Magnesium Halide‐promoted Ring‐opening Reaction of Cyclic Ether in the Presence of Phosphine Halide

A new route to the direct preparation of H‐phosphinate esters has been explored. The ring‐opening reaction of cyclic ether (tetrahydrofuran or tetrahydropyrane) was carried out with magnesium halide in the presence of phosphine halide (PRCl₂ or PCl₃). The process is straightforward and all the reagents are relatively cheap and readily available. Magnesium halide‐mediated THF ring‐opening (S_N2@C) and the subsequent S_N2@P elementary reactions that giving rise to the intermediate of haloalkyl phosphinates have been discussed based on our experimental findings ( Path I : S_N2@C−+S_N2@P). Another possible route, the direct S_N2 between THF (nucleophile) and phosphine halide (electrophile) that followed by THF ring opening by halide dissociated from phosphine halide ( Path II: S_N2@P−+S_N2@C), was also proposed. However, path II is the least likely reaction path because neutral THF is not a good nucleophile. H‐phosphinate esters could be readily available in the subsequent hydrolysis process. Considering the ionic bond strength in magnesium halides and the nucleophilicity of halides dissociated from MgX₂ in protic solvents like water, MgBr₂ is recommended for ring‐opening reactions of cyclic ethers.     

Effect of solvent on the free energy of activation of S_N2 reaction between phenacyl bromide and amines

The kinetics of SN2 reaction between phenacyl bromide and various amines in 12 different solvents were studied. Solvent effects on the rate of this reaction and free energy of activation, ΔG# , were interpreted by applying the Abraham-Kam-let-Taft (AKT) equation. UK solvent polarity (π1*), solvent hydrogen-bond basicity (β1) and Hildebrand cohesive density energy (δH2) are those parameters which increase the rate constant and decrease ΔG# , while solvent hydrogen-bond acidity (α1) will have the compensatory effect. A comparison among obtained values of second rate constants, k2, for different amines in a given solvent indicates that the amine reactivities are highly dependent on their structures. The consequent decrease of the rate constant for different amines in any given solvent was found to be: primary > secondary> tertiary. This order results from steric effects of amines.     

Reaction of halogenated hydrocarbon solvents with tertiary amines: Spectrophotometric and conductimetric study

Halogenated hydrocarbon solvents, SolvCl, (dichloromethane, chloroform, and 1,2‐dichloroethane) react with various types of tertiary amines, A, such as tri‐n‐buthylamine, tropane derivatives (tropine and atropine) and quinine generating a quaternary ammonium salt, N‐halogenalkylammonium chloride (SolvA⁺Cl^?). Some tertiary amines, as well as secondary and primary amines, cannot react with these solvents. This reaction has been detected and studied by both conductivity and visible spectrophotometry measures—the latter after adding a small quantity of a dye, such as bromocresol green (BCGH₂), bromophenol blue (BPBH₂), or tetrabromophenolphthaleinethyl ester (TBPEH). Both study methods permit the determination of the kinetic parameters, and they are in good agreement. The monoprotic TBPEH is the dye of the simplest mechanism, useful to study kinetics of amines of uncertain behavior as quinine, while BPBH₂ is the best dye for quantitative determinations. Kinetics for this reaction are of first order for both amine, A, and solvent, SolvCl; activation energy, E_a, and frequency factor are also determined. Rate constants increase with the amine basicity and with a reduction in the number of the halogen atoms present in the solvent. This reaction is slow but not negligible and must be considered a side reaction of these universally used solvents. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36:500–509, 2004     

Can an Amine Be a Stronger Acid than a Carboxylic Acid? The Surprisingly High Acidity of Amine–Borane Complexes

