Spectroscopic determination of hydrogenation rates and intermediates during carbonyl hydrogenation catalyzed by Shvo's hydroxycyclopentadienyl diruthenium hydride agrees with kinetic modeling based on independently measured rates of elementary reactions

The catalytic hydrogenation of benzaldehyde and acetophenone with the Shvo hydrogenation catalysts were monitored by in situ IR spectroscopy in both toluene and THF. The disappearance of organic carbonyl compound and the concentrations of the ruthenium species present throughout the hydrogenation reaction were observed. The dependence of the hydrogenation rate on substrate, H2 pressure, total ruthenium concentration, and solvent were measured. In toluene, bridging diruthenium hydride 1 was the only observable ruthenium species until nearly all of the substrate was consumed. In THF, both 1 and some monoruthenium hydride 2 were observed during the course of the hydrogenation. A full kinetic model of the hydrogenation based on rate constants for individual steps in the catalysis was developed. This kinetic model simulates the rate of carbonyl compound hydrogenation and of the amounts of ruthenium species 1 and 2 present during hydrogenations.     

Theoretical investigation on the dissociation of (R)‐benzoin catalyzed by benzaldehyde lyase

Benzaldehyde lyase (BAL) is a versatile thiamin diphosphate (THDP)‐dependent enzyme with widespread synthetic applications in industry. Besides lyase activity, BAL also performs the functions as carboligase and decarboxylase. Unlike many other THDP‐dependent enzymes, the active center of BAL is devoid of any acid‐base amino acid residues except Glu50 and His29, and therefore, the catalytic mechanism of BAL is unusual. In this article, the dissociation mechanism of (R)‐benzoin to benzaldehyde catalyzed by BAL has been studied by using density functional theory method. The calculation results indicate that the whole reaction consists of four elementary steps, and at least two steps contribute to rate‐limiting. A big difference with other THDP‐dependent enzymes is that, in the first stage of the reaction, the ligation of substrate and THDP ylide is not companied by proton transfer, and in the subsequent transition states and intermediates, the carbonyl oxygen always exists in the form of anion. Gln113, His29, and 4′‐amino group of THDP are found to have the function to stabilize the transition states and intermediates. His29 acts as the proton acceptor in step 2 and proton donor in step 3 using one water molecule as mediator. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Can a Proton be Encapsulated in Tetraamido/Diamino Quaternized Macrocycles in Aqueous Solution and Electric Field?

The proton‐binding behavior of solvated tetraamido/diamino quaternized macrocyclic compounds with rigid phenyl and flexible phenyl bridges in the absence or presence of an external electric field is investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The proton can be held through H‐bonding interactions with the two carbonyl oxygen atoms in macrocycles containing rigid (phenyl) and flexible (propyl) bridges. The solute–solvent H‐bonding interactions cause the macrocyclic backbones to twist to different extents, depending on the different bridges. The macrocycle with the rigid phenyl linkages folds into a cuplike shape due to π–π interaction, while the propyl analogue still maintains the ellipsoidal ringlike shape with just a slight distortion. The potential energy required for proton transfer is larger in the phenyl‐containing macrocycle than in the compound with propyl units. When an external electric field with a strength of 2.5 V nm^?1 is exerted along the carbonyl oxygen atoms, a difference in proton encircling is exhibited for macrocycles with rigid and flexible bridges. In contrast to encapsulation of a proton in the propyl analogue, the intermolecular solute–solvent H‐bonding and intramolecular π–π stacking between the two rigid phenyl spacers leads to loss of the proton from the highly distorted cuplike macrocycle with phenyl bridges. The competition between intra‐ and intermolecular interactions governs the behavior of proton encircling in macrocycles.     

