Competitive homolytic and heterolytic decomposition pathways of gas‐phase negative ions generated from aminobenzoate esters

An alkyl‐radical loss and an alkene loss are two competitive fragmentation pathways that deprotonated aminobenzoate esters undergo upon activation under mass spectrometric conditions. For the meta and para isomers, the alkyl‐radical loss by a homolytic cleavage of the alkyl‐oxygen bond of the ester moiety is the predominant fragmentation pathway, while the contribution from the alkene elimination by a heterolytic pathway is less significant. In contrast, owing to a pronounced charge‐mediated ortho effect, the alkene loss becomes the predominant pathway for the ortho isomers of ethyl and higher esters. Results from isotope‐labeled compounds confirmed that the alkene loss proceeds by a specific γ‐hydrogen transfer mechanism that resembles the McLafferty rearrangement for radical cations. Even for the para compounds, if the alkoxide moiety bears structural motifs required for the elimination of a more stable alkene molecule, the heterolytic pathway becomes the predominant pathway. For example, in the spectrum of deprotonated 2‐phenylethyl 4‐aminobenzoate, m/z 136 peak is the base peak because the alkene eliminated is styrene. Owing to the fact that all deprotonated aminobenzoate esters, irrespective of the size of the alkoxy group, upon activation fragment to form an m/z 135 ion, aminobenzoate esters in mixtures can be quantified by precursor ion discovery mass spectrometric experiments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reactions of Fluoroalkenes with an Aluminium(I) Complex

A series of industrially relevant fluoroalkenes react with a monomeric Al^I complex. These reactions break strong sp² and sp³ C?F bonds, and result in the formation of a diverse array of organoaluminium compounds. Mechanistic studies show that two mechanisms are likely in operation: 1) direct oxidative addition of the C?F bond to Al^I occurs with retention of alkene stereochemistry, and 2) stepwise formation and decomposition of a metallocyclopropane intermediate occurs with inversion of alkene stereochemistry. As part of this mechanistic analysis, we have isolated the first aluminium metallocyclopropane complex from oxidative addition of an alkene to Al^I. Remarkably this reaction is reversible and reductive elimination of the alkene occurs at higher temperature reforming Al^I. Furthermore, in selected cases the organoaluminium products are susceptible toward β‐fluoride elimination to yield a double C?F activation pathway.     

Deciphering the Mechanism Involved in the Switch On/Off of Molecular Pistons

Manufacturing machines converting energy to mechanical work at the molecular level is a vital pathway to explore the microscopic world. A kind of operable molecular engines, composed of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD), aryl, alkene and amide moiety was investigated using molecular dynamics simulations combined with free‐energy calculations. To understand how the integrated alkene double bond controls the work performed on the engines, two alkene isomers of the prototype were considered as two molecular engines. The free‐energy profiles delineating the binding process of the amide (Z)‐ and (E)‐isomers for each alkene isomer with 1‐adamantanol indicate that for the alkene (E)‐isomer, the apparent work performed on the amide bond is 1.6 kcal/mol, while the alkene (Z)‐isomer is incapable to perform work. Direct switch on/off of engines caused by the isomerization of the alkene bond was, therefore, witnessed, in line with experimental measurements. Decomposition of the free‐energy profile into different components and structural analyses suggest that the isomerization of the alkene bond controls the position of the aryl unit relative to the cavity of the CD, resulting in the difference among the free‐energy profiles and the stark contrast of the work performed on engines.     

Competitive hydrogenation in alkene–alkyne–diene systems with palladium and platinum catalysts

Competitive hydrogenation of alkene, alkyne and diene substrates (C₆–C₈) over palladium and platinum catalysts were studied at 20°C and atmospheric pressure. Selectivities of these reactions were determined and the substrates relative adsorption coefficients calculated. It was found that hydrogenations of alkynic and dienic substrates were preferred in alkyne–alkene and diene–alkene systems, respectively. In these systems palladium catalyst selectivity was higher than selectivity of the platinum catalyst, due to higher relative adsorption coefficients of corresponding substrate couples on the palladium catalyst.     

