transfer. The implications of the results of this study to interstellar chemistry are alluded to.     

Ab initio study of the formation of C3H3+ from the reaction of CH3+ with acetylene

Ab initio molecular orbital theory has been used to study the mechanism of the formation of C₃H₃⁺ from the reaction of CH₃⁺ with acetylene. The highest level geometry optimizations and frequencies were computed at MP2-FC/6-31G**; single point energies of all the critical structures were computed to the MP4-FC/6-31G**//MP2-FC/6-31G** theory level. One of the three alternative transition structures leading to the formation of C₃H₃⁺ gives the cyclopropenyl cation and the other two the propargyl cation. The proportions of C₃H₂D⁺ and C₃HD₂⁺ obtained when CD₃⁺ reacts with acetylene, and the composite nature of the metastable peak observed for the [C₃H₅]⁺→[C₃H₃]⁺ + H₂ fragmentation are explained by assuming a different degree of deuterium scrambling depending on the energy of the system. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Activation of C2H6, C3H8, HC(CH3)3, and c-C3H6 by gas-phase Ru+ and the thermochemistry of Ru-ligand complexes

The reactions of Ru⁺ with C₂H₆, C₃H₈, HC(CH₃)₃, and c-C₃H₆ at hyperthermal energies have been studied using guided ion beam mass spectrometry. It is found that dehydrogenation is efficient and the dominant process at low energies in all four reaction systems. At high energies, C-H cleavage processes dominate the product spectrum for the reactions of Ru⁺ with ethane, propane, and isobutane. C-C bond cleavage is a dominant process in the cyclopropane system. The reactions of Ru⁺ are compared with those of the first-row transition metal congener Fe⁺ and the differences in behavior and mechanism are discussed in some detail. Modeling of the endothermic reaction cross sections yields the 0-K bond dissociation energies (in eV) of D ₀(Ru-H)=2.27±0.15, D ₀(Ru⁺-C)=4.70±0.11, D ₀(Ru⁺-CH)=5.20±0.12, D ₀(Ru⁺-CH₂)=3.57±0.05, D ₀(Ru⁺-CH₃)=1.66±0.06, D ₀(Ru-CH₃)=1.68±0.12, D ₀(Ru⁺-C₂H₂)=1.98±0.18, D ₀(Ru⁺-C₂H₃)=3.03±0.07, and D ₀(Ru⁺-C₃H₄)=2.24±0.12. Speculative bond energies for Ru⁺=CCH₂ of 3.39±0.19 eV and Ru⁺=CHCH₃ of 3.19±0.15 eV are also obtained. The observation of exothermic processes sets lower limits for the bond energies of Ru⁺ to ethene, propene, and isobutene of 1.34, 1.22, and 1.14 eV, respectively.     

Synthesis and some reactions of the stable vinyl cation stabilized by the 3-η5-cyclopentadienyl-η5-(3)-1,2-dicarbollyliron(II)-1 group

An individual vinyl cation in the form of a zwitterion stabilized by the 3-η⁵-C₅H₅Fe¹¹-η⁵-(3)-1,2-C₂B₉$\text{H}$₁₀-1 group has been produced for the first time, and its reactions with nucleophilic agents have been studied. Deprotonation yielding an acetylene derivative is the main reaction in the interaction of the vinyl cation with MeLi, NaBH₄ and C₅H₅N.     

