Versatile stereoselective cycloadditions between heterocumulenes and phosphagermaallene Tip(tBu)Ge=C=PMes*: experimental and theoretical investigations

Phosphagermaallene Tip(tBu)Ge=C=PMes* 1 (Tip=2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl, Mes*=2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) reacts with phenyl isocyanate and tert-butyl isocyanate by a [2+2] cycloaddition that involves the Ge=C and C=O double bonds to afford 1-oxa-2-germacyclobutanes 2 and 3. With N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, a [2+2] cycloaddition is observed between the Ge=C and C=N unsaturations to lead to 1-aza-2-germacyclobutane 6 with exocyclic P=C and C=N double bonds. In sharp contrast, 1 reacts with phenyl isothiocyanate, ethyl isothiocyanate, and carbon disulfide according to a [3+2] cycloaddition that involves the whole Ge=C=P unit and the C=S double bond to give transient phosphagermacarbenes (PGeHCs) 11, 12, and 13. These new PGeHCs undergo C-H insertions into one o-tBu group of Mes* (in the case of 11 and 12) or one o-iPr group of Tip (in the case of 13) with formation of tricyclic compounds 8, 9, and 10, respectively. The reaction mechanisms that involve 1 and the phenyl isocyanate and the phenyl isothiocyanate are described and their regioselectivity is explained by theoretical calculations.     

Transition states of strain-promoted metal-free click chemistry: 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of phenyl azide and cyclooctynes

Density functional theory (B3LYP) calculations on the transition states for the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of phenyl azide with acetylene, cyclooctyne, and difluorocyclooctyne are reported. The low activation energy of the cyclooctyne "strain-promoted" cycloaddition (DeltaE = 8.0) compared to the strain-free acetylene cycloaddition (DeltaE = 16.2) is due to decreased distortion energy (DeltaEd) of cyclooctyne (DeltaDeltaEd = 4.6) and phenyl azide (DeltaDeltaEd = 4.5) to achieve that cycloaddition transition state. Electronegative fluorine substituents on cyclooctyne further increase the rate of cycloaddition by increasing interaction energies.     

Mechanism for the cyclotrimerization of alkynes and related reactions catalyzed by CpRuCl

A complete catalytic cycle for the cyclotrimerization of acetylene with the CpRuCl fragment has been proposed and discussed based on DFT/B3LYP calculations, which revealed a couple of uncommon intermediates. The first is a metallacyclopentatriene complex RuCp(Cl)(C(4)H(4)) (B), generated through oxidative coupling of two alkyne ligands. It adds another alkyne in eta(2) fashion to give an alkyne complex (C). No less than three successive intermediates could be located for the subsequent arene formation. The first, an unusual five- and four-membered bicyclic ring system (D), rearranges to a very unsymmetrical metallaheptatetraene complex (E), which in turn provides CpRuCl(eta(2)-C(6)H(6)) (F) via a reductive elimination step. The asymmetry of E, including Cp ring slippage, removes the symmetry-forbidden character from this final step. Completion of the cycle is achieved by an exothermic displacement (21.4 kcal mol(-)(1)) of the arene by two acetylene molecules regenerating A. In addition to acetylene, the reaction of B with ethylene and carbon disulfide, the latter taken as a model for a molecule lacking hydrogen atoms, has also been investigated, and several parallels noted. In the case of the coordinated alkene, facile C-C coupling to the alpha carbon of the metallacycle is feasible due to an agostic assistance, which tends to counterbalance the reduced degree of unsaturation. Carbon disulfide, on the other hand, does not coordinate to ruthenium, but a C=S bond adds instead directly to the Ru=C bond. The final products of the reactions of B with acetylene, ethylene, and carbon disulfide are, respectively, benzene, cyclohexadiene, and thiopyrane-2-thione, the activation energies being lower for acetylene.     

