Efficiency of bulky protic solvent for SN2 reaction

We calculate and compare the effects of aprotic vs protic solvent on the rate of SN2 reaction [F- + C3H7OMs--> C3H7F + OMs-]. We find that aprotic solvent acetonitrile is more efficient than a small protic solvent such as methanol. Bulky protic solvent (tert-butyl alcohol) is predicted to be quite efficient, giving the rate constant that is similar to that in CH3CN. Our calculated relative activation barriers of the SN2 reaction in methanol, tert-butyl alcohol, and CH3CN are in good agreement with experimental observations.     

Nucleophilic identity substitution reactions. The reaction between water and protonated alcohols

The potential energy surfaces for the reaction between H2O and the protonated alcohols MeOH2+, EtOH2+, PriOH2+, and Bu(t)OH2+ have been explored by means of high level ab initio theoretical methods. Both nucleophilic substitution (SN2) and elimination (E2) pathways have been investigated. Front side (SNF) and the familiar back side (SNB) Walden inversion attack of the nucleophile have been found to be competing for the H2O Bu(t)OH2+ system. In contradiction with the customary relationship between so-called "steric effects" and barrier heights--more alkyl-substituted SN2 reaction centres have higher SN2 reaction barriers--the SN2 reaction barriers are found to be Et > Me > Pri > Bui. This result is in excellent agreement with available experimental data.     

Reactions of aromatic sulphonyl chlorides with anilines : Studies of solvent effects by the approach of multiparameter empirical correlations

The reaction kinetics of 5-substituted 2-thiophenesulphonyl chlorides with anilines were studied in fourteen pure solvents (protic and aprotic) and in mixed solvents at 25°. The approach of multiparameter equations to describe solvent effects according to the Palm-Koppel and Krygowski-Fawcett models was unsuccessful. Instead satisfactory single parameter linear correlations, one for protic solvents with positive slope and another for aprotic solvents with negative slope, were found by using the dielectric constant ?. An S_AN mechanism for these reactions was proposed, bond-making being the rate-determining step for protic solvents and bond-breaking for aprotic ones. The analysis of some data for the reactions of benzenesulphonyl chloride showed that the mechanism is analogous also for this substrate and the rate-determining step is depending on both solvent and nucleophile. Hammett ρ-values for the reactions of substituted 2-thiophenesulphonyl chlorides with aniline are in accord with the proposed mechanism. ?-Values for the reactions of 2-thiophenesulphonyl chloride with substituted anilines are related to the solvent effects by equation ? = ? 15.7 f(?) + 0.113E + 3.94. The solvent effects on these values can be interpreted by the effect of the dielectric constant and the influence of H-bonding. Mixed solvents are characterized by the presence of a maximum rate.     

Nucleophilic identity substitution reactions. The reaction between hydrogen fluoride and protonated alkyl fluorides

The gas phase reactions between HF and the protonated alkyl fluorides MeFH+, EtFH+, Pr(i)FH+, and Bu(t)FH+ have been studied using ab initio methods. The potential energy profiles for both nucleophilic substitution (S(N)2) and elimination (E2) pathways have been investigated. Both backside Walden inversion and frontside nucleophilic substitution reaction profiles have been generated. Backside substitution is very favourable, but shows relatively little variation with the alkyl group. Frontside substitution reaction barriers are only slightly higher than the barrier for backside substitution for HF + MeFH+, and the difference in barrier heights for frontside and backside displacement seems negligible for the larger alkyl groups. Reaction barrier trends have been analysed and compared with the results of similar studies of the H2O/ROH2+ and NH3/RNH3+ systems (R = Me, Et, Pr(i), and Bu(t)). Compared to the two other classes, protonated fluorides have extreme structures which, with the exception of the Me substrate, are weakly bound complexes between an alkyl cation and HF. The results nourish the idea that nucleophilic substitution reactions are better understood in view of competition between frontside and backside substitution than from the traditional S(N)1/S(N)2 perspective.     