Chemoselective Synthesis of Substituted Imines,Secondary Amines,and β‐Amino Carbonyl Compounds from Nitroaromatics through Cascade Reactions on Gold Catalysts

Substituted imines, α,β‐unsaturated imines, substituted secondary amines, and β‐amino carbonyl compounds have been synthesized by means of new cascade reactions with mono‐ or bifunctional gold‐based solid catalysts under mild reaction conditions. The related synthetic route involves the hydrogenation of a nitroaromatic compound in the presence of a second reactant such as an aldehyde, α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compound, or alkyne, which circumvents an ex situ reduction process for producing the aromatic amine. The process is shown to be highly selective towards other competing groups, such as double bonds, carbonyls, halogens, nitriles, or cinnamates, and thereby allows the synthesis of different substituted nitrogenated compounds. For the preparation of imines, substituted anilines are formed and condensed in situ with aldehydes to provide the final product through two tandem reactions. High chemoselectivity is observed, for instance, when double bonds or halides are present within the reactants. In addition, we show that the Au/TiO₂ system is also able to catalyze the chemoselective hydrogenation of imines, so that secondary amines can be prepared directly through a three‐step cascade reaction by starting from nitroaromatic compounds and aldehydes. On the other hand, Au/TiO₂ can also be used as a bifunctional catalyst to obtain substituted β‐amino carbonyl compounds from nitroaromatics and α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Whereas gold sites promote the in situ formation of anilines, the intrinsic acidity of Ti species on the support surface accelerates the subsequent Michael addition. Finally, two gold‐catalyzed reactions, that is, the hydrogenation of nitro groups and a hydroamination, have been coupled to synthesize additional substituted imines from nitroaromatic compounds and alkynes.     

Water Molecules Gating a Photoinduced One‐Electron Two‐Protons Transfer in a Tyrosine/Histidine (Tyr/His) Model of Photosystem II

We investigate a biomimetic model of a Tyr_Z/His₁₉₀ pair, a hydrogen‐bonded phenol/imidazole covalently attached to a porphyrin sensitizer. Laser flash photolysis in the presence of an external electron acceptor reveals the need for water molecules to unlock the light‐induced oxidation of the phenol through an intramolecular pathway. Kinetics monitoring encompasses two fast phases with distinct spectral properties. The first phase is related to a one‐electron transfer from the phenol to the porphyrin radical cation coupled with a domino two‐proton transfer leading to the ejection of a proton from the imidazole–phenol pair. The second phase concerns conveying the released proton to the porphyrin N₄ coordinating cavity. Our study provides an unprecedented example of a light‐induced electron‐transfer process in a Tyr_Z/His₁₉₀ model of photosystem II, evidencing the movement of both the phenol and imidazole protons along an isoenergetic pathway.     

Unexpected Direct Hydride Transfer Mechanism for the Hydrogenation of Ethyl Acetate to Ethanol Catalyzed by SNS Pincer Ruthenium Complexes

The hydrogenation of ethyl acetate to ethanol catalyzed by SNS pincer ruthenium complexes was computationally investigated by using DFT. Different from a previously proposed mechanism with fac‐[(SNS)Ru(PPh₃)(H)₂] ( 5′ ) as the catalyst, an unexpected direct hydride transfer mechanism with a mer‐SNS ruthenium complex as the catalyst, and two cascade catalytic cycles for hydrogenations of ethyl acetate to aldehyde and aldehyde to ethanol, is proposed base on our calculations. The new mechanism features ethanol‐assisted proton transfer for H₂ cleavage, direct hydride transfer from ruthenium to the carbonyl carbon, and C?OEt bond cleavage. Calculation results indicate that the rate‐determining step in the whole catalytic reaction is the transfer of a hydride from ruthenium to the carbonyl carbon of ethyl acetate, with a total free energy barrier of only 26.9 kcal mol^?1, which is consistent with experimental observations and significantly lower than the relative free energy of an intermediate in a previously postulated mechanism with 5′ as the catalyst.     

