A computational study of remote C-H activation by amine radical cations: implications for the photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

A computational study, using density functional theory calibrated against higher-level methods, has been undertaken to evaluate tertiary amines whose radical cations might lose hydrogen atoms from positions other than the alpha carbons. The purpose was to find photochemically activated reducing agents for carbon dioxide that could be regenerated in a separate photochemical reaction. The calculations have revealed two reactions that might be suitable for this purpose. In one, the nitrogen of the radical cation makes a bond to a remote carbon with simultaneous displacement of a hydrogen atom. In the other, a remote hydrogen atom is transferred to the nitrogen, thereby creating a distonic radical cation that can lose a hydrogen atom beta to the radical site. The latter reaction is found to be particularly favorable since it apparently involves a surface crossing that allows the amine radical cation and CO2 radical anion to transform smoothly to a ground-state formate ion and an alkene. A number of structural motifs are investigated for the amines. The lower ionization potential of aromatic amines, compared to their aliphatic analogues, is desirable in that it could permit the use of longer wavelength light to drive the reaction. However, a thermochemical cycle shows that the reduction in ionization potential must be matched by an increase in proton affinity of the amine if the intramolecular hydrogen transfer is to be exothermic. Most aromatic amines do not satisfy this criterion and, hence, would have to rely on the displacement reaction for hydrogen-atom release if they were to be used as renewable reagents for CO2 reduction. Examples of specific aromatic and aliphatic tertiary amines that should be suitable for the purpose are presented, and their relative merits and weaknesses are discussed.     

On the Role of Pre‐ and Post‐Electron‐Transfer Steps in the SmI2/Amine/H2O‐Mediated Reduction of Esters: New Mechanistic Insights and Kinetic Studies

The mechanism of the SmI₂‐mediated reduction of unactivated esters has been studied using a combination of kinetic, radical clocks and reactivity experiments. The kinetic data indicate that all reaction components (SmI₂, amine, H₂O) are involved in the rate equation and that electron transfer is facilitated by Brønsted base assisted deprotonation of water in the transition state. The use of validated cyclopropyl‐containing radical clocks demonstrates that the reaction occurs via fast, reversible first electron transfer, and that the electron transfer from simple Sm(II) complexes to aliphatic esters is rapid. Notably, the mechanistic details presented herein indicate that complexation between SmI₂, H₂O and amines affords a new class of structurally diverse, thermodynamically powerful reductants for efficient electron transfer to carboxylic acid derivatives as an attractive alternative to the classical hydride‐mediated reductions and as a source of acyl‐radical equivalents for C?C bond forming processes.     

Computational study of CO2 reduction by amines

Calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ//MPWB1K/aug-cc-pVDZ level are reported for the reduction of CO2 by amines--primarily triethylamine. A polarizable continuum model is used to represent acetonitrile solvent for the reaction. Starting from a photochemically generated radical ion pair state, the mechanism of reduction is deduced to be one in which the CO2(.-) begins to use one of its oxygens to abstract a hydrogen from an alpha carbon of the amine radical cation. During this event, and before the transition state for H transfer is reached, the system encounters a surface crossing, which provides pathways for unproductive back electron transfer and for productive reduction, with the latter involving attachment of the hydrogen to the carbon of CO2. The result of the reduction is a closed-shell iminium formate ion pair, which completes the reaction by proton transfer between the ions, to give an eneamine and formic acid. On the basis of the calculations, approaches for improving the efficiency of the reduction and increasing the wavelength of the light used to drive the reaction are discussed. One of these modifications involves the use of a bicyclic amine as reductant.     

