Optically Active Helical Poly[(S)‐3‐vinyl‐2,2′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐binaphthyl]: New Ligand for Asymmetric Addition of Diethylzinc to Aryl Aldehyde

Poly[(S)‐3‐vinyl‐2,2′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐binaphthyl] (L*) was obtained by taking off the protecting groups of poly[(S)‐3‐vinyl‐2,2′‐bis(methoxymethoxy)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl] (poly‐ 1 ). L* was proved to keep a stable helical conformation in solution. The application of helical L* in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes has been studied. The catalytic system employing 10 mol% of L* and 150 mol% of Ti(OⁱPr)₄ was found to promote the addition of diethylzinc to a wide range of aromatic aldehydes, giving up to 99% enantiomeric excess (ee) and up to 93% yield of the corresponding secondary alcohol at 0°C. The chiral polymer can be easily recovered and reused without loss of catalytic activity as well as enantioselectivity.     

A quantum mechanical approach to the kinetics of the hydrogen abstraction reaction H2O2 + •OH → HO2 + H2O

The kinetics of the hydrogen abstraction from H₂O₂ by ^?OH has been modeled with MP2/6‐31G*//MP2/6‐31G*, MP2‐SAC//MP2/6‐31G*, MP2/6‐31+G**//MP2/6‐31+G**, MP2‐SAC// MP2/6‐31+G**, MP4(SDTQ)/6‐311G**//MP2/6‐31G*, CCSD(T)/6‐31G*//CCSD(T)/6‐31G*, CCSD(T)/6‐31G**//CCSD(T)/6‐31G**, CCSD(T)/6‐311++G**//MP2/6‐31G* in the gas phase. MD simulations have been used to generate initial geometries for the stationary points along the potential energy surface for hydrogen abstraction from H₂O₂. The effective fragment potential (EFP) has been used to optimize the relevant structures in solution. Furthermore, the IEFPCM model has been used for the supermolecules generated via MD calculations. IEFPCM/MP2/6‐31G* and IEFPCM/CCSD(T)/6‐31G* calculations have also been performed for structures without explicit water molecules. Experimentally, the rate constant for hydrogen abstraction by ^?OH drops from 1.75 × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 in the gas phase to 4.48 × 10^?14 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 in solution. The same trend has been reproduced best with MP4 (SDTQ)/6‐311G**//MP2/6‐31G* in the gas phase (0.415 × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) and with EFP (UHF/6‐31G*) in solution (3.23 × 10^?14 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 502–514, 2005     

Calculated structures and relative stabilities of furoxan,some 1,2-dinitrosoethylenes and other isomers

The structures and relative stabilities of furoxan and some of its isomers, e.g., the 1,2-dinitrosoethylenes, have been determined by means of ab initio Hartee–Fock and Møller–Plesset calculations. Geometries were optimized at the HF/3-21G, HF/6-31G* and MP2/6-31G* levels, and subsequently used for computing MP2/6-31G*, MP3/6-31G*, and MP4/6-31G* energies. The results are markedly affected by the inclusion of electronic correlation, which renders three of the isomers unstable. It also emphasizes the importance of a zwitterionic contribution to the structure of furoxan, which promotes ring-opening through a cis 1,2-dinitrosoethylene intermediate/transition state that has an MP4/6-31G*//MP2/6-31G* energy that is 31.6 kcal/mol above furoxan.     

Metabolism of Deuterated threo‐Dihydroxy Fatty Acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Enantioselective Formation and Characterization of Hydroxylactones and γ‐Lactones

