Reactions of Charged Substrates. 6. The Methoxymethyl Carbenium Ion Problem. 1. A Semiempirical Study of the Kinetic and Thermodynamic Stabilities of Linear and Cyclic Oxo- and Thiocarbenium Ions Generated from Pyridinium and Dimethylanilinium Ions

AM1-calculated energy profiles for dissociation of (methoxymethyl)pyridinium and dimethylanilinium ion substrates show that the methoxymethyl carbenium ion is not sufficiently stable to exist as an intermediate on the reaction coordinate for this model reaction. [(Thiomethoxy)methyl]pyridinium ion, however, has a distinct transition state because of the stability of the resulting ion-neutral complex. The complete potential energy surfaces for water displacement on the methoxymethyl substrate with either pyridine or dimethylaniline as the leaving group show distinct transition states and very flat surfaces for the ion-neutral complexes in which interaction of the carbenium ion with both leaving group and nucleophile is stabilizing. Secondary systems studied, including linear methoxy and thiomethoxy substrates, 5- and 6-membered cyclic oxo and thio substrates, and ribosyl-, xylopyranosyl-, and glucopyranosylpyridinium ions yield ion-neutral complexes with sufficient intrinsic stability to exist as intermediates. Comparison with solution data, primarily activation entropy and Br?nsted coefficients, suggests that the sugar oxocarbenium ions, either as distinct, solvent-equilibrated intermediates or elements of ion-neutral complexes, are formed by unimolecular dissociation of the respective substrates in solution.     

Hydrolysis of alpha- and beta-glycosides. New experimental data and modeling of reaction pathways

[reaction: see text] The cyclization of oxocarbenium ion conformers 6alpha and 6beta (from 11E and 11Z) gave only the beta-glycoside 1beta, and the addition of methanol to the oxocarbenium ion 3 yielded mainly the alpha-glycoside 1alpha with both experiments being carried out under kinetically controlled conditions. RHF/6.31G calculations reproduce well these experimental results and show that the endocyclic and the exocyclic C-O bond cleavage processes can compete in the hydrolysis of 1beta, whereas 1alpha gets hydrolyzed by exocyclic C-O bond cleavage only.     

Stereoelectronic control in the cleavage of tetrahedral intermediates in the hydrolysis of esters and amides

A new stereoelectronic theory for the cleavage of the tetrahedral intermediate in the hydrolysis of esters and amides is presented. In this new theory, the precise conformation of the intermediate hemi-orthoester or hemi-orthoamide controls the nature of the hydrolysis products. It is postulated that the breakdown of a conformer of a tetrahedral intermediate depends upon the orientation of the lone pair orbitals of the hetero-atoms. Specific cleavage of a carbon-oxygen or a carbon-nitrogen bond in any conformer is allowed only if the other two hetero-atoms (oxygen or nitrogen) each have an orbital oriented antiperiplanar to the leaving O-alkyl or N-alkyl group. Experimentally, the oxidation of acetals by ozone and the acid hydrolysis of a series of cyclic orthoesters demonstrates clearly that there is indeed a stereoelectronic control in the cleavage of hemiorthoesters. Similarly, a study of the basic hydrolysis of a variety of N,N-dialkylated imidate salts shows that the same stereoelectronic control is operating in the cleavage of hemiorthoamides.     

Reactions of the phenylium cation with small oxygen- and nitrogen-containing molecules

The reactions of phenylium with water and ammonia and their methyl homologs have been investigated using a quadrupole ion trap and semiempirical molecular orbital calculations. The results indicate that both types of molecules react with phenylium through lone pair electrons even though, for methyl-containing compounds, insertion into a C-H bond would lead to more stable products. For the excited adducts formed by reaction with methyl-containing reactant neutrals, the only dissociation observed is loss of a methyl radical. Neutral losses of H₂ or CH₄, which are more thermodynamically stable, are not observed, which indicates that these reactions are either not kinetically competitive or have high energy transition states due to the fact that the reactions would need to occur via orbital symmetry forbidden 1,2 eliminations.     

Theoretical analysis of fluoroglycine conformers

Seven different optimized conformers of α‐fluoroglycine (H₂NCHFCOOH) were obtained from ab initio calculations. Some of these conformers are exceptionally stable compared to similar conformers of glycine. Conformers in which the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom are antiperiplanar to the C F bond are more stable than conformers that do not have such an arrangement. The stability difference between conformers with such an arrangement and conformers that have the lone pair of electrons synperiplanar to the C F bond is about 27 kJ/mol (calculated at the MP2/6‐31+G* level). Conformers that have the lone pair of electrons antiperiplanar to the C F bond possess a longer C F bond, a shorter C N bond, and sp²‐like amino bond angles. For some conformers an unusual hydrogen bond involving the acidic carboxylic acid hydrogen and the electronegative fluorine atom is observed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 21: 426–431, 2000     

Is there stereoelectronic control in hydrolysis of cyclic guanidinium ions?

