Lithiated tertiary carbanions display variable coordination modes: evidence from DFT and NMR studies

Density functional calculations reveal that, whereas the reaction of 2-propyl-N,N-diisopropylbenzamide (6) with tBuLi in the presence of potentially tridentate donor ligands may result in lateral deprotonation of 6, the behavior of the Lewis base is non-trivial. The ability of N and O donor centers in the co-solvent to resist Li(+) coordination is found to be synonymous with interaction of lithium with the formally deprotonated carbanion center. Low-energy structures have been identified whose predicted (1) H and (13) C?NMR spectroscopic shifts are in excellent agreement with experiment. Reaction of 2-isopropyl-N,N-diisopropylbenzamide (5) with tBuLi in the presence of bidentate Lewis base N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) yields material that is suggested by NMR spectroscopy to be laterally deprotonated and to have the formulation 5-Li(l) ?TMEDA. In spite of the tertiary aliphatic group at the 2-position in 5, X-ray crystallography reveals that the crystalline material isolated from the treatment of 5/(-)-sparteine with tBuLi is a lateral lithiate in which amide coordination and solvation by bidentate Lewis base results in the Li(+) ion interacting with the deprotonated α-C of the 2-iPr group (2.483(8)??). The tertiary carbanion center remains essentially flat and the adjacent aromatic system is highly distorted. The use of a chiral co-solvent results in two diastereomeric conformers, and their direct observation in solution suggests that interconversion is slow on the NMR timescale.     

Aluminiumhydrazide. Bildung eines dimeren Di(tert‐butyl)aluminiumhydrazids mit viergliedrigem Al2N2‐Heterozyklus und Umsetzung eines Dialkylaluminiumchlorids mit Dilithium‐bis(trimethylsilyl)hydrazid

Aluminium Hydrazides – Formation of a Dimeric Di( tert ‐butyl)aluminium Hydrazide Containing a Four‐Membered Al₂N₂ Heterocycle and Reaction of Dialkylaluminium Chloride with Dilithium Bis(trimethylsilyl)hydrazide The reaction of di(tert‐butyl)aluminium chloride with tert‐butylhydrazine yielded an adduct ( 1 ) which was isolated in a pure form and characterized by crystal structure determination. 1 reacted with n‐butyllithium by deprotonation and salt elimination to give the corresponding di(tert‐butyl)aluminium hydrazide ( 2 ), which is a dimer in solution and in the solid state and possesses a four‐membered Al₂N₂ heterocycle with two exocyclic N–N bonds. The structure of 2 differs from that of other di(tert‐butyl)aluminium hydrazides which have four‐ or five‐membered heterocycles. Treatment of impure samples of 1 with n‐butyllithium yielded by the cleavage of the N–N bonds a mixture of several unknown products, from which the dimeric, centrosymmetric aluminium amide [(Me₃C)₂AlN(H)CMe₃]₂ ( 3 ) was isolated. A similar product ( 4 ) was obtained in a low yield by the reaction of (Me₃SiCH₂)₂AlCl with the dilithium hydrazide Li₂N₂(SiMe₃)₂. An intact N–N bond was neither found in the second product isolated from this reaction. Instead a tricyclic compound was formed by C–H activation which has two five‐membered AlNSiC₂ heterocycles bridged by Al–N bonds.     

A Precoordination Complex of 1,2,3‐Trimethyl‐1,3,5‐triazacyclohexane with tert‐Butyllithium as Key Intermediate in Its Methylene Group Deprotonation

α‐Lithiated tertiary methylamines are important building blocks in all fields of chemistry, such as for the synthesis of new ligand or catalyst systems. However, the access to these compounds is still limited and the reaction mechanism, in general, not fully understood. We present herein X‐ray diffraction analyses of organolithium compounds with 1,2,3‐trimethyl‐1,3,5‐triazacyclohexane ( 1 ), such as a precoordination adduct of tert‐butyllithium, [(tBuLi)₃?C₆H₁₅N₃], which represents a potential intermediate of the lithiation of the methylene group of this ligand. By means of molecular structures and computational studies, the regioselectivity of this deprotonation reaction can be understood. Furthermore, the tBuLi adduct gives a hint to an alternative deaggregation process of organolithium compounds.     