Biotransformation of (±)‐threo‐7,8‐dihydroxy(7,8‐²H₂)tetradecanoic acids (threo‐(7,8‐²H₂)‐ 3 ) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae afforded 5,6‐dihydroxy(5,6‐²H₂)dodecanoic acids (threo‐(5,6‐²H₂)‐ 4 ), which were converted to (5S,6S)‐6‐hydroxy(5,6‐²H₂)dodecano‐5‐lactone ((5S,6S)‐(5,6‐²H₂)‐ 7 ) with 80% e.e. and (5S,6S)‐5‐hydroxy(5,6‐²H₂)dodecano‐6‐lactone ((5S,6S)‐5,6‐²H₂)‐ 8 ). Further β‐oxidation of threo‐(5,6‐²H₂)‐ 4 yielded 3,4‐dihydroxy(3,4‐²H₂)decanoic acids (threo‐(3,4‐²H₂)‐ 5 ), which were converted to (3R,4R)‐3‐hydroxy(3,4‐²H₂)decano‐4‐lactone ((3R,4R)‐ 9 ) with 44% e.e. and converted to ²H‐labeled decano‐4‐lactones ((4R)‐(3‐²H₁)‐ and (4R)‐(2,3‐²H₂)‐ 6 ) with 96% e.e. These results were confirmed by experiments in which (±)‐threo‐3,4‐dihydroxy(3,4‐²H₂)decanoic acids (threo‐(3,4‐²H₂)‐ 5 ) were incubated with yeast. From incubations of methyl (5S,6S)‐ and (5R,6R)‐5,6‐dihydroxy(5,6‐²H₂)dodecanoates ((5S,6S)‐ and (5R,6R)‐(5,6‐²H₂)‐ 4a ), the (5S,6S)‐enantiomer was identified as the precursor of (4R)‐(3‐²H₁)‐ and (2,3‐²H₂)‐ 6 ). Therefore, (4R)‐ 6 is synthesized from (3S,4S)‐ 5 by an oxidation/keto acid reduction pathway involving hydrogen transfer from C(4) to C(2). In an analogous experiment, methyl (9S,10S)‐9,10‐dihydroxyoctadecanoate ((9S,10S)‐ 10a ) was metabolized to (3S,4S)‐3,4‐dihydroxydodecanoic acid ((3S,4S)‐ 15 ) and converted to (4R)‐dodecano‐4‐lactone ((4R)‐ 18 ).     

Theoretical studies on the conformations of selenamides

Ab initio HF/6-31+G*, MP2/6-31+G*, B3LYP/6-31+G* level calculations have been performed on HSe-NH₂ to estimate the Se-N rotational barriers and N-inversion barriers. Two conformers have been found withsyn andanti arrangement of the NH₂ hydrogens with respect to Se-H bond. The N inversion barriers in selenamide are 1.65, 2.47, 1.93 kcal/mol and the Se-N rotational barriers are 6.58, 6.56 and 6.12 kcal/mol respectively at HF/6-31+G*, MP2/6-31+G* and B3LYP/6-31+G* levels respectively. The n_N →Σ *_Se-H negative hyperconjugation is found to be responsible for the higher rotational barriers.     

Estimates of the structure and dimerization energy of polyacetylene from ab initio calculations on finite polyenes

Ab initio calculations at the Hartree-Fock (HF) and the second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) levels are performed for finite polyenes C_2nH_2n+2 to estimate the structure and dimerization energy (E_dim) of polyacetylene. The effect of electron correlation on the structure of finite polyenes is analyzed in detail. The MP3/6–31G* C(DOUBLE BOND)C and C(SINGLE BOND)C bond lengths in polyacetylene are estimated by a simple extrapolation method using empirical corrections for the MP2 deficiencies, yielding values [C(DOUBLE BOND)C(MP3) ∼ 1.36 Å and C(SINGLE BOND)C(MP3) ∼ 1.44 Å] that are in a good agreement with experiment (C(DOUBLE BOND)C (DOUBLE BOND) 1.36 Å and C(SINGLE BOND)C (DOUBLE BOND) 1.44–1.45 Å). Comparison is also made with other theoretical estimates of polyacetylene structure. E_dim is approximated by the energy difference between the equilibrium and hypothetical polyenic structures. It is estimated that E_dim is ∼ 1.4–1.5 kcal/mol (0.06–0.07 eV) per carbon-carbon bond at the HF level with 4–21G and 6–31G* basis sets and ∼ 0.3–0.5 kcal/mol (0.013–0.022 eV) at the MP2 level with the 6–31G* basis set. It is concluded that E_dim is very sensitive to the level of approximation employed so that a proper treatment of electron correlation is essential to obtain a reliable estimate of the dimerization energy. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Molecular electrostatic potentials and partial atomic charges from correlated wave functions: Applications to the electronic ground and excited states of 3-methylindole