Probing the Compound I-like reactivity of a bare high-valent oxo iron porphyrin complex: the oxidation of tertiary amines

The mechanisms of oxidative N-dealkylation of amines by heme enzymes including peroxidases and cytochromes P450 and by functional models for the active Compound I species have long been studied. A debated issue has concerned in particular the character of the primary step initiating the oxidation sequence, either a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) or an electron transfer (ET) event, facing problems such as the possible contribution of multiple oxidants and complex environmental effects. In the present study, an oxo iron(IV) porphyrin radical cation intermediate 1, [(TPFPP)*+ Fe(IV)=O]+ (TPFPP = meso-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl)porphinato dianion), functional model of Compound I, has been produced as a bare species. The gas-phase reaction with amines (A) studied by ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrometry has revealed for the first time the elementary steps and the ionic intermediates involved in the oxidative activation. Ionic products are formed involving ET (A*+, the amine radical cation), formal hydride transfer (HT) from the amine ([A(-H)]+, an iminium ion), and oxygen atom transfer (OAT) to the amine (A(O), likely a carbinolamine product), whereas an ionic product involving a net initial HAT event is never observed. The reaction appears to be initiated by an ET event for the majority of the tested amines which included tertiary aliphatic and aromatic amines as well as a cyclic and a secondary amine. For a series of N,N-dimethylanilines the reaction efficiency for the ET activated pathways was found to correlate with the ionization energy of the amine. A stepwise pathway accounts for the C-H bond activation resulting in the formal HT product, namely a primary ET process forming A*+, which is deprotonated at the alpha-C-H bond forming an N-methyl-N-arylaminomethyl radical, A(-H)*, readily oxidized to the iminium ion, [A(-H)]+. The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) for proton transfer (PT) increases as the acidity of the amine radical cation increases and the PT reaction to the base, the ferryl group of (TPFPP)Fe(IV)=O, approaches thermoneutrality. The ET reaction displayed by 1 with gaseous N,N-dimethylaniline finds a counterpart in the ET reactivity of FeO+, reportedly a potent oxidant in the gas phase, and with the barrierless ET process for a model (P)*+ Fe(IV)=O species (where P is the porphine dianion) as found by theoretical calculations. Finally, the remarkable OAT reactivity of 1 with C6F5N(CH3)2 may hint to a mechanism along a route of diverse spin multiplicity.     

Formation of gold nanoparticles using amine reducing agents

We report on the use of amines as reducing agents in the formation of gold nanoparticles. We can predict whether the amines will function as reducing agents in this reaction based on their redox properties. The kinetics of AuNP formation can be understood in terms of Marcus electron transfer theory, where the slower reactions proceed in the inverted region owing to the difference between the Au reduction potential and the amine oxidation potential. For a certain number of the amine reducing agents, following reduction of HAuCl4, a subsequent reaction of the amine radical cation with other reducing agent molecules in solution can form poly(amine)s. These findings point collectively to the utility of amines as reducing agents in AuNP formation and provide information on the conditions under which these reactions will proceed.     

Reactivity of α-amino-peroxyl radicals and consequences for amine oxidation chemistry

A comparative theoretical study is presented on the formation and fate of α-amino-peroxyl radicals, recently proposed as important intermediates in the aerobic oxidation of amines. After radical abstraction of the weakly bonded αH-atom in the amine substrate, the α-amino-alkyl radical reacts irreversibly with O(2), forming the corresponding α-amino-peroxyl radical. HO(2)˙-elimination from various types of α-amino-peroxyl radicals (forming the corresponding imine) and the kinetically competing substrate H-abstraction (forming the α-amino-hydroperoxide) were computationally characterized. Polar solvents were found to reduce the HO(2)˙-elimination barrier, but increase the barrier for H-abstraction. Depending on the reaction conditions (gas or liquid phase, amine concentration, nature of the solvent, and temperature), either of the two mechanisms is favored. The consequences for aerobic amine oxidation chemistry are discussed.     