Mechanism of [M + H]<Superscript>+</Superscript> formation in photoionization mass spectrometry

In this paper we examine the mechanism of [M + H]+ (henceforth MH+) formation by direct photoionization. Based on comparisons of the relative abundance of M+ and MH+ ions for photoionization of a variety of compounds M as vapor in air versus in different solvents, we conclude that the mechanism is M + hnu --> M+ + e- followed by the reaction M+ + S --> MH+ + S(-H). The principal evidence for molecular radical ion formation M+ followed by hydrogen atom abstraction from protic solvent S are: (1) Nearly exclusive formation of M+ for headspace ionization of M in air, (2) significant relative abundance of MH+ in the presence of protic solvents (e.g., CH3OH, H2O, c-hexane), but not in aprotic solvents (e.g., CCl4-), (3) observation of induced equilibrium oscillations in the abundance of MH+ and M+, and (4) correlation of the ratio of MH+/M+ to reaction length in the photoionization source. Thermodynamic models are advanced that explain the qualitative dependence of the MH+/M+ equilibrium ratio on the properties of solvent S and analyte M. Though the hydrogen abstraction reaction is endothermic in most cases, it is shown that the equilibrium constant is still expected to be much greater than unity in most of the cases studied due to the very slow reverse reaction involving the very low abundant MH+ and S(-H) species.     

Ab initio study of the SN1Ar and SN2Ar reactions of benzenediazonium ion with water. On the conception of "unimolecular dediazoniation" in solvolysis reactions

The nucleophilic substitution of N2 in benzenediazonium ion 1 by one H2O molecule to form protonated phenol 2 has been studied with ab initio (RHF, MP2, QCISD(T)//MP2) and hybrid density functional (B3LYP) methods. Three mechanisms were considered: (a) the unimolecular process SN1Ar with steps 1 --> Ph+ + N2 and Ph+ + H2O --> 2, (b) the bimolecular process SN2Ar with precoordination 1 + H2O --> 1 x H2O, SN reaction 1 x H2O --> [TS]++ --> 2 x N2 and dissociation of the postcoordination complex 2 x N2 --> 2 + N2, and (c) the direct bimolecular process SN2Ar that bypasses precoordination and involves just the SN reaction 1 + H2O --> [TS]++ --> 2 + N2. The SN2Ar reactions proceed by way of a Cs symmetric SN2Ar transition state structure that is rather loose, contains essentially a phenyl cation weakly bound to N2 and OH2, and is analogous to the transition state structures of front-side nucleophilic replacement at saturated centers. In solvolysis reactions, all of these processes follow first-order kinetics, and the electronic relaxation is essentially the same. It is argued that "unimolecular dediazoniations" have to proceed by way of SN2Ar transition state structures because strict SN1Ar reactions cannot be realized in solvolyses, despite the fact that the Gibbs free energy profile favors the strict SN1Ar process over the SN2Ar reaction by 6.7 kcal/mol. It is further argued that the direct SN2Ar process is the best model for the solvolysis reaction for dynamic reasons, and its Gibbs free energy of activation is 19.3 kcal/mol and remains higher than the SN1Ar value. Even though the SN1Ar and SN2Ar models provide activation enthalpies and SKIE values that closely match the experimental data, the analysis leads us to the unavoidable conclusion that this agreement is fortuitous. While the experiments do show that the solvent effect on the activation energy is about the same for all solvents, they do not show the absence of a solvent effect. The ab initio results presented here suggest that the solvent effect on the direct SN2Ar dediazoniation is approximately 12 kcal/mol, and computation of solvent effects with the isodensity polarized continuum model (IPCM) support this conclusion.     

Mechanistic study of iron(III) [tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin triflate (F(20)TPP)Fe(OTf) catalyzed cyclooctene epoxidation by hydrogen peroxide