Substituent Effects on Site Selectivity (C=C vs C=N) in Heterocumulene-Heterodiene [4 + 2] Cycloadditions: Density Functional and Semiempirical AM1 Molecular Orbital Calculations

The effect of substituents on the site selectivity (C=C vs C=N) in the [4 + 2] cycloaddition between heterocumulenes (ketene imines) 2a-g with heterodienes (acroleines 9a-n and 4-acylfuran-2,3-diones 1a-d) is treated by semiempirical AM1 molecular orbital and density functional calculations using Becke's three-parameter hybrid method (B3LYP/6-31G). For some reactions calculations were also done at the B3LYP/6-31+G level of theory. For reaction of the oxa 1,3-dienes with ketene imines unsubstituted at the terminal carbon invariably addition across the C=C heterocumulene double bond has a lower activation energy than addition across the C=N double bond. Substitution of methyl or especially phenyl groups at the ketene imine C-terminus leads to a reversal of the respective activation energies. Incorporation of the oxa 1,3-diene system into the heterocyclic dione 1 substantially enhances the reactivity ( approximately 10 kcal mol(-1) lower activation energies) as compared to similarly substituted acroleins. At the DFT level of theory all reactions are found to proceed via a concerted asynchronous mechanism.     

Theory of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions: distortion/interaction and frontier molecular orbital models

Quantum chemical calculations of activation barriers and reaction energies for 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions by the high-accuracy CBS-QB3 method reveal previously unrecognized quantitative trends in activation barriers. The distortion/interaction model of reactivity explains why (1) there is a monotonic decrease of approximately 6 kcal/mol in the activation energy along the series oxides, imine, and ylide for the diazonium, nitrilium, and azomethine betaine classes of 1,3-dipoles; (2) nitrilium and azomethine betaines with the same trio of atoms have almost identical cycloaddition barrier heights; (3) barrier heights for the cycloadditions of a given 1,3-dipole with ethylene and acetylene have the same activation energies (mean absolute deviation of 0.6 kcal/mol) in spite of very different reaction thermodynamics (Delta DeltaH(rxn) range = 14-43 kcal/mol) and frontier molecular orbital (FMO) energy gaps. The energy to distort the 1,3-dipole and dipolarophile to the transition state geometry, rather than FMO interactions or reaction thermodynamics, controls reactivity for cycloadditions of 1,3-dipoles with alkenes or alkynes. A distortion/interaction energy analysis was also carried out on the transition states for the cycloadditions of diazonium dipoles with a set of substituted alkenes (CH2CHX, X = OMe, Me, CO 2Me, Cl, CN) and reveals that FMO interaction energies between the 1,3-dipole and the dipolarophile differentiate reactivity when transition state distortion energies are nearly constant.     

Synthesis of oxoindolin-3-ylidene-1,3-dithioles

An efficient and one-pot synthesis of 2-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dicarboxylates by a three-component condensation reaction of isatins, carbon disulfide and dialkyl acetylendicarboxylates in the presence of Bu₃P is reported. Reaction of carbon disulfide and dialkyl acetylene dicarboxylates with acenaphthylene-1,2-dione, ninhydrine and pyrimidine-tetraone resulted in the formation of 2-(2-oxoacenaphthylen-1(2H)-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dicarboxylates, 2-(1,3-dioxo-1H-inden-2(3H)-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dicarboxylates and 2-(2,4,6-trioxotetrahydropyrimidin-5(6H)-ylidene)-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dicarboxylates, respectively, in the same conditions.     

