Multiorbital interactions during Acyl radical addition reactions involving imines and electron-rich olefins

Ab initio and DFT calculations reveal that acyl radicals add to imines and electron-rich olefins through simultaneous SOMO --> pi*, pi --> SOMO, and HOMO --> pi*C=O interactions between the radical and the radicalophile. At the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//QCISD/cc-pVDZ level, energy barriers of 15.6 and 17.9 kJ mol(-1) are calculated for the attack of the acetyl radical at the carbon and nitrogen ends of methanimine, respectively. These barriers are 17.1 and 20.4 kJ mol(-1) at BHandHLYP/cc-pVDZ. In comparison, barriers of 34.0 and 23.4 kJ mol(-1) are calculated at BHandHLYP/cc-pVDZ for reaction of the acetyl radical at the 1- and 2-positions in aminoethylene, repectively. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis at the BHandHLYP/6-311G** level of theory reveals that SOMO --> pi*imine, pi imine--> SOMO, and LPN --> pi*C=O interactions are worth 90, 278, and 138 kJ mol-1, respectively, in the transition state (2) for reaction of acetyl radical at the nitrogen end of methanimine; similar interactions are observed for the chemistry involving aminoethylene. These multiorbital interactions are responsible for the unusual motion vectors associated with the transition states involved in these reactions. NBO analyses for the remaining systems in this study support the hypothesis that the acetyl radical is ambiphilic in nature.     

Multi-component orbital interactions during oxyacyl radical addition reactions involving imines and electron-rich olefins

Ab initio and DFT calculations reveal that oxyacyl radicals add to imines and electron-rich olefins through simultaneous SOMO-pi*, SOMO-pi and pi*-HOMO interactions between the radical and the radicalophile. At the BHandHLYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level, energy barriers of 20.3 and 22.0 kJ mol(-1) are calculated for the attack of methoxycarbonyl radical at the carbon and nitrogen ends of methanimine, respectively. In comparison, barriers of 22.0 and 8.6 kJ mol(-1) are calculated at BHandHLYP/aug-cc-pVDZ for reaction of methoxycarbonyl radical at the 1- and 2-positions in aminoethylene, respectively. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis at the BHandHLYP/6-311G** level of theory reveals that SOMO-pi*, SOMO-pi and pi*-LP interactions are worth 111, 394 and 55 kJ mol(-1) respectively in the transition state (8) for reaction of oxyacyl radical at the nitrogen end of methanimine; similar interactions are observed for the chemistry involving aminoethylene. These multi-component interactions are responsible for the unusual motion vectors associated with the transition states involved in these reactions.     

Acyl radical addition to pyridine: multiorbital interactions

The addition of the acetyl radical at the various positions in both pyridine and the pyridinium ion has been investigated using DFT calculations. Additions at the 2-, 3- and 4-positions in these systems are associated with simultaneous SOMO→π* and π→SOMO interactions, with the former interaction dominating in the case of pyridine, and that latter in the case of pyridinium. Simultaneous SOMO→π*, LP_N→SOMO and LP_N→π*_co interactions are predicted for the addition at the nitrogen atom in pyridine. The energy barrier for attack at the nitrogen atom in pyridine is calculated to be 54 kJ mol⁻¹ at the BHandHLYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory, some 6 kJ mol⁻¹ lower than for the analogous attack at any other atom in pyridine, or at any position in the pyridinium ion. Multiorbital interactions are responsible this preference, resulting in an unusual motion vector in the transition state for attack at the nitrogen atom in pyridine.     

On the 6-endo selectivity in 4-penten-1-oxyl radical cyclizations

Regioselectivities in cyclizations of 4-substituted 4-penten-1-oxyl radicals have been investigated in a combined experimental and computational study (density functional theory). The progressive increase of the 6-endo-trig selectivity along the series of 4-substituents H < CH(3) < C(CH(3))(3) < C(6)H(5) has been interpreted to originate from a balance between strain and FMO interactions. Torsional strain, which is associated with geometrical changes upon an approach of the reacting entities, is relevant for the 6-endo-trig but not for the 5-exo-trig reactions, as seen, for instance, in selective tetrahydrofuran formation from the 4-penten-1-oxyl radical and its 4-methyl derivative. The preference for tetrahydropyran formation in cyclizations of the 4-tert-butyl and the 4-phenyl-4-penten-1-oxyl radical has been attributed to FMO interactions between the terminal carbon atom of the pi bond and the O-radical center thus favoring the 6-endo-trig reaction on the basis of lower transition state energies.     

