A DFT study of the [4+2] cycloadditions of conjugated ketenes (vinylketene, imidoylketene and formylketene) with formaldimine. The pericyclic or pseudopericyclic character from magnetic properties

A comprehensive B3LYP/6-31+G^∗ study of the nature of the [4+2] cycloadditions of conjugated ketenes, vinylketene, imidoylketene and formylketene, with formaldimine was conducted. For each reaction, the complete pathway was determined and changes in different magnetic properties (magnetic susceptibility, χ, magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, χ_anis, and the nucleus-independent chemical shift, NICS) were monitored along the reaction profile with a view to estimate the aromatization associated to the process. We have also applied the ACID (anisotropy of the current-induced density) method with the same purpose. The deep analysis of the results indicates the existence of both disrotatory and conrotatory pericyclic paths for the cyclization step of the cycloaddition of vinylketene with formaldimine and the pseudopericyclic character of reactions with imidoylketene and formylketene.     

Theoretical study of the walk rearrangement in perfluorotetramethyl (Dewar thiophene) exo-S-oxide

A theoretical study of the ‘walk’ rearrangement in bicyclo[2.1.0]pentene and perfluorotetramethyl (Dewar thiophene) exo-S-oxide has been carried out. Despite the differences between them, the results for both reactions show an enhancement of aromaticity in the transition state, which is consistent with a pericyclic behavior. NBO calculations show that the small activation energy for the second reaction can be interpreted in terms of a strong stabilization of the transition state by the exo-oxide substituent. So, the mechanism proposed in the past should be revised.     

Ethylene addition to OsO3(CH2) - A theoretical study

Quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP/TZVP level of theory have been carried out for the initial steps of the addition reaction of ethylene to OsO₃(CH₂). The calculations predict that there are two reaction channels with low activation barriers. The kinetically and thermodynamically most favored reaction is the [3+2]_O, C addition which has a barrier of only 2.3 kcal mol⁻¹. The [3+2]_O, O addition has a slightly higher barrier of 6.5 kcal mol⁻¹. Four other reactions of OsO₃(CH₂) with C₂H₄ have significantly larger activation barriers. The addition of ethylene to one oxo group with concomitant migration of one hydrogen atom from ethylene to the methylene ligand yields thermodynamically stable products but the activation energies for the reactions are 16.7 and 20.9 kcal mol⁻¹. Even higher barriers are calculated for the [2+2] addition to the OsO bond (32.6 kcal mol⁻¹) and for the addition to the oxygen atom yielding an oxiran complex (41.2 kcal mol⁻¹). The activation barriers for the rearrangement to the bisoxoosmaoxirane isomer (36.3 kcal mol⁻¹) and for the addition reactions of the latter with C₂H₄ are also quite high. The most favorable reactions of the cyclic isomer are the slightly exothermic [2+2] addition across the OsO bond which has an activation barrier of 46.6 kcal mol⁻¹ and the [3+2]_O, O addition which is an endothermic process with an activation barrier of 44.3 kcal mol⁻¹.     

Tricarbonylchromium complexes of [5]- and [6]metacyclophane: an experimental and theoretical study

Tricarbonylchromium complexes of [5]- and [6]metacyclophane were prepared and the interaction between the Cr(CO)₃ tripod and the cyclophane fragment was evaluated by both an experimental and a theoretical study. The tricarbonylchromium complex of [5]metacyclophane could only be obtained in solution and was characterized by its ¹H NMR spectrum. The tricarbonylchromium complex of [6]metacyclophane was isolated and an X-ray crystal structure was obtained, which reveals that no significant geometric changes occur upon coordination of the severely distorted aromatic ring. Computations on the tricarbonylchromium complexes of m-xylene, [5]- and [6]metacyclophane furthermore demonstrate that the corresponding complexation energy is remarkably unaffected by the degree of distortion of the aromatic ring. Theoretical analyses of the above model systems as well as complexes of planar and artificially deformed benzene with Cr(CO)₃ show that this is primarily the result of two counteracting effects: (i) a stabilization due to an increased back-donation from the metal center to the benzene and (ii) a destabilization due to the increasing strain in the aromatic ring.     

Comparative theoretical study of [3+2] and [2+2] cycloadditions of ethylene and WXYMe2; X, Y = (O), (NH), (CH2)

Quantum chemical calculations employing density functional theory (B3LYP) were carried out to compare the preference of [3+2] versus [2+2] cycloadditions of ethylene to WO₂(CH₃)₂ (W2), WONH(CH₃)₂ (W3), WNHCH₂(CH₃)₂ (W4), W(CH₂)₂(CH₃)₂ (W5), and W(NH)₂(CH₃)₂ (W6). The results are compared to previously published data on the related tungsten complex WOCH₂(CH₃)₂ (W1). In agreement with MoOCH₂(CH₃)₂ and ReO₂CH₃CH₂, all six tungsten complexes prefer a [2+2] pathway rather than a [3+2] cycloaddition which is the reverted preference compared to the analogous compounds TcO₂CH₃CH₂, MnO₂CH₃CH₂, RuO₃CH₂, OsO₃CH₂ and OsO₂(NH)₂, and MO₂CH₃CH₂ (M = Ir, Rh, Co).     

