A surface hopping quasiclassical trajectory study of the H2+ + H2 and (H2 + D2)+ systems

In this work we use a complete surface hopping quasiclassical trajectory method to determine cross sections for the reactions H₂⁺ + H₂ → H₃⁺ + H and the isotopic variants (H₂⁺ + D₂ and D₂⁺ + H₂). Initial translational energies ranged between 0.5 and 6 eV. The vibrational quantum number (v⁺) of the charged diatom is either 0 or 3. Comparing these results with our previous results with a partial treatment of surface hopping, we find essentially no change for v⁺ = 0 and reductions in cross sections of up to 30% for v⁺ = 3 trajectories.     

Site-selective [2 + 2 + n] cycloadditions for rapid,scalable access to alkynylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are attractive synthetic building blocks for more complex conjugated nanocarbons, but their use for this purpose requires appreciable quantities of a PAH with reactive functional groups. Despite tremendous recent advances, most synthetic methods cannot satisfy these demands. Here we present a general and scalable [2 + 2 + n] (n = 1 or 2) cycloaddition strategy to access PAHs that are decorated with synthetically versatile alkynyl groups and its application to seven structurally diverse PAH ring systems (thirteen new alkynylated PAHs in total). The critical discovery is the site-selectivity of an Ir-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition, which preferentially cyclizes tethered diyne units with preservation of other (peripheral) alkynyl groups. The potential for generalization of the site-selectivity to other [2 + 2 + n] reactions is demonstrated by identification of a Cp₂Zr-mediated [2 + 2 + 1]/metallacycle transfer sequence for synthesis of an alkynylated, selenophene-annulated PAH. The new PAHs are excellent synthons for macrocyclic conjugated nanocarbons. As a proof of concept, four were subjected to alkyne metathesis catalysis to afford large, PAH-containing arylene ethylene macrocycles, which possess a range of cavity sizes reaching well into the nanometer regime. Notably, these high-yielding macrocyclizations establish that synthetically convenient pentynyl groups can be effective for metathesis since the 4-octyne byproduct is sequestered by 5 Å MS. Most importantly, this work is a demonstration of how site-selective reactions can be harnessed to rapidly build up structural complexity in a practical, scalable fashion.

An orthogonal [2 + 2 + n] cycloaddition/alkyne metathesis reaction sequence enables streamlined access to conjugated macrocyclic nanocarbons.     

Chiral N-phosphino sulfinamide ligands in rhodium(I)-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions

The combination of cationic rhodium(I) complexes with N-phosphino tert-butylsulfinamides (PNSO) ligands is efficient for catalytic intra- and intermolecular [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions. PNSO ligands are a new class of chiral bidentate ligands, which have the characteristic of combining the easily accessible sulfur chirality with the coordinating capacity of phosphorous. Cycloaddition of open-chained and macrocyclic E-enediynes with these chiral complexes have proved to be highly efficient in terms of yields, giving moderate enantiomeric excesses of the corresponding cyclohexadiene derivatives. In addition Rh(I)/PNSO complexes catalyzed the intermolecular cycloaddition of diynes with monoalkynes in mild reaction conditions and short reaction times.     

Cyclobutane ring formation by triflic imide catalyzed [2+2]-cycloaddition of allylsilanes

Cyclobutane forming [2+2]-cycloaddition reactions of allylsilane with electron-deficient olefin is promoted by triflic imide (Tf₂NH). Triflic imide is converted in situ to silyl triflic imide (R₃SiNTf₂), which serves as the actual catalyst for this process. When these reactions take place at higher than ambient temperatures, thermodynamically more stable anti-cyclobutanes are generated preferentially by equilibration of the initially formed adducts via retro [2+2]-cycloaddition.     

Direct rate measurements on the reactions N + OH → NO + H And O + OH → O2 + H

Rate constants for the radical-radical reactions N + OH → NO + H (1), and O + OH → O₂ + H (2) have been measured for the first time by a direct method. In each experiment, a known concentration of N or O atoms is established in a discharge-flow system. OH radicals are then created by flash photolysis of H₂O present in the flowing gas, and the disappearance of OH is monitored by time-resolved observations of its resonance fluorescence. The experiments yield K₁ = (5.0 = 1.2) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 and k₂ = (3.8 = 0.9) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, for the reactions at 298 = 5 K.     

DFT study on [4+2] and [2+2] cycloadditions to [60] fullerene

The functionalisation of C₆₀ fullerene with 2,3-dimethylene-1,4-dioxane (I) and 2,5-dioxabicyclo [4.2.0]octa-1(8),6-diene (II) was investigated by the use of density functional theory calculations in terms of its energetic, structural, field emission, and electronic properties. The functionalisation of C₆₀ with I was previously reported experimentally. The I and II molecules are preferentially attached to a C—C bond shared and located between two hexagons of C₆₀ via [4+2] and [2+2] cycloadditions bearing reaction energies of ?15.9 kcal mol^?1 and ?72.4 kcal mol^?1, respectively. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap and work function of C₆₀ are significantly reduced following completion of the reactions. The field electron emission current of the C₆₀ surface will increase after functionalisation of either the I or II molecule.     

