ESR studies on reactions of dicyclopentadienyl dicarbonyl titanium with organic halides

ESR method was used to elucidate the mechanism of the reactions of alkyl, allyl or benzyl halides with dicyclopentadienyldicarbonyl titanium. The paramagnetic [intermediates of the reactions were identified during the course of the reactions. The reaction mechanism based on ESR findings and the products analyses is postulated to operate on radical pathways. When alkyl halides were used to react with the organometallic compound 1, the intermediate found was [Cp₂Ti(CO)X] (C), and the main product was identified to be dicyclopentadienyl-acyl-halo titanium (3), an insertion of TiCO into R-X, i.e. [Cp₂Ti-C(0)R] X. When allyl or benzyl halides were used, the intermediate found was [Cp₂TiX] (B), and the main products were identified to be the dicyclopentadienyl titanium dihalides and the coupling products of allyl or benzyl groups.     

Divergent Pathways and Competitive Mechanisms of Metathesis Reactions between 3‐Arylprop‐2‐ynyl Esters and Aldehydes: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

Mechanistic studies of the reaction between 3‐arylprop‐2‐ynyl esters and aldehydes catalyzed by BF₃ ? Et₂O were performed by isotopic labeling experiments and quantum chemical calculations. The reactions are shown to proceed by either a classical alkyne–carbonyl metathesis route or an unprecedented addition–rearrangement cascade. Depending on the structure of the starting materials and the reaction conditions, the products of these reactions can be Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) adducts that are unavailable by traditional MBH reactions or E‐ and Z‐α,β‐unsaturated ketones. ¹⁸O‐Labeling studies suggested the existence of two different reaction pathways to the products. These pathways were further examined by quantum chemical calculations that employed the DFT(wB97XD)/6‐311+G(2d,p) method, together with the conductor‐like screening model for realistic solvation (COSMO‐RS). By using the wB97XD functional, the accuracy of the computed data is estimated to be 1–2 kcal mol^?1, shown by the careful benchmarking of various DFT functionals against coupled cluster calculations at the CCSD(T)/aug‐cc‐pVTZ level of theory. Indeed, most of the experimental data were reproduced and explained by theory and it was convincingly shown that the branching point between the two distinct mechanisms is the formation of the first intermediate on the reaction pathway: either the four‐membered oxete or the six‐membered zwitterion. The deep mechanistic understanding of these reactions opens new synthetic avenues to chemically and biologically important α,β‐unsaturated ketones.     

Intermediate products and reductive reaction pathways in the TiO2 photocatalytic degradation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in water

1,1,1-Trichloroethane (TCA) has been chosen for the study of the reducing versus oxidizing steps of carbon, involved in the degradation, in UV-irradiated TiO₂ aqueous suspensions, of chlorinated alkanes containing two C atoms. At wavelengths > 290 nm, TCA disappearance rate was largely increased in the presence of TiO₂. The corresponding apparent first-order rate constant was lower by a factor of only ca. 1.2 than that of nitrobenzene under the same conditions. Within experimental accuracy, the rate of release of Cl ions was equivalent to the TCA disappearance rate, which illustrated the dechlorination efficiency of TiO₂, photocatalysis. Indeed, monochloroacetic acid and, at very low concentrations, monochloroacetaldehyde were the only chlorinated intermediate products detected. Analyses by HPLC of aldehydes (2,4-DNPH derivatization) and carboxylic acids allowed the quantification of ten intermediate products containing these functionalities. Glycolic acid (HO−CH₂−COOH) was the product that reached the highest concentration. From the practical viewpoint, it is important to emphasize that all the organic intermediate products were progressively oxidized. From the fundamental viewpoint, a discussion on the nature and formation pathways of the intermediate products brings evidence of the coexistence of reduction and oxidation steps involving the organic material; detection of cis-butenedioic acid, however at very low concentrations, indicated the existence of coupling radical reactions.     