Tridentate anilido‐aldimine magnesium and zinc complexes as efficient catalysts for ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone and L‐lactide

A novel tridentate anilido‐aldimine ligand, [o‐C₆H₄(NHAr)? HC?NCH₂CH₂NMe₂] (Ar = 2,6‐ⁱPr₂C₆H₃, L ‐H, 1 ), has been prepared by the condensation of N, N‐dimethylethylenediamine with one molar equivalent of 2‐fluoro‐benzaldehyde in hexane, followed by the addition of the lithium salt of diisopropylaniline in THF. Magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) complexes supported by the tridentate anilido‐aldimine ligand have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Reaction of L ‐H ( 1 ) with an equivalent amount of MgⁿBu₂ or ZnEt₂ produces the monomeric complex [ L MgⁿBu] ( 2 ) or [ L ZnEt] ( 3 ), respectively. Experimental results show that complexes 2 and 3 are efficient catalysts for ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone (CL) and L ‐lactide (LA) in the presence of benzyl alcohol and catalyze the polymerization of ε‐CL and L ‐LA in a controlled fashion yielding polymers with a narrow polydispersity index. In both polymerizations, the activity of Mg complex 2 is higher than that of Zn complex 3 , which is probably due to the higher Lewis acidity and better oxophilic nature of Mg²⁺ metal. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4927–4936, 2009     

Steric and electronic limitations of the SRN1 reaction between p-nitrobenzylic substrates and tertiary carbanions

The S_RN1 reaction between sterically hindered p-nitrobenzylic substrates and tertiary carbanions gives C-alkylated products whose yields depend on the steric bulk of both the benzylic substrate and the carbanion, and on the nature of the groups in the carbanion.     

X‐ray and DFT‐calculated structures of bis[N‐(quinolin‐8‐yl)benzamidato‐κ2N,N′]copper(II)

The application of transition metal chelates as chemotherapeutic agents has the advantage that they can be used as a scaffold around which ligands with DNA recognition elements can be anchored. The facile substitution of these components allows for the DNA recognition and binding properties of the metal chelates to be tuned. Copper is a particularly interesting choice for the development of novel metallodrugs as it is an endogenous metal and is therefore less toxic than other transition metals. The title compound, [Cu(C₁₆H₁₁N₂O)₂], was synthesized by reacting N‐(quinolin‐8‐yl)benzamide and the metal in a 2:1 ratio. Ligand coordination required deprotonation of the amide N—H group and the isolated complex is therefore neutral. The metal ion adopts a flattened tetrahedral coordination geometry with the ligands in a pseudo‐trans configuration. The free rotation afforded by the formal single bond between the amide group and phenyl ring allows the phenyl rings to rotate out‐of‐plane, thus alleviating nonbonded repulsion between the phenyl rings and the quinolyl groups within the complex. Weak C—H…O interactions stabilize a dimer in the solid state. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations at the PBE/6‐311G(dp) level of theory show that the solid‐state structure (C1 symmetry) is 79.33 kJ mol⁻¹ higher in energy than the lowest energy gas‐phase structure (C2 symmetry). Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis offers an explanation for the formation of the C—H…O interactions in electrostatic terms, but the stabilizing effect is insufficient to support the dimer in the gas phase.     

The Aggregation Behavior of Butyllithium in Diethyl Ether in the Presence of LiBr,LiClO4, and Phenyllithium: A Deuterium‐Induced Secondary 6Li‐NMR Isotope‐Effect Study

The aggregation of BuLi (LiR) in diethyl ether (Et₂O) in the presence of LiBr was studied by ⁶Li‐ and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. For a 1.0 : 0.8 mixture of both species, the clusters (LiR)₄, Li₄R₃Br, Li₄R₂Br₂, Li₄RBr₃, and/or Li₂RBr in the ratio 7 : 81 : 12 with Li₄RBr₃ and/or Li₂RBr<1 were detected with the isotopic fingerprint method that is based on secondary deuterium (D)‐induced isotope shifts for δ(Li). The raising content of bromide ions causes increased shielding for δ(Li). As in the case of a 1 : 1 MeLi/LiBr mixture in Et₂O, cluster Li₄R₃Br is the most stable one. In the presence of N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA), only a mixed dimer was found. For LiClO₄, no inclusion of the ClO$\rm{{_{4}^{-}}}$ ion could be detected. A mixture BuLi/PhLi 1 : 1 in Et₂O in the presence of TMEDA showed only dimers with the mixed dimer as the most stable cluster. Chemical exchange of Li between the two homodimers was detected by EXSY spectroscopy. This implies an exchange mechanism with a fluxional tetramer as intermediate.     