Tethered 2 + 2 + 2 cycloaddition reactions of cobalt-cycloheptyne complexes

Cycloheptyne-dicobalt hexacarbonyl complexes, substituted by propargylic ether functions, undergo 2 + 2 + 2 cycloaddition reactions with alkynes to give tricyclic benzocycloheptanes; an all-intramolecular version of this transformation is also possible.     

An Mo-theoretical characterization of organic reaction mechanisms—IV : Thermal (2+2) reactions

Various types of thermal (2+2) reactions are mechanistically differentiated in terms of the phase continuity plus the triplet stability of the restricted Hartree-Fock molecular orbitals relevant to the entire reaction systems. The former criterion allows to discriminate between the symmetry-allowed and -forbidden reactions while the latter permits distinction between biradical and nonradical reactions. It follows that the two-step cycloaddition involving a zwitterionic intermediate, for instance, should be characterized as a symmetry-forbidden nonradical process. The mechanistic features theoretically inferred for several known examples of reactions are all found to be compatible with observation.     

Diastereoselective approach to 11-aryl steroid skeletons through a cobalt(I)-mediated [2+2+2] cyclization of allenediynes

The cobalt(I)-mediated [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions of allenediynes of yne-allene-yne type bearing an aryl group on the allene are described. The cyclizations are totally chemo- and regioselective and show low diastereoselectivities. η⁴-Complexed tricyclic (6,6,6) compounds were obtained in good yields as mixtures of endo/exo diastereomers. The cyclization is also compatible with an oxyfunctionality at C3. By designing an allenediyne having a preexisting D ring, we succeeded in building skeletons of 11-aryl steroids in one step and in a totally diastereoselective manner and with simultaneous introduction of an angular methyl group at C10 and an aryl substituent at C11.     

[2 + 2 + 1] Cycloaddition of N-tosylhydrazones,tert-butyl nitrite and alkenes: a general and practical access to isoxazolines

N-Tosylhydrazones have proven to be versatile synthons over the past several decades. However, to our knowledge, the construction of isoxazolines based on N-tosylhydrazones has not been examined. Herein, we report the first demonstrations of [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition reactions that allow the facile synthesis of isoxazolines, employing N-tosylhydrazones, tert-butyl nitrite (TBN) and alkenes as reactants. This process represents a new type of cycloaddition reaction with a distinct mechanism that does not involve the participation of nitrile oxides. This approach is both general and practical and exhibits a wide substrate scope, nearly universal functional group compatibility, tolerance of moisture and air, the potential for functionalization of complex bioactive molecules and is readily scaled up. Both control experiments and theoretical calculations indicate that this transformation proceeds via the in situ generation of a nitronate from the coupling of N-tosylhydrazone and TBN, followed by cycloaddition with an alkene and subsequent elimination of a tert-butyloxy group to give the desired isoxazoline.

A novel [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition of N-tosylhydrazones, tert-butyl nitrite and alkenes was successfully established, which allowed facile construction of a wide range of isoxazolines.     

Reactions of the HO2 radical with OH,H, Fe2+ and Cu2+ at elevated temperatures

The temperature dependence of the rate constant for the reactions of HO₂ with OH, H, Fe²⁺ and Cu²⁺ has been determined using pulse radiolysis technique. The following rate constants, k (dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹) at 20°C and activation energies, E_a (kJ mol⁻¹) have been found. The reaction with OH was studied in the temperature range 20–296°C (k=7.0×10⁹, E_a=7.4) and the reaction with H in the temperature range 5–149°C (k=8.5×10⁹, E_a=17.5). The reaction with Fe²⁺ was studied in the temperature range 16–118°C (k=7.9×10⁵, E_a=36.8) and the reaction with Cu²⁺ in the temperature range 17–211°C (k=1.1×10⁸, E_a=14.9).     

[4+2] Cycloaddition reactions of 1,2,4,5-tetrazines with allylcarboranes

The [4+2] cycloaddition reactions of 3,6-disubstituted 1,2,4,5-tetrazines with 9-allyl-1,7-,9-allyl-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaboranes and 1-allyl-2-isopropyl-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecab-orane have been studied. The pyridazines containing carborane cage have been synthesized for the first time.     

Kinetics of the reactions Br + NO2 + M and I + NO2+ M

The reactions Br + NO₂ + M → BrNO₂ + M (1) and I + NO₂ + M → INO₂ + M (2) have been studied at low pressure (0.6-2.2 torr) at room temperature and with helium as the third body by the discharge-flow technique with EPR and mass spectrometric analysis of the species. The following third order rate constants were found k₁₍₀₎ = (3.7 ± 0.7) × 10^?31 and k₂₍₀₎ = (0.95 ± 0.35) × 10^?31 (units are cm⁶ molecule^?2 s^?1). The secondary reactions X + XNO₂ → X₂ + NO₂ (X = Br, I) have been studied by mass spectrometry and their rate constants have been estimated from product analysis and computer modeling.     