N-nitrosation of amines by NO2 and NO: a theoretical study

Gas-phase nitrosation of amines implies a nonionic pathway different from the nitrosonium nitrosation via acidification of nitrite. Electronic structure calculations discussed in this work suggest a free radical mechanism, in which NO2 abstracts a hydrogen atom from the nitrogen in primary and secondary amines to form an intermediate complex of an aminyl radical and nitrous acid. The aminyl radical intermediate is then quenched by nitric oxide, leading to the formation of nitrosamine. High-level calculations (CBS-QB3) show that alkyl substitutions on amines can activate the H-abstraction reaction. Thus, while H-abstraction from NH3 was found to exhibit a reaction barrier (DeltaH) of 106 kJ/mol, similar calculations indicate that the corresponding barriers decrease to 72 and 45 kJ/mol for methylamine and dimethylamine, respectively. Heterocyclic secondary amines have also been investigated in a similar manner. The five-membered-ring (5-m-r) amine appears to be the most reactive: pyrrolidine (DeltaH=30 kJ/mol), azetidine (DeltaH=44 kJ/mol), piperidine (DeltaH=44 kJ/mol), and aziridine (DeltaH=74 kJ/mol). The reaction barrier for 1H-pyrrole, an aromatic 5-m-r secondary amine, was found to be 59 kJ/mol. The origin of the high activity for the 5-m-r alkylamine stems from a hydrogen-bond-like interaction between the aminyl radical and the nascent nitrous acid molecule. This theoretical study suggests that, in the presence of nitrogen oxides, the gas-phase nitrosation of secondary amines is feasible.     

Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reactions of alpha-Cyclopropyl- and alpha-Epoxy Ketones. Tandem Fragmentation-Cyclization to Bi-, Tri-, and Spirocyclic Ketones

Reductive photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactions have been performed with various bicyclic alpha-cyclopropyl-substituted ketones and tertiary amines. The reaction resulted in a regioselective cleavage of one cyclopropyl bond under formation of an exocyclic radical with an endocyclic enolate unit. In the case of bicyclic ketones with an unsaturated side chain, various bicyclic, spirocyclic, and tricyclic products are accessible via radical cyclization, depending on the position of the alkenyl substituent. In addition to triethylamine, N-silylated amines have also been used as electron donors, leading to a variety of compounds, among them are silylated fragmentation products, indicating that a proton is transferred from not only the amine radical cation but also the cationic silyl group. The intramolecular Paternó-Büchi reaction has also been studied for cyclopropane derivatives of the jasmone type leading to tetracyclic oxetanes. Finally, alpha-epoxy-substituted ketones have been investigated under PET conditions, yielding ring-opened products.     

Unexpected hydrodeiodo Sonogashira-Heck-Casser coupling reaction of 2,2'-diiodobiphenyls with acetylenes

2,2'-Diiodobiphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester (3) undergoes either a ring-closure reaction with phenylacetylene to give 4 or hydrodeiodo phenylethynylation to give 5 under the catalytic conditions of Pd(OAc)(2)/CuI/phosphine in amines. In these reactions, the amine and the phosphine ligands play important roles in controlling the reactivity. Among the ligands we used, tris(o-tolyl)phosphine is the best ligand for hydrodeiodo phenylethynylation, while the bidentate phosphine ligand retards both of the reactions. On the basis of our results, we propose that 5 is formed through a fast hydrodeiodination, followed by a Sonogashira phenylethynylation. The results of the deuterium labeling experiments show that proton exchange between the acetylenic proton and the alkyl protons of amine occurs effectively under the reaction conditions. In addition, the hydrogen that replaces the iodide in the hydrodeiodination process arises mainly from the acetylenic proton.     

Buffer-assisted proton-coupled electron transfer in a model rhenium-tyrosine complex

The mechanism for tyrosyl radical generation in the [Re(P-Y)(phen)(CO)3]PF6 complex is investigated with a multistate continuum theory for proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions. Both water and the phosphate buffer are considered as potential proton acceptors. The calculations indicate that the model in which the proton acceptor is the phosphate buffer species HPO(4)2- can successfully reproduce the experimentally observed pH dependence of the overall rate and H/D kinetic isotope effect, whereas the model in which the proton acceptor is water is not physically reasonable for this system. The phosphate buffer species HPO4(2-) is favored over water as the proton acceptor in part because the proton donor-acceptor distance is approximately 0.2 A smaller for the phosphate acceptor due to its negative charge. The physical quantities impacting the overall rate constant, including the reorganization energies, reaction free energies, activation free energies, and vibronic couplings for the various pairs of reactant/product vibronic states, are analyzed for both hydrogen and deuterium transfer. The dominant contribution to the rate arises from nonadiabatic transitions between the ground reactant vibronic state and the third product vibronic state for hydrogen transfer and the fourth product vibronic state for deuterium transfer. These contributions dominate over contributions from lower product states because of the larger vibronic coupling, which arises from the greater overlap between the reactant and product vibrational wave functions. These calculations provide insight into the fundamental mechanism of tyrosyl radical generation, which plays an important role in a wide range of biologically important processes.     

