Geometry and energy of substituted phenyl cations

The geometry and the energy of a number of substituted phenyl cations have been calculated for both spin states at the UB3LYP/6-31G(d) level (o-, m-, p-Me, OMe, NH(2), CN, NO(2)) or at the UB3LYP/6-311++G(2d,p) level (o-, m-, p-SiMe(3), SMe). The geometric differences were assessed by means of a self-organizing neural network. The triplets maintain a regular hexagonal structure that is minimally affected by substituents, while in the singlets C1 puckers inward and, when an electron-donating group is present, shifts out of the plane. The triplets have the character of aromatic radical ions and are strongly stabilized by electron-donating substituents, independently of the position of the latter. In the case of singlets, the effect of substituents on the energy is weaker and depends on the position (the largest effect is exerted when the group is in meta). A two-parameter correlation of all of the triplet energies shows the predominant mesomeric effect of the substituents. In the case of singlets, linear correlations are obtained only when each position is treated separately and when the predominant effect is inductive for the ortho and, less markedly, the para position, whereas at the meta position, mesomeric and inductive effects are comparable. The ground state is determined to be the singlet for the parent cation and for electron-withdrawing substituted ions. With electron-donating substituents, the triplet is the ground state for ortho and para derivatives, while the two spin states are roughly isoenergetic when the donating group is in the meta position. These data allow predicting the reactivity of each cation.     

Selective addition to iridium of aryl C-H bonds ortho to coordinating groups. Not chelation-assisted

Precursors of the pincer-ligated iridium species, (PCP)Ir, react with nitrobenzene or acetophenone at ambient temperature to give O,C-chelated complexes resulting from addition of an aryl C-H bond and coordination of a nitro or acetyl oxygen. The C-H additions appear to be completely regioselective for the position ortho to the functional group; however, structural characterization and low-temperature NMR studies demonstrate that the reaction does not proceed via coordination of the functional group followed by C-H addition. In the case of nitrobenzene, kinetic preference for the para and meta positions is demonstrated at low temperature. Addition occurs more slowly at the ortho position, without assistance by the functional group; the ortho-C-H addition product is then trapped by chelation.     

Substituent effects on the electrophilic activity of nitroarenes in reactions with carbanions

The effect on electrophilic activity of substituents located para, ortho, and meta to the nitro group of nitrobenzenes was determined by using vicarious nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen (VNS) with the carbanion of chloromethyl phenyl sulfone (1) as the model process. Values for the relative activities of substituted nitroarenes are given relative to nitrobenzene, which was taken as the standard. This process was chosen as a model reaction because it meets key criteria, such as the wide range of substituents that can be present on the nitrobenzene ring, a low sensitivity to steric hindrance, and in particular the possibility of ensuring conditions in which the overall relative rates of reaction in competitive experiments are equal to the relative rates of nucleophilic addition. The values of relative rates of addition, which were taken to be a measure of electrophilic activity, were determined by competitive experiments in which pairs of nitroarenes competed for the VNS reaction with carbanion of 1. A comprehensive set of data for effects of substituents on the electrophilic activity of nitroarenes is presented for the first time.     