Theoretical study on the reaction mechanism of CN radical with ketene

The bimolecular single collision reaction potential energy surface of CN radical with ketene (CH2CO) was investigated by means of B3LYP and QCISD(T) methods. The calculated results indicate that there are three possible channels in the reaction. The first is an attack reaction by the carbon atom of CN at the carbon atom of the methylene of CH2CO to form the intermediate NCCH2CO followed by a rupture reaction of the C-C bond combined with -CO group to the products CH2CN CO. The second is a direct addition reaction between CN and CH2CO to form the intermediate CH2C(O)CN followed by its isomerization into NCCH2CO via a CN-shift reaction, and subsequently, NCCH2CO dissociates into CH2CN CO through a CO-loss reaction. The last is a direct hydrogen abstraction reaction of CH2CO by CN radical. Because of the existence of a 15.44 kJ/mol reaction barrier and higher energy of reaction products, the path can be ruled out as an important channel in the reaction kinetics. The present theoretical computation results, which give an available suggestion on the reaction mechanism, are in good agreement with previous experimental studies.     

Thiobencarb Degradation by TiO2 Photocatalysis: Parameter and Reaction Pathway Investigations

The present study deals with the photocatalytic degradation of the thiocarbamate herbicide, thiobencarb (TBC), in the presence of TiO₂ particles and UV‐A (λ = 365 nm) radiation. Results show rapid and complete oxidation of TBC after 90 min, and slightly over 70% of TBC was mineralized after 32‐h treatment. Factors such as solution pH, TiO₂ dosage, and the presence of anions are found to influence the degradation rate. The establishment of the reaction pathway is made possible by a thorough analysis of the reaction mixture identifying the main intermediate products generated. Results suggest that possible transformation pathways may include hydroxylation, dealkylation and C—S bond cleavage processes. The possible degradation pathways are proposed and discussed on the basis of the evidence of oxidative intermediate formation.     

Single Mn Atom Anchored on Nitrogen-Doped Graphene as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Single Mn atom on nitrogen-doped graphene (MnN₄-G) has exhibited good structural stability and high activity for the adsorption and dissociation of an O₂ molecule, becoming a promising single-atom catalyst (SAC) candidate for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the catalytic activity of MnN₄-G for the ORR and the optimal reaction pathway remain obscure. In this work, density-functional theory calculations were employed to comprehensively investigate all the possible pathways and intermediate reactions of the ORR on MnN₄-G. The feasible active sites and the most stable adsorption configurations of the intermediates and transition states during the ORR were identified. Screened from all the possibilities, three optimal four-electron O₂ hydrogenation pathways with an ultralow energy barrier of 0.13 eV were discovered that are energetically more favorable than direct O₂ dissociation pathways. Analysis of the free energy diagram further verified the thermodynamical feasibility of the three pathways. Thus, MnN₄-G possesses superior ORR activity. This study provides a fundamental understanding of the design of highly efficient SACs for the ORR.     

Simple Procedure for the Synthesis of 5,7-Diarylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine Derivatives catalyzed by KF-Alumina

A simple KF/Al₂O₃-catalyzed reaction of 1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-one and 2,6-diamino-4-hydroxylpyrimidine in ethyl alcohol gave aromatized 5,7-diarylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative by air oxidation. On the other hand, the unaromatized intermediate products were isolated under dry nitrogen successfully. A possible reaction mechanism with two pathways to lose water was proposed based on the further experimental results; one of them was confirmed by ¹H NMR spectra of isolated intermediate product.     

O-乙酰基-吡喃木糖热解反应机理的理论研究

为了从微观上理解半纤维素热解过程及其主要产物的形成演变机理,采用密度泛函理论方法B3LYP/6-31G++(d,p),对O-乙酰基-吡喃木糖的热解反应机理进行了量子化学理论研究。在热解过程中,O-乙酰基-吡喃木糖中的O-乙酰基首先脱出,形成乙酸和中间体IM₁,该步反应能垒为269.4 kJ/mol。IM₁进一步发生开环反应形成IM₂,开环反应能垒较低,为181.8 kJ/mol。对中间体IM₂设计了四种可能的热解反应途径,对各种反应的反应物、产物、中间体和过渡态的结构进行了能量梯度全优化,计算了各热解反应途径的热力学和动力学参数。计算结果表明,反应路径(4)和反应路径(2)是O-乙酰基-吡喃木糖热解的主要反应通道,乙酸、乙醛、乙醇醛、丙酮、CO、CO₂、CH₄等小分子产物是热解的主要产物。这与相关实验结果分析是一致的。     