Use of vibrational spectroscopy to study protein and DNA structure,hydration, and binding of biomolecules: A combined theoretical and experimental approach

We report on our work with vibrational absorption, vibrational circular dichroism, Raman scattering, Raman optical activity, and surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy to study protein and DNA structure, hydration, and the binding of ligands, drugs, pesticides, or herbicides via a combined theoretical and experimental approach. The systems we have studied systematically are the amino acids (L ‐alanine, L ‐tryptophan, and L ‐histidine), peptides (N‐4271 acetyl L ‐alanine N′‐methyl amide, N‐acetyl L ‐tryptophan N′‐methyl amide, N‐acetyl L ‐histidine N′‐methyl amide, L ‐alanyl L ‐alanine, tri‐L ‐serine, N‐acetyl L ‐alanine L ‐proline L ‐tyrosine N′‐methyl amide, Leu‐enkephalin, cyclo‐(gly‐L ‐pro)₃, N‐acetyl (L ‐alanine)_n N′‐methyl amide), 3‐methyl indole, and a variety of small molecules (dichlobenil and 2,6‐dochlorobenzamide) of relevance to the protein systems under study. We have used molecular mechanics, the SCC‐DFTB, SCC‐DFTB+disp, RHF, MP2, and DFT methodologies for the modeling studies with the goal of interpreting the experimentally measured vibrational spectra for these molecules to the greatest extent possible and to use this combined approach to understand the structure, function, and electronic properties of these molecules in their various environments. The application of these spectroscopies to biophysical and environmental assays is expanding, and therefore a thorough understanding of the phenomenon from a rigorous theoretical basis is required. In addition, we give some exciting and new preliminary results which allow us to extend our methods to even larger and more complex systems. The work presented here is the current state of the art to this ever and fast changing field of theoretical spectroscopic interpretation and use of VA, VCD, Raman, ROA, EA, and ECD spectroscopies. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006     

Reaction between benzyllithium and 2-ethylpyridine: chiral crystals of a 1-(2-pyridyl)ethyllithium complex versus formation of lithium 4-benzyl-2-ethyl-1,4-dihydropyridinide

Abstract  

The reaction between benzyllithium and prochiral 2-ethylpyridine in tetrahydrofuran has been studied. In the presence of N,N,N′,N′′,N′′-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDTA), it was found that 1-(2-pyridyl)ethyllithium was formed as a PMDTA complex. This complex is mononuclear, with lithium coordinated to the pyridyl nitrogen atom only; there are no short lithium–carbon distances and the structure approaches that of an enamide rather than a carbanion. The complex undergoes spontaneous resolution and forms chiral crystals with two molecules in the asymmetric unit; the two molecules have different configurations at the chirogenic pyridyl nitrogen atoms but share the same chiral conformation of the chelate ring systems. Reaction between benzyllithium and 2-ethylpyridine in tetrahydrofuran in the absence of PMDTA was found to give a high proportion of lithium 4-benzyl-2-ethyl-1,4-dihydropyridinide, and crystals of a dinuclear complex displaying tetrahydrofuran ligands and co-crystallised n-hexane molecules were isolated.     

Mononuclear Formamidinate Complexes of Lithium and Sodium

Treatment of N,N′‐bis(aryl)formamidines (FXylH = N,N′‐bis(2,6‐dimethylphenyl)formamidine, FEtH = N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diethylphenyl)formamidine, FisoH = N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)formamidine) with nBuLi in the presence of tmeda (= N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine) led to deprotonation of the amidine affording [Li(FXyl)(tmeda)] ( 1 ), [Li(FEt)(tmeda)] ( 2 ) and [Li(Fiso)(tmeda)] ( 3 ) respectively. Similar treatment of FXylH and FisoH with [Na{N(SiMe₃)₂}] in THF and pmdeta (= N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine) yielded [Na(FXyl)(pmdeta)] ( 4 ) and [Na(Fiso)(pmdeta)] ( 5 ). All complexes were characterised by spectroscopy (NMR and IR) and X‐ray crystallography. Due to the bulkiness of the formamidinate ligands and the multidentate nature of the supporting neutral amine ligands (tmeda and pmdeta), all compounds were mononuclear with η²‐chelating formamidinate ligands in the solid state.     