HZSM-5催化甲苯和甲醇烷基化反应机理的密度泛函理论研究

对二甲苯(PX)是重要的有机化工原料,主要用于生产对苯二甲酸(PTA)和对苯二甲酸二甲酯(DMT), PTA和 DMT可经缩聚生产化纤、合成树脂和塑料等聚酯产品. PX主要通过甲苯歧化、二甲苯异构化或甲苯与 C9芳烃烷基转移等方式生产.由于三种二甲苯和乙苯的沸点接近,需要经过吸附分离或深冷分离才能得到高纯度的 PX,传统工艺物料循环量大,设备庞大,操作费用高.而通过甲苯和甲醇烷基化反应直接高选择性生成 PX,可大大降低成本,具有非常高的经济效益和研究价值.自1970年代以来,国内外众多科研院所对甲苯和甲醇烷基化催化剂进行了广泛研究,但催化剂选择性和稳定性仍需进一步提高.为了加深对甲苯和甲醇烷基化反应的认识,指导催化剂开发,有必要对甲苯和甲醇烷基化生成二甲苯的反应机理进行深入研究.当前甲苯和甲醇烷基化机理研究主要存在以下问题：(1)计算得到的能量多为电子能,而非自由能;(2)所采用的模型多为团簇模型,使用 ONIOM方法,对长程作用力描述不充分;(3)认为甲苯只有一种吸附状态;(4)没有考虑偕烷基化反应.本文采用周期性模型,通过密度泛函理论研究了 HZSM-5分子筛上甲苯和甲醇烷基化反应机理,通过计算熵得到了反应自由能,并考虑了偕烷基化反应.由于甲基的存在,在甲苯的吸附态中,甲基会伸向孔道的不同方向,因此我们认为甲苯有多种吸附态,而不同的吸附态会生成不同的二甲苯.结果表明,甲苯可以在对位、间位、邻位和偕位上通过协同机理或分步机理发生烷基化反应.在协同机理中,甲苯在对位、间位、邻位和偕位发生烷基化反应的自由能垒分别为167,138,139和183 kJ/mol.在分步机理中,甲醇脱水生成甲氧基的自由能垒为145 kJ/mol,是决速步骤;而甲苯和甲氧基对位、间位、邻位和偕位烷基化的自由能垒分别为127,105,106和114 kJ/mol.两种机理中 PX的生成能垒均比 MX和 OX高,与文献报道的结果不同.文献均认为, PX的生成能垒最低.一方面这可能是由于所采用模型的不同,本文采用周期性模型,能更充分考虑长程作用力的影响;另一方面可能是由于对甲苯吸附态的不同处理,我们认为甲苯有多种吸附态,不同的吸附态会生成不同的二甲苯,而文献均只考虑了一种甲苯吸附态.但是,在实验中, PX选择性最高.这可能是由于：(1) PX在 HZSM-5孔道的扩散速率比 MX和 OX高2–3个数量级;(2)甲苯和甲醇烷基化生成的 MX和OX迅速发生异构化反应生成 PX,异构化反应速率高于甲苯烷基化速率.两种机理中, C8H11+都是重要的中间物种,它可以反馈一个质子给分子筛骨架,生成二甲苯;也可以脱烷基生成甲烷和乙烯等气相产物.研究发现,甲烷的生成是由于 C8H11+物种中的一个 H质子从苯环上的碳原子转移到甲基上的碳原子造成的,计算得到的对位、间位和邻位 C8H11+生成甲烷的能垒分别为136,132和134 kJ/mol.由于十元环孔道的限制, HZSM-5孔道中很难通过甲苯歧化反应生成苯;偕烷基化生成的碳正离子有可能脱烷基生成乙烯和乙烷等产物,进而生成苯.碳正离子脱烷基反应生成了大量气相产物,造成反应液收降低.碳正离子脱烷基反应与甲醇制烯烃过程的烃池机理相一致,因此甲苯和甲醇烷基化反应也遵循烃池机理.     