Water as a Hydride Source in Palladium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Heck Reactions

Pd‐catalyzed intramolecular asymmetric carbopalladation of N ‐aryl acrylamides followed by reduction of C(sp³)‐Pd intermediate using diboron–water as a hydride source afforded enantioenriched 3,3‐disubstituted oxindoles in high yields and enantioselectivities. When heavy water was used as a deuterium donor in combination with bis(catecholato)diboron (Cat₂B₂), deuterium was incorporated into the products with high synthetic efficiency. The ligand determined both the enantioselectivity of the reaction and the reaction pathways, thereby affording either hydroarylation (reductive Heck) or carboborylation products.     

Mechanisms for the deamination reaction of cytosine with H2O/OH(-) and 2H2O/OH(-): a computational study

Mechanisms for the deamination reaction of cytosine with H 2O/OH (-) and 2H 2O/OH (-) to produce uracil were investigated using ab initio calculations. Optimized geometries of reactants, transition states, intermediates, and products were determined at MP2 and B3LYP using the 6-31G(d) basis set and at B3LYP/6-31+G(d) levels of theory. Single point energies were also determined at MP2/G3MP2Large and G3MP2 levels of theory. Thermodynamic properties (Delta E, Delta H, and Delta G), activation energies, enthalpies, and free energies of activation were calculated for each reaction pathway investigated. Intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) analysis was performed to characterize the transition states on the potential energy surface. Seven pathways for the deamination reaction were found. All pathways produce an initial tetrahedral intermediate followed by several conformational changes. The final intermediate for all pathways dissociates to product via a 1-3 proton shift. The activation energy for the rate-determining step, the formation of the tetrahedral intermediate for pathway D, the only pathway that can lead to uracil, is 115.3 kJ mol (-1) at the G3MP2 level of theory, in excellent agreement with the experimental value (117 +/- 4 kJ mol (-1)).     

Computational study of the cyclopalladation mechanism of azobenzene with PdCl2 in N,N-dimethylformamide

The mechanism of cyclopalladation of azobenzene (L) with PdCl₂ in N,N-dimethylformamide (dmf) was studied computationally, using DFT (B3LYP) methods supplemented with a continuum solvation model. Since the exact nature of the reacting complex is unknown, several candidates were considered. These were: (1) a mononuclear adduct with two ligand molecules, L-PdCl₂-L, (2) a mononuclear adduct with one ligand and one solvent molecule, L-PdCl₂-dmf, (3) a dinuclear adduct with a double chloride bridge, [L-PdCl-(μ-Cl)]₂, and (4) a coordinatively unsaturated complex with an agostic interaction, L-PdCl₂. The reaction profile initiating from L-PdCl₂-dmf, which displays an agostic intermediate produced after displacement of the dmf molecule by the activating C-H bond, has the lowest barrier (20.4 kcal/mol in the step with the proton transfer to the O(dmf) atom). In all other reaction pathways, the proton migration is to a chlorine atom and is associated with remarkably high barriers. The results are related to previous experimental and other computational findings. While none of the reaction profiles includes explicit dissociation of the ligand, the proton transfer was found to occur only after the ligand is almost completely displaced from the coordinating shell. It was concluded that the transition state corresponds to 14-electron coordination of Pd and that ease of a ligand dissociation is an important, but not necessarily decisive, factor for cyclopalladation.     