Synthesis of functionalized amine oligomers by free‐radical telomerization of methyl methacrylate with a peculiar telogen: 2‐Aminoethanethiol hydrochloride

The Telomerization of methyl methacrylate with 2‐aminoethanethiol hydrochloride initiated by 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile, was investigated in dimethylformamide (DMF). First, the peculiar behavior of 2‐aminoethanethiol was highlighted because it behaves as a peculiar transfer agent; this is because its transfer constant (C_T) is weak compared with that of other thiols. The presence of the amine function greatly disturbs the free radical telomerization reaction. Telomerization was performed in the presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl) to protect the amine group. The transfer constant was strongly influenced by the acid and water concentration. This work emphasized that the nature of the solvent plays an important role in the determination of the transfer constant. Thus, the value of C_T increased from 0.23 in DMF to 0.56 in the HCl/DMF mixture. The primary and secondary amines were recovered after the reaction. The functionality of the primary and secondary amines was measured by titration. The influence of the concentration of HCl on the resulting amine functionality was investigated. The acid presence prevents the formation of secondary amines, arising from Michael's reaction, on methyl methacrylate. Finally, these results were applied to the synthesis of amine‐functionalized telomers with molecular masses of 2000 to 15,000 g/mol. The amine function was correlated with the decrease of R₀ ([telogen]/[monomer]). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5146–5160, 2004     

The Interaction of Ground and Excited States of Lumichrome with Aliphatic and Aromatic Amines in Methanol

The reaction of the ground and excited states of lumichrome (=7,8‐dimethylalloxazine=7,8‐dimethylbenzo[g]pteridine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐dione) with aliphatic and aromatic amines was investigated in MeOH. In the presence of aliphatic amines of high basicity, new bands are observed in the absorption and fluorescence spectra. These bands arise in a proton‐transfer reaction from lumichrome, in the ground and in the singlet excited states, to the amine. On the other hand, amines with lower basicity such as triethanolamine (=2,2′,2″‐nitrilotris[ethanol]) and aromatic amines are not able to deprotonate lumichrome, and hence a quenching of the fluorescent emission takes place without changes in the spectral shape. In this case, bimolecular‐quenching rate constants were determined for the excited singlet and triplet states. Based on laser‐flash‐photolysis experiments, an electron‐transfer mechanism is proposed. Aliphatic amines yield lower rate constants than the aromatic ones for the same driving force. A notable difference arises in the limiting value reached by the singlet and triplet quenching rate constants by aromatic amines. For the singlet quenching, the limit is coincident with a diffusion‐controlled reaction, while those for triplet quenching reach a lower constant value, independent of the driving force. This is explained by an electron‐transfer mechanism, with a lower frequency factor for the triplet‐state process.     

Choice of solvent (MeCN vs H(2)O) decides rate-limiting step in S(N)Ar aminolysis of 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene with secondary amines: importance of Brønsted-type analysis in acetonitrile

A kinetic study is reported for nucleophilic substitution reactions of 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene (DNFB) with a series of secondary amines in MeCN and H2O at 25.0 degrees C. The reaction in MeCN results in an upward curvature in the plot of k(obsd) vs [amine], indicating that the reaction proceeds through a rate-limiting proton transfer (RLPT) mechanism. On the contrary, the corresponding plot for the reaction in H2O is linear, implying that general base catalysis is absent. The ratios of the microscopic rate constants for the reactions in MeCN are consistent with the proposed mechanism, e.g., the facts that k2/k(-1) < 1 and k3/k2 > 10(2) suggest that formation of a Meisenheimer complex occurs before the rate-limiting step and the deprotonation by a second amine molecule becomes dominant when [amine] > 0.01 M, respectively. The Br?nsted-type plots for k1k2/k(-1) and k1k3/k(-1) are linear with betanuc values of 0.82 and 0.84, respectively, which supports the proposed mechanism. The Br?nsted-type plot for the reactions in H2O is also linear with betanuc = 0.52 which has been interpreted to indicate that the reaction proceeds through rate-limiting formation of a Meisenheimer complex. DNFB is more reactive toward secondary amines in MeCN than in H2O. The enhanced basicity of amines as well as the increased stability of the intermediate whose charges are delocalized through resonance are responsible for the enhanced reactivity in the aprotic solvent.     