A study on the BF3 directed lithiation of 3-chloro- and 3-bromopyridine

The BF₃-directed lithiation of 3-chloro- and 3-bromopyridine (1a and 1b, respectively) has been investigated. The reactions of 3-chloro- or 3-bromopyridine–BF₃ adduct with LDA (1.3/1.1 equiv) followed by quenching with benzaldehyde or iodine exclusively gave the C-2 substituted products. However, when 2.2 equiv of LDA and dimethyl disulfide was used, a C-6 substituted product was obtained. Dilithiation of 1a and 1b has been studied with and without the involvement of BF₃ complexation. The role of Li?F(BF₃) interactions has been investigated by experimental and DFT calculations.     

Intramolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions of yne-ene-yne and yne-yne-ene enediynes catalysed by Rh(I): experimental and theoretical mechanistic studies

N-tosyl-linked open-chain yne-ene-yne enediynes 1 and 2 and yne-yne-ene enediynes 3 and 4 have been satisfactorily synthesised. The [2+2+2] cycloaddition process catalysed by the Wilkinson catalyst [RhCl(PPh(3))(3)] was tested with the above-mentioned substrates resulting in the production of high yields of the cycloadducts. Enediynes 1 and 2 gave standard [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions whereas enediynes 3 and 4 suffered β-hydride elimination followed by reductive elimination of the Wilkinson catalyst to give cycloadducts, which are isomers of those that would be obtained by standard [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions. The different reactivities of these two types of enediyne have been rationalised by density functional theory calculations.     

Formic acid catalyzed gas-phase reaction of H2O with SO3 and the reverse reaction: a theoretical study

The formic acid catalyzed gas‐phase reaction between H₂O and SO₃ and its reverse reaction are respectively investigated by means of quantum chemical calculations at the CCSD(T)//B3LYP/cc‐pv(T+d)z and CCSD(T)//MP2/aug‐cc‐pv(T+d)z levels of theory. Remarkably, the activation energy relative to the reactants for the reaction of H₂O with SO₃ is lowered through formic acid catalysis from 15.97 kcal mol^?1 to ?15.12 and ?14.83 kcal mol^?1 for the formed H₂O ??? SO₃ complex plus HCOOH and the formed H₂O ??? HCOOH complex plus SO₃, respectively, at the CCSD(T)//MP2/aug‐cc‐pv(T+d)z level. For the reverse reaction, the energy barrier for decomposition of sulfuric acid is reduced to ?3.07 kcal mol^?1 from 35.82 kcal mol^?1 with the aid of formic acid. The results show that formic acid plays a strong catalytic role in facilitating the formation and decomposition of sulfuric acid. The rate constant of the SO₃+H₂O reaction with formic acid is 10⁵ times greater than that of the corresponding reaction with water dimer. The calculated rate constant for the HCOOH+H₂SO₄ reaction is about 10^?13 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 in the temperature range 200–280 K. The results of the present investigation show that formic acid plays a crucial role in the cycle between SO₃ and H₂SO₄ in atmospheric chemistry.     

A theoretical study on the complete catalytic cycle of the hetero-Pauson-Khand-type [2+2+1] cycloaddition reaction of ketimines,carbon monoxide and ethylene catalyzed by iron carbonyl complexes

The [2+2+1] cycloaddition reaction of 1,4-diazabutadienes, carbon monoxide and ethylene catalyzed by iron carbonyl complexes produces pyrrolidin-2-one derivatives. Only one of the two imine moieties is activated during the catalysis. The mechanism of this cycloaddition reaction is studied by density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. In accordance with experimental results, a [(diazabutadiene)Fe(CO)(3)] complex of square-pyramidal geometry is used as the starting compound S of the catalytic cycle. Based on experimental experience, the reaction with ethylene is considered to take place before any interaction with carbon monoxide. According to the computational results, the reaction does not proceed by ligand dissociation followed by addition of ethylene and subsequent intramolecular activation steps but by the approach of an ethylene molecule from the base of the square-pyramidal complex. This reaction yields an intermediate I(4) in which ethylene is coordinated to the iron centre and a new C-C bond between ethylene and one of the imine groups is formed. The insertion of a terminal carbon monoxide ligand into the metal-carbon bond between ethylene and iron produces the key intermediate I(7). The reaction proceeds by metal-assisted formation of a lactam P. The catalytic cycle is closed by a ligand-exchange reaction in which the diazabutadiene ligand substitutes P with reformation of S. This reaction pathway is found to be energetically favored over a reductive elimination. It leads to the experimentally observed heterocyclic product P and a reactive [Fe(CO)(3)] fragment.     