Quantum chemical study of Lewis acid catalyzed allylboration of aldehydes

The reaction rate enhancement in the reaction of allylboronate with benzaldehyde in the presence of AlCl3 has been studied theoretically. B3LYP calculations find a relatively high activation barrier for the reaction of pinacol allylboronate with benzaldehyde in the absence of the Lewis acid. The reaction paths that go through the transition states coordinated by an AlCl3 molecule at one of the two oxygen atoms in the boronate give significantly lower values of activation energy. An analysis of electron populations and orbitals taking part in bond formation indicates that the AlCl3 molecule attached to the boronate oxygen atom strengthens the electrophilicity of the boron center, while it weakens the nucleophilicity of the C(gamma)-C(beta) bond. The result supports the electrophilic boronate activation mechanism proposed by Rauniyar and Hall on the basis of experiments and kinetic studies. In contrast, the reaction path in which AlCl3 is coordinated to the carbonyl oxygen of benzaldehyde shows a higher activation barrier, though the initial reactant complex is more stable than those in other reaction paths. The AlCl3 molecule reduces the reactivity of aldehyde by depressing the nucleophilicity of the sigma-type lone pair of electrons on the carbonyl oxygen, though the electrophilicity of the carbonyl pi orbital is strengthened to some extent. The significance of charge polarization within allylboronate in enhancing the reactivity of boron by the Lewis acid is discussed.     

Iron Borohydride Pincer Complexes for the Efficient Hydrogenation of Ketones under Mild,Base‐Free Conditions: Synthesis and Mechanistic Insight

The new, structurally characterized hydrido carbonyl tetrahydridoborate iron pincer complex [(iPr‐PNP)Fe(H)(CO)(η¹‐BH₄)] ( 1 ) catalyzes the base‐free hydrogenation of ketones to their corresponding alcohols employing only 4.1 atm hydrogen pressure. Turnover numbers up to 1980 at complete conversion of ketone were reached with this system. Treatment of 1 with aniline (as a BH₃ scavenger) resulted in a mixture of trans‐[(iPr‐PNP)Fe(H)₂(CO)] ( 4 a ) and cis‐[(iPr‐PNP)Fe(H)₂(CO)] ( 4 b ). The dihydrido complexes 4 a and 4 b do not react with acetophenone or benzaldehyde, indicating that these complexes are not intermediates in the catalytic reduction of ketones. NMR studies indicate that the tetrahydridoborate ligand in 1 dissociates prior to ketone reduction. DFT calculations show that the mechanism of the iron‐catalyzed hydrogenation of ketones involves alcohol‐assisted aromatization of the dearomatized complex [(iPr‐PNP*)Fe(H)(CO)] ( 7 ) to initially give the Fe⁰ complex [(iPr‐PNP)Fe(CO)] ( 21 ) and subsequently [(iPr‐PNP)Fe(CO)(EtOH)] ( 38 ). Concerted coordination of acetophenone and dual hydrogen‐atom transfer from the PNP arm and the coordinated ethanol to, respectively, the carbonyl carbon and oxygen atoms, leads to the dearomatized complex [(iPr‐PNP*)Fe(CO)(EtO)(MeCH(OH)Ph)] ( 32 ). The catalyst is regenerated by release of 1‐phenylethanol, followed by dihydrogen coordination and proton transfer to the coordinated ethoxide ligand.     

Electron Transfer between Hydrogen‐Bonded Pyridylphenols and a Photoexcited Rhenium(I) Complex

Two pyridylphenols with intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the phenol and pyridine units have been synthesized, characterized crystallographically, and investigated by cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Reductive quenching of the triplet metal‐to‐ligand charge‐transfer excited state of the [Re(CO)₃(phen)(py)]⁺ complex (phen=1,10‐phenanthroline, py=pyridine) by the two pyridylphenols and two reference phenol molecules is investigated by steady‐state and time‐resolved luminescence spectroscopy, as well as by transient absorption spectroscopy. Stern–Volmer analysis of the luminescence quenching data provides rate constants for the bimolecular excited‐state quenching reactions. H/D kinetic isotope effects for the pyridylphenols are on the order of 2.0, and the bimolecular quenching reactions are up to 100 times faster with the pyridylphenols than with the reference phenols. This observation is attributed to the markedly less positive oxidation potentials of the pyridylphenols with respect to the reference phenols (≈0.5 V), which in turn is caused by proton coupling of the phenol oxidation process. Transient absorption spectroscopy provides unambiguous evidence for the photogeneration of phenoxyl radicals, that is, the overall photoreaction is clearly a proton‐coupled electron‐transfer process.     