Procedures have been developed to generate molecular electrostatic potentials based on correlated wave function from ab initio or semiempirical electronic structure programs. A new algorithm for point-wise sampling of the potential is described and used to obtain partial atomic charges via a linear, least squares fit between classical and quantum mechanical electrostatic potentials. The proposed sampling algorithm is efficient and promises to introduce less rotational variance in the potential derived partial charges than algorithms applied previously. Electrostatic potentials and fitted atomic charges from ab initio (HF/6–31G* and MP2/6-31G*) and semiempirical (INDO/S; HF, SECI, and SDCI) wave functions are presented for the electronic ground (S₀) and excited (¹L_b, ¹L_a) states of 3-methylindole. © 1992 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Chemical Reactivity of Oxo‐ and Aza‐γ‐lactam Rings

Different mechanisms for the alkaline hydrolysis of oxo and aza‐γ‐lactam rings have been studied by ab initio calculations at the MP2/6‐31+G*//MP2/6‐31+G* and B3LYP/6‐31+G*//B3LYP/6‐31+G* levels. The tetrahedral intermediate can undergo two different reactions, the cleavage of the C₂−N₂ bond (the classical mechanism) and the cleavage of the C₂−X₆ bond (X=O, N). Both compounds present similar energy barriers for the classical fragmentation, and show considerably lower barriers for the alternative mechanism. Because of this reactivity, the compounds studied are expected to be β‐lactamase inhibitors.     

An Ab Initio Study of Conformational Energies in Dioxo-, Trioxo-, and Tetroxo-Dithianes

Ab initio Hartree–Fock calculations at the HF/6-31G* level of theory for geometry optimization and the MP2/6-31G*//HF/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-311G(2df,p)//HF/6-31G* levels for a single point total energy calculation are reported for the important energy-minimum conformations of 1,1-dioxo-thiane (2), 1,1-dioxo-1,2-dithiane (3), 1,1-dioxo-1,3-dithiane (4), 1,1-dioxo-1,4-dithiane (5), 1,1,2-trioxo-1,2-dithiane (6), 1,1,3-trioxo-1,3-dithiane (7), 1,1,4-trioxo-1,4-dithiane (8), 1,1,2,2-tetroxo-1,2-dithiane (9), 1,1,3,3-tetroxo-1,3-dithiane (10), and 1,1,4,4-tetroxo-1,4-dithiane (11). According to the MP2/6-31G*//HF/6-31G* calculations, compound 5 is more stable than 3 and 4 by 7.8 and 8.9 kJ mol^?1, respectively. The axial geometries of 6 and 8 are more stable than the equatorial forms by 21.4 and 19.1 kJ mol^?1, respectively, but the equatorial form of 7 is 4.1 kJ mol^?1 more stable than the axial geometry. Compound 11 is more stable than 9 and 10 by 49.3 and 31.0 kJ mol^?1, respectively.     

Metabolism of Deuterated erythro‐Dihydroxy Fatty Acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Enantioselective Formation and Characterization of Hydroxylactones