Halogen effect on tandem [4+2] cycloaddition/aromatization sequence of allenyl 2-halo-3-vinylcyclohex-2-enyl ether

Steric and enthalpic effects of substituents on diene moieties play a crucial role in intramolecular cycloaddition reactions. Allenyl 2-halogenated-3-vinylcyclohex-2-enyl ethers underwent a tandem [4+2] cycloaddition/aromatization reaction to afford the corresponding tetrahydro-3H-naphtho[1,8-bc]furan compound in high yield.     

Charge separation reactions of the CF2+ and CCl2+ dications

Experimental values of kinetic energy release (T) for predissociation processes of the diatomic dications CF²⁺ and CCl²⁺ have been obtained using mass-analysed ion kinetic energy spectrometry (MIKES) on a double-focusing mass spectrometer. Both unimolecular and collision-induced processes were studied. Potential energy curves for CF²⁺ and CCl²⁺ were calculated using the semi-empirical procedure due to Hurley, and applied to the interpretation of the observed T values.     

Scalable synthesis of functionalised 2-pyridones via [4+2] cycloaddition reactions of 2-pyrazinones and alkynylboronates

The multigram synthesis of N-protected 2-pyridone boronic acid derivatives via a [4+2] cycloaddition of alkynylboronates with 2-pyrazinones is presented. The reactions are highly chemoselective, and generally highly regioselective although trimethylsilyl-substituted alkynylboronates have proven to be an exception. Nonetheless, in this latter case, separation of regioisomers was successfully accomplished via high performance counter-current chromatography allowing isolation of analytically pure 2-pyridones. Further derivatisations of trimethylsilyl-substituted 2-pyridone boronates were performed providing access to a selection of functionalised scaffolds.     

The born approximation as a simple diagnostic method for direct molecular collisions with applications to Cl + HI and F + H2 reactions

Born approximation computations are presented and discussed for the Cl + HI → I + HCl and F + H₂ → H + HF reactions and their isotopic analogues. Most aspects of the role of reagent energy or the energy disposal in the products previously deduced from experiment or trajectory computations can be accounted for the Born approximation. The procedure used here neglects the interaction between non-bonded atoms. It does thereby provide a very simple computational scheme which requires as input only the spectroscopic constants of the reactants and products. In addition it offers simple qualitative interpretations of the trends in the results. The overall satisfactory agreement between the present results and past studies lends credibility to the basic propensity rule provided by the Born approximation: The most probable transitions are those that minimize the momentum transfer to the nuclei. The principle is discussed with special reference to exothermic (E′_T ? E_T) and endothermic transitions.The computations for Cl + HI indicate a decline of the reaction cross section with increasing kinetic energy and a strong enhancement by HI rotational energy. The surprisal analysis confirms the absence of vibrational population inversion for endothermic transitions. For the F + H₂ (and isotopic variants) reactions, the product-rotational state distribution extends nearly to the energy cut-off. The vibrational state distribution is somewhat different for para- and normal H₂ and, in general, the collision outcome is very sensitive to the initial rotational state of H₂ particularly at low translational energies. The HF/DF branching ratio is F + HD collisions is increasing with increase of the HD rotational state. The vibrational surprisal is essentially isotopically invariant.     

Itinerant electron ferromagnetism in Sr2+-, Ca2+-, and Ba2+-doped rare-earth orthocobaltites (Ln3+1−xM2+xCoO3)

Electronic and magnetic properties of Ln_1?xSr_xCoO₃ (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd) systems show that above a critical value of x, the d electrons become itinerant while the materials become ferromagnetic at low temperatures. The ferromagnetic component increases with increase in x and decrease in temperature. The Curie temperature increases with x and decreases with decrease in the size of the rare-earth ion. Incorporation of Ba²⁺ in LaCoO₃ favors itinerant electron ferromagnetism relative to Sr²⁺ while Ca²⁺ is less favorable than Sr²⁺.     

A dynamic threshold in the F + H2 → HF + H reaction as determined from three-dimensional quasi-classical-reverse trajectory calculations

Quasi-classical dynamic threshold energies have been determined for two important reactive transitions in the F + H₂ reaction by performing extensive three-dimensional trajectory calculations for the corresponding reverse reactions. It is found that the energetic and dynamic thresholds for the reaction F + H₂(υ = 0,j) → HF(υ = 2,j = 6) + H are the same, whereas the latter threshold is approximately 0.08 eV greater than the former one for the reaction F + H₂(υ = 0,j) → HF(υ = 3,j=1) + H. These results are in good agreement with the corresponding semi-classical threshold results which are also reported. The relationship of these quasi-classical-reverse results to experimentally measured quantities is discussed.     

Collisional energy transfer in the reactions I + NO + M → INO + M and I + NO2 + M → INO2 + M

The low-pressure recombination rate constants of the reactions I + NO + M → INO + M (with 14 different M) and I + NO₂ + M → INO₂ + M (with 26 different M) have been measured at 330°K by laser flash photolysis. The collision efficiencies β_c are analyzed and compared with other thermal activation systems. Whereas β_c increases in one reaction with an increasing number of atoms in M, practically no such effect is found when, for the same M, different reactions with varying complexities of the reacting molecules are considered.