Synthesis, properties, and reactions of a series of stable dialkyl-substituted silicon-chalcogen doubly bonded compounds

The first dialkyl-substituted silicon-chalcogen doubly bonded compounds [R2Si=X; R2=1,1,4,4-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)butane-1,4-diyl, X = S (4), Se (5), and Te (6)]were synthesized by the reactions of an isolable dialkylsilylene R2Si: (3) with phosphine sulfide, elemental selenium, and elemental tellurium, respectively. Systematic changes of characteristics of silicon-chalcogen double bonds are elucidated by X-ray analysis, UV-vis spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. In the solid state, the unsaturated silicon atom in 4-6 adopts planar geometry and the extent of the shortening of Si=X double bonds from the corresponding Si-X single bonds decreases in the order 4 > 5 > 6. In the absorption spectra of 4-6, pi -->pi* transition bands are observed distinctly in addition to n -->pi* transition bands. Both the n -->pi* and pi -->pi* transitions are red-shifted in the order 4 < 5 < 6, and the difference between the energies of the two transitions is kept almost constant among 4-6. The tendency is explained using the qualitative perturbation theory and is reproduced by the DFT calculations for model silanechalcogenones. Addition reactions of water, methanol, and isoprene to 4-6 are reported.     

Distinguishing the early and late transition states and exploring the validity of sigma --> sigma*#, sigma# --> sigma*, and sigma --> pi*(C=O) concepts in diastereoselection from NBO analysis

Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of several early TSs does not support the sigma --> sigma*# hypothesis. The sigma --> pi*(C=O) interaction controls the carbonyl pyramidalization that, in turn, controls the pi-selectivity of a nucleophilic addition. In contrast, late TSs are devoid of sigma --> pi*(C=O) interactions, and they benefit from sigma --> sigma*# interactions that control pi-selectivity. The evidence in favor of Anh-Felkin's sigma# --> sigma* hypothesis is weak. The electron-withdrawing sigma(C-F) in the 2-fluoropropanal-LiCN TS did not align anti to the incipient bond even though there was complete conformational freedom. The initial guess for the TS in which sigma(C-F) was held anti to sigma# optimized to what had lost the said geometrical relationship. Furthermore, in the TS for axial addition of LiCN to 2-ax-F-cyclohexanone, the net sigma --> sigma*# interaction was considerably larger than the net sigma# --> sigma* interaction. The relative TS energies require that the equatorial addition of LiCN to 2-ax-F-cyclohexanone be favored over the axial addition in good compliance with the available experimental results.     

Reevaluation of orbital interactions in substituted radicals. Transfer of radical properties to the substituent atom

Theoretical calculations have shown that a nonbonded pair orbital on an atom attached to a radical center can be higher in energy than the SOMO of the unsubstituted radical. The mixing of the orbitals produces a SOMO which contains the major contribution from the nonbonded pair orbital, thus transferring radical character to the substituent atom.     

Proton-coupled electron transfer versus hydrogen atom transfer in benzyl/toluene,methoxyl/methanol,and phenoxyl/phenol self-exchange reactions