Reaction mechanisms of C2Cl3 + NO2 via nitro and nitrite adducts

The atmospherically and environmentally important reaction of chlorinated vinyl radical with nitrogen dioxide (C 2Cl 3 + NO 2) is investigated by step-scan time-resolved Fourier transform infrared emission spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations. Vibrationally excited products of CO, NO, Cl 2CO, and NO 2 are observed in the IR emission spectra. Geometries of the major intermediates and transition states along the potential energy surface are optimized at the B3LYP/6-311G(d) level, and their energies are refined at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(d) level. The reaction mechanisms are characterized to be barrierless addition-elimination via nitro (C 2Cl 3-NO 2) and nitrite (C 2Cl 3-ONO) adducts. Four energetically accessible reaction routes are revealed, i.e., the decomposition of the nitrite adduct forming C 2Cl 3O + NO and its sequential dissociation to CO + NO + CCl 3, the elimination of ClNO from the nitrite adduct leading to ClNO + Cl 2CCO, the Cl-atom shift of the nitrite adduct followed by the decomposition to CCl 3CO + NO, and the O-atom shift of the nitro adduct followed by C-C bond cleavage forming ClCNO + Cl 2CO. In competition with these reactive fluxes, the back-decomposition of nitro or nitrite adducts leads to the prompt formation of vibrationally excited NO 2 and the long-lived reaction adducts facilitate the vibrational energy transfer. Moreover, the product channels and mechanisms of the C 2Cl 3 + NO 2 reaction are compared with the C 2H 3 + NO 2 reaction to explore the effect of chlorine substitution. It is found that the two reactions mainly differ in the initial addition preferentially by the N-attack forming nitro adducts (only N-attack is plausible for the C 2H 3 + NO 2 reaction) or the O-attack forming nitrite adducts (O-attack is slightly more favorable and N-attack is also plausible for the C 2Cl 3 + NO 2 reaction). The addition selectivity can be fundamentally correlated to the variation of the charge density of the end carbon atom of the double bond induced by chlorine substitution due to the electron-withdrawing effect of chlorine groups.     

A theoretical analysis of substituted aromatic compounds

The substituents ? CH₃, ? F, ? NO₂, ? OCH₃, and ? CH₂?CH₂ were placed at the ortho, meta, and para positions on the aromatic molecules aniline, benzaldehdye, nitrobenzene, and phenol. MMFF94, AM1, B3LYP, M06, M06‐2X, ωB97X, ωB97X‐d, and RI‐MP2 using cc‐pVDZ and cc‐pVTZ and CCSD(T) with cc‐pVDZ basis sets were used to calculate the geometries and energies of all regiomers of the molecules. Relative energies of the ortho and meta regiomers relative to the para regiomers were calculated and compared to the CCSD(T) values. A good basis set correlation between cc‐pVDZ and cc‐pVTZ was observed in RI‐MP2. Overall, RI‐MP2 gave the best correlation with the CCSD(T) results. All of the hybrid functionals showed similar accuracy and could effectively describe the intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions of these compounds. The methoxy group at the para position in methoxyaniline, methoxyphenol, methoxynitrobenzene, and methoxybenzaldehyde was rotated around the phenyl‐O bond. HF, along with the cc‐pVDZ basis with the other methods, generated inaccurate energy profiles for p‐methoxyphenol. For the density functional theory methods, it was necessary to use improved grids to get smooth curves. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Generation of arylnitrenium ions by nitro-reduction and gas-phase synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Heterocycles

Nitro-reduction by the vinyl halide radical cation CH2 = CH-X+* (X = Cl or Br) converts nitroaromatics into arylnitrenium ions, significant intermediates in carcinogenesis, and the present study reports on the scope and regioselectivity of this versatile reaction. The reaction is general for different kinds of substituted nitroaromatics; para/meta substitutents have little effect on the reaction while ortho substitutents result in low yields of arylnitrenium ions. The phenylnitrenium ion PhNH+ can be generated by chemical ionization (CI) of nitrobenzene using 1,2-dichloroethane as the reagent gas or by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) of 1,2-dichloroethane solution doped with nitrobenzene. The chemical reactivities of the arylnitrenium ions include one-step ion/molecule reactions with nucleophiles ethyl vinyl ether and 1,3-dioxolanes, respectively, involving the direct formation of new CN bonds and synthesis of indole and benzomorpholine derivatives. The indole formation reaction parallels known condensed phase chemistry, while the concise morpholine-forming reaction remains to be sought in solution. The combination of collision-induced dissociation (CID) with novel ion/molecule reactions should provide a selective method for the detection of explosives such as TNT, RDX and HMX in mixtures using mass spectrometry. In addition to the reduction of the nitro group, reduction of methyl phenyl sulfone PhS(O)2Me to the thioanisole radical cation PhSMe+* occurs using the same chemical ionization reagent 1,2-dichloroethane. This probably involves an analogous reduction reaction by the reagent ion CH2 = CH-Cl+*.     

