A study of the gas-phase reaction between protonated acetaldehyde and methanol

Protonated acetaldehyde is methylated on the oxygen during interaction with methanol in the gas phase. The ionic product of the ion/molecule reaction between methanol and protonated acetaldehyde is identical with C-protonated methylvinyl ether (high-pressure ionization), and with the (M − C₂H₅)⁺ fragment ion of sec-butyl methyl ether (following electron ionization), and also with the (M − OCH₃)⁺ fragment ion of acetaldehyde dimethylacetal (following electron ionization). The structures of these ions and the mechanism of their formation were established by isotope-labeling experiments and collision-induced dissociation mass spectra of model compounds obtained with three different types of tandem mass spectrometers (BEQQ, triple-quadrupole, and a penta-quadrupole instrument). Gas phase synthesis of the product ion from [²H₃]-methanol or [²H₄]-acetaldehyde provided insight into its mode of formation and collision-induced dissociation.     

Theoretical survey of the reaction between osmium and acetaldehyde

The mechanism of the reaction of osmium atom with acetaldehyde has been investigated with a DFT approach. All the stationary points are determined at the UB3LYP/sdd/6-311++G** level of the theory. Both ground and excited state potential energy surfaces are investigated in detail. The present results show that the title reaction start with the formation of a CH₃CHO-metal complex followed by C-C, aldehyde C-H, C-O, and methyl C-H activation. These reactions can lead to four different products (HOsCH₃ + CO, OsCO + CH₄, OsCOCH₃ + H, and OsO + C₂H₄). The minimum energy reaction path is found to involve the spin inversion in the initial reaction step. This potential energy curve-crossing dramatically affects reaction exothermic. The present results may be helpful in understanding the mechanism of the title reaction and further experimental investigation of the reaction.     

Nucleophilic identity substitution reactions. The reaction between ammonia and protonated amines

The gas phase reactions between NH3 and the protonated amines MeNH3+, EtNH3+, PriNH3+, and Bu(t)nH3+ have been studied by high level ab initio methods. Mass spectrometric experiments yielded no significant reaction products; this result being consistent with the calculated reaction barriers. The potential energy profiles for both nucleophilic substitution (SN2) and elimination (E2) pathways have been investigated. Both back side Walden inversion (SNB) and front side (SNF) nucleophilic reaction profiles have been generated. The SNB reaction barriers are found to be higher for the more alkyl substituted reaction centres. Reaction barrier trends have been analysed and compared with the results of a similar study of the H2O-ROH2+ system (R = Me, Et, Pri, and Bu(t)).     

Nucleophilic identity substitution reactions. The reaction between water and protonated alcohols

The potential energy surfaces for the reaction between H2O and the protonated alcohols MeOH2+, EtOH2+, PriOH2+, and Bu(t)OH2+ have been explored by means of high level ab initio theoretical methods. Both nucleophilic substitution (SN2) and elimination (E2) pathways have been investigated. Front side (SNF) and the familiar back side (SNB) Walden inversion attack of the nucleophile have been found to be competing for the H2O Bu(t)OH2+ system. In contradiction with the customary relationship between so-called "steric effects" and barrier heights--more alkyl-substituted SN2 reaction centres have higher SN2 reaction barriers--the SN2 reaction barriers are found to be Et > Me > Pri > Bui. This result is in excellent agreement with available experimental data.     

Theoretical study of the mechanism of cycloaddition reaction between dichloro-germylidene and acetaldehyde