Experimental and Theoretical Insight into the Kinetics and Mechanism of the Synthesis Reaction of 2,3‐Dihydro‐2‐phenylquinazolin‐4(1H)‐one Catalyzed in Formic Acid

An efficient and simple method has been developed for the synthesis of 2,3‐dihydro‐2‐phenylquinazolin‐4(1H )‐one catalyzed in formic acid. Also, the synthesis reaction between benzaldehyde and 2‐aminobenzamid was monitored spectrally. On the basis of the kinetic data obtained by the UV–vis spectrophotometry, both the first and second steps of the speculative five steps mechanism were enabled to be a rate‐determining step and also reaction showed second‐order kinetics. Considering information obtained by the stopped‐flow technique indicated that the first step is certainly a fast step. Moreover, the reaction was energetically and thermodynamically evaluated using theoretical methods and results were profoundly compared with the experimental approaches. Herein, theoretical rate constants were obtained using potential energy surfaces and the transition state theory at the B3LYP/6–311+G** level of theory. The Winger method was also applied to describe the tunneling effects. Calculations showed that the second step was the rate‐determining step in accordance with the experimental data. It is also found that the oxidation step was the fastest step in the proposed mechanism. For all five steps, two possibilities were considered for generating the probable product by using the thermodynamic parameters and kinetic data. Thermodynamic parameters also showed an exothermic reaction.     

Synthesis and characterization of copper(II) complexes of sulfadiazine with amino acids: catalytic activity toward oxidation of phenol and catechol

New copper complexes of DL-methioninoylsulfadiazine (MTS) and L-cystinoylsulfadiazine (CYS) were prepared and characterized using elemental analysis, IR, electronic spectroscopy, EPR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. The mode of binding indicates that copper binds to MTS through carbonyl oxygen with the amino group nitrogen while for Cu^II–CYS the copper binds through carbonyl oxygen and SH with removal of its proton. The proposed structures were supported by conformational analysis which showed predominance of the trans form of copper(II)-L-cystinoylsulfadiazine. The two complexes enhanced oxidation of phenol and catechol in the presence of H₂O₂ under mild conditions. The catalyst shows proficiency toward oxidation of phenol and catechol compared to the auto-catalytic oxidation. Cu^II–MTS exhibited higher catalytic activity than Cu^II–CYS. The phenol and catechol oxidation is inhibited by Kojic acid.     

Enhanced catalytic performance of Pd‐Ga bimetallic catalysts for 2‐ethylanthraquinone hydrogenation

A series of Pd and Pd‐Ga bimetallic catalysts were prepared by a co‐impregnation method for 2‐ethylanthraquinone (EAQ) hydrogenation to produce hydrogen peroxide. Compared with 0.6Pd catalyst, the hydrogenation efficiency of 0.6Pd1.2Ga catalyst (11.9 g L^?1) increases by 32.2%, and the stability of 0.6Pd1.2Ga catalyst is also higher than that of 0.6Pd catalyst. The structures of the samples were determined by N₂ adsorption–desorption, ICP, XRD, CO chemisorption, TEM, H₂‐TPR, in situ CO‐DRIFTS and XPS. The results suggest that incorporation of Ga species improves Pd dispersion and generates a strong interaction between Ga₂O₃ and Pd interface or between Pd and support. DFT calculation results indicate that the strong adsorption of carbonyl group on Ga₂O₃/Pd interface facilitates the activation of EAQ and promotes the hydrogenation efficiency.     

Electrochemically Tunable Proton‐Coupled Electron Transfer in Pd‐Catalyzed Benzaldehyde Hydrogenation

Acid functionalization of a carbon support allows to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of Pd to hydrogenate benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol proportional to the concentration of Brønsted‐acid sites. In contrast, the hydrogenation rate is not affected when H₂ is used as a reduction equivalent. The different responses to the catalyst properties are shown to be caused by differences in the hydrogenation mechanism between the electrochemical and the H₂‐induced hydrogenation pathways. The enhancement of electrocatalytic reduction is realized by the participation of support‐generated hydronium ions in the proximity of the metal particles.     