Controlled copolymerization of vinyl acetate with 1‐alkenes and their fluoro derivatives by degenerative transfer

The degenerative transfer copolymerization of vinyl acetate with ethene and higher 1‐alkenes, as well as their fluoro derivatives (R_fCH?CH₂), under mild conditions was carried out using AIBN as the initiator and ethyl iodoacetate as the control agent. The obtained random copolymers were fairly high in alkene content, with high molecular weights and relatively narrow polydispersities. The quasi‐living nature of the copolymerization allowed the synthesis of a block terpolymer by sequential addition of two different 1‐alkene comonomers to a vinyl acetate copolymerization system. The fluorinated side chains of vinyl acetate/fluoro alkene copolymers segregate toward the air‐side of thin films, resulting in advancing water contact angle as high as 114°. 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3728–3736, 2005     

Diastereoselective hydroformylation of 2,5-cyclohexadienyl-1-carbinols with catalytic amounts of a reversibly bound directing group

A phosphinite plays a role as a reversibly bound directing group for the regio- and diastereoselective hydroformylation of 2,5-cyclohexadienyl-1-carbinols. Of the two alkene functions only one was functionalized through hydroformylation to form a synthetically attractive quaternary carbon center leaving the second alkene function for potential further functionalization.     

Nonchelated d0 zirconium-alkoxide-alkene complexes

The reaction of Cp'2Zr(O(t)Bu)Me (Cp' = C5H4Me) and [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] yields the base-free complex [Cp'2Zr(O(t)Bu)][B(C6F5)4] (6), which exists as Cp'2Zr(O(t)Bu)(ClR)+ halocarbon adducts in CD2Cl2 or C6D5Cl solution. Addition of alkenes to 6 in CD2Cl2 solution at low temperature gives equilibrium mixtures of Cp'2Zr(O(t)Bu)(alkene)+ (12a-l), 6, and free alkene. The NMR data for 12a-l are consistent with unsymmetrical alkene bonding and polarization of the alkene C=C bond with positive charge buildup at C(int) and negative charge buildup at C(term). These features arise due to the lack of d-pi* back-bonding. Equilibrium constants for alkene coordination to 6 in CD2Cl2 at -89 degrees C, K(eq) = [12][6](-1)[alkene](-1), vary in the order: vinylferrocene (4800 M(-1)) > ethylene (7.0) approximately alpha-olefins > cis-2-butene (2.2) > trans-2-butene (<0.1). Alkene coordination is inhibited by sterically bulky substituents on the alkene but is greatly enhanced by electron-donating groups and the beta-Si effect. Compounds 12a-l undergo two dynamic processes: reversible alkene decomplexation via associative substitution of a CD2Cl2 molecule, and rapid rotation of the alkene around the metal-(alkene centroid) axis.     

Competitive hydrogenation in alkene–alkyne–diene systems with palladium and platinum catalysts

Competitive hydrogenation of alkene, alkyne and diene substrates (C₆–C₈) over palladium and platinum catalysts were studied at 20°C and atmospheric pressure. Selectivities of these reactions were determined and the substrates relative adsorption coefficients calculated. It was found that hydrogenations of alkynic and dienic substrates were preferred in alkyne–alkene and diene–alkene systems, respectively. In these systems palladium catalyst selectivity was higher than selectivity of the platinum catalyst, due to higher relative adsorption coefficients of corresponding substrate couples on the palladium catalyst.     

The Chatt-Dewar-Duncanson model revisited: X-ray, DFT and NMR studies of rhodium-alkene binding--deviations from structural ideality

An analysis has been made of deviations from ideal centrosymmetric bonding of alkenes to transition metals in square-planar complexes. Three separate approaches have been employed. Firstly, the geometries obtained for a series of X-ray crystal structures of monosubstituted rhodium-alkene complexes have been obtained. Secondly, DFT computations on closely related rhodium-alkene complexes are reported. Thirdly. the data have been augmented by recourse to the crystal structure serach and retrieval file (CSSR) database to retrieve the X-ray data for square-planar ethene and monosubstituted alkene complexes. The results obtained from these analyses provide a consistent picture. Two distortions from ideality are important: twisting of the alkene about the axis between the metal (M) and the alkene centroid and rolling of the alkene around a cylinder enclosing the metal, such that the two C-M bonds remain equal in length. The presence of both of these is verified through both X-ray structure determinations and DFT calculations. For the rolling distortion, there is a relationship between the electronic character of the substituent on the alkene and the direction of roll. The net effect of this is to place the more nucleophilic carbon of the alkene closer to the square plane. The significance of this for the regiochemistry of the Heck reaction is briefly discussed.     