We have recently proposed a mechanism for the epoxidation of cyclooctene by H2O2 catalyzed by iron(III) [tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)]porphyrin chloride, (F20TPP)FeCl, in solvent containing methanol [Stephenson, N. A.; Bell, A.T. Inorg. Chem. 2006, 45, 2758-2766]. In that study, we found that catalysis did not occur unless (F20TPP)FeCl first dissociated, a process facilitated by the solvation of the Cl- anion by methanol and the coordination of methanol to the (F20TPP)Fe+ cation. Methanol as well as other alcohols was also found to facilitate the heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond of H2O2 coordinated to the (F20TPP)Fe+ cation via a generalized acid mechanism. In the present study, we have shown that catalytic activity of the (F20TPP)Fe+ cation can be achieved in aprotic solvent by displacing the tightly bound chloride anion with a weakly bound triflate anion. By working in an aprotic solvent, acetonitrile, it was possible to determine the rate of heterolytic O-O bond cleavage in coordinated H2O2 unaffected by the interaction of the peroxide with methanol. A mechanism is proposed for this system and is shown to be valid over a range of reaction conditions. The mechanisms for cyclooctene epoxidation and H2O2 decomposition for the aprotic and protic solvent systems are similar with the only difference being the mechanism of proton-transfer prior to heterolytic cleavage of the oxygen-oxygen bond of coordinated hydrogen peroxide. Comparison of the rate parameters indicates that the utilization of hydrogen peroxide for cyclooctene epoxidation is higher in a protic solvent than in an aprotic solvent and results in a smaller extent of porphyrin degradation due to free radical attack. It was also shown that water can coordinate to the iron porphyrin cation in aprotic systems resulting in catalyst deactivation; this effect was not observed when methanol was present, since methanol was found to displace all of the coordinated water.     

Gas-phase reactions of atomic lanthanide cations with CO2 and CS2: room-temperature kinetics and periodicities in reactivity

Gas-phase reactions of atomic lanthanide cations (excluding Pm+) have been surveyed systematically with CO2 and CS2 using an inductively coupled plasma/selected-ion flow tube (ICP/SIFT) tandem mass spectrometer. Observations are reported for reactions with La+, Ce+, Pr+, Nd+, Sm+, Eu+, Gd+, Tb+, Dy+, Ho+, Er+, Tm+, Yb+, and Lu+ at room temperature (295 +/- 2 K) in helium at a total pressure of 0.35 +/- 0.02 Torr. The observed primary reaction channels correspond to X-atom transfer (X = O, S) and CX2 addition. X-atom transfer is the predominant reaction channel with La+, Ce+, Pr+, Nd+, Gd+, Tb+, and Lu+, and CX2 addition occurs with the other lanthanide cations. Competition between these two channels is seen only in the reactions of CS2 with Nd+ and Lu+. Rate coefficient measurements indicate a periodicity in the reaction efficiencies of the early and late lanthanides. With CO2 the observed trends in reactivity across the row and with exothermicity follow trends in the energy required to achieve two unpaired non-f valence electrons by electron promotion within the Ln+ cation that suggest the presence of a kinetic barrier, in a manner much like those observed previously for reactions with isoelectronic N2O. In contrast, no such barrier is evident for S-atom transfer from the valence isolectronic CS2 molecule which proceeds at unit efficiency, and this is attributed to the much higher polarizability of CS2 compared to CO2 and N2O. Up to five CX2 molecules were observed to add sequentially to selected Ln+ and LnX+ cations.     

Modified Gaussian-2 level investigation of the identity ion-pair SN2 reactions of lithium halide and methyl halide with inversion and retention mechanisms

Identity ion-pair S(N)2 reactions LiX + CH(3)X --> XCH(3) + LiX (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) have been investigated in the gas phase and in solution at the level of the modified Gaussian-2 theory. Two possible reaction mechanisms, inversion and retention, are discussed. The reaction barriers relative to the complexes for the inversion mechanism [DeltaH(cent) ( not equal )(inv)] are found to be much higher than the corresponding values for the gas phase anionic S(N)2 reactions, decreasing in the following order: F (263.6 kJ mol(-1)) > Cl (203.3 kJ mol(-1)) > Br (174.7 kJ mol(-1)) > I (150.7 kJ mol(-1)). The barrier gaps between the two mechanisms [DeltaH(cent) ( not equal ) (ret) - DeltaH(cent) ( not equal ) (inv)] increase in the order F (-62.7 kJ mol(-1)) < Cl (4.4 kJ mol(-1)) < Br (24.9 kJ mol(-1)) < I (45.1 kJ mol(-1)). Thus, the retention mechanism is energetically favorable for fluorine and the inversion mechanism is favored for other halogens, in contrast to the anionic S(N)2 reactions at carbon where the inversion reaction channel is much more favorable for all of the halogens. The stabilization energies for the dipole-dipole complexes CH(3)X. LiX (DeltaH(comp)) are found to be similar for the entire set of systems with X = F, Cl, Br, and I, ranging from 53.4 kJ mol(-1) for I up to 58.9 kJ mol(-1) for F. The polarizable continuum model (PCM) has been used to evaluate the direct solvent effects on the energetics of the anionic and ion-pair S(N)2 reactions. The energetic profiles are found to be still double-well shaped for most of the ion-pair S(N)2 reactions in the solution, but the potential profile for reaction LiI + CH(3)I is predicted to be unimodal in the protic solvent. Good correlations between central barriers [DeltaH(cent) ( not equal ) (inv)] with the geometric looseness of the inversion transition state %C-X( not equal ), the dissociation energies of the C-X bond (D(C-X)) and Li-X bond (D(Li-X)) are observed, respectively.     