Photodissociation dynamics of nitrobenzene and o-nitrotoluene

Photodissociation of nitrobenzene at 193, 248, and 266 nm and o-nitrotoluene at 193 and 248 nm was investigated separately using multimass ion imaging techniques. Fragments corresponding to NO and NO(2) elimination from both nitrobenzene and o-nitrotoluene were observed. The translational energy distributions for the NO elimination channel show bimodal distributions, indicating two dissociation mechanisms involved in the dissociation process. The branching ratios between NO and NO(2) elimination channels were determined to be NONO(2)=0.32+/-0.12 (193 nm), 0.26+/-0.12 (248 nm), and 0.4+/-0.12(266 nm) for nitrobenzene and 0.42+/-0.12(193 nm) and 0.3+/-0.12 (248 nm) for o-nitrotoluene. Additional dissociation channels, O atom elimination from nitrobenzene, and OH elimination from o-nitrotoluene, were observed. New dissociation mechanisms were proposed, and the results are compared with potential energy surfaces obtained from ab initio calculations. Observed absorption bands of photodissociation are assigned by the assistance of the ab initio calculations for the relative energies of the triplet excited states and the vertical excitation energies of the singlet and triplet excited states of nitrobenzene and o-nitrotoluene. Finally, the dissociation rates and lifetimes of photodissociation of nitrobenzene and o-nitrotoluene were predicted and compared to experimental results.     

偶氮染料在酸性介质中的电还原性质

研究了4个偶氮染料在酸性介质中的电还原性质。偶氮基在酸性介质中的还原均为不可逆四电子一步全还原。邻、对位上有吸电子基(如—CO_2Bu-n)的偶氮基较间位有吸电子基时更易被还原。分子中同时含有偶氮基和硝基时,偶氮基先被还原。     

Differentiation of isomeric substituted diaryl ethers by electron ionization and chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A series of isomeric substituted diaryl ethers, i.e., 2- or 4-NO2, 5- FC6H3OC6H4 (4-R), where R=H, COCH3, COOCH3, NO2, CHO, OCH3 etc., which comprise ortho and para isomers with respect to the position of the nitro group are studied under GC-EI-MS and CI-MS conditions. The EI mass spectra of ortho and para isomers show distinct fragment ions, where the [MOH]+ and [MOHO]+ ions specifically appeared in all spectra of the ortho isomers (I), whereas the para isomers (II) contain [MO]+ and [MNO]+ ions. The [MOHCO]+ and [MOHNO]+ ions in I, and [MNO2]+ ion in II are the other specific fragment ions observed but feasibility of these fragment ions are found to depend on the nature of the substituent (R). The substitution (R) effect is also clearly reflected in the formation of fragment ions due to sigma-cleavage process with or without hydrogen migration. Similar differences in the formation of specific fragment ions are also observed in ortho and para isomers of substituted aryl naphthyl ethers. The methane/CI of isomeric compounds resulted in the same set of fragment ions, but prominent differences are observed in the relative abundance of [MHNO]+, which is relatively higher in para isomers compared with corresponding ortho isomer.     

Activation of C-H bonds of arenes: selectivity and reactivity in bis(pyridyl) platinum(II) complexes

The reaction of [PtMe2(NN)] and B(C6F5)3/H2O in CF3CH2OH with arenes Ar-H gives [PtAr{HOB(C6F5)3}(LL)] if the bis(pyridyl) ligand NN forms a six-membered, but not five-membered, chelate ring; methyl-substituted arenes give selectivity for metalation of meta > para > ortho, but methoxy-substituted arenes give ortho > meta, para.     