C59XH(X=N,B)与1,3-丁二烯Diels-Alder环加成反应的区域选择性

应用半经验的AM1和密度泛函B3LYP/6-31G*方法对1,3-丁二烯与C59XH(X=N, B) Diels-Alder环加成反应的区域选择性进行理论研究, 选择一些有代表性的C59XH(X=N, B)的6—6键探讨环加成反应的机理. 1,3-丁二烯与C59NH进行的Diels-Alder反应, 随着加成位置远离C59NH的N原子, 活化能越来越低, 但都比1,3-丁二烯与C60相应反应的活化能高. 与此相反, 对于1,3-丁二烯与C59BH进行的环加成反应, 加成位置最靠近B原子的2,12/r-和2,12/f-过渡态的势垒最低, 并且比1,3-丁二烯与C60进行环加成反应的活化能约低18 kJ·mol-1, 其产物也是热力学最稳定的. 与C60相应的反应相比, C59NH和C59BH中N和B原子不同的电子性质对其邻位双键进行Diels-Alder环加成反应的活性产生了不同影响, 前者使反应活性降低, 后者使反应活性增强.     

Thioformaldehyde S-methylide and thioacetone S-methylide: an ab initio MO study of structure and cycloaddition reactivity

The mechanisms of cycloaddition of thioformaldehyde S-methylide and thioacetone S-methylide, as models for an alkyl-substituted ylide, to thioformaldehyde and thioacetone, as well as to ethene as a model for a C=C double bond have been studied by ab initio calculations. Restricted and unrestricted B3LYP/6-31G* calculations were performed for the geometries of ground states, transition structures, and intermediates. Although basis sets with more polarization functions were tested, the 6-31G* basis set was applied throughout. Single-point CASPT2 calculations are reported for analysis of the unsubstituted system. The stabilities of structures with high biradical character seem to be overestimated by DFT methods in comparison to CASPT2. The general trends of the results are independent of the level of theory. Thioformaldehyde adds to thioformaldehyde S-methylide without activation energy, and the activation energies for two-step biradical pathways to 1,3-dithiolane are low. C,S biradicals are more stable than C,C biradicals. The two-step cycloaddition is not competitive with the concerted cycloaddition. Methyl substitution in the 1,3-dipole and the dipolarophile does not change the mechanistic relationships. TSs for the concerted formation of the regioisomeric cycloadducts of thioacetone Smethylide and thioacetone were located. Concerted addition remains the preferred reaction. The reactivity of the C=S double bond is high relative to that of the C=C double bond.     

On the behavior of alpha,beta-unsaturated thioaldehydes and thioketones in the Diels-Alder reaction

Alpha,beta-unsaturated thioaldehydes and thioketones, R1CH=CH-C(=S)R2, are prepared in situ by the reaction between the corresponding carbonyl compounds and bis(dimethylaluminum) sulfide. These compounds undergo [4 + 2] self-dimerization reactions in which one molecule serves as the heterodiene component and the other as the dienophile to afford different types of dimeric products depending on the R1 and R2: 1,2-dithiin and 1,3-dithiin (R1 = R2 = H), 1,2-dithiin (R1 = Ph, R2 = H, CH3), or dihydrothiopyran (R1 = R2 = Ph). These differences in selectivity are explained on the basis of the relative energies evaluated by molecular orbital (MO) calculations at the DFT (density functional theory) level. The calculations show that in the dimerization reaction of thioacrolein (I), the head-to-tail (S-C-S bonded) dimers are kinetically more stable by about 5 kcal/mol but slightly thermodynamically unstable by about 2 kcal/mol than the head-to-head (S-S bonded) dimers. The calculations on thiocinnamaldehyde (IV) indicate that the dimerization reactions of phenyl-substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated thioaldehydes and thioketones are almost equally controlled by thermodynamic and kinetic factors. These unsaturated thiocarbonyl compounds also function as heterodienes (C=C-C=S) in the cycloaddition reaction with norbornadiene and as dienophiles (C=S) in the reaction with cyclopentadiene.     