Mechanistic Investigation of Chiral Phosphoric Acid Catalyzed Asymmetric Baeyer–Villiger Reaction of 3‐Substituted Cyclobutanones with H2O2 as the Oxidant

The mechanism of the chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed Baeyer–Villiger (B–V) reaction of cyclobutanones with hydrogen peroxide was investigated by using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. Of the two pathways that have been proposed for the present reaction, the pathway involving a peroxyphosphate intermediate is not viable. The reaction progress kinetic analysis indicates that the reaction is partially inhibited by the γ‐lactone product. Initial rate measurements suggest that the reaction follows Michaelis–Menten‐type kinetics consistent with a bifunctional mechanism in which the catalyst is actively involved in both carbonyl addition and the subsequent rearrangement steps through hydrogen‐bonding interactions with the reactants or the intermediate. High‐level quantum chemical calculations strongly support a two‐step concerted mechanism in which the phosphoric acid activates the reactants or the intermediate in a synergistic manner through partial proton transfer. The catalyst simultaneously acts as a general acid, by increasing the electrophilicity of the carbonyl carbon, increases the nucleophilicity of hydrogen peroxide as a Lewis base in the addition step, and facilitates the dissociation of the OH group from the Criegee intermediate in the rearrangement step. The overall reaction is highly exothermic, and the rearrangement of the Criegee intermediate is the rate‐determining step. The observed reactivity of this catalytic B–V reaction also results, in part, from the ring strain in cyclobutanones. The sense of chiral induction is rationalized by the analysis of the relative energies of the competing diastereomeric transition states, in which the steric repulsion between the 3‐substituent of the cyclobutanone and the 3‐ and 3′‐substituents of the catalyst, as well as the entropy and solvent effects, are found to be critically important.     

Efficient Batch‐Mode Parahydrogen‐Induced Polarization of Propane

We report on a simple approach for efficient NMR proton hyperpolarization of propane using the parahydrogen‐induced polarization (PHIP) technique, which yielded ≈6.2 % proton polarization using ≈80 % parahydrogen, a record level achieved with any hyperpolarization technique for propane. Unlike in previously developed approaches designed for continuous‐flow operation, where reactants (propene and parahydrogen) are simultaneously loaded for homogeneous or heterogeneous pairwise addition of parahydrogen, here a batch‐mode method is applied: propene is first loaded into the catalyst‐containing solution, which is followed by homogeneous hydrogenation via parahydrogen bubbling delivered at ≈7.1 atm. The achieved nuclear spin polarization of this contrast agent potentially useful for pulmonary imaging is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than that achieved in the continuous‐flow homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation, and a factor of 3–10 more efficient compared to the typical results of heterogeneous continuous‐flow hydrogenations.     

A theoretical study on the catalytic mechanism of Mus musculus adenosine deaminase

The catalytic mechanism of Mus musculus adenosine deaminase (ADA) has been studied by quantum mechanics and two‐layered ONIOM calculations. Our calculations show that the previously proposed mechanism, involving His238 as the general base to activate the Zn‐bound water, has a high activation barrier of about 28 kcal/mol at the proposed rate‐determining nucleophilic addition step, and the corresponding calculated kinetic isotope effects are significantly different from the recent experimental observations. We propose a revised mechanism based on calculations, in which Glu217 serves as the general base to abstract the proton of the Zn‐bound water, and the protonated Glu217 then activates the substrate for the subsequent nucleophilic addition. The rate‐determining step is the proton transfer from Zn‐OH to 6‐NH₂ of the tetrahedral intermediate, in which His238 serves as a proton shuttle for the proton transfer. The calculated kinetic isotope effects agree well with the experimental data, and calculated activation energy is also consistent with the experimental reaction rate. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

New uranyl(VI) complexes with hydrazones derived from aliphatic and aromatic acid hydrazides containing dihydroxo bridges