To assess stereoelectronic effects in the cleavage of tetrahedral intermediates, a series of five-, six-, and seven-membered cyclic guanidinium salts was synthesized. If stereoelectronic control by antiperiplanar lone pairs is operative, these are expected to hydrolyze with endocyclic C-N cleavage to acyclic ureas. However, hydrolysis in basic media produces mixtures of cyclic and acyclic products, as determined by 1H NMR analysis. The results show that in the six-membered ring antiperiplanar lone pairs provide a weak acceleration of the breakdown of the tetrahedral intermediate, but in five- and seven-membered rings there is no evidence for such acceleration, which instead can be provided by syn lone pairs.     

Quantum-Chemical Study of the Structure of Cyanophosphines and Their Oxides

The structure of cyanophosphines and their oxides was studied by ab initio (RHF/6-31G^**) and semiempirical (PM3) methods. Both methods predict that MeOP(CN)₂, (MeO)₂PCN, and (MeO)₂P(O)CN exist in noneclipsed antiperiplanar and synclinal conformations. The calculation results nicely agree with measured dipole moments and Kerr constants of these compounds. The phenyl and diphenyl derivatives PhP(CN)₂, Ph₂PCN, Ph(Et)PCN, and Ph₂P(O)CN prefer forms in which the phenyl ring plane is eclipsing the phosphorus lone electron pair or the phosphoryl bond. The interactions of the phosphorus lone electron pair with the phenyl ring and with the cyano group are lacking in the title compounds.     

硫醚中碳硫键室温选择性断裂反应的研究

本文研究了在四氟硼酸银存在下, 硫醚与碘甲烷室温下发生碳硫键选择性断裂反应。研究结果表明: 只有当二苄基硫醚的苯环对位连有强的供电子基团甲氧基时, 方可发生碳硫键的断裂。提出了一个离子型反应机理且碳硫键的断裂分三步完成。首先, 硫醚与甲基化试剂反应生成甲基锍盐; 继而, 此锍离子离解成由苄基碳正离子和硫醚组成的离子-偶极集合物; 最后, 甲基化试剂再进攻集合物中的硫醚, 从而导致碳硫键的断裂。     

Inapplicability of the Antiperiplanar Lone Pair Hypothesis to C-P Bond Breaking and Formation in Some S-C-P(+) Systems

Both C(2)-P bond breaking and formation in the S-C-P(+) system do not occur according to the antiperiplanar lone pair hypothesis. Experiments using 2-phosphonio derivatives of 5-tert-butyl-1,3-dithiane and cis-4,6-dimethyl-1,3-dithiane are against the participation of higher-energy boat conformers as reactive intermediates. The results obtained support a possibility of conformational adjustment in the course of the reaction. Stereoelectronic control of the C(2)-P bond breaking and formation results from interplay of several factors. The role of the n(S)-sigma(C(2))(-)(P) and sigma(C(4,6))(-)(S)-sigma(C(2))(-)(P) hyperconjugation, as well as of the repulsive interactions between lone electron pairs pi(S) of endocyclic sulfur atoms and pi-electrons of the phenyl ring(s) connected with phosphorus, is discussed.     

Concerted and stepwise mechanisms in heterogeneous acid catalysis

Conclusion The above developed ideas should not be regarded as criticism of the carbenium ionic conception in heterogeneous acid catalysis. They are aimed rather at its modernization.We consider the present form of this theory as oversimplified. Owing to the absence of solvation effects, surface intermediates of high temperature catalytic conversions of hydrocarbons are of much less ionic character than it is usually believed. Therefore, the carbenium ionic properties are characteristic of transition states but not stable intermediates of these reactions.Another feature of heterogeneous acid catalysis that is not usually taken into account is the bifunctional nature of its active sites. The acidic part protonates adsorbed molecules and the basic one either stabilizes intermediate structures or enables a reversible proton abstraction from transition states. In the case of substrates with a low proton affinity, this results in concerted mechanisms, where simultaneously with a proton transfer a new bond with the surface is formed. Deprotonation of intermediates in the case of catalytic transformations of hydrocarbons with a higher proton affinity supplies them with some features of adsorbed carbenes or ylides. This makes it possible to suggest new mechanisms of such acidic catalytic reactions as synthesis of hydrocarbons from methanol on high silica containing zeolites, olefin oligomerization, etc.     

Acid-catalysed hydrolysis of N-sulphonyl sulphilimines—II

The basicity and the acid-catalysed hydrolysis of ph(R)SNTs and o-HC₆H₄(Me)SNTs sulphilimines have been studied by UV spectrophotometric and kinetic methods, respectively, in aqueous HClO₄ (1–10 M) and 1:1 (v/v) EtOH/H₂O-HClO₄ (0.5–6 M). Depending on the constitution of the substrates, sulphilimine hydrolysis can follow three different courses, according to rate-acidity profiles, Bunnett-Olsen's treatment, activation parameters and product analysis. Most typical for sulphilimines is S_N2 hydrolysis with S^IV-N bond cleavage. In this case the reaction starts with the nucleophilic addition of water and is promoted by acid-base catalysis. If a relatively stable carbenium ion can be formed from R group, an S_N1 reaction with S^IVC bond cleavage takes place. Sulphilimine with X = o-CO₂H due to neighbouring-group participation hydrolyses very rapidly via acyloxy-sulphurane and acyloxy-sulphonium ion intermediates with five-memembered ring (S_Ni reaction involving S^IVN bond cleavage).     