氢键链质子接受能力对质子转移反应影响的理论研究

采用密度泛函B3LYP方法,6-311+g(d,p)基组,对甲酸与质子性溶剂分子形成的HCOOH-S_1-S_2(S_1和S_2分别为H_2O和NHF2)复合物在气相时发生的基态三质子转移反应过程进行了理论研究.4个甲酸复合物HCOOH-H_2O-H_2O,HCOOH-NHF2-NHF2,HCOOH-H_2O-NHF2及HCOOH-NHF2-H_2O中发生的三质子转移反应都是以异步协同质子迁移方式进行的.甲酸复合物中的氢键链组成和连接方式对基态三质子转移反应能垒有显著影响.HCOOH-S_1-S_2复合物中氢键链的质子接受能力可以表示为a×β1+b×β2(a+b=1).当a=0.45,b=0.55时,HCOOH-S_1-S_2中氢键链的质子接受能力和HCOOH-S_1-S_2复合物中的质子转移反应能垒成线性关系.氢键链的质子接收能力越强,反应能垒越低.     

Kinetic and mechanistic analysis of nonenzymatic, template-directed oligoribonucleotide ligation

The role of divalent cations in the mechanism of pyrophosphate-activated, template-directed oligoribonucleotide ligation has been investigated. The dependence of the reaction rate on Mg2+ concentration suggests a kinetic scheme in which a Mg2+ ion must bind before ligation can proceed. Mn2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+ can also catalyze the reaction. Although Pb2+ and Zn2+ do not catalyze the reaction in the absence of other divalent ions, they significantly modulate the reaction rate when added in the presence of Mg2+, with Pb2+ stimulating the reaction (up to 65-fold) and Zn2+ inhibiting the reaction. The logarithm of the ligation rate increases linearly, with slope of 0.95, as a function of pH, indicating that the reaction involves a single critical deprotonation step. The ligation rates observed with the different divalent metal ion catalysts (Mn2+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > Sr2+ = Ba2+) vary inversely with the pKa values of their bound water molecules. The pH profile and these relative ligation rates suggest a mechanism in which a metal-bound hydroxide ion located near the ligation junction promotes catalysis, most likely by deprotonation of the hydroxl nucleophile. The effects of changing either the leaving group or the attacking hydroxyl, together with the large delta S(++) value for oligonucleotide ligation (about -20 eu), are consistent with an associative transition state.     

Nucleophilic substitution at silicon (SN2@Si) via a central reaction barrier

It is textbook knowledge that nucleophilic substitution at carbon (SN2@C) proceeds via a central reaction barrier which disappears in the corresponding nucleophilic substitution reaction at silicon (SN2@Si). Here, we address the question why the central barrier disappears from SN2@C to SN2@Si despite the fact that these processes are isostructural and isoelectronic. To this end, we have explored and analyzed the potential energy surfaces (PES) of various Cl-+CR3Cl (R=H, CH3) and Cl-+SiR3Cl model reactions (R=H, CH3, C2H5, and OCH3). Our results show that the nature of the SN2 reaction barrier is in essence steric, but that it can be modulated by electronic factors. Thus, simply by increasing the steric demand of the substituents R around the silicon atom, the SN2@Si mechanism changes from its regular single-well PES (with a stable intermediate transition complex, TC), via a triple-well PES (with a pre- and a post-TS before and after the central TC), to a double-well PES (with a TS; R=OCH3), which is normally encountered for SN2@C reactions.     