Low-energy fragmentations of five isomeric [H3, C,N, O2] +· ions

The low-energy fragmentation characteristics of the [H₃,C,N,O₂]^+· isomers [H₃CNO₂]^+· (a), [H₂C?N(O)OH]^+· (b), [H₃CONO]^+· (c), [HC(O)NHOH]^+· (d) and [HC(OH)?NOH]^+· (e) were studied in detail by metastable ion mass spectrometry. In agreement with most earlier observations, appearance energy measurements established the potential energy surface of the isomers a, b and c, showing the intricate interrelations between them. It was concluded that a isomerizes into b prior to fragmentation by loss of ^·OH and H₂O and into c before loss of ^·H and H₃CO^· moreover, the reverse reactions do not take place on the metastable time-frame. The dominant metastable process for isomers d and e (obtained via HCN loss from glyoxime) was generation of [H₂NOH]^+·. For isomer e this process was proposed to involved a rate-determining isomerization into d. It was concluded that isomers d and e do not intercommunicate with ions a, b and c prior to fragmentation. Neutralization-reionization mass spectrometry indicated that the enol form of formohydroxamic acid as well as the keto counterpart are stable in the gas phase.     

Transition-metal mediated heteroatom removal by reactions of FeL+ [L=O,C4H6, c-C5H6, c-C5H5, C6H6, C5H4(=CH2)] with furan,thiophene, and pyrrole in the gas phase

Reactions of Fe⁺ and FeL⁺ [L=O, C₄H₆, c-C₅H₆, C₅H₅, C₆H₆, C₅H₄(=CH₂)] with thiophene, furan, and pyrrole in the gas phase by using Fourier transform mass spectrometry are described. Fe⁺, Fe(C₅H₅)⁺, and FeC₆H ₆ ⁺ yield exclusive rapid adduct formation with thiophene, furan, and pyrrole. In addition, the iron-diene complexes [FeC₄H ₆ ⁺ and Fe(c-C₅H₆)⁺], as well as FeC₅H₄(=CH₂)⁺ and FeO⁺, are quite reactive. The most intriguing reaction is the predominant direct extrusion of CO from furan by FeC₄H₆ ⁺, Fe(c-C₅H₆)⁺, and FeC₅H₄(=CH₂)⁺. In addition, FeC₄H ₆ ⁺ and Fe(c-C₅H₆)⁺ cause minor amounts of HCN extrusion from pyrrole. Mechanisms are presented for these CO and HCN extrusion reactions. The absence of CS elimination from thiophene may be due to the higher energy requirements than those for CO extrusion from furan or HCN extrusion from pyrrole. The dominant reaction channel for reaction of Fe(c-C₅H₆)⁺ with pyrrole and thiophene is hydrogen-atom displacement, which implies D^O(Fa(N₅H₅)⁺-C₄H₄X)>D^O(Fe(C₅H₅)⁺-H)=46±5 kcal mol^?1. D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₄S) and D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₅N)=D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₆)=48±5 kcal mol^?1. Finally, 55±5 kcal mol^?1=D^O(Fe⁺-C₆H₆)>D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₄O)>D^O(Fe⁺-C₂H₄)=39.9±1.4 kcal mol^?1. FeO⁺ reacts rapidly with thiophene, furan, and pyrrole to yield initial loss of CO followed by additional neutral losses. D^O(Fe⁺-CS)>D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₄S)≈48±5 kcal mol^?1 and D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₅N)≈48±5 kcal mol^?1>D^O(Fe⁺-HCN)>D^O(Fe⁺-C₂H₄)=39.9±1.4 kcal mil^?1.     