An MNDO study of the reaction of methanol with fulminic acid and acetonitrile oxide

The reaction pathway of fulminic acid (HCNO) and acetonitrile oxide (CH₃CNO) with methanol as a nucleophile (RCNO + CH₃OH → RC(OCH₃)?NOH) and the formation of H-bonded complex with methanol have been studied using the MNDO method. MNDO-SCF calculations were performed with complete geometry optimization using the Davidon–Fletcher–Powell method. The reaction pathways were studied by varying all the bond lengths, the bond angles and the twist angles, using the distance C₃? O₂(R) between the carbon of the 1,3-dipoles and the oxygen of the methanol molecule as the reaction coordinate. The reaction is exothermic and proceeds in two steps. The first step is the formation of a five-centered hydrogen-bonded complex (INT ) and is the rate-determining step of the reaction. The second step involves the rearrangement of the H-bonded complex to the product, and this step requires a very small amount of activation energy. Thus, there is an intermediate on the reaction pathway, and therefore, the reaction is stepwise. Acetonitrile oxide is less reactive (activation energy 34.59 kcal/mol) relative to fulminic acid (activation energy 28.91 kcal/mol).     

Kinetic model for supercritical water gasification of algae

The article reports the first quantitative kinetics model for supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of real biomass (algae) that describes the formation of the individual gaseous products. The phenomenological model is based on a set of reaction pathways that includes two types of compounds being intermediate between the algal biomass and the final gaseous products. To best correlate the experimental gas yields obtained at 450, 500 and 550 °C, the model allowed one type of intermediate to react to gases more quickly than the other type of intermediate. The model parameters indicate that gas yields increase with temperature because higher temperatures favor production of the more easily gasified intermediate and the production of gas at the expense of char. The model can accurately predict the qualitative influence of the biomass loading and water density on the gas yields. Sensitivity analysis and reaction rate analysis indicate that steam reforming of intermediates is an important source of H(2), whereas direct decomposition of the intermediate species is the main source of CO, CO(2) and CH(4).     

A barrier-free molecular radical-molecule reaction: {^{3}C_{2} (a^{3}\Pi) {+} O_{2} (X^{3} \Sigma)}

The reaction of ³C₂ (a³Π) radical with O₂ (X³Σ) molecule has been studied theoretically using ab initio Quantum Chemistry method. Both singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces (PES) are calculated at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//B3LYP/6-311+G(d) + ZPE and G3B3 levels of theory. On the singlet PES of the title reaction, it is shown that the most feasible pathway should be the O-atom of O₂ attacking the C-atom of the  ³C₂ molecule first to form the adduct 1 CCOO, followed by the O-shift to give intermediate 2 CC(OO), and then to the major products P1 (2CO). Alternatively, 1 can be directly dissociated to P1 via transition state TS1-P1. The other reaction pathways are less competitive due to thermodynamical or kinetic factors. On the other hand, the pathways on the triplet PES are less competitive than those on the singlet PES in low temperature range, whereas it is not the case in high temperature ranges. On the basis of the analysis of the kinetics of all pathways through which the reactions proceed, we expect that the competitive power of reaction pathways may vary with experimental conditions for the title reaction. The reaction heats of formation calculated are in good agreement with that obtained experimentally.     

Vacuum and oxidative pyrolysis of poly-p-xylylene. II. Chromatographic analysis and kinetics of reaction products

Reaction products of vacuum and oxidative degradation of poly-p-xylylene have been quantitatively determined by chromatographic analysis as function of time, temperature and oxygen pressure. Respective Arrhenius parameters were also ascertained for some of the reaction products and for the sums of all products. The energies of activation for the sums agree quite satisfactorily with the energies of activation obtained previously by uninterrupted experiments in quartz-spoon reaction vessels. The results found here can be described in terms of mechanisms previously postulated on the basis of the total loss in weight (or volatile production) data. Scission of “weak” links (due to abnormal structures) takes place followed by formation of various products. The whole process is governed by the initial chain scission reaction; however, the energies of activation for each of the products do not need to be identical with that of the chain scission reaction. Each product is formed by a reaction which has its own characteristic number average kinetic chain lengths; the latter have their specific energy of activation values. Oxidative degradation produces the same organic compounds as vacuum degradation and in addition CO, CO₂, and H₂O. Oxidized intermediate compounds are apparently fairly rapidly decarboxylated and decarbonylated. Oxidative chain scission is appreciably faster than that in vacuum. Almost simultaneous “weak” link and “normal” chain scission are taking place initiating the formation of a number of products.     