Nucleophilic identity substitution reactions. The reaction between ammonia and protonated amines

The gas phase reactions between NH3 and the protonated amines MeNH3+, EtNH3+, PriNH3+, and Bu(t)nH3+ have been studied by high level ab initio methods. Mass spectrometric experiments yielded no significant reaction products; this result being consistent with the calculated reaction barriers. The potential energy profiles for both nucleophilic substitution (SN2) and elimination (E2) pathways have been investigated. Both back side Walden inversion (SNB) and front side (SNF) nucleophilic reaction profiles have been generated. The SNB reaction barriers are found to be higher for the more alkyl substituted reaction centres. Reaction barrier trends have been analysed and compared with the results of a similar study of the H2O-ROH2+ system (R = Me, Et, Pri, and Bu(t)).     

A dynamic picture of the halolactonization reaction through a combination of ab initio metadynamics and experimental investigations

The halolactonization reaction is one of the most common electrophilic addition reactions to alkenes. The mechanism is generally viewed as a two-step pathway, which involves the formation of an ionic intermediate, in most cases a haliranium ion. Recently, an alternative concerted mechanism was proposed, in which the nucleophile of the reaction played a key role in the rate determining step by forming a pre-polarized complex with the alkene. This pathway was coined the nucleophile-assisted alkene activation (NAAA) mechanism. Metadynamics simulations on a series of model halolactonization reactions were used to obtain the full dynamic trajectory from reactant to product and investigate the explicit role of the halogen source and solvent molecules in the mechanism. The results in this work ratify the occasional preference of a concerted mechanism over the classic two-step transformation under specific reaction conditions. Nevertheless, as the stability of both the generated substrate cation and counter-anion increase, a transition towards the classic two-step mechanism was observed. NCI analyses on the transition states revealed that the activating role of the nucleophile is independent of the formation and stability of the intermediate. Additionally, the dynamic insights obtained from the metadynamics simulations and NCI analyses employed in this work, unveiled the presence of syn-directing noncovalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, between the alkenoic acid and the halogen source, which rationalized the experimentally observed diastereoselectivities. Explicit noncovalent interactions between the reactants and a protic solvent or basic additive are able to disrupt these syn-directing noncovalent interactions, affecting the diastereoselective outcome of the reaction.

Ab initio dynamics of the halolactonization reaction provide insights into the diastereoselectivity of the reaction. Noncovalent interactions between the substrate, halogen source and solvent are revealed to direct the formation of the syn-product.     

Lowest singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces of S2N2

Forty four stationary points have been located on the lowest singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces of S(2)N(2). Ten minima and ten saddle points on the lowest singlet surface and eleven minima and thirteen saddle points on the lowest triplet surface were found. All saddle points were connected to minima or lower-order saddle points by following the intrinsic reaction coordinate. Renner-Teller effects in the linear isomers were studied by examining their bending curves. The S(2)N(2) polymerization mechanism was investigated by first locating the transition state corresponding to ring opening and then considering all species connected to it that are close in energy. The commonly accepted mechanism is problematic due to the number of species that would lead to dissociation to SN + SN. Other possible isomers that are consistent with the experimental evidence but do not connect to SN radicals in the dissociation limit were examined. A mechanism of polymerization to (SN)(x)() is proposed that involves excitation of the square planar singlet molecule to the triplet surface. The triplet species then undergoes a puckering, and polymerization occurs in a direction approximately perpendicular to the S(2)N(2) plane. Consideration of the predicted vibrational frequencies suggests the structure of the second isomer of S(2)N(2). This isomer has a trans-NSSN structure with a long SS bond. The energetics of trans-NSSN are consistent with the observed temperature effects in the dimerization of SN. Analysis of the bending curves of linear NSSN and NSNS indicates that trans-NSSN is the only isomer which has a small yet significant barrier to that dimerization.     

