Electronic structure and conformational properties of the amide linkage Part 5. Internal rotation and inversion in 1-formylaziridine

Internal rotation and nitrogen inversion in 1-formylaziridine (1) have been investigated by quantum mechanical (ab initio and MNDO) calculations, especially with respect to the variation of the geometry of the aziridine ring. While conformational stability is mainly determined by the n(N)/π(CO) interaction, the bond lengths within the ring are affected by the amount of interaction between the π(CO) orbital and the Walsh orbital ω_A. To separate the two types of interaction, calculations were also performed on formylcyclopropane (9). The torsional potential of 1 has a minimum close to the perpendicular conformation 1b. The two bisected conformations, 1a and 1c, are transition states for internal rotation. For nitrogen inversion, a barrier of 1.44 kcal mol⁻¹ (ab initio) was calculated. Calculations on 1-cyanoaziridine (7) gave inversion barriers of 5.81 (ab initio) and 12.31 kcal mol⁻¹ (MNDO). Probably due to methodical reasons the ab initio values seem to be too low, as calculations with different basis sets for aziridine indicate.     

Comparative study of the molecular electrostatic potential obtained from different wavefunctions. Reliability of the semiempirical MNDO wavefunction

A systematic analysis of the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) is presented. This study has been performed with a twofold purpose: first, to study the MEP dependence with regard to the quality of the basis set used to compute the ab initio SCF wavefunction and second, to develop and to assess a new strategy for computing isoelectrostatic potential maps using the semiempirical MNDO wavefunction. The only differences between this procedure and the ab initio SCF MEP computation lie in the freezing of the inner electrons and in the origin of the first-order density matrix. The statistical analysis of MEPs computed for a large number of molecules from MNDO wavefunction and ab initio SCF wavefunctions obtained using STO-3G, 4-31G, 6-31G, 4-31G*, 6-31G*, and 6-31G** basis sets points out the ability of any wavefunction to reproduce the general topological characteristics of the MEP surfaces. Nevertheless, split-valence basis sets including polarization functions are necessary to obtain accurate MEP minimum energy values. MNDO wavefunction tends to overestimate the MEP minima depth by a constant factor and shows an excellent ability to reflect the relative variation of MEP minima energies derived from a rather sophisticated (6-31G*) basis set, lacking of the shortcomings detected in the semiempirical CNDO approximation.     

Triaziridines. Part III. Triaziridine,azimine, and triazene: A SCF study of the energy and structure of N3H3-isomers

The portions of the N₃H₃ singlet potential energy surface corresponding to triaziridines ( 1 ), azimines ( 2 ) and triazenes ( 3 ) have been calculated by ab initio SCF using 3-21G, 6-31G, and 6-31G** basis sets. Minima and transition states were located by force gradient geometry optimization. The most important computation results are: (1) Triaziridines ( 1 ): The configuration at the 3 N-atoms is pyramidal. There are 2 stereoisomers, 1a and 1b . The c,t-isomer 1a has less energy than the c,c-isomer 1b . The 2 stereoisomerizations by N-inversion hve rather high activation energies. The N,N bonds in 1 are longer and weaker (STO-3G estimation) than in hydrazine. The N-homocycle 1 exhibits less ring strain than the C-homocycle cyclopropane or three-membered heterocycles. (2) Azimine ( 2 ): All 6 Atoms are in the same plane. There are 3 stereoisomers, 2a, 2b , and 2c . The order of ground state energies is (Z,Z) < (E,Z) ? (E,E). The 2 N,N bond lengths correspond to multiplicity 1½. The electronic structure of 2 corresponds to a 1,3-dipole with almost equal delocalization of the 4 π-electrons over all 3 N-atoms. The negative net charge at the central N-atom is much less than that at the terminal N-atoms. Azimines should behave as π-donors in complexation with transition metals (3) Triazene ( 3 ): All 6 atoms are in the same plane. There are 2 stereoisomers, 3a and 3b . The order of ground-state energies is (E) < (Z). The stereoisomerization proceeds as pure N-inversion. N-Inversion has a high energy barrier inversion at N(1) is faster than at N(2). One of the N,N bond lengths is typical for a double, the other for a single bond. The electronic structure of triazene 3 entails rather localized π- and p-electron pairs at N(1),N(2) and at N(3). Triazenes should behave as p-donors in complexation with transition metals. (4) -N₃H₃-Isomers: The order of ground-state energies is 3 < 2 < 1 . The energy differences between these constitutional isomers are much larger than between the stereoisomers of each. The [1,2]-H shifts for conversions of 2 to 3 and the [1,3]-H shift for tautomerization of 3 have relatively high activation energies; both shifts can be excluded as modes of thermal, unimolecular transformations.     