Epoxides of fatty acids are hydrolyzed by epoxide hydrolases (EHs) into dihydroxy fatty acids which are of particular interest in the mammalian leukotriene pathway. In the present report, the analysis of the configuration of dihydroxy fatty acids via their respective hydroxylactones is described. In addition, the biotransformation of (±)‐erythro‐7,8‐ and ‐3,4‐dihydroxy fatty acids in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was characterized by GC/EI‐MS analysis. Biotransformation of chemically synthesized (±)‐erythro‐7,8‐dihydroxy(7,8‐²H₂)tetradecanoic acid ((±)‐erythro‐ 1 ) in the yeast S. cerevisiae resulted in the formation of 5,6‐dihydroxy(5,6‐²H₂)dodecanoic acid ( 6 ), which was lactonized into (5S,6R)‐6‐hydroxy(5,6‐²H₂)dodecano‐5‐lactone ((5S,6R)‐ 4 ) with 86% ee and into erythro‐5‐hydroxy(5,6‐²H₂)dodecano‐6‐lactone (erythro‐ 8 ). Additionally, the α‐ketols 7‐hydroxy‐8‐oxo(7‐²H₁)tetradecanoic acid ( 9a ) and 8‐hydroxy‐7‐oxo(8‐²H₁)tetradecanoic acid ( 9b ) were detected as intermediates. Further metabolism of 6 led to 3,4‐dihydroxy(3,4‐²H₂)decanoic acid ( 2 ) which was lactonized into 3‐hydroxy(3,4‐²H₂)decano‐4‐lactone ( 5 ) with (3R,4S)‐ 5 =88% ee. Chemical synthesis and incubation of (±)‐erythro‐3,4‐dihydroxy(3,4‐²H₂)decanoic acid ((±)‐erythro‐ 2 ) in yeast led to (3S,4R)‐ 5 with 10% ee. No decano‐4‐lactone was formed from the precursors 1 or 2 by yeast. The enantiomers (3S,4R)‐ and (3R,4S)‐3,4‐dihydroxy(3‐²H₁)nonanoic acid ((3S,4R)‐ and (3R,4S)‐ 3 ) were chemically synthesized and comparably degraded by yeast without formation of nonano‐4‐lactone. The major products of the transformation of (3S,4R)‐ and (3R,4S)‐ 3 were (3S,4R)‐ and (3R,4S)‐3‐hydroxy(3‐²H₁)nonano‐4‐lactones ((3S,4R)‐ and (3R,4S)‐ 7 ), respectively. The enantiomers of the hydroxylactones 4, 5 , and 7 were chemically synthesized and their GC‐elution sequence on Lipodex^® E chiral phase was determined.     

A CASSCF study on the lowest π→π* excitation of urocanic acid

The photochemical cis/trans isomerization of urocanic acid (UCA, (E)‐3‐(1′H‐imidazol‐4′‐yl)propenoic acid) was investigated using complete active space SCF (CASSCF) ab initio calculations. The singlet ground state and the triplet and the singlet manifolds of the lowest‐lying π→π* (HOMO→LUMO) excitation of the neutral and the anionic UCA were calculated using the 6‐31G* and the 6‐31+G* basis sets, respectively. The torsional barrier of the double bond of the propenoic acid moiety in UCA is observed to be considerably lower in the T₁ and S₁ excited states of the neutral UCA and in the T₁ but not in the S₁ excited state of the anionic UCA, as compared to the S₀ state of the respective protonation form. The cis‐isomer of both the neutral and the anionic UCA is lower in energy than the trans‐isomer in the S₀, T₁, and S₁ states. This energy difference is larger in the excited states than in the ground state, probably due to strengthening of the intramolecular hydrogen bond of cis‐UCA as the molecule is excited. The results of the calculations, interpreted in terms of the idea that UCA is deprotonated upon electronic excitation, led to construction of a new model for the photoisomerization mechanisms of UCA. According to this model, the trans‐to‐cis isomerization proceeds via both the triplet and the singlet manifolds in the deprotonated form of UCA. This isomerization may occur in the S₀ state of the neutral UCA as well. The cis‐to‐trans isomerization is suggested to proceed only in the S₀ state of the neutral UCA. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 72: 25–37, 1999     

MP2, DFT‐D,and PCM study of the HMB–TCNE complex: Thermodynamics,electric properties,and solvent effects