Kinetics and mechanism of complex formation of nickel(II) with tetra-N-alkylated cyclam in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF): comparative study on the reactivity and solvent exchange of the species Ni(DMF)6(2+) and Ni(DMF)5Cl+

13C NMR was used to study the rate of DMF exchange in the nickel(II) cation Ni(DMF)6(2+) and in the monochloro species Ni(DMF)5Cl+ with 13C-labeled DMF in the temperature range of 193-395 K in DMF (DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide). The kinetic parameters for solvent exchange are kex = (3.7 +/- 0.4) x 10(3) s-1, delta H++ = 59.3 +/- 5 kJ mol-1, and delta S++ = +22.3 +/- 14 J mol-1 K-1 for Ni(DMF)6(2+) and kex = (5.3 +/- 1) x 10(5) s-1, delta H++ = 42.4 +/- 4 kJ mol-1, and delta S++ = +6.7 +/- 15 J mol-1 K-1 for Ni(DMF)5Cl+. Multiwavelength stopped-flow spectrophotometry was used to study the kinetics of complex formation of the cation Ni(DMF)6(2+) and of the 100-fold more labile cation Ni(DMF)5Cl+ with TMC (1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) and TEC (1,4,8,11-tetraethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) in DMF at 298 K and I = 0.6 M (tetra-n-butylammoniumperchlorate). Equilibrium constants K for the addition of the nucleophiles DMF, Cl-, and Br- to the complexes Ni(TMC)2+ and Ni(TEC)2+ were determined by spectrophotometric titration. Formation of the complexes Ni(TMC)2+ and Ni(TEC)2+ was found to occur in two stages. In the initial stage, fast, second-order nickel incorporation with rate constants k1(TMC) = 99 +/- 5 M-1 s-1 and k1 (TEC) = 235 +/- 12 M-1 s-1 leads to the intermediates Ni(TMC)int2+ and Ni(TEC)int2+, which have N4-coordinated nickel. In the second stage, these intermediates rearrange slowly to form the stereochemically most stable configuration. First-order rate constants for the one-step rearrangement of Ni(TMC)int2+ and the two-step rearrangment of Ni(TEC)int2+ are presented. Because of the rapid formation of Ni(DMF)5Cl+, the reactions of Ni(DMF)6(2+) with TMC and TEC are accelerated upon the addition of tetra-n-butylammoniumchloride (TBACl) and lead to the complexes Ni(TMC)Cl+ and Ni(TEC)Cl+, respectively. For initial concentrations such that [TBACl]o/[nickel]o > or = 20, intermediate formation is 230 times (TMC) and 47 times (TEC) faster than in the absence of chloride. The mechanism of complex formation is discussed.     

Troposelective substitutions in microsolvated systems.

The mechanism and the stereochemistry of the intracomplex "solvolysis" of the proton-bound complexes I(X)() between CH(3)(18)OH and (R)-(+)-1-aryl-ethanol (1(R)()(X)(); aryl = phenyl (X = H); pentafluorophenyl (X = F)) have been investigated in the gas phase in the 25-100 degrees C temperature range. The results point to intracomplex "solvolysis" as proceeding through the intermediacy of the relevant benzyl cation III(X)() (a pure S(N)1 mechanism). "Solvolysis" of I(H)() leads to complete racemization at T > 50 degrees C, whereas at T < 50 degrees C the reaction displays a preferential retention of configuration. Predominant retention of configuration is also observed in the intracomplex "solvolysis" of I(F)(). This picture is rationalized in terms of different intracomplex interactions between the benzylic ion III(X)() and the nucleophile/leaving group pair, which govern the timing of their reorientation within the electrostatic complex. The obtained gas-phase picture is discussed in the light of related gas-phase and solution data. It is concluded that the solvolytic reactions are mostly governed by the lifetime and the dynamics of the species involved and, if occurring in solution, by the nature of the solvent cage. Their rigid subdivision into the S(N)1 and S(N)2 mechanistic categories appears inadequate, and the use of their stereochemistry as a mechanistic probe can be highly misleading.     