Degenerate hydrogen atom exchange reactions have been studied using calculations, based on density functional theory (DFT), for (i) benzyl radical plus toluene, (ii) phenoxyl radical plus phenol, and (iii) methoxyl radical plus methanol. The first and third reactions occur via hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanisms. The transition structure (TS) for benzyl/toluene hydrogen exchange has C(2)(h)() symmetry and corresponds to the approach of the 2p-pi orbital on the benzylic carbon of the radical to a benzylic hydrogen of toluene. In this TS, and in the similar C(2) TS for methoxyl/methanol hydrogen exchange, the SOMO has significant density in atomic orbitals that lie along the C-H vectors in the former reaction and nearly along the O-H vectors in the latter. In contrast, the SOMO at the phenoxyl/phenol TS is a pi symmetry orbital within each of the C(6)H(5)O units, involving 2p atomic orbitals on the oxygen atoms that are essentially orthogonal to the O.H.O vector. The transferring hydrogen in this reaction is a proton that is part of a typical hydrogen bond, involving a sigma lone pair on the oxygen of the phenoxyl radical and the O-H bond of phenol. Because the proton is transferred between oxygen sigma orbitals, and the electron is transferred between oxygen pi orbitals, this reaction should be described as a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). The PCET mechanism requires the formation of a hydrogen bond, and so is not available for benzyl/toluene exchange. The preference for phenoxyl/phenol to occur by PCET while methoxyl/methanol exchange occurs by HAT is traced to the greater pi donating ability of phenyl over methyl. This results in greater electron density on the oxygens in the PCET transition structure for phenoxyl/phenol, as compared to the PCET hilltop for methoxyl/methanol, and the greater electron density on the oxygens selectively stabilizes the phenoxyl/phenol TS by providing a larger binding energy of the transferring proton.     

An ab initio and DFT study of radical addition reactions of imidoyl and thioyl radicals to methanimine

Ab initio and DFT calculations reveal that both imidoyl and thioyl radicals add to the nitrogen end of methanimine through simultaneous SOMO-π*(imine), SOMO-π(imine), SOMO-LP(N) and π*(radical)-LP(N) interactions between the radical and the imine. At the CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//BHandHLYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory, barriers of 13.8 and 26.1 kJ mol(-1) are calculated for the attack of the methylimidoyl radical at the carbon- and nitrogen- end of methanimine, respectively, indicating that the imidoyl radial has a preference for addition to the nitrogen end of imine. On the other hand, barriers of 25.1 and 13.4 kJ mol(-1) are calculated at the same level of theory for the addition reaction of the methanethioyl radical at the carbon- and nitrogen- end of methanimine, respectively. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis at the BHandHLYP/6-311G** level of theory reveals that SOMO-π*(imine), SOMO-π(imine), SOMO-LP(N) and π*(radical)-LP(N) interactions are worth 111, 89, 115 and 17 kJ mol(-1), respectively, in the transition state (4) for the reaction of methylimidoyl radical at the nitrogen end of methanimine; similar interactions are observed for the chemistry involving all the radicals studied here. These multi-component interactions are responsible for the unusual motion vectors associated with the transition states involved in these reactions.     

Rules for anionic and radical ring closure of alkynes

This work reexamined the stereoelectronic basis for the "favored attack trajectories" regarding the nucleophilic and radical cyclizations of alkynes. In contrast to the original Baldwin rules, the acute attack angle of a nucleophile leading to the proposed endo-dig preference for the formation of small cycles is less favorable stereoelectronically than the alternative obtuse trajectory leading to the formation of exo-dig products. For smaller cycles, this intrinsic stereoelectronic preference can be masked by the greater thermodynamic stability of the less strained endo-products. Unbiased comparison of competing cyclization attacks has been accomplished via dissection of the activation barrier into the intrinsic barrier and thermodynamic component via Marcus theory. Intrinsic barriers of thermoneutral reactions strongly favor exo-dig closures, in full accord with the greater magnitude of two-electron bond forming interactions for the obtuse trajectory. This analysis agrees very well with experimental observations of efficient 3-exo-dig and 4-exo-dig cyclizations predicted to be unfavorable by the Baldwin rules and with the calculated 3-exo-/4-endo-, 4-exo-/5-endo-, and 5-exo-/6-endo-dig selectivities in the cyclizations of carbon-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-centered nucleophiles. The generality of these predictions is confirmed by analogous trends for the related radical cyclizations where the stereoelectronically favorable exo-closures are also preferred kinetically, with a few exceptions where a large difference in product stability skews the intrinsic stereoelectronic trends.     