Xanthate complexes of nickel with nitrogen donor ligands. Part V

Nickel(II) xanthate complexes of general formula, [Ni(Rxa)₂(L)] [R = i-Pr, i-Am, xa = OCS^– ₂, L = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline(baphen), 4,4-dimethyl-2,2-bipyridyl (me₂bpy), 2-9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline(neo) or trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (dch)] and [Ni(Rxa)(cyclam)](Rxa) (= 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, i.r. and electronic spectroscopy, magnetic and conductivity measurements. The complexes with cyclam were studied by cyclic voltammetry. Values of magnetic moments at room temperature lie within the 3.25–3.51 B.M. range and thus indicate the presence of two unpaired electrons, except for the complexes with cyclam, where the anomalous values of 1.76 and 1.74 B.M. were obtained in respect to the nickel(II) complexes. Magnetic susceptibility data for [Ni(i-Prxa)(cyclam)](i-Prxa) were measured over the 79–298 K range and indicate no exchange interaction between paramagnetic nickel(II) centres.     

Restricted rotation of the amino group and ring inversion in highly substituted anilines. A dynamic NMR and computational study

The reaction of cyclic ylidene malononitriles with acetylene (di)carboxylic acid esters led to the production of nine bicyclic systems incorporating highly substituted (5/6) anilines. The free energy of activation (ΔG^#) for the restricted rotation about the aniline-NH₂ bond was experimentally measured in each case and a correlation was evident between the increase in steric strain in the ground state, the electron withdrawing capabilities of the ring substituents, and a reduction in the rotational barrier. For four of the compounds, the slow ring interconversion (chair?chair) for the annelated saturated seven-membered ring that formed part of the bicyclic system was also evident. In these four compounds, both dynamic processes were also studied theoretically using ab initio methods whilst the ring interconversion was additionally studied using molecular dynamic simulations. The interconversion between the two stable chair forms was deemed to occur via a conformation series consisting of chair?boat?twist-boat?boat?chair.     

A variable temperature study of the 19-F N.M.R. spectrum of perfluorohexamethyltetrazan: Novel restricted rotation and hindered inversion at the nitrogen atoms [1]

At low temperatures, the ¹⁹F n.m.r. spectrum of the tetrazan (CF₃)₂NN(CF₃)N(CF₃)N(CF₃)₂ shows the presence of two isomers with a free energy difference in stability Δ$\text{G}$ of 2.2 kJ mol^-1. Both isomers show three types of CF₃ group which coalesce at -15°C to three systems of equal intensity (Δ$\text{G}$≠ 52 kJ mol^-1). At 40 °C the two signals assigned to the terminal CF₃ groups coalesce to a single band (Δ$\text{G}$≠ 65 kJ mol^-1).The behaviour is discussed in terms of restricted inversion at the nitrogen atoms, and hindered rotation about the N-N bonds.The hydrazines (CF₃)₂NN(CF₃)NO and (CF₃)₂NN(CF₃)NO₂ have temperature independent spectra.     

