Synthesis of alpha-fluorocarboxylates from the corresponding acids using acetyl hypofluorite.

alpha-Fluorocarboxylic esters and acids were synthesized in good yields. The corresponding esters and acids were converted to their ketene acetals, and these enol derivatives reacted with AcOF made directly from fluorine. This route circumvents the problems associated with nucleophilic fluorinations such as various eliminations and rearrangements. alpha- and beta-branched carboxylic acid derivatives that cannot be directly fluorinated gave by this electrophilic fluorination the corresponding alpha-fluoro derivatives in good yield. Both the fluorination reaction and the preparation of AcOF are fast and suitable for [18]F incorporation into acids and esters needed for working with PET. alpha-Fluoroibuprofen (20) and methyl 2-fluoro-3,3,3-triphenylpropionate (32) are two examples of this general reaction.     

Activation of – N=CH – bond in a Schiff base by divalent nickel monitored by NMR evidence

The Schiff base, 2–salicylidene–4–aminophenyl benzimidazole in ethanol undergoes activation of –N=CH– bond by Ni²⁺ in the presence of ammonia or primary alkyl amine to produce nickel complexes of the formula Ni{o–C₆H₄(O)CH NR}₂ . n H₂O [R = H, Me; n = 0; R = Et, n = 0.5] and 4–aminophenyl benzimidazole. The products have been identified by elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurements and IR, ESR, mass and extensive NMR spectral studies. The possible mechanism for the activation of –N=CH – bond has also been proposed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Examination of charge alternation in CH4 and CH3F from ab initio LCAO SCF MO wavefunctions and their localized bond orbitals

The question of whether or not fluorine substitution produces charge alternation is examined for CH₄ and CH₃F. Two sets of ab initio LCAO SCF MO wavefunctions (one a 3 G STO based one, the other a double zeta based one) are analyzed via charge density, localized CH bond moment, and population analysis calculations. Although both sets of wavefunctions show a slightly more negative H region in CH₃F relative to CH₄, in qualitative agreement with earlier work by Pople et al., the differences are small, and their sources are not clear. For example, in the 3 G calculations the CH localized orbital is the essential source of the increased density in CH₃F, while for the double zeta calculations the increased density is due to the tail of an F lone-pair orbital trans to the CH bond. Consideration of details of these studies as well as those from large STO based SCF MO wavefunctions by Arrighini et al., suggests that one will need very accurate wavefunctions to resolve the problem unambiguously.The Radiation Laboratory is operated under contract with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. This is AEC document no. COO-38-847.     

Competing dissociation of and bond formation between CH3CHOH+ and .CH2CH3 formed by bimolecular processes

The C₄H₁₀O^.+ potential energy surface was accessed at several energies through different ion/molecule reactions. Reaction of CH₃CH^.+₃ with CH₃CHO and CH₃CHO^.+ with CH₃CH₃ gave predominantly CH₃CHOH⁺ +^. CH₂CH₃ and small amounts of CH₃CH₂CHOH⁺ +^. CH₃. CH₃CH^.+₃ also produced a small amount of CH₃CHO⁺CH₃ +^. CH₃ upon reaction with CH₃CHO. CH₂ = CHOH^. + did not react with CH₃CH₃. CH₃CH₂OH^. + reacted CH₂ = CH₂ and CH₂ = CH^.+₂ with CH₃CH₂OH to produce CH₃CH₂OH⁺₂ and CH₃CHOH⁺, but only the second pair of reactants produced detectable C₃H₇O⁺ ions. CH₃CH₂CHO.+⁺CH₄ produced only CH₃CH₂CHOH⁺. In all of the reactions examined, initial proton or H-transfer was much more often followed by simple dissociation than by CC bond formation or multiple H-transfers. This contrasts with the metastable decompositions of ionized 2-butanol, in which elimination of ethane and methane through the complexes [CH₃CHOH^+.CH₂CH₃] and [CH₃CH₂CHOH^+.CH₃] are important processes. This contrast is attributed to the ion/molecule reactions taking place in a higher energy regime than the metastable decompositions.     