Preparation of new (η5-C5H4CH3)Mn(NO)(PPh3) and (η7-C7H7)Mo(CO)-(PPh3) complexes

The complex (η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(PPh₃)I has been prepared by the reaction of NaI with [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(CO)(PPh₃)]⁺ and also by the reaction of [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(CO)₂]⁺ with NaI followed by PPh₃. This iodide compound reacts with NaCN to yield (η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(PPh₃)CN which is ethylated by [(C₂H₅)₃O]BF₄ to yield [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(PPh₃)(CNC₂H₅)]⁺. Both [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(CO)₂]⁺ and [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(PPh₃)(CO)]⁺ react with NaCN to yield [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(CN)₂]^?. This anion reacts with Ph₃SnCl to yield cis-(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(CN)₂SnPh₃ and with [(C₂-H₅)₃O]BF₄ to yield [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(CNC₂H₅)₂]⁺. The reaction of (η⁵-C₅-H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(PPh₃)I with AgBF₄ in acetonitrile yields [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn-(NO)(PPh₃)(NCCH₃)]⁺. The complex (η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(CO)I, produced in the reaction of [(η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(CO)₂]⁺ with NaI, is not stable and decomposes to the dimeric complex (η⁵-C₅H₄CH₃)₂Mn₂(NO)₃I for which a reasonable structure is proposed. Similar dimers can be prepared from the other halide salts. The reaction of (η⁷-C₇H₇)Mo(CO)(PPh₃)I with NaCN yields (η⁷-C₇-H₇)Mo(CO)(PPh₃)CN which is ethylated by [(C₂H₅)₃O]BF₄ to yield [(η⁷-C₇H₇)-Mo(CO)(PPh₃)(CNC₂H₅)]⁺. The interaction of this molybdenum halide complex with AgBF₄ in acetonitrile and pyridine yields [(η⁷-C₇H₇)Mo(CO)(PPh₃)-(NCCH₃)]⁺ and [(η⁷-C₇H₇)Mo(CO)(PPh₃)(NC₅H₅)]⁺, respectively. Both (η⁵-C₅-H₄CH₃)Mn(NO)(PPh₃)I and (η⁷-C₇H₇)Mo(CO)(PPh₃)I are oxidized by NOPF₆ to the respective 17-electron cations in acetonitrile at ?78°C but revert to the neutral halide complex at room temperature. This result is supported by electrochemical data.     

Destabilized carbenium ions: α-carbomethoxy-α,α-dimethyl-methyl cations

Tertiary α-carbomethoxy-α,α-dimethyl-methyl cations a have been generated by electron impact induced fragmentation from the appropriately α-substituted methyl isobutyrates 1–4. The destabilized carbenium ions a can be distinguished from their more stable isomers protonated methyl methacrylate c and protonated methyl crotonate d by MIKE and CA spectra. The loss of I^— and Br˙ from the molecular ions of 1 and 2, respectively, predominantly gives rise to the destabilized ions a, whereas loss of Cl˙ from [3]^{+ ˙} results in a mixture of ions a and c. The loss of CH₃˙ from [4]⁺˙ favours skeletal rearrangement leading to ions d. The characteristic reactions of the destabilized ions a are the loss of CO and elimination of methanol. The loss of CO is associated by a very large KER and non-statistical kinetic energy release (T₅₀ = 920 meV). Specific deuterium labelling experiments indicate that the α-carbomethoxy-α,α-dimethyl-methyl cations a rearrange via a 1,4-H shift into the carbonyl protonated methyl methacrylate c and eventually into the alkyl-O protonated methyl methacrylate before the loss of methanol. The hydrogen rearrangements exhibit a deuterium isotope effect indicating substantial energy barriers between the [C₅H₉O₂]⁺ isomers. Thus the destabilized carbenium ion a exists as a kinetically stable species within a potential energy well.     

Effect of solvent on the exchange of ethylene for propylene on cis-PtCl2(C3H6)(TPPTS), TPPTS = P(m-C6H4SO3Na)3

To further understand the effect of water as a solvent in organometallic reactions, the lability of η²-alkenes coordinated to platinum(II) phosphine complexes has been studied in water and chloroform as a comparison of solvent effects on the exchange kinetics and alkene complex stability. ¹H NMR techniques with both deuterated chloroform and a deuterium oxide/deuterated methanol mixture as solvent systems were used at temperatures as low as ?50°C. Reaction of cis-PtCl₂L(η²-C₃H₆) [L?=?PPh₃ (triphenylphosphine) (1a), TPPTS (tris(m-sulfonatophenyl)phosphine) 1b] with ethylene to form cis-PtCl₂L(η²-C₂H₄) (2?a, b) was observed with dependence on the rate by starting platinum complex and ethylene. The role of water on this reaction, as well as its effect on the equilibrium, will be discussed. The equilibrium constant shows preference for coordination of ethylene and the temperature dependence indicates the reaction is entropy controlled.     