The mechanism of the cycloadditional reaction between singlet dichloro-germylidene(R1) and (acetaldehyde(R2) has been investigated with MP2/6-31G* method, including geometry optimization, vibrational analysis and energies for the involved stationary points on the potential energy surface. From the potential energy profile, we predict that the cycloaddition reaction between singlet dichloro-germylidene and acetaldehyde has two competitive dominant reaction pathways. Going with the formation of two side products (INT3 and INT4), simultaneously. The two competitive reactions both consist of two steps: (1) two reactants firstly form a three-membered ring intermediate (INT1) and a twisted four-membered ring intermediate (INT2), respectively, both of which are barrier-free exothermic reactions of 44.5 and 63.0 kJ/mol; (2) then INT1 and INT2 further isomerize to a four-membered ring product (P1) and a chlorine-transfer product (P2) via transitions (TS1 and TS2), respectively, with the barriers of 9.3 and 1.0 kJ/mol; simultaneously, P1 and INT2 react further with acetaldehyde(R2) to give two side products (INT3 and INT4), respectively, which are also barrier-free exothermic reaction of 65.4 and 102.7 kJ/mol.     

Elimination of methane from protonated acetaldehyde: The Ab initio transition state

The transition state (TS) for loss of CH₄ from protonated acetaldehyde has been located at the second-order Moller-Plesset (MP2)/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. The activation energy is predicted to be 263.9 kJ/mol starting from the more stable form (methyl and hydrogen E) and 261.6 kJ/mol starting from the less stable form (methyl and hydrogen Z) that is required for reaction. The products (methane and the formyl ion) are predicted to lie 136.6 kJ/mol below the TS for their formation. MP2 methods underestimate the heats of formation of both the TS and the reaction products by about 40 kJ/mol when compared with experiment. Restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) calculations give much more accurate relative energies. The MP2 TS leads directly to fragmentation and is described as a protonation of the methyl group by the acidic proton on oxygen. Under RHF theory the reaction is stepwise. An RHF TS similar to the MP2 TS leads to a nonclassical intermediate (which is stable at this level of theory) that has one of the C---H bonds protonated. This mechanism (protonation of an alkyl group) appears to be a general one for high energy 1,2 eliminations from organic cations. (J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 1994, 5, 1102-1106)     

Nucleophilic identity substitution reactions. The reaction between hydrogen fluoride and protonated alkyl fluorides

The gas phase reactions between HF and the protonated alkyl fluorides MeFH+, EtFH+, Pr(i)FH+, and Bu(t)FH+ have been studied using ab initio methods. The potential energy profiles for both nucleophilic substitution (S(N)2) and elimination (E2) pathways have been investigated. Both backside Walden inversion and frontside nucleophilic substitution reaction profiles have been generated. Backside substitution is very favourable, but shows relatively little variation with the alkyl group. Frontside substitution reaction barriers are only slightly higher than the barrier for backside substitution for HF + MeFH+, and the difference in barrier heights for frontside and backside displacement seems negligible for the larger alkyl groups. Reaction barrier trends have been analysed and compared with the results of similar studies of the H2O/ROH2+ and NH3/RNH3+ systems (R = Me, Et, Pr(i), and Bu(t)). Compared to the two other classes, protonated fluorides have extreme structures which, with the exception of the Me substrate, are weakly bound complexes between an alkyl cation and HF. The results nourish the idea that nucleophilic substitution reactions are better understood in view of competition between frontside and backside substitution than from the traditional S(N)1/S(N)2 perspective.     

Experimental and DFT study of the aza-Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and protonated benzylimine derivated from glyoxylates

The Diels-Alder reaction of protonated N-benzyl imine of methyl glyoxylate with cyclopentadiene in different solvents gave mixtures of exo/endo adducts. The exo/endo selectivity of the reaction was elucidated by NMR experiments. Theoretical calculations by means of density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level have also been performed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of this reaction. The DFT results suggest a highly asynchronous concerted mechanism, which in turn can explain the preferred exo stereoselectivity of the reaction. Inclusion of solvent effects enhances the exo selectivity, and this effect increases with the polarity of the solvent, in good agreement with the experimental findings.     

A three-component reaction between benzynes, the enolate of acetaldehyde, and unsaturated esters and dihydroisoquinolines

A three-component one-pot coupling between benzynes, the enolate of acetaldehyde and various electrophiles led to bicyclic and tetracyclic ring systems.     