松香中枞酸型树脂酸的MNDO研究

应用半经验MNDO量子化学计算方法确定了松香中4种枞酸型树脂酸的优化几何构型及相对能量，据此对该类树脂酸分子的构象及相对稳定性作了分析与预测，并与已知的实验结果作了对比。     

Geometric and electronic structure of vitamin C radicals. A semiempirical study

The structure and properties of ascorbic acid (AA) radicals are considered by using semiempirical MINDO/3 and MNDO methods. It is found that the most stable radical is the AA anion, in accordance with ESR measurements. This radical is thermodynamically more stable than the parent molecule. The origin of the enhanced stability of AA is elucidated by using a particular form of the energy-partitioning technique. The pronounced reactivity of AA , on the other hand, can be rationalized by the unpaired spin and the high orbital energy of the singly-occupied MO. These features are probably responsible for the radical-trap behavior of AA . The properties of AA , certainly make an appreciable contribution to the biochemical versatility of ascorbic acid. Finally, it should be mentioned that side chains of AA and AA are very flexible which increases their chelating abilities.     

A molecular orbital study of nitrogen inversion in aniline with extensive geometry optimization

The geometry and energy of aniline have been calculated using the 6-31G and 6-31G^*(5D) basis sets for the planar structure and various pyramidal structures, assuming that the ring and the N-atom bonded to it lie in the same plane, but otherwise with full geometry optimization. With the 6-31G basis set the planar structure is predicated to be the most stable, whereas the inclusion of polarization functions in the 6-31G^*(5D) basis set finds a pyramidal structure with the out-of-plane angle =42.3° to be most stable and the energy barrier to inversion via the planar transition state to be 1.59±0.02 kcal mol^–1, in close agreement with experiment. Completing the optimization, allowing the N-atom and the C- and H-atoms of the ring to take up equilibrium out-of-plane positions increases the calculated energy carrier to inversion by less than 0.1 kcal mol^–1 to 1.66 kcal mol^–1. The ring adopts a very shallow inverted boat-type conformation with N₇-C₁C₄ = 2.0°.     

A dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance study of nitrogen inversion in N,N'-dimethylimidazolidine

The 251 MHz ¹H and the natural-abundance 63.1 MHz ¹³C NMR spectra of N,N'-dimethylimidazolidine have been measured from ?50 to ?170°C. Below about ?140°C. nitrogen inversion in the compound becomes slow on the NMR time scale and both the ¹H and the ¹³C spectra indicate that it exists in solution as a mixture of cis and trans conformations having nearly the same energies. The free-energy barrier (ΔG^≠) for nitrogen inversion in N,N'-dimethylimidazolidine is 6.4 kcal mol^?1, a value which is 1.5 kcal mol^?1 lower than that for N-methylpyrrolidine.     

Internal rotation and pyramidal inversion in triacylphosphines

MO calculations predict a P-C rotation barrier in triformylphosphine of less than 6 kcal/mol, and an inversion barrier of ca 14 kcal/mol.     

Nucleophilic displacement of aromatic fluorine. Part V. Use of nitrogen heterocycles as nucleophiles

The scope of the nucleophilic displacement of aromatic halogens on 1,4-benzodiazepine precursors by the anions of pyrroles, pyrazoles and imidazoles was studied both with and without electron-withdrawing substitutents on the heterocyclic nucleophiles. Some of the products proved to be useful intermediates for the synthesis of novel fused 1,4-benzodiazepines.     

Development of optimized MST/SCRF methods for semiempirical calculations: The MNDO and PM3 Hamiltonians

The self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) method proposed by Miertus, Scrocco, and Tomasi (MST) has been optimized for MNDO and PM3 semiempirical Hamiltonians. Different algorithms used to compute the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and different solute cavities have been investigated. The ability of the optimized models to reproduce experimental free energies of solvation and to mimic the solvent effect in several chemical processes has been compared with the ab initio and AM1 versions of the MST method as well as with experimental data. © 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A dinitrophenylation method for the micro-determination of amide nitrogen

A new micro-method is reported for the determination of amide nitrogen, based on the estimation of 2,4-dinitroaniline produced by the reaction between ammonia, quantitatively liberated from the protein, and 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Application of the method to 0.5-mg samples of wool gives results in agreement with those obtained by other authors for the same type of wool. Analyses of cuticle-rich material obtained from these wool samples show that in one sample out of three the cuticle is significantly poorer in amide groups than the whole fibre The mean standard error taken over all the analyses is 4 5 %.