Ionization of aniline and its N-methyl and N-phenyl substituted derivatives by (free) electron transfer to n-butyl chloride parent radical cations

The electron transfer from aniline and its N-methyl as well as N-phenyl substituted derivatives (N-methylaniline, N,N-dimethylaniline, diphenylamine, triphenylamine) to parent solvent radical cations was studied by electron pulse radiolysis in n-butyl chloride solution. The ionization results in the case of aniline (ArNH2) and the secondary aromatic amines (Ar2NH, Ar(Me)NH) in the synchronous and direct formation of amine radical cations, as well as aminyl radicals, in comparable amounts. Subsequently, ArNH2*+ deprotonates in a delayed reaction with the present nucleophile Cl-, and forms further ArNH*. In contrast, tertiary aromatic amines such as triphenylamine and dimethylaniline yield primarily the corresponding amine radical cations Ar3N*+ or Ar(Me2)N*+, only. The persistent Ar3N*+ forms a charge transfer complex (dimer) with the parent amine molecule, whereas Ar(Me2)N*+ deprotonates to carbon-centered radicals Ar(Me)NCH2*.     

Efficient ruthenium-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of amines by using a biomimetic coupled catalytic system

Efficient aerobic oxidation of amines was developed by the use of a biomimetic coupled catalytic system involving a ruthenium-induced dehydrogenation. The principle for this aerobic oxidation is that the electron transfer from the amine to molecular oxygen occurs stepwise via coupled redox systems and this leads to a low-energy electron transfer. A substrate-selective ruthenium catalyst dehydrogenates the amine and the hydrogen atoms abstracted are transported to an electron-rich quinone (2a). The hydroquinone thus formed is subsequently reoxidized by air with the aid of an oxygen-activating [Co(salen)]-type complex (27). The reaction can be used for the preparation of ketimines and aldimines in good to high yields from the appropriate corresponding amines. The reaction proceeds with high selectivity, and the catalytic system tolerates air without being deactivated. The rate of the dehydrogenation was studied by using quinone 2a as the terminal oxidant. A catalytic cycle in which the amine promotes the dissociation of the dimeric catalyst 1 is presented.     

Change in reaction pathway in the reduction of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone with increasing concentrations of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol

The electrochemical reduction of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone, 1, has been studied in acetonitrile with added 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, 2. At low concentrations of 2 the reaction proceeds by the following pathway: reduction of the quinone (Q) to its anion radical (Q*-) followed by complexation of the anion radical with 2 (HA) and the further reduction of the hydrogen-bonded complex (Q*- (HA)) to form HQ- and A-. The latter reaction is a concerted proton and electron- transfer reaction (CPET). At higher concentrations of 2, the pathway changes. The first steps remain the same, but now Q*- (HA) is reduced to HQ- via a disproportionation reaction with Q*- along with proton transfer from HA to Q*- to form HQ* which is reduced to HQ-. The only mechanism that could be found which would account for all of the data involves proton transfer to Q*- occurring within a higher complex, Q*-(HA)3.     

On the regioselectivity of the nucleophilic aromatic photosubstitution. The photoreaction of 4-nitroveratrole with n-hexylamine.

4-Nitroveratrole is photosubstituted with n-hexylamine giving rise to two isomeric anilines, N-hexyl-2-methoxy-5-nitroaniline and N-hexyl-2-methoxy-4-nitroaniline. Mechanistic evidence indicates that the first is produced in an SN₂Ar reaction through singlet and triplet excited states, whereas the second arises from a radical ion pair via electron transfer from the amine to a triplet excited state.     