The reaction of OH with acetaldehyde and deuterated acetaldehyde: Further insight into the reaction mechanism at both low and elevated temperatures

The pulsed laser photolysis/laser‐induced fluorescence technique has been used to conduct additional measurements of the gas‐phase CH₃CHO + OH reaction. These measurements were conducted to verify the complex temperature dependence previously observed by the authors and to acquire mechanistic information about the reaction mechanism in the form of primary kinetic isotope effects. Primary kinetic isotope effect measurements at temperatures of 297, 383, 600, and 860 K indicate that H abstraction from the acetyl group dominates that of the methyl group at low to modest temperatures (?600 K) and H abstraction from the methyl group dominates that from the acetyl group at higher temperatures (860 K). A bi‐exponential © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 489–495, 2006     

Primary amine catalyzed aldol reaction of isatins and acetaldehyde

Several cinchona alkaloid-derived chiral primary amines were applied as the catalyst for the cross aldol reaction of isatins with acetaldehyde. With the quinine-derived amine catalyst 3, the desired aldol products were obtained in high yields and good enantioselectivities (up to 93% ee) under the optimized conditions. Although other enolizable aldehydes and ketones may also be applied in this reaction, the ee values obtained are usually low. A mechanism was proposed to account for the formation of the major enantiomer in this reaction.     

Electron transfer between protonated and unprotonated phenoxyl radicals

The reaction of phenoxyl radicals with acids is investigated. 2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylphenoxyl radical (13), a persistent radical, deteriorates in MeOH/PhH in the presence of an acid yielding 4-methoxycyclohexa-2,5-dienone 18a and the parent phenol (14). The reaction is facilitated by a strong acid. Treatment of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenoxyl radical (2), a short-lived radical, generated by dissociation of its dimer, with an acid in MeOH provides 4-methoxycyclohexa-2,5-dienone 4 and the products from disproportionation of 2 including the parent phenol (3). A strong acid in a high concentration favors the formation of 4 while the yield of 3 is always kept high. Oxidation of the parent phenol (33) with PbO(2) to generate transient 2,6-di-tert-butylphenoxyl radical (35) in AcOH/H(2)O containing an added acid provides eventually p-benzoquinone 39 and 4,4'-diphenoquinone 42, the product from dimerization of 35. A strong acid in a high concentration favors the formation of 39. These results suggest that a phenoxyl radical is protonated by an acid and electron transfer takes place from another phenoxyl radical to the protonated phenoxyl radical, thus generating the phenoxyl cation, which can add an oxygen nucleophile, and the phenol (eq 5). The electron transfer is a fast reaction.     

Computational study on the ring-opening reaction of protonated oxirane and methylpropene

A computational study on the intermolecular reaction of protonated oxirane with methylpropene, as a model for initiation of oxidosqualene cyclisation, shows that the S_N2-like ring opening is strongly exothermic with a low barrier to reaction and establishes the geometry of the intermolecular reaction.     

The reaction of hydrogen S-n-propyl methylphosphonothioic acid with acetaldehyde

The reaction provides a new phosphonylation procedure for simple alcohols. Results obtained in inert solvents are consistent with the intermediacy of a phosphorus hemiacetal.     

Product detection of the CH radical reaction with acetaldehyde

The reaction of the methylidyne radical (CH) with acetaldehyde (CH(3)CHO) is studied at room temperature and at a pressure of 4 Torr (533.3 Pa) using a multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometer coupled to the tunable vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron radiation of the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The CH radicals are generated by 248 nm multiphoton photolysis of CHBr(3) and react with acetaldehyde in an excess of helium and nitrogen gas flow. Five reaction exit channels are observed corresponding to elimination of methylene (CH(2)), elimination of a formyl radical (HCO), elimination of carbon monoxide (CO), elimination of a methyl radical (CH(3)), and elimination of a hydrogen atom. Analysis of the photoionization yields versus photon energy for the reaction of CH and CD radicals with acetaldehyde and CH radical with partially deuterated acetaldehyde (CD(3)CHO) provides fine details about the reaction mechanism. The CH(2) elimination channel is found to preferentially form the acetyl radical by removal of the aldehydic hydrogen. The insertion of the CH radical into a C-H bond of the methyl group of acetaldehyde is likely to lead to a C(3)H(5)O reaction intermediate that can isomerize by β-hydrogen transfer of the aldehydic hydrogen atom and dissociate to form acrolein + H or ketene + CH(3), which are observed directly. Cycloaddition of the radical onto the carbonyl group is likely to lead to the formation of the observed products, methylketene, methyleneoxirane, and acrolein.     