Branching Regulation in Olefin Polymerization via Lewis Acid Triggered Isomerization of Monomers

We present a new strategy to regulate branching in chain‐walking olefin polymerization by triggering a rapid isomerization of 1‐alkene monomers into internal olefins by adding a Lewis acid. Polymerization of internal alkenes proceeds via chain‐walking to give polymers with much higher branching than 1‐alkene analogues. The utility of this approach is exemplified by synthesis of well‐defined block copolymers with distinct branching characteristics per block by addition of Lewis acid midway through a reaction. We propose a novel mechanism whereby Lewis acid undergoes a counterion swap with the complex which favors isomerization as well as forming adducts with ancillary ligands, freeing coordination sites for internal alkene coordination polymerization.     

Enantioconvergent synthesis by sequential asymmetric Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons and palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions

A new method for enantioconvergent synthesis has been developed. The strategy relies on the combination of an asymmetric Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) reaction and a palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution. Different alpha-oxygen-substituted, racemic aldehydes were initially transformed by asymmetric HWE reactions into mixtures of two major alpha,beta-unsaturated esters, possessing opposite configurations at their allylic stereocenters as well as opposite alkene geometry. Subsequently, these isomeric mixtures of alkenes could be subjected to palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions with carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen nucleophiles. In this latter step, the respective (E) and (Z) alkene substrate isomers were observed to react with opposite stereospecificity: the (E) alkene reacted with retention and the (Z) alkene with inversion of stereochemistry with respect to both the allylic stereocenter and the alkene geometry. Thus, a single gamma-substituted ester was obtained as the overall product, in high isomeric purity. The method was applied to a synthesis of a subunit of the iejimalides, a group of cytotoxic macrolides.     

Total synthesis of (+)-(2'S,3'R)-zoapatanol exploiting the B-alkyl Suzuki reaction and the nucleophilic potential of the sulfinyl group

A stereoselective synthesis of the diterpenoid oxepane (+)-zoapatanol is described. The key steps include a B-alkyl Suzuki cross-coupling reaction for the stereoselective synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes, creation of the two stereogenic centers on the oxepane ring by heterofunctionalization of an alkene through substrate control exploiting the nucleophilic potential of an intramolecular sulfinyl group, and transformation of a β-hydroxy sulfoxide into a terminal alkene.     

Investigation of two-photon absorption properties in branched alkene and alkyne chromophores

Novel alkene and alkyne branched structures have been synthesized, and their two-photon absorption (2PA) properties are reported. This series of alkene and alkyne trimer systems tests the mechanistic approach for enhancing the 2PA process which is usually dictated by the pi-bridging, delocalization length, and corresponding charge transfer on the 2PA cross sections. The results suggest that alkene branched systems have higher 2PA cross sections. While steady-state absorption and emission measurements were not successful in predicting the observed trend of 2PA cross sections, time-resolved measurements have explained the trends observed. It was found that, upon photoexcitation, there is an ultrafast charge localization to an intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) state, followed by the presence of a solvent and conformationally relaxed ICT state in these branched systems.     

Exhaustive glycosylation, PEGylation, and glutathionylation of a [G4]-ene(48) dendrimer via photoinduced thiol-ene coupling

We report in this paper the use of free-radical thiol-ene coupling (TEC) for the introduction of carbohydrate, poly(ethylene glycol), and peptide fragments at the periphery of an alkene functional dendrimer. Four different sugar thiols including glucose, mannose, lactose and sialic acid, two PEGylated thiols and the natural tripeptide glutathione were reacted with a fourth generation alkene functional dendrimer [G4]-ene(48) upon irradiation at λ(max) 365 nm. In all cases, the (1)H NMR spectra of the crude reaction mixture revealed the complete disappearance of alkene proton signals indicating the quantitative conversion of all 48 alkene groups of the dendrimer. With one exception only, all dendrimer conjugates were isolated in high yields (70-94%), validating the high efficiency of multiple TEC reactions on a single substrate. All isolated and purified compounds were analyzed by MALDI-TOF spectrometry and gave spectra consistent with the assigned structure.     