Noncatalytic kinetic study on site-selective H/D exchange reaction of phenol in sub- and supercritical water

The site-selective H/D exchange reaction of phenol in sub- and supercritical water is studied without added catalysts. In subcritical water in equilibrium with steam at 210-240 degrees C, the H/D exchange proceeds both at the ortho and para sites in the phenyl ring, with no exchange observed at the meta site. The pseudo-first-order rate constants are of the order of 10(-4) s(-1); 50% larger for the ortho than for the para site. In supercritical water, the exchange is observed also at the meta site with the rate constant in the range of 10(-6)-10(-4) s(-1). As the bulk density decreases, the exchange slows down and the site selectivity toward the ortho is enhanced. The enhancement is due to the phenol-water interaction preference at the atomic resolution. The site selectivity toward the ortho is further enhanced when the reaction is carried out in benzene/water solution. Using such selectivity control and the reversible nature of the hydrothermal deuteration/protonation process, it is feasible to synthesize phenyl compounds that are deuterated at any topological combination of ortho, meta, and para sites.     

The lowest-lying electronic singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces for the HNO-NOH system: energetics, unimolecular rate constants, tunneling and kinetic isotope effects for the isomerization and dissociation reactions

The lowest-lying electronic singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces (PES) for the HNO-NOH system have been investigated employing high level ab initio quantum chemical methods. The reaction energies and barriers have been predicted for two isomerization and four dissociation reactions. Total energies are extrapolated to the complete basis set limit applying focal point analyses. Anharmonic zero-point vibrational energies, diagonal Born-Oppenheimer corrections, relativistic effects, and core correlation corrections are also taken into account. On the singlet PES, the (1)HNO → (1)NOH endothermicity including all corrections is predicted to be 42.23 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1). For the barrierless decomposition of (1)HNO to H + NO, the dissociation energy is estimated to be 47.48 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1). For (1)NOH → H + NO, the reaction endothermicity and barrier are 5.25 ± 0.2 and 7.88 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1). On the triplet PES the reaction energy and barrier including all corrections are predicted to be 7.73 ± 0.2 and 39.31 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1) for the isomerization reaction (3)HNO → (3)NOH. For the triplet dissociation reaction (to H + NO) the corresponding results are 29.03 ± 0.2 and 32.41 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1). Analogous results are 21.30 ± 0.2 and 33.67 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1) for the dissociation reaction of (3)NOH (to H + NO). Unimolecular rate constants for the isomerization and dissociation reactions were obtained utilizing kinetic modeling methods. The tunneling and kinetic isotope effects are also investigated for these reactions. The adiabatic singlet-triplet energy splittings are predicted to be 18.45 ± 0.2 and 16.05 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1) for HNO and NOH, respectively. Kinetic analyses based on solution of simultaneous first-order ordinary-differential rate equations demonstrate that the singlet NOH molecule will be difficult to prepare at room temperature, while the triplet NOH molecule is viable with respect to isomerization and dissociation reactions up to 400 K. Hence, our theoretical findings clearly explain why (1)NOH has not yet been observed experimentally.     

Quantum Chemical Study of Hydroxyand Formyl-Substituted Benzenonium Ions

Substituted benzenonium ions (protonated benzene derivatives) model the intermediates in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions. This paper presents a quantum chemical study at the MP2/6-31G* level of the various cations that could result from mono-protonation of phenol and benzaldehyde. Five isomeric ions were investigated in each case, the four benzenonium ions resulting from protonation at an ortho, meta, para, or ipso position, and the ion resulting from protonation at the oxygen. The results show the effects of the hydroxy and formyl substituents on the relative energies of the isomeric benzenonium ions. Wiberg bond orders and Reed–Weinhold (NPA or natural) atomic charges are also reported.     