Study of ion structures produced by the reaction of 2-propyl cations with water and methanol; covalently bound v. Hydrogen-bridged adducts

In contrast to an earlier report,¹ the collisonally induced dissociation of protonated 2-propanol and t-butyl alcohol yields spectra that are indistinguishable from those of the corresponding [C₃H₇/H₂O]⁺ and [C₄H₉/H₂O]⁺ ions generated by the (formal) gas phase addition reactions in a high pressure ion source of [s-C₃H₇]⁺ and [t-C₄H₉]⁺ ions with the n-donor H₂O. Similarly, [s-C₃H₇/CH₃OH]⁺ ions generated by both gas phase protonation of n- and s-propyl methyl ethers and addition reactions of [C₃H₇]⁺ to CH₃OH display mode-of-generation-independent collisionally induced dissociation characteristics. However, analysis of the unimolecular dissociation (loss of propene) of the [C₃H₇/CH₃OH]⁺ system, including a number of its deuterium, ¹³C- and ¹⁸O-labelled isotopomers, supports the idea that prior to unimolecular dissociation, covalently bound [C₃H₇- O(H)CH₃]⁺ ions intercovert with hydrogen-bridged adduct ions, analogous to the behaviour of the distonic ethene-, propene- and ketene-H₂O radical cations.     

Photochemical substitution of benzene in the iron cyclohexadienyl complex [(η<Superscript>5</Superscript>-C<Subscript>6</Subscript>H<Subscript>7</Subscript>)Fe(η-C<Subscript>6</Subscript>H<Subscript>6</Subscript>)]<Superscript>+</Superscript>

The visible light irradiation of the [(η⁵-C₆H₇)Fe(η-C₆H₆)]⁺ cation (1) in acetonitrile resulted in the substitution of the benzene ligand to form the labile acetonitrile species [(η⁵-C₆H₇)Fe(MeCN)₃]⁺ (2). The reaction of 1 with Bu^tNC in MeCN produced the stable isonitrile complex [(η⁵-C₆H₇)Fe(Bu^tNC)₃]⁺ (3). The photochemical reaction of cation 1 with pentaphosphaferrocene Cp*Fe(η-cyclo-P₅) afforded the triple-decker cation with the bridging pentaphospholyl ligand, [(η⁵-C₆H₇)Fe(μ-η:η-cyclo-P₅)FeCp*]⁺ (4). The latter complex was also synthesized by the reaction of cation 2 with Cp*Fe(η-cyclo-P₅). The structure of the complex [3]PF₆ was established by X-ray diffraction. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2088–2091, November, 2007.     

Theoretical Study of the Reactions M++CH3F (M=Ge,As, Se,Sb)

CASSCF–MRMP2 calculations have been carried out to analyze the reactions of the methyl fluoride molecule with the atomic ions Ge⁺, As⁺, Se⁺ and Sb⁺. For these interactions, potential energy curves for the low‐lying electronic states were calculated for different approaching modes of the fragments. Particularly, those channels leading to C? H and C? F oxidative addition products, H₂FC? M? H⁺ and H₃C? M? F⁺, respectively were explored, as well as the paths which evolve to the abstraction (M? F⁺+CH₃) and the elimination (CH₂M⁺+HF) asymptotes. For the reaction Ge⁺+CH₃F the only favorable channel leads to fluorine abstraction by the ion. As⁺ and Sb⁺ can react with CH₃F along pathways yielding stable addition products. However, a viable path joining the oxidative addition product H₃C? M? F⁺ with the elimination asymptote CH₂M⁺+HF was found for the reaction of the fluorocarbon compound with As⁺. No favorable channels were detected for the interaction of fluoromethane with Se⁺. The results discussed herein allow rationalizing some of the experimental data found for these interactions through gas‐phase mass spectrometry.     