Rate coefficients for the OH + acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) reaction between 204 and 373 K

The rate coefficient, k₁, for the gas‐phase reaction OH + CH₃CHO (acetaldehyde) → products, was measured over the temperature range 204–373 K using pulsed laser photolytic production of OH coupled with its detection via laser‐induced fluorescence. The CH₃CHO concentration was measured using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV absorption at 184.9 nm and gas flow rates. The room temperature rate coefficient and Arrhenius expression obtained are k₁(296 K) = (1.52 ± 0.15) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 and k₁(T) = (5.32 ± 0.55) × 10^?12 exp[(315 ± 40)/T] cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. The rate coefficient for the reaction OH (ν = 1) + CH₃CHO, k₇(T) (where k₇ is the rate coefficient for the overall removal of OH (ν = 1)), was determined over the temperature range 204–296 K and is given by k₇(T) = (3.5 ± 1.4) × 10^?12 exp[(500 ± 90)/T], where k₇(296 K) = (1.9 ± 0.6) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. The quoted uncertainties are 2σ (95% confidence level). The preexponential term and the room temperature rate coefficient include estimated systematic errors. k₇ is slightly larger than k₁ over the range of temperatures included in this study. The results from this study were found to be in good agreement with previously reported values of k₁(T) for temperatures <298 K. An expression for k₁(T), suitable for use in atmospheric models, in the NASA/JPL and IUPAC format, was determined by combining the present results with previously reported values and was found to be k₁(298 K) = 1.5 × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, f(298 K) = 1.1, E/R = 340 K, and Δ E/R (or g) = 20 K over the temperature range relevant to the atmosphere. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 635–646, 2008     

Direct dynamics study on the reaction of acetaldehyde with ozone

The hydrogen abstraction reaction of ozone with acetaldehyde has been studied theoretically over the temperature range 250-2500 K. Two different reactive sites of acetaldehyde molecule, CH(3) and CHO groups have been investigated, and results confirm that the CHO group is a highly reactive site. In this study, the geometries and harmonic vibrational frequencies of all stationary points are calculated at the MPW1K, BHandHLYP, and MPWB1K levels of theory. The minimum energy paths (MEPs) were obtained at the MPW1K/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory. To refine the energies along the MEPs of each channel, single-point energy calculations were performed by a higher-level energy calculation method (denoted as HL). The rate constants were evaluated based on the MEPs from the HL method in the temperature range 250-2500 K by using the conventional transition state theory (TST), the canonical variational transition state theory (CVT), the microcanonical variational transition state theory (muVT), the CVT coupled with small-curvature tunneling (SCT) correction (CVT/SCT), and the muVT coupled with Eckart tunneling correction (muVT/Eckart). The fitted three-parameter Arrhenius expressions of the calculated CVT/SCT and muVT/Eckart rate constants of the H abstraction from CHO group are k CVT/SCT(T) = 4.92 x 10(-27).T 3.77.e(-7867.0/T) and k muVT/Eckart(T) = 2.10 x 10(-27).T(3.90).e(-7706.2/T), respectively. The fitted three-parameter Arrhenius expressions of the calculated CVT/SCT and muVT/Eckart rate constants of the H abstraction from CH3 group are k(CVT/SCT)(T) = 1.27 x 10(-27).T(3.94).e(-14554.1/T) and k muVT/Eckart(T) = 1.62 x 10(-26).T(3.66).e(-15459.8/T), respectively.