Rapid SmI2-mediated reductions of alkyl halides and electrochemical properties of SmI2/H2O/amine

Mixtures of SmI(2)/H(2)O/amine have been found to reduce alkyl halides more efficiently than SmI(2)/HMPA/alcohol mixtures at room temperature. Alkyl and aryl iodides were quantitatively reduced in <1 min and alkyl bromides in 10 min, while alkyl and aryl chlorides required more than 5 h for completion. Determination of the reaction order of Et(3)N in the reduction of 1-chlorodecane showed that the reaction order is one. Water was shown not to participate in the rate-determining step of this reduction. There was a significant change of the UV-vis spectrum and color of SmI(2) upon addition of either PMDTA or water, while no effect was observed with the addition of Et(3)N or TMEDA. Although the combination of SmI(2), water, and amines produces a very efficient reducing system, cyclic voltammetric experiments showed that the redox potential is nearly identical with that of SmI(2) alone. These results are consistent with precipitation providing the driving force for reduction. Taken together, the results of these experiments show that the combination of SmI(2)/H(2)O/amine provides a fundamentally novel and useful approach to enhance the reactivity of SmI(2).     

One-electron oxidation of a hydrogen-bonded phenol occurs by concerted proton-coupled electron transfer

The hydrogen-bonded phenol 2-(aminodiphenylmethyl)-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol (HOAr-NH2) was prepared and oxidized in MeCN by a series of one-electron oxidants. The product is the phenoxyl radical in which the phenolic proton has transferred to the amine, *OAr-NH3+. The reaction of HOAr-NH2 and tris(p-tolyl)aminium ([N(tol)3]*+) to give *OAr-NH3+ + N(tol)3 has Keq = 2.0 +/- 0.5, follows second-order kinetics with k = (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 105 M-1 s-1 (DeltaG = 11 kcal mol-1), and has a primary isotope effect kH/kD = 2.4 +/- 0.4. Oxidation of HOAr-NH2 with [N(C6H4Br)3]*+ is faster, with k congruent with 4 x 107 M-1 s-1. The isotope effect, thermochemical arguments, and the dependence of the rate on driving force (DeltaDeltaG/DeltaDeltaG degrees = 0.53) all indicate that electron transfer from HOAr-NH2 must occur concerted with intramolecular proton transfer from the phenol to the amine (proton-coupled electron transfer, PCET). The data rule out stepwise paths that involve initial electron transfer to form the phenol radical cation *+HOAr-NH2 or that involve initial proton transfer to give the zwitterion -OAr-NH3+. The dependence of the electron-transfer rate constants on driving force can be fit with the adiabatic Marcus equation, yielding a large intrinsic barrier: lambda = 34 kcal mol-1 for reactions of HOAr-NH2 with NAr3*+.     

The effect of oxygen on the three‐component radical photoinitiator system: Methylene blue,N‐methyldiethanolamine,and diphenyliodonium chloride

In this article, we extend our mechanistic study of the three‐component radical photoinitiator system, consisting of methylene blue (MB), N‐methyldiethanolamine, and diphenyliodonium chloride, by investigating the influence of oxygen on the rate of the consumption of MB dye. The mechanism involves electron transfer/proton transfer from the amine to the dye as the primary photochemical reaction. Oxygen quenches the triplet state of the dye, leading to retardation of the reaction. We used time‐resolved steady‐state fluorescence monitoring to observe the MB concentration in situ in both a constant oxygen environment and a sealed reactor as the dye is consumed via photoreaction. In the sealed reactor, we observed a retardation period (attributed to the presence of oxygen) followed by rapid exponential decay of the MB fluorescence after the oxygen was depleted. On the basis of the impact of the amine and iodonium concentrations on the fluorescence intensity and the duration of the retardation period, our proposed mechanism includes an oxygen‐scavenging pathway, in which the tertiary amine radicals formed in the primary photochemical process consume the oxygen via a cyclic reaction mechanism. The iodonium salt is an electron acceptor, acting to reoxidize the neutral dye radical back to its original state and allowing it to reenter the primary photochemical process. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3336–3346, 2000