Ene-yne metathesis of polyunsaturated norbornene derivatives

Norbornene derivatives bearing endo-substituents in the 5- and 6-positions were studied as substrates for ene-yne metathesis cascades. Substrates which contained an internal alkyne and a terminal alkene or alkyne in each sidechain were found to undergo a metathesis cascade leading to pentacyclic bis-dienes and bis-trienes. Attempts to extend the chemistry further to sidechains containing two internal alkynes or two internal alkynes and a terminal alkene were not successful with the first generation Grubbs' catalyst. However, the substrate containing two internal alkynes did react with the second generation Grubbs' catalyst to give a tetra-diene containing product.     

Determination of alkenes in cracking products by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection

Alkene content determinations in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) liquid products were performed by means of normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (NP-HPLC) with diode array detection (UV/DAD). Separation of alkenes from aromatic hydrocarbons was performed on amino-modified silica gel column with n-heptane as mobile phase. The column has a little affinity to alkenes and saturated hydrocarbons and a pronounced affinity to aromatic compounds. The problem of alkenes and saturates co-elution on this column type was overcome with the detection system, UV/DAD, sensitive and selective to alkenes, while saturates are inactive in UV field. Total alkene content was determined as a sum of mono- and dialkene groups quantified by external standard method. Validation and verification of the developed method proved their applicability. The following criteria were used to validate the HPLC–DAD method: selectivity, linearity, precision, limits of detection and quantification. Alkene contents were quantified with the external standard method of wide calibration range, so both low and high alkene contents can be determined by the single calibration. Correlation coefficients were higher than 0.99. Precision was evaluated as repeatability and intermediary precision with relative standard deviations less than 5%. Some structural investigation of alkene groups was performed to confirm the assumption. Proposed method was compared with certified NMR method. Six commercial motor gasoline samples were analyzed by these two methods. Obtained results indicate good agreement between alkene content determined by both methods. The developed method was applied to the determination of alkene content in liquid FCC products in the boiling range from 70 °C to 190 °C.     

Enantioselective synthesis of bicarbocyclic structures with an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter through sequential cross metathesis and intramolecular Rauhut-Currier reaction

A new extension of the Birch-Cope sequence is described which allows the efficient enantioselective construction of highly functionalized, fused bicarbocyclic structures with an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter in two steps. The two-step sequence includes a cross metathesis between a terminal alkene and a polarized alkene followed by an intramolecular Rauhut-Currier reaction with a trialkylphosphine catalyst.     

Automation of an experimental system for the microbial epoxidation of propene and 1-butene

An experimental set-up for automatic gas chromatographic analysis of circulation gas in a batch-reactor system is described. Gas sampling, substrate addition, data acquisition and data reduction are done with a coupled programmable integrator and microcomputer. On-line monitoring of the microbial oxidation of the gaseous alkenes, propene and 1- butene, to the corresponding epoxides is used to illustrate the operation of the experimental system. Measured gas concentrations of alkene and alkene oxide can be converted readily to quantify the reaction course in the liquid phase(s) of the circulation system. Results are presented for both one liquid phase (water) and two liquid phases (water and organic solvent) present in the reactor. The operational stability of the immobilized-cell system used for the epoxidations can be assessed by computer-controlled addition of gaseous alkene.     

Analysis of nonvolatile oxidation products of polypropylene. III. Photodegradation

The nonvolatile oxidation products of photodegraded polypropylene have been analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and chemical reactions. The major functional group is ester followed by vinyl alkene, then acid. In comparison, thermally oxidized polypropylene contains relatively more aldehyde, ketone, and γ-lactone and much less ester and vinyl alkene. Photodegraded polyethylene contains mostly vinyl alkene followed by carboxylic acid. Gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) determined the decrease in polypropylene molecular weights with exposure time. A calculation determined that there is one functional group formed per chain scission; in thermal oxidation there are two groups formed per scission.     

Photoswitchable intramolecular through-space magnetic interaction

The interaction between two TEMPO spin centers connected to a photoswitchable overcrowded alkene changes from noncoupled (three-line EPR spectrum) in the trans state, where the two spin centers are separated by ～22 ?, to strongly coupled (five-line EPR spectrum) in the cis state, where the separation is ～7 ?, upon photoswitching. Importantly, the performance of the alkene switching unit is essentially unaffected by the spin centers.