Geometry, thermodynamic, and electric properties of the π‐EDA complex between hexamethylbenzene (HMB) and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) are investigated at the MP2/6‐31G* and, partly, DFT‐D/6‐31G* levels. Solvent effects on the properties are evaluated using the PCM model. Fully optimized HMB–TCNE geometry in gas phase is a stacking complex with an interplanar distance 2.87 × 10^?10 m and the corresponding BSSE corrected interaction energy is ?51.3 kJ mol^?1. As expected, the interplanar distance is much shorter in comparison with HF and DFT results. However the crystal structures of both (HMB)₂–TCNE and HMB–TCNE complexes have interplanar distances somewhat larger (3.18 and 3.28 × 10^?10 m, respectively) than our MP2 gas phase value. Our estimate of the distance in CCl₄ on the basis of PCM solvent effect study is also larger (3.06–3.16 × 10^?10 m). The calculated enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs energy, and equilibrium constant of HMB–TCNE complex formation in gas phase are: ΔH⁰ = ?61.59 kJ mol^?1, ΔS = ?143 J mol^?1 K^?1, ΔG⁰ = ?18.97 kJ mol^?1, and K = 2,100 dm³ mol^?1. Experimental data, however, measured in CCl₄ are significantly lower: ΔH⁰ = ?34 kJ mol^?1, ΔS = ?70.4 J mol^?1 K^?1, ΔG⁰ = ?13.01 kJ mol^?1, and K = 190 dm³ mol^?1. The differences are caused by solvation effects which stabilize more the isolated components than the complex. The total solvent destabilization of Gibbs energy of the complex relatively to that of components is equal to 5.9 kJ mol^?1 which is very close to our PCM value 6.5 kJ mol^?1. MP2/6‐31G* dipole moment and polarizabilities are in reasonable agreement with experiment (3.56 D versus 2.8 D for dipole moment). The difference here is due to solvent effect which enlarges interplanar distance and thus decreases dipole moment value. The MP2/6‐31G* study supplemented by DFT‐D parameterization for enthalpy calculation, and by the PCM approach to include solvent effect seems to be proper tools to elucidate the properties of π‐EDA complexes. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008     

Ab initio study of reactions of hydroxyl radicals with chloro‐ and fluoro‐substituted methanes

Ab initio calculations at the unrestricted Hartree–Fock (UHF) level have been performed to investigate the hydrogen abstraction reactions of ^? OH radicals with methane and nine halogen‐substituted methanes (F, Cl). Geometry optimization and vibrational frequency calculations have been performed on all reactants, adducts, products, and transition states at the UHF/6‐31G* level. Single‐point energy calculations at the MP2/6‐31++G* level using the UHF/6‐31G* optimized geometries have also been carried out on all species. Pre‐ and postreaction adducts have been detected on the UHF/6‐31G* potential energy surfaces of the studied reactions. Energy barriers, ΔE^?, reaction energies, ΔE_r, reaction enthalpies, ΔH_r, and activation energies, E_a, have been determined for all reactions and corrected for zero‐point energy effects. Both E_a and ΔH_r come into reasonable agreement with the experiment when correlation energy is taken into account and when more polarized and diffuse basis sets are used. The E_a values, estimated at the PMP2/6‐31++G* level, are found to be in good agreement with the experimental ones and correctly reproduce the experimentally observed trends in fluorine and chlorine substitution effects. A linear correlation between E_a and ΔH_r is obtained, suggesting the presence of an Evans–Polanyi type of relationship. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 84: 426–440, 2001     

An ab initio study of the structure,dissociation energy,and heat of formation of Na2S

The equilibrium geometries and fundamental frequencies of Na₂S are calculated at HF, MP2(FC, FU), and MP3 with the 6–31G(d) basis set and at HF and MP2(FC, FU) with the 6–31G(d) basis set, respectively. The total energy at MP2(FU)/6–31G(d)-optimized geometry is computed at MP4 with 6–311G(d, p), 6–311 + G(d, p), and 6–311G(2df, p), at QCISD(T)/6–311G(d, p), and at MP2/6–311G(3df, 2p) levels, respectively. The dissociation energy, the atomization energy, and the heat of formation for Na₂S are evaluated using the G1 and G2 models. The calculated results indicated that Na₂S in its ground state was a bent structure (C_2v). Electron correlation corrections on the bending angle are very significant. The equilibrium geometrical parameters are R_e(Na-S) = 2.45 Å and ∠Na-S-Na = 111.13° at the MP2(FU)/6–31G(d) level. The theoretically estimated dissociation energy, total atomization energy, and heat of formation are 67.07, 117.55, and 0.35 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively, at 298.15 K. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Syntheses and molecular self-assembly of chiral phosphorami-dates