Catalytic Reactions in Heterophosphole Complex Chemistry

Catalytic reaction of 2 H -azaphosphirene complex 1 with ortho -, meta -, and para -benzodinitrile ( 2a-c ) led in all cases to the 2 H -1,4,2-diazaphosphole complexes 3a-c if ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate was used as catalyst. In the case of the meta - and para -benzodinitriles 2b-c , the bis-2 H -1,4,2-diazaphosphole complexes 4b-c were additionally obtained. Under the same reaction conditions, acetone, diethylketone and cyclohexanone ( 5a-c ) reacted with complex 1 to yield j 3 -1,3,2-oxazaphospholene complexes 6a-c in good yields.     

Acid generation in the thermal decomposition of diaryliodonium salts

Diphenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate and diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate have been found to generate up to two equivalents of hydrogen fluoride per equivalent of the iodonium salt by pyrolysis at 239°C in the neat state and at 150°C in the presence of anisole or nitrobenzene. The formation of hydrogen fluoride is presumed to arise by dissociation of hydrogen tetrafluoroborate or hydrogen hexafluorophosphate initially formed, due to the high temperatures, thus giving rise also to the Lewis acids boron trifluoride and phosphorus pentafluoride, respectively. A detailed analysis of the volatile organic products of the decomposition of the diphenyliodonium salts was also carried out. Many products were identified in all of the cases studied. For example, the neat decomposition of diphenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate afforded benzene, fluorobenzene, iodobenzene, the three isomeric iodobiphenyls, biphenyl, three isomeric terphenyls, and one or more of the diiodobiphenyls, iodoterphenyls, and polyaromatics. Among the iodobiphenyls, the ortho and para isomers were found to predominate over the meta isomer. The terphenyl isomers did not exhibit this ortho, para selectivity. It was significant that decomposition of the diaryliodonium salts in anisole suspension did not afford methoxybiphenyls or iodomethoxybiphenyls. An interpretation of these results is presented. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Substituent effect on nano TiO2‐ and ZnO‐catalyzed phenol photodegradation rates

Photodegradation of phenol on TiO₂ P25 Degussa, TiO₂ Hombikat, TiO₂ anatase, and ZnO nanoparticles exhibits identical photokinetic behavior. The degradation rates of 15 ortho‐, meta‐ and para‐ substituted phenols on the four semiconductor nanocrystals do not conform to the electronic effect of the substituents but show some common features. While the orthosubstituents slow down the reaction, nitro and hydroxyl groups enhance the same. The effects are rationalized. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 275–283, 2009     

Enzyme-catalyzed enantioselective diaryl ketone reductions

The synthesis of diarylmethanols via the reduction of a range of substituted benzophenone and benzoylpyridine derivatives with ketoreductase enzymes (KREDs) has afforded chiral products with high yield (>90%) and ee (up to >99%). Ortho, meta, and para substitutions with a variety of electron-donating, electron-withdrawing, and halogen groups were examined. Substitution at the ortho position and/or highly electronically dissymmetric molecules were not required for good selectivity, as is the case with conventional chemical catalyst reductions. [reaction: see text].     

Effect of the molecular structure on the strength of the C-NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> bond in a series of monofunctional nitrobenzene derivatives

Geometric parameters and formation enthalpy and the enthalpy of the radicals formed during the homolytic breakage of C-NO₂ bond in 37 aromatic nitro compounds were calculated using different bases of the hybrid density functional method B3LYP, as well as the composite CBS-QB3 methods. On the basis of thermochemical data, were calculated the C-NO₂ bond dissociation energy and the activation energy of the radical gas-phase decomposition. Donor substituents were shown to cause an increase in the C-NO₂ bond dissociation energy, while the acceptors decrease it. The values of activation energies of gas-phase decomposition of aromatic nitro compounds calculated basing on the C-NO₂ bond dissociation energy are in good agreement with experiment.