Summary Several new uranyl(VI) complexes of hydrazones, derived from formoyl-, acetoyl-, butroyl-, caproyl-, salicyloyl-, oxaloyldi-, malonoyldi-, and adipolyldi-hydrazines and benzaldehyde or salicylaldehyde have been prepared in absolute EtOH and in the presence or absence of AcONa. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductivities, spectral (u.v., i.r, n.m.r.,) and magnetic measurements. I.r. spectral data suggest that the ligands coordinate in a bi-, tri- and/or tetradentate fashion in the enol form, and that proton displacement proceedsvia the enolized carbonyl oxygen solely in the benzaldehyde hydrazone complexes and through the OH (phenolic) in the salicylaldehyde hydrazone complexes. Moreover, the spectral data show the existence of dihydroxo bridges for benzaldehyde hydrazone complexes. The role of the OH (phenolic) as well as the presence or absence of NaOAc on the properties of the latter complexes is discussed.     

Theoretical Study on the Cyclization Mechanism of Dipeptides

Cyclization is an important chemical reaction for the dipeptides containing N‐alkyl groups. The cyclization mechanism has been examined by theoretical calculations. Our calculation results indicate that the most favorable mechanism is the piperidine‐catalyzed stepwise mechanism, in which piperidine acts as a proton shuttle. The attack of the N‐terminal amino nitrogen at the C‐terminal carbonyl carbon along with the proton transfer is the rate‐limiting step. The effect of the alkyl substituent on the amide N on the cyclization reaction was then examined. Finally, the influence of the solvation effect, electronic effect and steric effect on the cyclization was investigated. It is found that all of these effects contribute to the cyclization.     

The Role of Nitrogen-doping in the Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Phenol to Cyclohexanone with Formic Acid over Pd supported on Carbon Nanotubes

Highly selective one-step hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone, an important intermediate in the production of nylon 6 and nylon 66, is desirable but remains a challenge. Pd nanoparticles supported on nitrogen- and oxygen-functionalized carbon nanotubes (NCNTs, OCNTs) were prepared, characterized, and applied in the hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone to study the effect of N-doping. Almost full conversion of phenol with high selectivity to cyclohexanone was achieved over Pd/NCNT under mild reaction conditions using either H₂ or formic acid (FA) as a hydrogen source. The effects of reaction temperature and FA/phenol ratio and the reusability were investigated. Separate FA decomposition experiments without and with the addition of phenol were performed to investigate the reaction mechanism, especially the deactivation behavior. Deactivation was observed for both catalysts during the FA decomposition, while only Pd/OCNT rather than Pd/NCNT was deactivated in the transfer hydrogenation with FA and the FA decomposition in the presence of phenol, indicating the unique role of N-doping. Therefore, we assume that deactivation is caused by the strongly bound formates on the active Pd sites, suppressing further FA decomposition and/or transfer hydrogenation on Pd. The nonplanar adsorption of phenol on NCNTs via weak O−H⋅⋅⋅N interactions enables the occurrence of the subsequent hydrogenation by adsorbed formate on Pd.     

Computational studies on electron and proton transfer in phenol‐imidazole‐base triads

The electron and proton transfer in phenol‐imidazole‐base systems (base = NH₂^? or OH^?) were investigated by density‐functional theory calculations. In particular, the role of bridge imidazole on the electron and proton transfer was discussed in comparison with the phenol‐base systems (base = imidazole, H₂O, NH₃, OH^?, and NH₂^?). In the gas phase phenol‐imidazole‐base system, the hydrogen bonding between the phenol and the imidazole is classified as short strong hydrogen bonding, whereas that between the imidazole and the base is a conventional hydrogen bonding. The n value in spⁿ hybridization of the oxygen and carbon atoms of the phenolic CO sigma bond was found to be closely related to the CO bond length. From the potential energy surfaces without and with zero point energy correction, it can be concluded that the separated electron and proton transfer mechanism is suitable for the gas‐phase phenol‐imidazole‐base triads, in which the low‐barrier hydrogen bond is found and the delocalized phenolic proton can move freely in the single‐well potential. For the gas‐phase oxidized systems and all of the triads in water solvent, the homogeneous proton‐coupled electron transfer mechanism prevails. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010