Two chiral phosphoramidates,(R)-(-)-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-dihydroxy-N-[α-(S)-methylbenzyl] phosphoramidate and (-)-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-dihydroxy-N-[α-(S)-methylbenzyl]-phosphoramidate were synthesized.Their crystal structures were determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis.The phosphoramidate molecules are self-associated by inter-molecular N-H...O = P hydrogen bonds and aromatic edge to face interactions.     

Synthesis and Properties of Brominated 6,6'-Dimethyl-[2,2'-bi-1H-indene]-3,3'-diethyl-3,3'-dihydroxy-1,1 '-diones

Photochromic 6‐bromomethyl‐6′‐methyl‐[2,2′‐bi‐1H‐indene]‐3,3′‐diethyl‐3,3′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐dione ( 2 ), 6,6′‐ bis(bromomethyl)‐[2,2′‐bi‐1H‐indene]‐3,3′‐diethyl‐3,3′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐dione ( 3 ) and 6,6′‐bis(dibromomethyl)‐[2,2′‐ bi‐1H‐indene]‐3,3′‐diethyl‐3,3′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐dione ( 4 ) have been synthesized from 6,6′‐dimethyl‐[2,2′‐bi‐1H‐ indene]‐3,3′‐diethyl‐3,3′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐dione ( 1 ). The single crystal of 4 was obtained and its crystal structure was analyzed. The results indicate that in crystal 4 , molecular arrangement is defective tightness compared with its precursor 1 . Besides, UV‐Vis absorption spectra in CH₂Cl₂ solution, photochromic and photomagnetic properties in solid state of 2 , 3 and 4 were also investigated. The results demonstrate that when the hydrogen atoms in the methyl group on the benzene rings of biindenylidenedione were substituted by bromines, its properties could be affected considerably.     

Chloro(η6‐p‐cymene)(phosphoramidite)ruthenium(II), a 16‐Electron Fragment Stabilized by an η2‐Aryl–Metal Interaction,and Its Use in Asymmetric Cyclopropanation

Chloride abstraction from the half‐sandwich complexes [RuCl₂(η⁶‐p‐cymene)(P*‐κP)] ( 2a : P* = (S_a,R,R)‐ 1a = (1S_a)‐[1,1′‐binaphthalene]‐2,2′‐diyl bis[(1R)‐1‐phenylethyl)]phosphoramidite; 2b : P* = (S_a,R,R)‐ 1b = (1S_a)‐[1,1′‐binaphthalene]‐2,2′‐diyl bis[(1R)‐(1‐(1‐naphthalen‐1‐yl)ethyl]phosphoramidite) with (Et₃O)[PF₆] or Tl[PF₆] gives the cationic, 18‐electron complexes dichloro(η⁶‐p‐cymene){(1S_a)‐[1,1′‐binaphthalene]‐2,2′‐diyl {(1R)‐1‐[(1,2‐η)‐phenyl]ethyl}[(1R)‐1‐phenylethyl]phosphoramidite‐κP}ruthenium(II) hexafluorophosphate ( 3a ) and [Ru(S)]‐dichloro(η⁶‐p‐cymene){(1S_a)‐[1,1′‐binaphthalene]‐2,2′‐diyl {(1R)‐1‐[(1,2‐η)‐naphthalen‐1‐yl]ethyl}[(1R)‐1‐(naphthalen‐1‐yl)ethyl]phosphoramidite‐κP)ruthenium(II) hexafluorophosphate ( 3b ), which feature the η²‐coordination of one aryl substituent of the phosphoramidite ligand, as indicated by ¹H‐, ¹³C‐, and ³¹P‐NMR spectroscopy and confirmed by an X‐ray study of 3b . Additionally, the dissociation of p‐cymene from 2a and 3a gives dichloro{(1S_a)‐[1,1′‐binaphthalene]‐2,2′‐diyl [(1R)‐(1‐(η⁶‐phenyl)ethyl][(1R)‐1‐phenylethyl]phosphoramidite‐κP)ruthenium(II) ( 4a ) and di‐μ‐chlorobis{(1S_a)‐[1,1′‐binaphthalene]‐2,2′‐diyl [(1R)‐1‐(η⁶‐phenyl)ethyl][(1R)‐1‐phenylethyl]phosphoramidite‐κP}diruthenium(II) bis(hexafluorophosphate) ( 5a ), respectively, in which one phenyl group of the N‐substituents is η⁶‐coordinated to the Ru‐center. Complexes 3a and 3b catalyze the asymmetric cyclopropanation of α‐methylstyrene with ethyl diazoacetate with up to 86 and 87% ee for the cis‐ and the trans‐isomers, respectively.     