The microwave spectrum of the 1,1-difluoroprop-2-ynyl radical, F2*C-C[triple bond]CH

The rotational spectrum of the 1,1-difluoroprop-2-ynyl radical, F2*C-C[triple bond]CH, a partially fluorinated variant of the propargyl radical, has been recorded in the ground electronic, 2B1, state using pulsed discharge, pulsed-jet, Fabry-Perot Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Five successive a-type rotational transitions, from N = 1-0 to N = 5-4, and Ka = 0, 1, and 2, were measured between 6.5 and 32.5 GHz with an uncertainty of 5 kHz. The molecular constants, including fine and hyperfine constants, were precisely determined. These constants are compared with our predictions based on a density functional theory level ab initio calculations and with the fine and hyperfine constants of the propargyl radical. The measured electron spin densities suggest that both the difluoropropargyl and the difluoroallenyl resonance forms [F2*C-C[triple bond]CH<-->F2C=C=C*H] make major contributions to the electronic structure of the radical.     

Energetics of the O-H bond and of intramolecular hydrogen bonding in HOC6H4C(O)Y (Y = H, CH3, CH2CH=CH2, C[triple bond]CH, CH2F, NH2, NHCH3, NO2, OH, OCH3, OCN, CN, F, Cl, SH, and SCH3) compounds

The energetics of the phenolic O-H bond in a series of 2- and 4-HOC 6H 4C(O)Y (Y = H, CH3, CH 2CH=CH2, C[triple bond]CH, CH2F, NH2, NHCH 3, NO2, OH, OCH3, OCN, CN, F, Cl, SH, and SCH3) compounds and of the intramolecular O...H hydrogen bond in 2-HOC 6H 4C(O)Y, was investigated by using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. The standard molar enthalpies of formation of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2HBA), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4HBA), 2'-hydroxyacetophenone (2HAP), 2-hydroxybenzamide (2HBM), and 4-hydroxybenzamide (4HBM), at 298.15 K, were determined by micro- or macrocombustion calorimetry. The corresponding enthalpies of vaporization or sublimation were also measured by Calvet drop-calorimetry and Knudsen effusion measurements. The combination of the obtained experimental data led to Delta f H m (o)(2HBA, g) = -238.3 +/- 2.5 kJ.mol (-1), DeltafHm(o)(4HBA, g) = -220.3 +/- 2.0 kJ.mol(-1), Delta f H m (o)(2HAP, g) = -291.8 +/- 2.1 kJ.mol(-1), DeltafHm(o)(2HBM, g) = -304.8 +/- 1.5 kJ.mol (-1), and DeltafHm(o) (4HBM, g) = -278.4 +/- 2.4 kJ.mol (-1). These values, were used to assess the predictions of the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p), B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ, B3P86/6-31G(d,p), B3P86/6-311+G(d,p), B3P86/aug-cc-pVDZ, and CBS-QB3 methods, for the enthalpies of a series of isodesmic gas phase reactions. In general, the CBS-QB3 method was able to reproduce the experimental enthalpies of reaction within their uncertainties. The B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) method, with a slightly poorer accuracy than the CBS-QB3 approach, achieved the best performance of the tested DFT models. It was further used to analyze the trends of the intramolecular O...H hydrogen bond in 2-HOC 6H 4C(O)Y evaluated by the ortho-para method and to compare the energetics of the phenolic O-H bond in 2- and 4-HOC 6H 4C(O)Y compounds. It was concluded that the O-H bond "strength" is systematically larger for 2-hydroxybenzoyl than for the corresponding 4-hydroxybenzoyl isomers mainly due to the presence of the intramolecular O...H hydrogen bond in the 2-isomers. The observed differences are, however, significantly dependent on the nature of the substituent Y, in particular, when an intramolecular H-bond can be present in the radical obtained upon cleavage of the O-H bond.     

A theoretical study of bond selective photochemistry in CH2BrI

Bromoiodomethane photodissociation in the low-lying excited states has been characterized using unrestricted Hartree-Fock, configuration-interaction-singles, and complete active space self-consistent field calculations with the SDB-aug-cc-pVTZ, aug-cc-pVTZ, and 3-21g** basis sets. According to the results of the vertical excited energies and oscillator strengths of these low-lying excited states, bond selectivity is predicted. Subsequently, the minimum energy paths of the first excited singlet state and the third excited state for the dissociation reactions were calculated using the complete active space self-consistent field method with 3-21g** basis set. Good agreement is found between the calculations and experimental data. The relationships of excitations, the electronic structures at Franck-Condon points, and bond selectivity are discussed.     