Site-dependent spectral shifts in core-to-pi* excitations of pyridine clusters

Site- and element-selective core-to-pi* excitation in free pyridine clusters is investigated. The experimental results indicate the occurrence of site- and size-dependent spectral shifts in the C 1s and N 1s --> pi* excitation regime. Specifically, we observe in the C 1s regime a substantial and site-dependent redshift of the low energy slopes of the C 1s --> pi* band by 90 meV in clusters relative to the bare molecule, whereas the high energy slopes of this band remain almost unchanged. In contrast, a size-dependent blueshift of the same order of magnitude is found for the entire N 1s --> pi* band. This is distinctly different from previous results on van der Waals clusters, where exclusively redshifts in 1s --> pi* transitions are observed. The experimental results are compared to ab initio calculations, which serve to simulate the 1s --> pi*( v = 0) transitions. These results clearly indicate that the spectral shifts are primarily a result of electrostatic interactions between the molecular moieties and that an antiparallel orientation of molecular units preferably dominates in variable-size pyridine clusters.     

A comparison of orbital interactions in the additions of phosphonyl and acyl radicals to double bonds

Calculation of the barriers for addition of the H2P(=O) and HC(=O) radicals to alkenes, at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//BHandHLYP/6-311G** level, indicates that both radicals display ambiphilic behaviour. For the HC(=O) radical this behaviour occurs because a secondary orbital interaction of the type pi*(C=O)<--HOMO acts in conjunction with the primary SOMO<--HOMO interaction to balance the SOMO-->LUMO interaction. For the H2P(=O) radical, on the other hand, the much higher-lying LUMO (the sigma*P-O orbital) allows for only minimal secondary interaction, and this radical's ambiphilic behaviour is therefore reflective of a balance between SOMO-->LUMO and SOMO<--HOMO interactions.     

Reaction of hydroxyl radicals with azacytosines: a pulse radiolysis and theoretical study

Pulse radiolysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations at B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level have been carried out to probe the reaction of the water-derived hydroxyl radicals (*OH) with 5-azacytosine (5Ac) and 5-azacytidine (5Acyd) at near neutral and basic pH. A low percentage of nitrogen-centered oxidizing radicals, and a high percentage of non-oxidizing carbon-centered radicals were identified based on the reaction of transient intermediates with 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate), ABTS2-. Theoretical calculations suggests that the N3 atom in 5Ac is the most reactive center as it is the main contributor of HOMO, whereas C5 atom is the prime donor for the HOMO of cytosine (Cyt) where the major addition site is C5. The order of stability of the adduct species were found to be C6-OH_5Ac*>C4-OH_5Ac*>N3-OH_5Ac*>N5-OH_5Ac* both in the gaseous and solution phase (using the PCM model) respectively due to the additions of *OH at C6, C4, N3, and N5 atoms. These additions occur in direct manner, without the intervention of any precursor complex formation. The possibility of a 1,2-hydrogen shift from the C6 to N5 in the nitrogen-centered C6-OH_5Ac* radical is considered in order to account for the experimental observation of the high yield of non-oxidizing radicals, and found that such a conversion requires activation energy of about 32 kcal/mol, and hence this possibility is ruled out. The hydrogen abstraction reactions were assumed to occur from precursor complexes (hydrogen bonded complexes represented as S1, S2, S3, and S4) resulted from the electrostatic interactions of the lone pairs on the N3, N5, and O8 atoms with the incoming *OH radical. It was found that the conversion of these precursor complexes to their respective transition states has ample barrier heights, and it persists even when the effect of solvent is considered. It was also found that the formation of precursor complexes itself is highly endergonic in solution phase. Hence, the abstraction reactions will not occur in the present case. Finally, the time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations predicted an absorption maximum of 292 nm for the N3-OH_5Ac* adduct, which is close to the experimentally observed spectral maxima at 290 nm. Hence, it is assumed that the addition to the most reactive center N3, which results the N3-OH_5Ac* radical, occurs via a kinetically driven process.     