The gas‐phase acidity of a series of amine–borane complexes has been investigated through the use of electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS), with the application of the extended Cooks kinetic method, and high‐level G4 ab initio calculations. The most significant finding is that typical nitrogen bases, such as aniline, react with BH₃ to give amine–borane complexes, which, in the gas phase, have acidities as high as those of either phosphoric, oxalic, or salicylic acid; their acidity is higher than many carboxylic acids, such as formic, acetic, and propanoic acid. Indeed the complexation of different amines with BH₃ leads to a substantial increase (from 167 to 195 kJ mol^?1) in the intrinsic acidity of the system; in terms of ionization constants, this increase implies an increase as large as fifteen orders of magnitude. Interestingly, this increase in acidity is almost twice as large as that observed for the corresponding phosphine–borane analogues. The agreement between the experimental and the G4‐based calculated values is excellent. The analysis of the electron‐density rearrangements of the amine and the borane moieties indicates that the dative bond is significantly stronger in the N‐deprotonated anion than in the corresponding neutral amine–borane complex, because the deprotonated amine is a much better electron donor than the neutral amine. On the top of that, the newly created lone pair on the nitrogen atom in the deprotonated species, conjugates with the BN bonding pair. The dispersion of the extra electron density into the BH₃ group also contributes to the increased stability of the deprotonated species.     

Cationic polyelectrolytes. II. Amination of chloromethylated polystyrene with hydroxyalkylic secondary amines

The reaction of chloromethylated polystyrene with methyl(2- hydroxyethyl)amine and butyle (2-hydroxyethyl)amine was studied kinetically. The reaction of benzyl chloride with these amines was also investigated for comparison. N,N-dimethylformamide and dioxane were used as solvents. The reactions of benzyl chloride with the two amines in these solvents took place according to normal kinetics of the second order. Reaction kinetics depend on the nature of the amine and solvent in Chloromethylated polystyrene reactions. In dioxane the self-accelerating effect of the reaction for β ? 0.5 is apparent. Steric hindrance of the reaction, beginning with a conversion degree of about 75%, wss observed for butyl(2-hydroxyethyl)amine in N,N-dimethylformamide. This self-accelerating effect is observed in dioxane at the same reaction degree. The activation energies and frequency factors were calculated for the amination of benzyl chloride and chloromethylated polystyrene with the two amines in N,N-dimethylformamide and dioxane.     

Are Boryl Radicals from Amine–Boranes and Phosphine–Boranes the Most Stable Radicals?

The relative stability of the radicals that can be produced from amine–boranes and phosphine–boranes is investigated at the G3‐RAD level of theory. Aminyl ([RNH]^.:BH₃) and phosphinyl ([RPH]^.:BH₃) radicals are systematically more stable than the boryl analogues, [RNH₂]:BH₂^. and [RPH₂]:BH₂^.. Despite similar stability trends for [RNH]^.:BH₃ and [RPH]^.:BH₃ radicals with respect to boryl radicals, there are significant dissimilarities between amine– and phosphine–boranes. The homolytic bond dissociation energy of the N?H bond decreases upon association of the amines with BH₃, whereas that of the P?H bond for phosphines increases. The stabilization of the free amine is much smaller than that of the corresponding aminyl radical, whereas for phosphines this is the other way around. The homolytic bond dissociation energy of the B?H bond of borane decreases upon complexation with both amines and phosphines.     

Relative reactivity and kinetic pattern of aniline and N‐methylaniline as nucleophiles in aromatic substitution (SNAr) reactions

Kinetic results are reported for the reactions of 4‐nitrophenyl‐2,4,6‐trinitrophenyl ether 3 with aniline and N‐methylaniline in dimethyl sulphoxide, acetonitrile, methanol, and benzene. The reactions gave the expected 2,4,6‐trinitrodiphenylamine and were base catalyzed in all the solvents. Both nucleophiles showed the same kinetic pattern under the same reaction conditions but aniline was found to be considerably more reactive than N‐methylaniline. The greater catalytic efficiency of aniline over N‐methylaniline is consistent with the proton transfer mechanism of the base‐catalyzed step. Dichotomy of amine effects in aromatic substitution (S_NAr) reactions is discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 188–196, 2004     

Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of the Excited States of 1‐Amino‐ and 1‐(N,N‐Dimethylamino)‐fluoren‐9‐ones

The dynamics of the excited states of 1‐aminofluoren‐9‐one (1AF) and 1‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)‐fluoren‐9‐one (1DMAF) are investigated by using steady‐state absorption and fluorescence as well as subpicosecond time‐resolved absorption spectroscopic techniques. Following photoexcitation of 1AF, which exists in the intramolecular hydrogen‐bonded form in aprotic solvents, the excited‐state intramolecular proton‐transfer reaction is the only relaxation process observed in the excited singlet (S₁) state. However, in protic solvents, the intramolecular hydrogen bond is disrupted in the excited state and an intermolecular hydrogen bond is formed with the solvent leading to reorganization of the hydrogen‐bond network structure of the solvent. The latter takes place in the timescale of the process of solvation dynamics. In the case of 1DMAF, the main relaxation pathway for the locally excited singlet, S₁(LE), or S₁(ICT) state is the configurational relaxation, via nearly barrierless twisting of the dimethylamino group to form the twisted intramolecular charge‐transfer, S₁(TICT), state. A crossing between the excited‐state and ground‐state potential energy curves is responsible for the fast, radiationless deactivation and nonemissive character of the S₁(TICT) state in polar solvents, both aprotic and protic. However, in viscous but strong hydrogen‐bond‐donating solvents, such as ethylene glycol and glycerol, crossing between the potential energy surfaces for the ground electronic state and the hydrogen‐bonded complex formed between the S₁(TICT) state and the solvent is possibly avoided and the hydrogen‐bonded complex is weakly emissive.     

MECHANISM OF THE REACTION OF DIPHENYL N-BROMOSULFILIMINE WITH SULFIDES,PHOSPHINES AND TERTIARY AMINES

Abstract

The mechanism of the reactions of diphenyl N-bromosulfilimine (I) with such nucleophiles as sulfides, phosphines and tertiary amines was investigated. In the presence of water, (I) reacts with sulfides or phosphines to afford the corresponding sulfoxides or the phosphine oxides in moderate yields; however, the reaction with tertiary amine gave only the N-t-aminosulfilimine derivative. The effect of ring size in the reaction with cyclic sulfides suggests that the reaction proceeds via initial bromine transfer from the nitrogen atom to the sulfur atom of the cyclic sulfides followed by S_N2 type substitution of bromide on the sulfur atom of the cyclic sulfide with the sulfilimino group. The phosphine oxide obtained in the reaction of (I) with optically active methyl n-propyl phenyl phosphine was racemized but retained a small portion of the optical activity. In the case of tertiary amines, even 1,4-diazabicyclo-(2,2,2)-octane (DABCO), in which the back side of the nitrogen atom is blocked, reacted smoothly to afford the corresponding ammonium salts, suggesting the reaction to be of S_N2 type on the nitrogen atom of the sulfilimine.     

Substrate‐Controlled Product Divergence: Conversion of CO2 into Heterocyclic Products

Substituted epoxy alcohols and amines allow substrate‐controlled conversion of CO₂ into a wide range of heterocyclic structures through different mechanistic manifolds. This new approach results in an unusual scope of CO₂‐derived products by initial activation of CO₂ through either the amine or alcohol unit, thus providing nucleophiles for intramolecular epoxy ring opening under mild reaction conditions. Control experiments support the crucial role of the amine/alcohol fragment in this process with the nucleophile‐assisted ring‐opening step following an S_Ni pathway, and a 5‐exo‐tet cyclization, thus leading to heterocyclic scaffolds.     