Thiozonation and thiozonolysis of triatomic sulfur (S<Subscript>3</Subscript>) on the C<Subscript>70</Subscript> fullerene: a DFT study

Density functional theory calculations have been carried out to investigate the [2?+?x] x?=?1, 2, and 3 cycloaddition reactions (paths A, B, and C) of triatomic sulfur (S₃) with the C₇₀ fullerene in terms of geometry, energies, and electronic structures. The thiozonation (S₃) on the hexagon–hexagon and hexagon–pentagon bonds of the C₇₀ fullerene through 1,3-dipolar reaction, i.e., [2?+?3] cycloaddition, is generally exothermic, while through the chelotrope additions, i.e., [2?+?1] cycloaddition, are endothermic. The results indicate that the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is the most preferable path. Having more negative values of reaction energies E_r together with the lower barrier heights, thiozonation of the hexagon–hexagon bonds is thermodynamically and kinetically more favorable than hexagon–pentagon ones. Moreover, the addition of thiozone to the hexagon–hexagon bonds near the pole area of the C₇₀ leads to more negative reaction energies. Therefore, it is established that the arrangement and position of C=C bonds play an important role in the thiozonation of C₇₀ fullerene. Thiozonolysis of triatomic sulfur (S₃) indicates that S–S bond cleavage has not occurred, instead a sulfur bridge over a C–C bond or a four-membered ring of 1,2-dithietane-1-sulfide is preferred to be formed.     

Experimental and theoretical investigations of structural trends for selenium(IV) imides and oxides: X-ray structure of Se3(NAd)2

The thermal decomposition of Se(NAd)(2) (Ad = 1-adamantyl) in THF was monitored by (77)Se NMR and shown to give the novel cyclic selenium imide Se(3)(NAd)(2) as one of the products. An X-ray structural determination showed that Se(3)(NAd)(2) is a puckered five-membered ring with d(Se-Se) = 2.404(1) A and |d(Se-N)| = 1.873(4) A. On the basis of (77)Se NMR data, other decomposition products include the six-membered ring Se(3)(NAd)(3), and the four-membered rings AdNSe(micro-NAd)(2)SeO and OSe(micro-NAd)(2)SeO. The energies for the cyclodimerization of E(NR)(2) and RNEO (E = S, Se; R = H, Me, (t)Bu, SiMe(3)), and the cycloaddition reactions of RNSeO with E(NR)(2), RNSO(2) with Se(NR)(2), and S(NR)(2) with Se(NR)(2) have been calculated at MP2, CCSD, and CCSD(T) levels of theory using the cc-pVDZ basis sets and B3PW91/6-31G* optimized geometries. Sulfur(IV) and selenium(IV) diimide monomers are predicted to be stable, the sole exception being Se(NSiMe(3))(2) that shows a tendency toward cyclodimerization. The cyclodimerization energy for RNSeO and the cycloaddition reaction energies of RNSeO with Se(NR)(2) as well as that of RNSO(2) with Se(NR)(2) are negative, consistent with the observed formation of OSe(micro-N(t)Bu)(2)SeO, OSe(micro-N(t)Bu)(2)SeN(t)Bu, and O(2)S(micro-N(t)Bu)(2)SeN(t)Bu, respectively. Cycloaddition is unlikely when one of the reactants is a sulfur(IV) diimide.     

Formal and standard ruthenium-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 1,6-diynes to alkenes: a mechanistic density functional study

"Formal" and standard Ru(II)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes 1 to alkenes gave bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes in relatively good yields. The neutral Ru(II) catalyst was formed in situ by mixing equimolecular amounts of [Cp*Ru(CH3CN)3]PF6 and Et4NCl. Two isomeric bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes 3 and 8 were obtained depending on the cyclic or acyclic nature of the alkene partner. Mechanistic studies on the Ru catalytic cycle revealed a clue for this difference: (a) when acyclic alkenes were used, linear coupling of 1,6-diynes with alkenes was observed giving 1,3,5-trienes 6 as the only initial reaction products, which after a thermal disrotatory 6e-pi electrocyclization led to the final 1,3-cyclohexadienes 3 as probed by NMR studies. This cascade process behaved as a formal Ru-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition. (b) With cyclic alkenes, the standard Ru-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition occurred, giving the bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes 8 as reaction products. A complete catalytic cycle for the formal and standard Ru-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of acetylene and cyclic and acyclic alkenes with the Cp*RuCl fragment has been proposed and discussed based on DFT/B3LYP calculations. The most likely mechanism for these processes would involve the formation of ruthenacycloheptadiene intermediates XXIII or XXVII depending on the alkene nature. From these complexes, two alternatives could be envisioned: (a) a reductive elimination in the case of cyclic alkenes 7 and (b) a beta-elimination followed by reductive elimination to give 1,3,5-hexatrienes 6 in the case of acyclic alkenes. Final 6e-pi electrocyclization of 6 gave 1,3-cyclohexadienes 3.     