The use of transition-state theory to extrapolate rate coefficients for reactions of oh with alkanes

A method is described for extrapolating existing experimental data on the reactions of OH radicals with alkanes to higher temperatures using conventional transition-state theory. Expressions are developed for the estimation of the structural properties of the activated complex necessary for calculating ΔS^± and ΔH^±. The vibrational frequencies and internal rotations of the activated complex are given by those of the reacting alkane or the analogous alcohol and a set of additional internal modes that is the same for all OH + alkane reactions considered. Differences between primary, secondary, and tertiary hydrogen attack are discussed, and the validity of representing the activated complexes of all OH + alkane reactions by a fixed set of vibrational frequencies and other internal modes is evaluated. Calculations are presented for the reaction of OH with CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈, n-C₄H₁₀, i-C₄H₁₀, c-C₄H₈, c-C₅H₁₀, c-C₆H₁₂, (CH₃)₂CHCH(CH₃)₂, (CH₃)₃CCH(CH₃)₂, (CH₃)₄C, and (CH₃)₃CC(CH₃)₃, and the results are compared with experiments.     

The Cobalticinium Cation [CoIII(η5-C5H5)2]+: A metal-organic complex as a novel template for the synthesis of clathrasils

The cobalticinium cation [Co^III (η⁵-C₅H₅)₂]⁺ ? Cocp₂⁺ is the first metal-organic complex that acts as a structure-directing template in the hydrothermal synthesis of microporous solids. Three different clathrasil framework structures – nonasil (NON), octadecasil (AST) and dodecasil 1H (DOH) – crystallize during hydrothermal treatment from the synthesis system SiO₂? NH₄F? Cocp₂PF₆? H₂O at 420–470 K. From infrared, optical and x-ray absorption (XANES, EXAFS) spectroscopic measurements, it is evident that the cobalticinium cation remains unchanged upon incorporation into the crystallizing silica framework proving its role as a template. Thermal analysis demonstrates that Cocp₂⁺ entrapped in silica frameworks possesses a much higher thermal stability than the cation in simple salts. An X-ray single-crystal structure determination of cobalticinium nonasil was performed at 220 K: [Cocp₂F]₄ · 88 SiO₂, orthorhombic, space group Pccn, a = 22.125(2) Å, b = 13.612(3) Å, c = 14.889(2) Å, Z = 1. Each of the large [5⁸6¹²]-cages of the nonasil structure is occupied by a Cocp₂⁺ cation in staggered conformation which does not show any orientational or rotational disorder but is fixed due to steric confinement and weak C? H …? O(host) interactions. Fluoride anions that compensate the charge of the Cocp₂⁺ cations reside in half of the small [4¹5⁸] cages in front of the four-membered rings. They coordinate to the neighbouring framework atom Si1 (d(Si1? F): 1.836(6) Å), causing a distortion of the tetrahedral oxygen environment to a nearly ideal trigonal-bipyramidal penta-coordination of Si1.     

Temperature Dependence of the Ratios of C—H (C—D) Bond Breaking Rates in Reactions of Cycloalkanes C5H10, C6H12, C6D12 with Adamantyl Carbocations in Sulfuric Acid

We have determined the differences in the parameters log A and E of the Arrhenius equations for the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) (c-C₆H₁₂/c-C₆D₁₂) and the 5/6 effect (c-C₅H₁₀/c-C₆H₁₂) in reactions of the C—H bonds of cycloalkanes with adamantyl (Ad⁺) carbocations (1-adamantanol in 92.8% H₂SO₄, 40-97 °C). We have established the compensation relations between log A and E for the kinetic isotope effect and the 5/6 effect for anthracene (AH⁺), hydroxymethyl (CH₂OH⁺), Ad⁺ carbocations and the hypothetical "infinitely strong reagent," supporting a hydride transfer mechanism in such reactions.     