A study on the metalation of fluorinated phenyl benzyl ethers

Lithiation of a series of aryl benzyl ethers containing fluorine atoms or CF group in the phenolic ring has been studied. It was found that the long‐distance inductive effect (two fluorine atoms in 2,6‐ or 2,3‐position to the oxygen) and the cooperation of the coordination and inductive effects (fluorine atom or CF group meta to oxygen atom) are the main factors directing ortholithiation. Dilithiation of aryl benzyl ethers by butyllithium is generally less effective, but in the presence of PMDTA occurs efficiently and gives compounds containing lithium atoms at the phenyl ring and in the benzylic position. 2,3‐Difluoro‐benzyloxybenzene was dilithiated using BuLi–PMDTA complex and the intermediate was trapped with Me₃SiCl to give disilylated product in high yield. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heterobimetallische Komplexe von Lithium,Aluminium und Gold mit dem N‐[2‐N′,N′‐(Dimethylaminoethyl)‐N‐methyl‐aminoethyl]‐ferrocenyl‐Liganden (η5‐C5H5)Fe{η5‐C5H3[CH(CH3)N(CH3)CH2CH2NMe2]‐2}

Heterobimetallic Complexes of Lithium, Aluminum, and Gold with the N ‐[2‐ N ′, N ′‐(dimethylaminoethyl)‐ N ‐methyl‐aminoethyl]‐ferrocenyl Ligand (η⁵‐C₅H₅)Fe{η⁵‐C₅H₃[CH(CH₃)N(CH₃)CH₂CH₂NMe₂]‐2} N‐[2‐N′,N′‐(dimethylaminoethyl)‐N‐methyl‐aminoethyl]ferrocene FcN,NH ( 1 ) reacts with ⁿBuLi under formation of the lithium organyl (FcN,N)Li ( 2 ). At reactions of 2 with AlBr₃ and AuCl · PPh₃ the heterobimetallic organo derivatives (FcN,N)AlBr₂ ( 3 ), (FcN,N)Au · PPh₃ ( 4 ) are formed. A detailed characterization of 2 – 4 was carried out by single crystal x‐ray analyses as well as by NMR and Mößbauer spectroscopy.     

Side chain impacts on pH‐ and thermo‐responsiveness of tertiary amine functionalized polypeptides

The systemic investigation of the structural impacts of side chains on the pH‐ and thermo‐responsiveness of tertiary amine functionalized poly(l ‐glutamate)s (TA‐PGs) was carried out. The TA‐PGs polymers were effectively synthesized by Cu(I)‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition click reaction of azido tertiary amines with poly(γ‐propargyl‐l ‐glutamate) (PPLG). Turbimetric measurements were performed to characterize the pH‐ and temperature‐induced phase transition of TA‐PGs in aqueous solution, which suggested a structural dependence of the properties on the N‐substituted groups and the “linkers” between 1,2,3‐triazole ring and the tertiary amine groups in the side chains. In detail, the pH responsive properties of TA‐PGs were basically determined by the hydrophobicity of the N‐substituted groups in the side chains and the pH transition point (pH_t) decreased as the increasing hydrophobicity of the N‐substituted groups, while the temperature‐responsiveness of TA‐PGs were affected by either the N‐substituted groups or the “linkers.” TA‐PGs with a moderate N‐substituted amine group (e.g., DEA, PR, and PD) or a branched “linker” (e.g., iso‐propylene and 2‐methylpropylene group) were more likely to express the LCST‐type phase transition tuned by pH variation. These structure–property relationships revealed in this study would help to develop the applications of TA‐PGs in smart drug delivery systems. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 671–679     

A pipecolic acid (Pip)‐containing dipeptide,Boc‐d‐Ala‐l‐Pip‐NHiPr

The title dipeptide, 1‐(tert‐butoxy­carbonyl‐d ‐alanyl)‐N‐iso­propyl‐l ‐pipecol­amide or Boc‐d ‐Ala‐l ‐Pip‐NHⁱPr (H‐Pip‐OH is pipecolic acid or piperidine‐2‐carboxylic acid), C₁₇H₃₁N₃­O₄, with a d –l heterochiral sequence, adopts a type II′β‐­turn conformation, with all‐trans amide functions, where the C‐terminal amide NH group interacts with the Boc carbonyl O atom to form a classical i+3 i intramolecular hydrogen bond. The C^α substituent takes an axial position [H^α (Pip) equatorial] and the trans pipecolamide function is nearly planar.     