Highly Enantioselective Fluorescent Recognition of Both Unfunctionalized and Functionalized Chiral Amines by a Facile Amide Formation from a Perfluoroalkyl Ketone

The H₈BINOL‐based perfluoroalkyl ketone (S)‐ 2 is found to exhibit highly enantioselective fluorescent enhancements toward both unfunctionalized and functionalized chiral amines. It greatly expands the substrate scope of the corresponding BINOL‐based sensor. A dramatic solvent effect was observed for the reaction of the amines with compound (S)‐ 2 . In DMF, cleavage of the perfluoroalkyl group of compound (S)‐ 2 to form amides was observed but not in other solvents, such as methylene chloride, chloroform, THF, hexane, and perfluorohexane. Thus, the addition of another solvent, such as THF, can effectively quench the reaction of compound (S)‐ 2 with amines in DMF to allow stable fluorescent measurement. This is the first example that the formation of strong amide bonds under very mild conditions is used for the enantioselective recognition of chiral amines. The mechanism of the reaction of compound (S)‐ 2 with chiral amines is investigated by using various analytical methods including mass spectrometry as well as NMR and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy.     

Sequential C−H Borylation and N‐Demethylation of 1,1′‐Biphenylamines: Alternative Route to Polycyclic BN‐Heteroarenes

Described herein is an unprecedented access to BN‐polyaromatic compounds from 1,1′‐biphenylamines by sequential borane‐mediated C(sp²)?H borylation and intramolecular N‐demethylation. The conveniently in situ generated Piers’ borane from a borinic acid reacts with a series of N,N‐dimethyl‐1,1′‐biphenyl‐2‐amines in the presence of PhSiH₃ to afford six‐membered amine‐borane adducts bearing a C(sp²)?B bond at the C2′‐position. These species undergo an intramolecular N‐demethylation with a B(C₆F₅)₃ catalyst to provide BN‐isosteres of polyaromatics. According to computational studies, a stepwise ionic pathway is suggested. Photophysical characters of the resultant BN‐heteroarenes shown them to be distinctive from those of all‐carbon analogues.     

Synthesis of a New Chiral Source, (1R,2S)‐1‐Phenylphospholane‐2‐carboxylic Acid,via a Key Intermediate α‐Phenylphospholanyllithium Borane Complex: Configurational Stability and X‐ray Crystal Structure of an α‐Monophosphinoalkyllithium Borane Complex

A synthetic route to enantiomerically pure (1R,2S)‐1‐phenylphospholane‐2‐carboxylic acid ( 1 ), which is a phosphorus analogue of proline, has been established. A key step is the deprotonation–carboxylation of the 1‐phenylphospholane borane complex 3 by using sBuLi/1,2‐dipiperidinoethane (DPE). Configurational stability of the key intermediate, the amine‐coordinated α‐phosphinoalkyllithium borane complex 4 , was investigated by employing lithiodestannylation–carboxylation of both diastereomers of the 1‐phenyl‐2‐trimethylstannylphospholane borane complex 7 in the presence of several kinds of amines, and as a result, 4 was found to be configurationally labile even at ?100 °C. The key intermediate, the DPE‐coordinated trans‐1‐phenyl‐2‐phospholanyllithium borane complex 9 , was isolated, and the structure was identified by X‐ray crystal structure analysis. This is the first X‐ray crystal structure determined for an α‐monophosphinoalkyllithium borane complex. Remarkably, the alkyllithium complex is monomeric and tricoordinate at the lithium center with a slightly pyramidalized environment, and the existence of a Li? C bond (2.170 Å) has been confirmed. Moreover, ¹H–⁷Li HOESY and ⁶Li NMR analyses suggested the structure of 9 in solution as well as the existence of an equilibrium between 9 , its cis isomer, and the ion pair 8 at room temperature, which was extremely biased towards 9 at ?100 °C. Finally, 1 was used as a chiral ligand in a palladium‐catalyzed allylic substitution, and the desired product was obtained in high yield with good enantioselectivity.     