Ab initio and density function theory computational studies of the CH4 + H → CH3 + H2 reaction

The activation barrier for the CH₄ + H → CH₃ + H₂ reaction was evaluated with traditional ab initio and Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods. None of the applied ab initio and DFT methods was able to reproduce the experimental activation barrier of 11.0-12.0 kcal/mol. All ab initio methods (HF, MP2, MP3, MP4, QCISD, QCISD(T), G1, G2, and G2MP2) overestimated the activation energy. The best results were obtained with the G2 and G2MP2 ab initio computational approaches. The zero-point corrected energy was 14.4 kcal mol⁻¹. Some of the exchange DFT methods (HFB) computed energies which were similar to the highly accurate ab initio methods, while the B3LYP hybrid DFT methods underestimated the activation barrier by 3 kcal mol⁻¹. Gradient-corrected DFT methods underestimated the barrier even more. The gradient-corrected DFT method that incorporated the PW91 correlational functional even generated a negative reaction barrier. The suitability of some computational methods for accurately predicting the potential energy surface for this hydrogen radical abstraction reaction was discussed.     

Mechanism, regioselectivity, and the kinetics of phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes

With the aid of computations and experiments, the detailed mechanism of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes has been investigated. It was found that this reaction includes four consecutive processes: 1) In situ generation of a 1,3-dipole from allenoate and phosphine, 2) stepwise [3+2] cycloaddition, 3) a water-catalyzed [1,2]-hydrogen shift, and 4) elimination of the phosphine catalyst. In situ generation of the 1,3-dipole is key to all nucleophilic phosphine-catalyzed reactions. Through a kinetic study we have shown that the generation of the 1,3-dipole is the rate-determining step of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes. DFT calculations and FMO analysis revealed that an electron-withdrawing group is required in the allene to ensure the generation of the 1,3-dipole kinetically and thermodynamically. Atoms-in-molecules (AIM) theory was used to analyze the stability of the 1,3-dipole. The regioselectivity of the [3+2] cycloaddition can be rationalized very well by FMO and AIM theories. Isotopic labeling experiments combined with DFT calculations showed that the commonly accepted intramolecular [1,2]-proton shift should be corrected to a water-catalyzed [1,2]-proton shift. Additional isotopic labeling experiments of the hetero-[3+2] cycloaddition of allenoates and electron-deficient imines further support this finding. This investigation has also been extended to the study of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of alkynoates as the three-carbon synthon, which showed that the generation of the 1,3-dipole in this reaction also occurs by a water-catalyzed process.     

Understanding the nature of the molecular mechanisms associated with the competitive Lewis acid catalyzed [4+2] and [4+3] cycloadditions between arylidenoxazolone systems and cyclopentadiene: a DFT analysis

The molecular mechanisms of the reactions between aryliden-5(4H)-oxazolone 1, and cyclopentadiene (Cp), in presence of Lewis acid (LA) catalyst to obtain the corresponding [4+2] and [4+3] cycloadducts are examined through density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. The activation effect of LA catalyst can be reached by two ways, that is, interaction of LA either with carbonyl or carboxyl oxygen atoms of 1 to render [4+2] or [4+3] cycloadducts. The endo and exo [4+2] cycloadducts are formed through a highly asynchronous concerted mechanism associated to a Michael-type addition of Cp to the beta-conjugated position of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl framework of 1. Coordination of LA catalyst to the carboxyl oxygen yields a highly functionalized compound, 3, through a domino reaction. For this process, the first reaction is a stepwise [4+3] cycloaddition which is initiated by a Friedel-Crafts-type addition of the electrophilically activated carbonyl group of 1 to Cp and subsequent cyclization of the corresponding zwitterionic intermediate to yield the corresponding [4+3] cycloadduct. The next rearrangement is the nucleophilic trapping of this cycloadduct by a second molecule of Cp to yield the final adduct 3. A new reaction pathway for the [4+3] cycloadditions emerges from the present study.     

Theoretical group 14 chemistry. Part 2. Si4R6: a theoretical approach

The relative energies of the isomeric compounds of Si₄R₆ (R=H, Me, Ph, 2,6-dimethylphenyl, 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) were explored with different theoretical methods including semiempirical, DFT and perturbation theory calculations. The results are compared with previous calculations and with experimental findings. On going from small substituents to bulky aryl groups the stability of the isomers is reversed from tetrasilabicyclo[1.1.0]butane (1) and tetrasilacyclobutene derivatives to the s-cis and s-trans conformers of tetrasilabuta-1,3-dienes. The concept of bond stretch isomerism of 1 and its dependence on the substituents at the central silicon atoms is also discussed.     