π‐Excess Aromatic σ2P Ligands: Formation of a Heterocyclic 1,2‐Diphosphine by the Addition of tBuLi and Subsequent Inverse Addition of the Product at the P=C Bonds of Two Molecules of 1‐Neopentyl‐1,3‐benzazaphosphole

The reactivity of tBuLi (pentane) toward the N‐neopentyl‐substituted π‐excess P=CH–N heterocycle 1 depends on the solvent (tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether, hexane, and toluene) and reaction conditions. Trapping of the resulting organolithium compounds with CO₂/ClSiMe₃, ClSiMe₃, or EtI led to various products indicating CH lithiation ( 1a , b ), normal addition of tBuLi at the P=C bond (E/Z ‐2a , b ), inverse addition of the primary addition product 2_Li at the P=C bond of a second molecule 1 , affording 3‐tert‐butyl‐2,2’‐bis(1,3‐benzazaphospholines) 3 , or inverse addition of tBuLi ( 4b,c ). The formation of 3 demonstrates a novel route to asymmetric heterocyclic 1,2‐diphosphine ligands. The structure elucidation of the new compounds is based on their ³¹P and ¹³C NMR data with conclusive chemical shifts and P–C coupling constants, that of the isolated PH‐functionalized diphosphine 3 on crystal structure analysis.     

The structure of a valinomycin–hexaaquamagnesium trifluoromethanesulfonate compound

Valinomycin is a naturally occurring cyclic dodecadepsipeptide with the formula cyclo‐[d ‐HiVA→l ‐Val →l ‐LA→l ‐Val]₃ (d ‐HiVA is d ‐α‐hydroxyisovaleic acid, Val is valine and LA is lactic acid), which binds a K⁺ ion with high selectively. In the past, several cation‐binding modes have been revealed by X‐ray crystallography. In the K⁺, Rb⁺ and Cs⁺ complexes, the ester O atoms coordinate the cation with a trigonal antiprismatic geometry, while the six amide groups form intramolecular hydrogen bonds and the network that is formed has a bracelet‐like conformation (Type 1 binding). Type 2 binding is seen with the Na⁺ cation, in which the valinomycin molecule retains the bracelet conformation but the cations are coordinated by only three ester carbonyl groups and are not centrally located. In addition, a picrate counter‐ion and a water molecule is found at the center of the valinomycin bracelet. Type 3 binding is observed with divalent Ba²⁺, in which two cations are incorporated, bridged by two anions, and coordinated by amide carbonyl groups, and there are no intramolecular amide hydrogen bonds. In this paper, we present a new Type 4 cation‐binding mode, observed in valinomycin hexaaquamagnesium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate) trihydrate, C₅₄H₉₀N₆O₁₈·[Mg(H₂O)₆](CF₃SO₃)₂·3H₂O, in which the valinomycin molecule incorporates a whole hexaaquamagnesium ion, [Mg(H₂O)₆]²⁺, via hydrogen bonding between the amide carbonyl groups and the hydrate water H atoms. In this complex, valinomycin retains the threefold symmetry observed in Type 1 binding, but the amide hydrogen‐bond network is lost; the hexaaquamagnesium cation is hydrogen bonded by six amide carbonyl groups. ¹H NMR titration data is consistent with the 1:1 binding stoichiometry in acetonitrile solution. This new cation‐binding mode of binding a whole hexaaquamagnesium ion by a cyclic polypeptide is likely to have important implications for the study of metal binding with biological models under physiological conditions.     

Synthesis and X‐ray Structures of the Polycyclic Dimers {[PhB(μ‐NtBu)2AsN(tBu)H]LiI}2 and [PhB(μ‐NtBu)2AsN(tBu)Li]2

The metathesis of [PhB(μ‐NtBu)₂]AsCl and tBuN(H)Li in 1:1 molar ratio in diethyl ether produced the amido derivative [PhB(μ‐NtBu)₂AsN(tBu)H] ( 1 ) in good yield. The lithiation of 1 with one equivalent of nBuLi afforded the lithium salt [PhB(μ‐NtBu)₂AsN(tBu)Li] ( 2a ). Both 1 and 2a were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structure of 2a is comprised of a U‐shaped, centrosymmetric dimer in which the monomeric [PhB(μ‐NtBu)₂AsN(tBu)]^?Li⁺ units are linked by Li‐N interactions to give a six‐rung ladder. Oxidation of 2a with one‐half equivalent of I₂ in diethyl ether resulted in hydrogen abstraction from the solvent to give the dimeric lithium iodide adduct {[PhB(μ‐NtBu)₂AsN(tBu)H]LiI}₂ ( 1 ·LiI) with a central Li₂I₂ ring.     