Theoretical studies on the conformations and properties of phenylazonaphthalenes

The conformations of phenylazo‐2‐naphthalene (I) and phenylazo‐1‐naphthalene (II) have been studied using ab initio methods and density functional theory. The rotational potential energy surfaces about the C N bonds were calculated for both the trans and the cis forms at the PM3 and HF/STO‐3G levels. The PM3 method was found to be incapable for locating the energy minima correctly. The geometries of rotamers obtained from the HF/STO‐3G surface were fully optimized at the HF/6‐31G* and B3LYP/6‐31G* levels. Single‐point MP2/6‐31G* calculations have also been carried out at the HF/6‐31G* geometries. The vibrational spectra, standard thermodynamic functions, heats of formation, and equilibrium molar fractions have been obtained. According to the calculated results, I is comparatively more stable than II. The trans forms have much lower energies than the cis forms, implying that I and II mainly exist in the trans planar forms. The energy gap (ΔE) between the frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) of the cis forms are about 0.7 eV higher than those of the trans ones, indicating that change in geometry from trans to cis form will cause a hypsochromic effect. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 79: 25–33, 2000     

Conformations and rotational barriers of 2,2′‐bithiazole and 4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bithiazole semiemperical,ab initio,and density functional theory calculations

Conformational properties of 2,2′‐bithiazole and 4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐ bithiazole have been studied by using AM1 and PM3 semiemperical methods and ab initio HF/6‐311+G* and B3LYP/6‐311+G* calculations. All methods agree that the planar s‐trans conformation is the global minimum and the perpendicular conformation is the transition state. Additional local minima were found using the Hartree–Fock (HF) and B3LYP levels for 2,2′‐bithiazole while for 4,4′‐dimethyl derivative the minima was located only at the MP2//B3LYP level. The barrier heights for rotation are 1.72, 7.69, and 7.88 kcal/mol at the PM3, HF, and B3LYP levels, respectively, and methyl substitution did not affect appreciably this value. Fourier expansion terms and bond orders were used to explain the origins of the rotational barrier in terms of π conjugation, electrostatic interaction, and steric effects, which represent the main factors in the shape of the rotational barrier. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 79: 367–377, 2000     

Molecular orbital studies of polyethylene deformation

Young's modulus E for polyethylene in the chain direction is calculated with molecular orbital theory applied to n-alkanes C₃H₈ through n-C₁₃H₂₈ and analyzed with the cluster-difference method. Semiempirical CNDO, MNDO, and AM1 models and ab initio HF/STO-3G, HF/6-31G, HF/6-31G*, and MP2/6-31G* models are used. Cluster-difference results, when extrapolated to infinite chain length, give E in good agreement with moduli evaluated with molecular cluster or crystal orbital methods, provided minimal basis sets are employed. E decreases from 495 GPa (CNDO) to 336 GPa (MP2/6-31G*) as the level of theory is improved, consistent with established behaviors of the various models. Our calculations do not reproduce earlier molecular cluster or crystal orbital results, which gave E < 330 GPa. The most rigorous MP2/6-31G* model is known to overestimate force constants by ∼ 11%; the scaled modulus E = 299 GPa is in good accord with E = 306 GPa from recent calculations based on experimental vibration frequencies. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.