η-Alkynyl and vinylidene transition metal complexes: 10. Reaction of the metal-acetylide [(η-C5H5)(CO)(NO)W---CC---C(CH3)3]Li with 1,2-diiodoethane as electrophile and with various nucleophiles

Treatment of the η¹-acetylide complex [(η⁵-C₅H₅)(CO)(NO)W---CC---C(CH₃)₃]Li (4) with 1,2-diiodoethane in THF at −78 °C, followed by the addition of Li---CC---R [R=C(CH₃)₃, C₆H₅, Si(CH₃)₃, 6a–6c] or n-C₄H₉Li and protonation with H₂O, afforded the corresponding oxametallacyclopentadienyl complexes (η⁵-C₅H₅)W(I)(NO)[η²-O=C(CC---R)CH=CC(CH₃)₃] (7a–7c), 8c and (η⁵-C₅H₅)W(I)(NO)[η²-O=C(n-C₄H₉)CH=CC(CH₃)₃] (9). The formation of these metallafuran derivatives is rationalized by the electrophilic attack of 1,2-diiodoethane onto the metal center of 4 to form first the neutral complex [(η⁵-C₅H₅)(I)(CO)(NO)W---CC---C(CH₃)₃] (5). Subsequent nucleophilic addition of Li---CC---R 6a–6c or n-C₄H₉Li and a reductive elimination step followed by protonation leads to the products 7a–7c and 9. One reaction intermediate could be trapped with CF₃SO₃CH₃ and characterized by a crystal structure analysis. The identity of another intermediate was established by infrared spectroscopic data. The oxametallacyclopentadienyl complex 10 forms in the presence of excess 1,2-diiodoethane through an alternative pathway and crystallizes as a clathrate containing iodine.     

Cyclopentadienyl-ruthenium and -osmium chemistry : XXXIX. Syntheses of novel alkynyl-ruthenium complexes. X-Ray structures of two forms of {Ru(PPh3)2(η-C5H5)}2(μ-C4) and of Ru{CCC(O)Me}(PPh3)2(η-C5H5)

Reactions between [Ru(thf)(PPh₃)₂(η-C₅H₅)]⁺ and lithium acetylides have given further examples of substituted ethynylruthenium complexes that are useful precursors of allenylidene and cumulenylidene derivatives. From Li₂C₄, mono- and bi-nuclear ruthenium complexes were obtained: single-crystal X-ray studies have characterised two rotamers of {Ru(PPh₃)₂(η-C₅H₅)}₂(μ-C₄), which differ in the relative cis and trans orientations of the RuL_n groups. Protonation of Ru(CCCCH)(PPh₃)₂(η-C₅H₅) afforded the butatrienylidene cation [Ru(C=C=C=CH₂)(PPh₃)₂(η-C₅H₅)]⁺, which reacted readily with atmospheric moisture to give the acetylethynyl complex Ru{CCC(O)Me}(PPh₃)₂(η-C₅H₅), also fully characterised by an X-ray structural study.     

Synthesis of Cationic 2,4-Dimethylpenta-2,4-dienylruthenium Complexes. Crystal Structure of Carbonyl(η4-cyclohexa-1,3-diene)-(η5-2,4-dimethylpenta-2,4-dienyl)ruthenium Tetrafluoroborate

The complex [Ru(η⁵-C₇H₁₁)₂H]BF₄ (C₇H₁₁ = 2,4-dimethylpenta-2,4-dienyl) is highly reactive towards two- and six-electron ligands. e.g. giving with CO complex [RuCO(η⁴-C₇H₁₂)(η⁵-C₇H₁₁)]BF₄. The 2,4-dimethylpenta-1,3-diene ligand (C₇H₁₂) of the latter complex is readily displaced giving, e.g. with excess cyclohexa-1,3-diene (C₆H₈) complex [RuCO(η⁴-C₆H₈)(η⁵-C₇H₁₁)]BF₄. These reactions provide a convenient entry into monopentadienylruthenium chemistry.     