Cyanoacetylene and Its Derivatives. 30. Reactions of 2,3-Dimercaptoquinoxaline with 3-Phenyl-2-propynonitrile and 4-Alkyl-4-hydroxy-2-alkynonitriles

The reaction of 2,3-dimercaptoquinoxaline with 3-phenyl-2-propynonitrile (~10 mass % KOH, 20-25°C, 5 h, dioxane) gave the S,S-diadduct (as with unsubstituted acetylene). 2,3-Dimercaptoquinoxaline reacted with 4-alkyl-4-hydroxy-2-alkynonitriles to give 2-cyanomethyl-2-(1-hydroxy-1-alkyl)-1,3-dioxolano[4,5-b]quinoxalines or 3-cyanomethylene-8-imino-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1,7-dioxa-4-thiaspiro[4.4]nonane.     

Catalytic enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrones with propioloylpyrazoles and acryloylpyrazoles induced by chiral π-cation catalysts

A chiral copper(II) complex of 3-(2-naphthyl)-l-alanine amide successfully catalyzes the enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrones with propioloylpyrazole and acryloylpyrazole derivatives. The asymmetric environment created by intramolecular π-cation interaction gives the corresponding adducts in high yields with excellent enantioselectivity. This is the first successful method for the catalytic enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones with acetylene derivatives. The 1,3-dipolar cycloadducts can be stereoselectively converted to β-lactams via reductive cleavage of the N-O bond using SmI(2).     

Enantioselective construction of quaternary carbon centers by catalytic [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,6-enynes and alkynes

[reaction: see text] The enantioselective [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of 1,6-enynes and alkynes using chiral rhodium catalysts gave cycloadducts containing quaternary carbon stereocenters. Both symmetrical and unsymmetrical alkynes and acetylene could be used as coupling partners, and the corresponding bicyclic cyclohexa-1,3-dienes were obtained in good to excellent ee.     

Mechanism, regioselectivity, and the kinetics of phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes

With the aid of computations and experiments, the detailed mechanism of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes has been investigated. It was found that this reaction includes four consecutive processes: 1) In situ generation of a 1,3-dipole from allenoate and phosphine, 2) stepwise [3+2] cycloaddition, 3) a water-catalyzed [1,2]-hydrogen shift, and 4) elimination of the phosphine catalyst. In situ generation of the 1,3-dipole is key to all nucleophilic phosphine-catalyzed reactions. Through a kinetic study we have shown that the generation of the 1,3-dipole is the rate-determining step of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of allenoates and electron-deficient alkenes. DFT calculations and FMO analysis revealed that an electron-withdrawing group is required in the allene to ensure the generation of the 1,3-dipole kinetically and thermodynamically. Atoms-in-molecules (AIM) theory was used to analyze the stability of the 1,3-dipole. The regioselectivity of the [3+2] cycloaddition can be rationalized very well by FMO and AIM theories. Isotopic labeling experiments combined with DFT calculations showed that the commonly accepted intramolecular [1,2]-proton shift should be corrected to a water-catalyzed [1,2]-proton shift. Additional isotopic labeling experiments of the hetero-[3+2] cycloaddition of allenoates and electron-deficient imines further support this finding. This investigation has also been extended to the study of the phosphine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of alkynoates as the three-carbon synthon, which showed that the generation of the 1,3-dipole in this reaction also occurs by a water-catalyzed process.     