Facile nucleophilic fluorination reactions using tert-alcohols as a reaction medium: significantly enhanced reactivity of alkali metal fluorides and improved selectivity

Although protic solvents are generally not preferred for nucleophilic displacement reactions because of their partial positive charge and hydrogen-bonding capacity that solvate the nucleophile and reduce its reactivity, we recently reported a remarkably beneficial effect of using tertiary alcohols as a reaction media for nucleophilic fluorination with alkali metal fluorides, as well as fluorine-18 radiolabeling with [18F]fluoride ion for the preparation of PET radiopharmaceuticals. In this work, we investigate further the influence of the tert-alcohol reaction medium for nucleophilic fluorination with alkali metal fluorides by studying various interactions among tert-alcohols, the alkali metal fluoride (CsF), and the sulfonyloxy substrate. Factors such as hydrogen bonding between CsF and the tert-alcohol solvent, the formation of a tert-alcohol solvated fluoride, and hydrogen bonding between the sulfonate leaving group and the tert-alcohol appear to contribute to the dramatic increase in the rate of the nucleophilic fluorination reaction in the absence of any kind of catalyst. We found that fluorination of 1-(2-mesyloxyethyl)naphthalene (5) and N-5-bromopentanoyl-3,4-dimethoxyaniline (8) with Bu(4)N(+)F(-) in a tert-alcohol afforded the corresponding fluoro products in much higher yield than obtained by the conventional methods using dipolar aprotic solvents. The protic medium also suppresses formation of byproducts, such as alkenes, ethers, and cyclic adducts.     

Compared behavior of 5-deoxy-5-iodo-D-xylo- and L-arabinofuranosides in the reductive elimination reaction: a strong dependence on structural parameters and on the presence of Zn2+. A combined experimental and theoretical investigation

In the framework of a project devoted to the chemical transformation of monosaccharides from hemicelluloses into higher added value materials, the zinc-induced reductive elimination from 5-deoxy-5-iodo derivatives of D-xylose and L-arabinose was carried out. This study gave us the opportunity to observe surprising behaviors. In particular, the reaction strongly depends on structural parameters (protecting group pattern, configuration at C-4) and on the presence of Zn2+ ions. Collaterally with the experimental work, water solvent PCM HF-DFT (MPW1K/LANL2DZ) computations were performed to obtain insight into the mechanism for the reductive part of the reaction sequence. Without Zn2+, the zinc insertion reaction was found to proceed through a concerted but non-synchronous process involving a relatively large energy barrier (32 kcal mol-1) that directly leads to the presumed organozinc intermediate. In the presence of Zn2+, a three-step mechanism was identified in which the cation coordinates the anomeric and ring oxygen atoms and also the sugar iodine atom, causing an activating effect on the zinc insertion process by facilitating the homolytic rupture of the C-I bond. Complexes between zinc and Zn2+ bound carbohydrates were characterized with large stabilization energies, suggesting that Zn2+ might enhance the affinity of the organic compound with the zinc metal surface.     

On the formation of radical dications of protonated amino acids in a "microsolution" of water or acetonitrile and their reactivity towards the solvent

In high-energy collisions (50 keV) between O2 and protonated amino acids AH+, radical dications AH2+* are formed for A = Phe, His, Met, Tyr, and Trp. When solvated by water or acetonitrile (S), AH2+*(S)1,2 are formed for A = Arg, His, Met, Tyr, and Trp. The stability of the hydrogen-deficient AH2+* in the "microsolution" depends on the energetics of the electron transfer reaction AH2+* +S --> AH++S+*, the hydrogen abstraction reaction AH2+*+S --> AH2(2+)+[S-H]*, and the proton transfer reaction AH2+* + S --> A+*+SH+. Using B3LYP/ 6-311+G(2d,p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d) model chemistry, we describe these three reactions in detail for A=Tyr and find that the first two reactions are unfavorable whereas the third one is favorable. However, energy is required for the formation of Tyr+* and SH+ from TyrH2+*(S) to overcome the Coulomb barrier, which renders the complex observable with a life-time larger than 5 micros. The ionization energy, IE, of TyrH+ is calculated to be 11.1 eV in agreement with an experimental measurement of 10.1+/-2.1 eV ([IE(CH3CN)+IE(Tyr)]/ 2); hydration further lowers the IE by 0.3 eV [IE(TyrH+(H2O) = 10.8 eV, calculated]. We estimate the ionization energies of TrpH+, HisH+, and MetH+ to be 10.1+/-2.1 eV, 12.4+/-0.2 eV, and 12.4+/-0.2 eV, and that of PheH+ to be larger than 12.6 eV.