Metal‐Free Hydrogenation Catalyzed by an Air‐Stable Borane: Use of Solvent as a Frustrated Lewis Base

In recent years ‘frustrated Lewis pairs’ (FLPs) have been shown to be effective metal‐free catalysts for the hydrogenation of many unsaturated substrates. Even so, limited functional‐group tolerance restricts the range of solvents in which FLP‐mediated reactions can be performed, with all FLP‐mediated hydrogenations reported to date carried out in non‐donor hydrocarbon or chlorinated solvents. Herein we report that the bulky Lewis acids B(C₆Cl₅)_x(C₆F₅)_3?x (x=0–3) are capable of heterolytic H₂ activation in the strong‐donor solvent THF, in the absence of any additional Lewis base. This allows metal‐free catalytic hydrogenations to be performed in donor solvent media under mild conditions; these systems are particularly effective for the hydrogenation of weakly basic substrates, including the first examples of metal‐free catalytic hydrogenation of furan heterocycles. The air‐stability of the most effective borane, B(C₆Cl₅)(C₆F₅)₂, makes this a practically simple reaction method.     

Hydrogen Release from Dialkylamine–Boranes Promoted by Mg and Ca Complexes: A DFT Analysis of the Reaction Mechanism

Mg and Ca β‐diketiminato silylamides [HC{(Me)CN(2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃)}₂M(THF)_n{N(SiMe₃)₂}] (M=Mg, n=0; M=Ca, n=1) were studied as precatalysts for the dehydrogenation/dehydrocoupling of secondary amine–boranes R₂HNBH₃. By reaction with equimolar quantities of amine–boranes, the corresponding amidoborane derivatives are formed, which further react to yield dehydrogenation products such as the cyclic dimer [BH₂?NMe₂]₂. DFT was used here to explore the mechanistic alternatives proposed on the basis of the experimental findings for both Mg and Ca amidoboranes. The influence of the steric demand of amine–boranes on the course of the reaction was examined by performing calculations on the dehydrogenation of dimethylamine–borane (DMAB), pyrrolidine–borane (PB), and diisopropylamine–borane. In spite of the analogies in the catalytic activity of Mg‐ and Ca‐based complexes in the dehydrocoupling of amine–boranes, our theoretical analysis confirmed the experimentally observed lower reactivity of Ca complexes. Differences in catalytic activity of Mg‐ and Ca‐based complexes were examined and rationalized. As a consequence of the increase in ionic radius on going from Mg²⁺ to Ca²⁺, the dehydrogenation mechanism changes and formation of a key metal hydride intermediate becomes inaccessible. Dimerization is likely to occur off‐metal in solution for DMAB and PB, whereas steric hindrance of iPr₂NHBH₃ hampers formation of the cyclic dimer. The reported results are of particular interest because, although amine–borane dehydrogenation is now well established, mechanistic insight is still lacking for many systems.     

Phosphine‐Catalyzed Activation of Vinylcyclopropanes: Rearrangement of Vinylcyclopropylketones to Cycloheptenones

We report a phosphine‐catalyzed activation of electron‐deficient vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) to generate an ambident C₅ synthon that is poised to undergo consecutive reactions. The utility of the activation is demonstrated in a phosphine‐catalyzed rearrangement of vinylcyclopropylketones to cycloheptenones in good yields with a broad substrate scope. Mechanistic investigations support a stepwise process comprising homoconjugate addition, water‐assisted proton transfer, and 7‐endo‐trig S_N2′ ring closure.     

Towards the design of novel boron‐ and nitrogen‐substituted ammonia‐borane and bifunctional arene ruthenium catalysts for hydrogen storage