Synthesis of 1-azaspiro[2.4]hepta-1,4,6-trienes and azaspiroconjugation studied by photoelectron spectroscopy

1-Azaspiro[2.4]hepta-1,4,6-trienes 3a-c have been prepared by photolysis or thermolysis of 6-azidofulvenes 5a-c, which were accessible by nucleophilic substitution reactions of the precursors 4a,b or by nucleophilic addition of hydrazoic acid to ethenylidene-cyclopentadiene (6c). The UV photoelectron spectrum of 2-methyl-1-azaspiro[2.4]hepta-1,4,6-triene (3c) has been recorded and analyzed by making use of density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP calculations. Substantial homoconjugative interactions have been determined. The lone-pair orbital n(N) of the 2H-azirine nitrogen atom interacts with the pi 1 orbital of the cyclopentadiene ring. The energies of these orbitals are lowered or increased by 0.95 or 0.91 eV with respect to the two parent compounds cyclopentadiene (7) and 3-methyl-2H-azirine (9), respectively. In addition, in compound 3c the pi (C=N) orbital of the three-membered ring interacts with a sigma orbital of the cyclopentadiene unit and is destabilized by 0.47 eV by this effect.     

Orbital interactions and their effects on 13C NMR chemical shifts for 4,6-disubstituted-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxanes. A theoretical study

A theoretical study is employed to describe the orbital interactions involved in the conformers' stability, the energies for the stereoelectronic interactions, and the corresponding effects of these interactions on the molecular structure (bond lengths) for cis- and trans-4,6-disubstituted-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxanes. For cis-4,6-disubstituted-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxanes, two LPO --> sigma*C(2)-Me(8) interactions are extremely important and the energies involved in these interactions are in the range 6.81-7.58 kcal mol(-1) for the LP(O)(1) --> sigma*C(2)-Me(8) and 7.58-7.71 kcal mol(-1) for the LP(O)(3) --> sigma*C(2)-Me(8) interaction. These two LP(O) --> sigma*C(2)-Me(8) interactions cause an upfield shift, indicating an increased shielding (increased electron density) of the ketal carbon C(2) as well as the axial Me(8) group in the chair conformation. These LP(O) --> sigma*C(2)-Me(8) hyperconjugative anomeric type interactions can explain the 13C NMR chemical shifts at 19 ppm for the axial methyl group "Me(8)" and 98.5 ppm for the ketal carbon "C(2)". The observed results for the trans derivatives showed that for compounds 2a-c (R = -CN, -C[triple bond]CH, and -CHO, respectively) the chair conformation is predominant, whereas for 2d,f-h [-CH3, -Ph, -C6H4(p-NO2), -C6H4(p-OCH3), respectively] the twist-boat is the most stable compound and for 2e [-C(CH3)3] is the only form.     

Theoretical study on SH2 reaction of methyl radical with three‐membered ring

Bimolecular homolytic substitution (S_H2) reactions of the methyl radical with a series of three‐membered ring compounds have been given a systematic theoretical study. These reactions proceed predominantly via the backside displacement. The formation of the new radical product is thermodynamically favorable probably due to the release of the ring strain. Natural bond orbital analysis reveals that SOMO → σ*(C‐X) (X= C, N, O) interaction plays a major role in these S_H2 reactions, which shows the methyl radical mainly acts as a nucleophilic radical. In addition, according to the activation strain model analysis, an expected single correlation has not been obtained between the reactant distortion enthalpies and the overall activation enthalpies. However, these reactions can be divided into three groups and each group exhibits a good linear correlation. Marcus theory can thoroughly account for this phenomenon. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Chemical radiation studies of 8-bromo-2'-deoxyinosine and 8-bromoinosine in aqueous solutions

The reactions of hydrated electrons (e(aq) (-)) with 8-bromo-2'-deoxyinosine (8) and 8-bromoinosine (12) have been investigated by radiolytic methods coupled with product studies and have been addressed computationally by means of BB1K-HMDFT calculations. Pulse radiolysis revealed that one-electron reductive cleavage of the C--Br bond gives the C8 radical 9 or 13 followed by a fast radical translocation to the sugar moiety. Selective generation of a C5' radical occurs in the 2'-deoxyribo derivative, whereas in the ribo analogue the reaction is partitioned between the C5' and C2' positions with similar rates. Both C5' radicals undergo cyclizations, 10-->11 and 14-->15, with rate constants of 1.4 x 10(5) and of 1.3 x 10(4) s(-1), respectively. The redox properties of radicals 10 and 11 have also been investigated. A synthetically useful photoreaction has also been developed as a one-pot procedure that allows the conversion of 8 to 5',8-cyclo-2'-deoxyinosine in a high yield and a diastereoisomeric ratio (5'R)/(5'S) of 4:1. The present results are compared with data previously obtained for 8-bromoadenine and 8-bromoguanine nucleosides. Theory suggests that the behavior of 8-bromopurine derivatives with respect to solvated electrons can be attributed to differences in the energy gap between the pi*- and sigma*-radical anions.     