Wire-like PtC[triple bond]CC[triple bond]CC[triple bond]CC[triple bond]CPt moieties surrounded by double-helical "insulation": new motifs featuring P(CH2)20P and P(CH2)4O(CH2)2O(CH2)4P linkages

Ring-closing alkene metatheses of trans,trans-(C6F5)(Ph2P-Z-CH=CH2)2Pt(C[triple bond]C)4Pt(Ph2P-Z-CH=CH2)2(C6F5) (Z = (CH2)9, (CH2)4O(CH2)2), followed by hydrogenation, give the title compounds; the former exhibits an exceptionally twisted conformation, and the latter establishes that functional groups can be incorporated into the flexible sp3 chain.     

Preparation of CH3TiF and (CH3)2TiF2 from the reaction of CH(3)F with laser-ablated Ti atoms

Laser-ablated Ti atoms react with CH(3)F upon condensation with excess argon to form primarily CH(3)TiF and (CH(3))(2)TiF(2). Irradiation in the UV region promotes alpha-hydrogen rearrangement of CH(3)TiF to CH(2)=TiHF and increases the yield of (CH(3))(2)TiF(2). Annealing to allow diffusion and reaction of more CH(3)F markedly increases the yield of (CH(3))(2)TiF(2). This shows that the CH(3)TiF + CH(3)F reaction is spontaneous and that triplet state CH(3)TiF is an extremely reactive molecule. B3LYP calculations are extremely effective in predicting vibrational frequencies and isotopic shifts for CH(3)TiF and (CH(3))(2)TiF(2) and thus in confirming their identification from matrix infrared spectroscopy.     

Thermal decomposition of peroxy acetyl nitrate CH3C(O)OONO2

The thermal decomposition of peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN) is investigated by low pressure flash thermolysis of PAN highly diluted in noble gases and subsequent isolation of the products in noble gas matrices at low temperatures and by density functional computations. The IR spectroscopically observed formation of CH3C(O)OO and H2CCO (ketene) besides NO2, CO2, and HOO implies a unimolecular decay pathway for the thermal decomposition of PAN. The major decomposition reaction of PAN is bond fission of the O-N single bond yielding the peroxy radical. The O-O bond fission pathway is a minor route. In the latter case the primary reaction products undergo secondary reactions whose products are spectroscopically identified. No evidence for rearrangement processes as the formation of methyl nitrate is observed. A detailed mapping of the reaction pathways for primary and secondary reactions using quantum chemical calculations is in good agreement with the experiment and predicts homolytic O-N and O-O bond fissions within the PAN molecule as the lowest energetic primary processes. In addition, the first IR spectroscopic characterization of two rotameric forms for the radical CH3C(O)OO is given.     

Direct dynamics studies on hydrogen abstraction reactions of CH3CHFCH3 and CH3CH2CH2F with OH radicals

The hydrogen abstraction reactions of CH3CHFCH3 and CH3CH2CH2F with the OH radicals have been studied theoretically by a dual-level direct dynamics method. The geometries and frequencies of all the stationary points are optimized by means of the DFT calculation. There are complexes at the reactant side or exit route, indicating these reactions may proceed via indirect mechanisms. To improve the reaction enthalpy and potential barrier of each reaction channel, the single point energy calculation is performed by the MC-QCISD/3 method. The rate constants are evaluated by canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with the small-curvature tunneling correction method (SCT) over a wide temperature range 200-2000 K. The canculated CVT/SCT rate constants are consistent with available experimental data. The results show that both the variation effect and the SCT contribution play an important role in the calculation of the rate constants. For reactions CH3CHFCH3 and CH3CH2CH2F with OH radicals, the channels of H-abstraction from -CHF- and -CH2- groups are the major reaction channels, respectively, at lower temperature. Furthermore, to further reveal the thermodynamics properties, the enthalpies of formation of reactants CH3CHFCH3, CH3CH2CH2F, and the product radicals CH3CFCH3, CH3CHFCH2, CH3CH2CHF, CH3CHCH2F, and CH2CH2CH2F are studied using isodesmic reactions.     