Electronic‐structure density functional theory calculations have been performed to construct the potential energy surface for H₂ release from ammonia‐borane, with a novel bifunctional cationic ruthenium catalyst based on the sterically bulky β‐diketiminato ligand (Schreiber et al., ACS Catal. 2012, 2, 2505). The focus is on identifying both a suitable substitution pattern for ammonia‐borane optimized for chemical hydrogen storage and allowing for low‐energy dehydrogenation. The interaction of ammonia‐borane, and related substituted ammonia‐boranes, with a bifunctional η⁶‐arene ruthenium catalyst and associated variants is investigated for dehydrogenation. Interestingly, in a number of cases, hydride‐proton transfer from the substituted ammonia‐borane to the catalyst undergoes a barrier‐less process in the gas phase, with rapid formation of hydrogenated catalyst in the gas phase. Amongst the catalysts considered, N,N‐difluoro ammonia‐borane and N‐phenyl ammonia‐borane systems resulted in negative activation energy barriers. However, these types of ammonia‐boranes are inherently thermodynamically unstable and undergo barrierless decay in the gas phase. Apart from N,N‐difluoro ammonia‐borane, the interaction between different types of catalyst and ammonia borane was modeled in the solvent phase, revealing free‐energy barriers slightly higher than those in the gas phase. Amongst the various potential candidate Ru‐complexes screened, few are found to differ in terms of efficiency for the dehydrogenation (rate‐limiting) step. To model dehydrogenation more accurately, a selection of explicit protic solvent molecules was considered, with the goal of lowering energy barriers for H‐H recombination. It was found that primary (1°), 2°, and 3° alcohols are the most suitable to enhance reaction rate. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

On the Use of Amine–Borane Complexes To Synthesize Iron Nanoparticles

The effectiveness of amine–borane as reducing agent for the synthesis of iron nanoparticles has been investigated. Large (2–4 nm) Fe nanoparticles were obtained from [Fe{N(SiMe₃)₂}₂]. Inclusion of boron in the nanoparticles is clearly evidenced by extended X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectrometry. Furthermore, the reactivity of amine–borane and amino–borane complexes in the presence of pure Fe nanoparticles has been investigated. Dihydrogen evolution was observed in both cases, which suggests the potential of Fe nanoparticles to promote the release of dihydrogen from amine–borane and amino–borane moieties.     

Theoretical insight into the solvent effect on the stoichiometric reduction of carbonyl compounds by ammonia borane and N-methyl amine borane

For the traditional reduction of ketones and aldehydes, NH₃BH₃ ( AB ) and N-methyl amine borane ( M _n AB ) have been effective reducing agents. However, the reaction process is indefinite and different mechanisms have been proposed; also the solvent effect, which is closely related to the mechanism, has not been considered seriously. Here we employ density functional theory to carry out a comprehensive study on the mechanism. The calculated free energy of the concerted double hydrogen transfer process is lower than the hydroboration mechanism by 4.7 kcal/mol, which indicates that reduction of carbonyl by AB is likely due to be the concerted double hydrogen transfer in both aprotic (tetrahydrofuran) and protic (MeOH) solvents. For the reduction by M _n AB , the corresponding free energies of all reactions are higher than those of AB . Meanwhile, the reduction of benzaldehyde by M _n AB (n = 1, 2) also favors a concerted double hydrogen transfer rather than hydroboration.     

Synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) via ARGET ATRP and study of the effect of solvents and temperatures on its polymerization kinetics

This investigation reports the synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) via activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) and studies the effect of solvents and temperature on its polymerization kinetics. ARGET ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out in different solvents and at different temperatures using CuBr₂ as catalyst in combination with N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as a ligand. Methyl 2‐chloro propionate was used as ATRP initiator and ascorbic acid was used as a reducing agent in the ARGET ATRP of MMA. The conversion was measured gravimetrically. The semilogarithmic plot of monomer conversion versus time was found to be linear, indicating that the polymerization follows first‐order kinetics. The linear polymerization kinetic plot also indicates the controlled nature of the polymerization. N,N‐Dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene, and methyl ethyl ketone were used as solvents to study the effect on the polymerization kinetics. The effect of temperature on the kinetics of the polymerization was also studied at various temperatures. It has been observed that polymerization followed first‐order kinetics in every case. The rate of polymerization was found to be highest (k_app = 6.94 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹) at a fixed temperature when DMF was used as solvent. Activation energies for ARGET ATRP of MMA were also calculated using the Arrhenius equation.