Aromatic transition states in nonpericyclic reactions: anionic 5-endo cyclizations are aborted sigmatropic shifts

The transition states (TSs) of 5-endo-dig and 5-endo-trig anionic ring closures are the first unambiguous examples of nonpericyclic reactions with TSs stabilized by aromaticity. Their five-center, six-electron in-plane aromaticity is revealed by the diatropic dissected nucleus-independent chemical shifts, -24.1 and -13.7 ppm, respectively, resulting from the delocalization of the lone pair at the nucleophilic center, a σ CC bond, and an in-plane alkyne (or alkene) π bond. Other seemingly analogous exo and endo cyclization TSs do not have these features. A symmetry-enhanced combination of through-space and through-bond interactions explains the anomalous geometric, energetic, and electronic features of the 5-endo ring closure transition state. Anionic 5-endo cyclizations can be considered to be "aborted" [2,3]-sigmatropic shifts. The connection between anionic cyclizations and sigmatropic shifts offers new possibilities for the design and electronic control of anionic isomerizations.     

Acyl radical addition to benzene and related systems—a computational study

The addition of the acetyl radical to benzene, aniline, trifluoromethylbenzene and naphthalene has been investigated using DFT calculations. Addition to benzene is calculated to have an energy barrier of 63.6 kJ mol⁻¹ at the BHandHLYP/6-311G(d,p)+ZPE level of theory. This reaction is associated with simultaneous SOMO→π^∗ and π→SOMO interactions with the latter interaction dominating, suggesting that acetyl reacts predominantly as an electrophilic radical in its interaction with benzene. Addition to the ortho and para positions of aniline is calculated to be slightly less favourable, while attack at the meta position is predicted to be unaffected in relation to the chemistry involving benzene. Inclusion of the electron-withdrawing substituent, trifluoromethyl, is predicted to accelerate reactions slightly at the ortho and para positions, while attack at the C1 position of naphthalene is calculated to involve a barrier of 50.3 kJ mol⁻¹ (BHandHLYP/6-311G(d,p)+ZPE).     

Comparative DFT study of the spin trapping of methyl, mercapto, hydroperoxy, superoxide, and nitric oxide radicals by various substituted cyclic nitrones

The thermodynamics of the spin trapping of various cyclic nitrones with biologically relevant radicals such as methyl, mercapto, hydroperoxy, superoxide anion, and nitric oxide was investigated using computational methods. A density functional theory (DFT) approach was employed in this study at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. The order of increasing favorability for Delta G(rxn) (kcal/mol) of the radical reaction with various nitrones, in general, follows a trend similar to their respective experimental reduction potentials as well as their experimental second-order rate constants in aqueous solution: NO (14.57) < O2*- (-7.51) < *O2H (-13.92) < *SH (-16.55) < *CH3 (-32.17) < *OH (-43.66). The same qualitative trend is predicted upon considering the effect of solvation using the polarizable continuum model (PCM): i.e., NO (14.12) < O2*- (9.95) < *O2H (-6.95) < *SH (-13.57) < *CH3 (-32.88) < *OH (-38.91). All radical reactions with these nitrones are exoergic, except for NO (and O2*- in the aqueous phase), which is endoergic, and the free energy of activation (Delta G) for the NO additions ranges from 17.7 to 20.3 kcal/mol. This study also predicts the favorable formation of certain adducts that exhibit intramolecular H-bonding interactions, nucleophilic addition, or H-atom transfer reactions. The spin density on the nitronyl N of the superoxide adducts reveals conformational dependences. The failure of nitrones to trap NO at normal conditions was theoretically rationalized due to the endoergic reaction parameters.