A kinetic study of the thermal elimination of hydrogen fluoride from 1,2-difluoroethane. Determination of the bond dissociation energies D(CH2F?CH2F) and D(CH2F?H).

The kinetics of the thermal elimination of HF from 1,2-difluoroethane have been studied in a static system over the temperature range 734–820°K. The reaction was shown to be first order and homogeneous, with a rate constant of where θ = 2.303RT in kcal/mole. The A-factor falls within the normal range for such reactions and is in line with transition state theory; the activation energy is similarly consistent with an estimate based on data for the analogous reactions of ethyl fluoride and other alkyl halides. The above activation energy has been compared with values of the critical energy calculated from data on the decomposition of chemically activated 1,2-difluoroethane by the RRKM theory and the bond dissociation energy, D(CH₂F? CH₂F) = 88 ± 2 kcal/mole, derived. It follows from thermochemistry that ΔH_f⁰(CH₂F) = -7.8 and D(CH₂F? H) = 101 ± 2 kcal/mole. Bond dissociation energies in fluoromethanes and fluoroethanes are discussed.     

Infrared spectra of CH3-CrH, CH3-WH, CH2=WH2, and CH[triple bond]WH3 formed by activation of CH4 with Cr and W atoms

Laser-ablated W atoms react with CH4 in excess argon to form the CH3-WH, CH2=WH2, and CH[triple bond]WH3 molecules with increasing yield in this order of product stability. These molecules are identified from matrix infrared spectra by isotopic substitution. Tungsten methylidene and methylidyne hydride molecules are reversibly interconverted by alpha-H transfers upon visible and ultraviolet irradiations. Matrix infrared spectra and DFT/B3LYP calculations show that CH[triple bond]WH3 is a stable molecule with C3v symmetry, but other levels of theory were required to describe agostic distortion for CH2=WH2. Analogous reactions with Cr gave only CH3-CrH, which is calculated to be by far the most stable product.     

CH3--MoF], [CH2=MoHF], and [CH[triple bond]MoH2F] formed by reaction of laser-ablated molybdenum atoms with methyl fluoride: persistent photoreversible interconversion through alpha-hydrogen migration and agostic interaction

Simple molybdenum methyl, carbene, and carbyne complexes, [CH3--MoF], [CH2=MoHF], and [CH[triple chemical bond]MoH(2)F], were formed by the reaction of laser-ablated molybdenum atoms with methyl fluoride and isolated in an argon matrix. These molecules provide a persistent photoreversible system through alpha-hydrogen migration between the carbon and metal atoms: The methyl and carbene complexes are produced by applying UV irradiation (240-380 nm) while the carbyne complex is depleted, and the process reverses on irradiation with visible light (lambda>420 nm). An absorption at 589.3 cm(-1) is attributed to the Mo--F stretching mode of [CH3--MoF], which is in fact the most stable of the plausible products. Density functional theory calculations show that one of the alpha-hydrogen atoms of the carbene complex is considerably bent toward the metal atom (angle-spherical HCMo=84.5 degrees ), which provides evidence of a strong agostic interaction in the triplet ground state. The calculated C[triple chemical bond]Mo bond length in the carbyne is in the range of triple-bond values in methylidyne complexes.     

Interactions between Freons: A Rotational Study of CH2F2–CH2Cl2

The rotational spectra of two isotopologues of a 1:1 difluoromethane–dichloromethane complex have been investigated by pulsed‐jet Fourier‐transform microwave spectroscopy. The assigned (most stable) isomer has C_s symmetry and it displays a network of two C? H???Cl? C and one C? H???F? C weak hydrogen bonds, thus suggesting that the former interactions are stronger. The hyperfine structures owing to ³⁵Cl (or ³⁷Cl) quadrupolar effects have been fully resolved, thus leading to an accurate determination of the three diagonal (χ_gg; g=a, b, c) and the three mixed quadrupole coupling constants (χ_gg′; g, g′=a, b, c; g≠g′). Information on the structural parameters of the hydrogen bonds has been obtained. The dissociation energy of the complex has been estimated to be 7.6 kJ mol^?1.