左旋葡聚糖热解机理的密度泛函理论研究

采用密度泛函理论B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p)方法,对纤维素热解的主要产物左旋葡聚糖的热解反应机理进行了理论计算分析,设计了四种可能的热解反应途径, 对各种反应的反应物、产物和过渡态的结构进行了能量梯度全优化。计算结果表明,左旋葡聚糖开环成链状中间体时,首先,左旋葡聚糖中的两个半缩醛键C(1)-O(7)和C(6)-O(8)断裂,经过渡态TS₁形成中间体IM₁,同时,C(6)-O(7)结合成键使C(5)-C(6)-O(7)形成环状结构,该反应的能垒较高,为296.53 kJ/mol,然后IM₁经过渡态TS₂转变为中间体IM₂,该反应的能垒为234.09 kJ/mol;对IM₂设计了四条可能的反应路径,反应路径2和3能垒较低,是IM₂最可能的热解反应途径;在反应路径1和4中都包含了脱羰基反应,其反应能垒较高,不易发生。     

Theoretical study on the atmospheric reaction of CH3SH with O2

A detailed study on the reaction mechanism of CH₃SH with O₂ was carried out using quantum chemical methods. Eleven singlet pathways and four triplet pathways were found based on CCSD(T)//M06-2x calculations. The nature of chemical bonding evolution was also studied using electron localization function and atoms in molecules analysis. Moreover, reaction rate constants were calculated between 200 and 800 K at the level of the transition state theory by Wigner tunneling correction. The results suggest that the main products should be CH₂SO, H₂O, CH₃OH, SO, CH₄, and SO₂, respectively, basically coinciding with the experimental results. The corresponding feasible pathways are channels R7, R8, and R9, respectively, with an effective energy barrier of 56.21 kJ/mol. Obviously, given the low energy barrier similar to the main paths mentioned above, the products CH₂SH and HO₂ should assume a definite proportion in all possible products, although such species were not yet detected in experiment.     

钐(II)类卡宾CH3SmCH2I与乙烯环丙烷化反应及溶剂化效应的理论研究

用密度泛函B3LYP方法研究了过渡金属钐类卡宾与乙烯的环丙烷化反应的机理. 对钐类卡宾试剂CH₃SmCH₂I和CH₂CH₂反应的反应物、中间体、过渡态和产物构型的全部结构几何参数进行了优化, 并计算了THF溶液的溶剂化效应, 用内禀反应坐标(IRC)计算和频率分析方法, 对过渡态进行了验证. 结果表明: CH₃SmCH₂I与CH₂CH₂环丙烷化反应按亚甲基转移机理(通道A)和卡宾金属化机理(通道B)都可以进行, 与锂类卡宾的反应机理相同, 通道A比通道B反应的势垒降低了14.65 kJ/mol. 溶剂化效应使通道B比通道A的反应势垒大幅度提高, 更有利于反应沿通道A进行, 而不利于通道B.     

Study of composition and structure of aluminum phosphate binder

In this article, theoretical analysis and different testing techniques were used to study the reaction pathways and synthesized products of phosphoric acid and aluminum hydroxide at different Al/P molar ratios. The results show that: (a) When the molar ratio of phosphoric acid/aluminum hydroxide is 1:3, the reaction will produce stoichiometric aluminum dihydrogen phosphate (Al(H₂PO₄)₃); (b) when Al(OH)₃ is excessive, an intermediate, monohydroxy aluminum dihydrogen phospate (HO-Al-(H₂PO₄)₂), will appear, which is unstable and will continue to react according to two reaction pathways, one is intramolecular dehydration to form phosphoric acid hydrogen-dihydrogen aluminum diphosphate (H₂PO₄)Al(HPO₄); the other is intermolecular dehydration cross-linking to form a polymeric macromolecular aluminum phosphate H-((HPO₄)(H₂PO₄)Al-O-HPO₄-Al(H₂PO₄)-O)- _nH. The ratio of the two pathways is affected by the excess of Al(OH)₃. When the excess of Al(OH)₃ continues to increase, the ratio of the second reaction path begins to increase and the viscosity of the product gradually increases. Adhesion experiments show that the aluminum dihydrogen phosphate has the best bonding performance benefiting from its lower viscosity.