Dienophilic behavior of the vinylic (C=C) and the carbonyl (C=O) bonds of ketenes in reactions with 1,3-diazabuta-1,3-dienes

[reaction: see text] Ab initio and density functional studies (DFT) on cycloaddition reactions of 1,3-diazabuta-1,3-dienes with ketenes are reported. The vinylic (C=C) and the carbonyl (C=O) units of the ketenes are found to participate in concerted asynchronous [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. The transition states (3t, 4t, and 7t) for these paths have been located on the PE surface at the correlated levels of ab initio calculations. A reasonable mechanism for the formation of [4 + 2] and [2 + 2] adducts is presented.     

Cycloaddition of di(2-pyridyl) diselenide to styrene activated with antimony pentachloride

A reaction of styrene with the di(2-pyridyl) diselenide??antimony pentachloride system furnishes 2,3-dihydro[1,3]selenazolo[3,2-a]pyridinium chloroantimonates(III) and (V), the products of cycloaddition of the selenylating agent at the multiple bond.     

Comprehensive theoretical studies on the gas phase SN2 reactions of anionic nucleophiles toward chloroamine and N-chlorodimethylamine with inversion and retention mechanisms

The anionic S(N)2 reactions at neutral nitrogen, Nu(-) + NR(2)Cl → NR(2)Nu + Cl(-) (R = H, Me; Nu = F, Cl, Br, OH, SH, SeH, NH(2), PH(2), AsH(2)) have been systematically studied computationally at the modified G2(+) level. Two reaction mechanisms, inversion and retention of configuration, have been investigated. The main purposes of this work are to explore the reactivity trend of anions toward NR(2)Cl (R = H, Me), the steric effect on the potential energy surfaces, and the leaving ability of the anion in S(N)2@N reactions. Our calculations indicate that the complexation energies are determined by the gas basicity (GB) of the nucleophile and the electronegativity (EN) of the attacking atom, and the overall reaction barrier in the inversion pathway is basically controlled by the GB value of the nucleophile. The retention pathway in the reactions of NR(2)Cl with Nu(-) (Nu = F, Cl, Br, OH, SH, SeH) is energetically unfavorable due to the barriers being larger than those in the inversion pathway by more than 120 kJ mol(-1). Activation strain model analyses show that a higher deformation energy and a weaker interaction between deformed reactants lead to higher overall barriers in the reactions of NMe(2)Cl than those in the reactions of NH(2)Cl. Our studies on the reverse process of the title reactions suggest that the leaving ability of the anion in the gas phase anionic S(N)2@N reactions is mainly determined by the strength of the N-LG bond, which is related to the negative hyperconjugation inherent in NR(2)Nu (R = H, Me; Nu = HO, HS, HSe, NH(2), PH(2), AsH(2)).     

Mechanistic Investigation on Rhodium(Ⅲ)-Catalyzed Cycloaddition of 2-Vinylphenol Derivatives with Ethyne or Carbon Monoxide by DFT Study

Rhodium-catalyzed cycloaddition reaction was calculated by density functional theory M06-2X method to directly synthesize benzoxepine and coumarin derivatives. In this work, we conducted a computational study of two competitive mechanisms in which the carbon atom of acetylene or carbon monoxide attacked and inserted from two different directions of the six-membered ring reactant to clarify the principle characteristics of this transformation. The calculation results reveal that: (ⅰ) the insertion process of alkyne or carbon monoxide is the key step of the reaction; (ⅱ) for the (5+2) cycloaddition reaction of acetylene, higher energy is required to break the Rh-O bond of the reactant, and the reaction tends to complete the insertion from the side of the Rh-C bond; (ⅲ) for the (5+1) cycloaddition of carbon monoxide, both reaction paths have lower activation free energy, and the two will generate a competition mechanism