A DFT study of the polar Diels-Alder reaction between 4-aza-6-nitrobenzofuroxan and cyclopentadiene

The polar Diels-Alder reaction between 4-aza-6-nitrobenzofuroxan (ANBF) and cyclopentadiene has been studied using DFT procedures at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. Only one highly asynchronous transition state structure associated to the formation of the [4+2] adduct 13 is found. A further [3,3] sigmatropic shift on the [4+2] cycloadduct 13 allows its conversion into the thermodynamically more stable [2+4] cycloadduct 14. The analysis of the global and local electrophilicities of the reagents correctly explain the behaviour of ANBF as a strong electrophile in polar cycloadditions.     

Alkylation of toluene with 1,3-pentadiene catalyzed by [bupy]BF4-AlCl3 and [bupy]BF4-FeCl3 ionic liquids

A new application of ionic liquids is developed for a novel process of synthesizing pentyltoluene from toluene and a C5 diolefin (1,3-pentadiene). The catalyst [bupy]BF₄-AlCl₃ behaves better than [bupy]BF₄-FeCl₃.     

Synthesis of anticonvulsant sulfamides. Theoretical study of the related mechanism

A theoretical study of the mechanisms associated with the synthesis of anticonvulsant symmetric N,N-substituted sulfamides is presented. Two possible synthetic routes are compared, which mainly differ in the use of pyridine as a nucleophilic agent in the reaction mechanism. Geometry optimization techniques and transition-state detection at the B3LYP/6-31G** level, modeling the solvent by means of an isodensity polarizable continuum approach, allow the most suitable method for the experimental process to be discerned.From the Proceedings of the 28th Congreso de Químicos Teóricos de Expresión Latina (QUITEL 2002)     

Mechanistic Study of the Rhodium‐Catalyzed [3+2+2] Carbocyclization of Alkenylidenecyclopropanes with Alkynes

A systematic theoretical study has been performed on the recently reported Rh^I‐catalyzed [3+2+2] carbocyclization reactions between alkenylidenecyclopropanes (ACPs) and alkynes. With the aid of theoretical calculations, two possible mechanisms, that is, alkene‐carbometalation‐first and alkyne‐carbometalation‐first mechanisms, are examined in this study. In the oxidative addition step, the possibility of reaction on either the distal or proximal C? C bond of the cyclopropane group has been evaluated. The calculations indicate that the alkene‐activation‐first mechanism is more favored for the overall catalytic cycle. This mechanism involves four steps, that is, oxidative addition of the distal (rather than the proximal) C? C bond of cyclopropane group, alkene carbometalation, alkyne carbometalation, and reductive elimination. The rate‐determining step in the overall catalytic cycle is the carbometalation of the alkyne (i.e., the alkyne‐insertion step) and this step also determines the regioselectivity. Finally, the origin of the regioselectivity is determined by the steric effect (i.e., the steric crowding between the electron‐withdrawing group on alkyne and other ligands on the rhodium center) in the alkyne‐insertion step.     

Theoretical studies of the oxidative addition of PhBr to Pd(PX3)2 and Pd(X2PCH2CH2PX2) (X = Me, H, Cl)

The density functional theory calculations were used to study the influence of the substituent at P on the oxidative addition of PhBr to Pd(PX₃)₂ and Pd(X₂PCH₂CH₂PX₂) where X = Me, H, Cl. It was shown that the C_ipso-Br activation energy by Pd(PX₃)₂ correlates well with the rigidity of the X₃P-Pd-PX₃ angle and increases via the trend X = Cl < H < Me. The more rigid the X₃P-Pd-PX₃ angle is, the higher the oxidative addition barrier is. The exothermicity of this reaction also increases via the same sequence X = Cl < H < Me. The trend in the exothermicity is a result of the Pd(II)-PX₃ bond strength increasing faster than the Pd(0)-PX₃ bond strength upon going from X = Cl to Me. Contrary to the trend in the barrier to the oxidative addition of PhBr to Pd(PX₃)₂, the C_ipso-Br activation energy by Pd(X₂PCH₂CH₂PX₂) decreases in the following order X = Cl > H > Me. This trend correlates well with the filled d_π orbital energy of the metal center. For a given X, the oxidative addition reaction energy was found to be more exothermic for the case of X₂PCH₂CH₂PX₂ than for the case of PX₃. This effect is especially more important for the strong electron donating phosphine ligands (X = Me) than for the weak electron donating phosphine ligands (X = Cl).     

Stereochemistry of the [2+4] cycloaddition of cyclopentyne

The [2+4] cycloaddition of cyclopentyne with a pair of diastereomeric 1,3-dienes is found to occur with high stereoselectivity. The results support the applicability of the principles of orbital symmetry even in the case of this exceedingly reactive dienophile.