Dimeric (isoquinoline)(N‐salicylidene‐d,l‐glutamato)copper(II) ethanol solvate

The title racemic complex, bis[μ‐N‐(2‐oxidobenzylidene)‐d ,l ‐glutamato(2−)]bis[(isoquinoline)copper(II)] ethanol disolvate, [Cu₂(C₁₂H₁₁NO₅)₂(C₉H₇N)₂]·2C₂H₆O, adopts a square‐pyramidal Cu^II coordination mode with a tridentate N‐salicylideneglutamato Schiff base dianion and an isoquinoline ligand bound in the basal plane. The apex of the pyramid is occupied by a phenolic O atom from the adjacent chelate molecule at an apical distance of 2.487 (3) Å, building a dimer located on the crystallographic inversion center. The Cu...Cu spacing within the dimers is 3.3264 (12) Å. The ethanol solvent molecules are hydrogen bonded to the dimeric complex molecules, forming infinite chains in the a direction. The biological activity of the title complex has been studied.     

Living anionic polymerization of N‐methoxymethyl‐N‐isopropylacrylamide: Synthesis of well‐defined poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) having various stereoregularity

Anionic polymerization of N‐methoxymethyl‐N‐isopropylacrylamide ( 1 ) was carried out with 1,1‐diphenyl‐3‐methylpentyllithium and diphenylmethyllithium, ‐potassium, and ‐cesium in THF at ?78 °C for 2 h in the presence of Et₂Zn. The poly( 1 )s were quantitatively obtained and possessed the predicted molecular weights based on the feed molar ratios between monomer to initiators and narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n = 1.1). The living character of propagating carbanion of poly( 1 ) either at 0 or ?78 °C was confirmed by the quantitative efficiency of the sequential block copolymerization using N,N‐diethylacrylamide as a second monomer. The methoxymethyl group of the resulting poly( 1 ) was completely removed to give a well‐defined poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide), poly(NIPAM), via the acidic hydrolysis. The racemo diad contents in the poly(NIPAM)s could be widely changed from 15 to 83% by choosing the initiator systems for 1 . The poly(NIPAM)s obtained with Li⁺/Et₂Zn initiator system possessed syndiotactic‐rich configurations (r = 75–83%), while either atactic (r = 50%) or isotactic poly(NIPAM) (r = 15–22%) was generated with K⁺/Et₂Zn or Li⁺/LiCl initiator system, respectively. Atactic and syndiotactic poly(NIPAM)s (42 < r < 83%) were water‐soluble, whereas isotactic‐rich one (r < 31%) was insoluble in water. The cloud points of the aqueous solution of poly(NIPAM)s increased from 32 to 37 °C with the r‐contents. These indicated the significant effect of stereoregularity of the poly(NIPAM) on the water‐solubility and the cloud point in water © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4832–4845, 2006     

Activation and Deactivation of Benzylic C−H Bonds Guided by Stereoelectronic Effects in Hydrogen Atom Transfer from Amides and Amines to Alkoxyl Radicals

Kinetic and product studies on the reactions of tert-alkoxyl radicals with secondary and tertiary alkanamides bearing benzylic α-C−H bonds, isoindoline, tetrahydroisoquinoline and the corresponding N-acetyl derivatives were carried out. Product studies on the reactions with the tert-butoxyl radical (tBuO⋅) point toward exclusive HAT from the benzylic α-C−H bonds. Comparison of the k_H values measured for reaction with the cumyloxyl radical (CumO⋅) with those obtained previously for the corresponding reactions of N-alkyl- and N,N-dialkylalkanamides, are indicative of a lack of benzylic activation and the operation of steric and stereoelectronic effects. Compared to N-methyl and N-ethyl groups, the presence of N-benzyl groups increases the barrier required to reach the optimal conformation for HAT, where the α-C−H bond to be cleaved is perpendicular to the plane of the amide, precluding concurrent overlap with the phenyl π-system. When the benzylic α-C−H bonds are in a conformation that allows for optimal overlap with both the phenyl π-system and the amide π-system or amine nitrogen lone pair, as in the isoindoline and tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives, increases in k_H that exceed 2-orders of magnitude were observed, highlighting the strong contribution provided by stereoelectronic activation to these HAT processes.