Self- and cross-disproportionation-to-combination rations for cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl radicals and their deuterated analogues

Hydrogen, cycloalkene, and bicycloalkyl were found to be the principal products which account for ≈?97% of all products formed in the gas-phase radiolysis of water vapor containing low concentrations of cycloalkanes. From the ratios of cycloalkene-to-bicycloalkyl yields extrapolated to the zero dose, the self- and cross-disproportionation-to-recombination rate constant ratios Δ = k_d/k_c were determined for the following 12 reactions: Δ(c-C₅H₉, c-C₅H₉) = 0.73; Δ(c-C₅D₉, c-C₅D₉) = 0.58; Δ(c-C₆H₁₁, cC₆H₁₁) = 0.59; Δ(c-C₆D₁₁, c-C₆D₁₁) = 0.46; Δ(c-C₅H₉, c-C₆H₁₁) = 0.28; Δ(c-C₅D₉, c-C₆H₁₁) = 0.28; Δ(c-C₅H₉, c-C₆D₁₁) = 0.24; Δ(c-C₅D₉, c-C₆D₁₁) = 0.24; Δ(c-C₆H₁₁, c-C₅H₉) = 0.33; Δ(c-C₆H₁₁, c-C₅D₉) = 0.25; Δ(c-C₆D₁₁, c-C₅H₉) = 0.35; and Δ(c-C₆D₁₁, c-C₅D₉) = 0.28, where in the case of the cross-disproportionation the symbol Δ(R₁,R₂) is used to represent k_d/k_c for the disproportionation in which radical R₁ captures a hydrogen (deuterium) atom from radial R₂. The geometrical mean rule holds in the cross-combination reactions of cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl radicals. The kinetic isotope effect in the disproportionation reaction was determined as 1.24 ± 0.06.     

Heterolysis of H2 Across a Classical Lewis Pair, 2,6‐Lutidine⋅BCl3: Synthesis,Characterization, and Mechanism

We report that 2,6‐lutidine?trichloroborane (Lut?BCl₃) reacts with H₂ in toluene, bromobenzene, dichloromethane, and Lut solvents producing the neutral hydride, Lut?BHCl₂. The mechanism was modeled with density functional theory, and energies of stationary states were calculated at the G3(MP2)B3 level of theory. Lut?BCl₃ was calculated to react with H₂ and form the ion pair, [LutH⁺][HBCl₃^?], with a barrier of ΔH^≠=24.7 kcal mol^?1 (ΔG^≠=29.8 kcal mol^?1). Metathesis with a second molecule of Lut?BCl₃ produced Lut?BHCl₂ and [LutH⁺][BCl₄^?]. The overall reaction is exothermic by 6.0 kcal mol^?1 (Δ_rG°=?1.1). Alternate pathways were explored involving the borenium cation (LutBCl₂⁺) and the four‐membered boracycle [(CH₂{NC₅H₃Me})BCl₂]. Barriers for addition of H₂ across the Lut/LutBCl₂⁺ pair and the boracycle B?C bond are substantially higher (ΔG^≠=42.1 and 49.4 kcal mol^?1, respectively), such that these pathways are excluded. The barrier for addition of H₂ to the boracycle B?N bond is comparable (ΔH^≠=28.5 and ΔG^≠=32 kcal mol^?1). Conversion of the intermediate 2‐(BHCl₂CH₂)‐6‐Me(C₅H₃NH) to Lut?BHCl₂ may occur by intermolecular steps involving proton/hydride transfers to Lut/BCl₃. Intramolecular protodeboronation, which could form Lut?BHCl₂ directly, is prohibited by a high barrier (ΔH^≠=52, ΔG^≠=51 kcal mol^?1).