Aspects of glycosidic bond formation in aqueous solution: chemical bonding and the role of water

A model of the specific acid-catalyzed glycosidic bond formation in liquid water at ambient conditions is studied based on constrained Car-Parrinello ab initio molecular dynamics. Specifically the reaction of alpha-D-glucopyranose and methanol is found to proceed by a D(N)A(N) mechanism. The D(N) step consists of a concerted protonation of the O(1) hydroxyl leaving group; this process results in the breaking of the C(1)-O(1) bond, and oxocarbenium ion formation involving C(1)=O(5). The second step, A(N), is the formation of the C(1)-O(m) glycosidic bond, deprotonation of the methanol hydroxyl group O(m)H(m), and re-formation of the C(1)-O(5) single bond. A focus of this study is the analysis of the electronic structure during this condensed phase reaction relying on both Boys/Wannier localized orbitals and the electron localization function ELF. This analysis allows the clear elucidation of the chemical bonding features of the intermediate bracketed by the D(N) and A(N) steps, which is a non-solvent equilibrated oxocarbenium cation. Most interestingly, it is found that the oxygen in the pyranose ring becomes "desolvated" upon double bond/oxocarbenium formation, whereas it is engaged in the hydrogen-bonded water network before and after this period. This demonstrates that hydrogen bonding and thus the aqueous solvent play an active role in this reaction implying that microsolvation studies in the gas phase, both theoretical and experimental, might lead to qualitatively different reaction mechanisms compared to solution.     

Stereochemical issues on the fragmentation of non-enolisable β-heterosubstituted-cyclopentanones with wet and anhydrous potassium hydroxide

Tandem Haller-Bauer-scission/Grob-fragmentation reaction of cyclopentanone bearing a leaving group in β-position involves antiperiplanar arrangements which can be also achieved from epimeric derivatives, probably due to the high flexibility of the five-membered ring. We have observed that epimeric compounds react at different rates if the leaving group is a halogen and leads to very different types of compounds when it is a mesyl group.     

Dehydrative Glycosylation Enabled by a Comproportionation Reaction of 2‐Aryl‐1,3‐dithiane 1‐Oxide†

Summaryof main observation and conclusion A new dehydrativeglycosylation reaction has been established by capitalizing on the compropor-tionation reaction of 2-aryl-1,3-dithiane 1-oxides promoted by triflic anhydride(Tf2O).By wedding the high potency of thiophilic promoter system with the step efficiency of dehydrative glycosylation,this reagentunderwent facile intermolecular oxothio acetalization with C1-hemiacetal donor to install a temporary leaving group,rendering a transient electrophilic center at the remote site to the anomeric position.The sulfenyltriflate tethered at the ter-minus concomitantly activated the sulfide intramolecularly to afford the oxocarbenium ion,thereby facilitating the title glycosylation.Aside from accom-modating broad range functional groups and inactive hemiacetal substrates,the present activation protocol also proved expedient for 1,3-diol protection.Most importantly,this method further provided a fresh perspective for the application of sulfur chemistry to carbohydrate chemistry.     

Stereoelectronic Effects on the Nucleophilic Addition of Phosphite to the Carbonyl Double Bond: Ab Initio Molecular Orbital Calculations on Reaction Surfaces and the α-Effect

Ah initio molecular orbital calculations have been carried out on adducts of trihydroxy phosphine, P(OH)₃, and formaldehyde, H₂C=0. Stationary points were located and a reaction surface calculated. One stationary point exists as a stable pentacovalent phosphorane, and the other as a 1,3-dipolar transition state. Calculations differing in the conformation about the P-OH bonds of the phosphite reveal that an antiperiplanar (app) lone pair on oxygen to the phosphorus lone pair (acyclic analogue) raises the energy of the molecule by 1.7 kcal/mol relative to a phosphite conformation with no app lone pairs to the phosphorus lone pair (bicyclic analogue). In the transition state, the relative energy between the two conformations reverses with the acyclic analogue transition state 5 kcal/mol lower energy than the bicyclic analogue transition states. The lower energy for the acyclic analogue in the transition state is attributed to the mixing of the app lone pairs on the oxygens of the phosphite mixing with the σ orbital of the newly formed bond between phosphorus and carbon. This kinetic Stereoelectronic effect can explain why acyclic phosphites react much faster in nucleophilic reactions than bicyclic phosphites. This phenomenon suggests that the origin of the α-effect, the enhanced nucleophilicity of a base possessing a heteroatom with an adjacent unshared electron pair arises from the stereoelectronic effect.     

Computational evidence for the substrate-assisted catalytic mechanism of O-GlcNAcase. A DFT investigation

A DFT computational investigation of the catalytic mechanism of O-GlcNAcase shows the existence of a substrate-assisted reaction pathway similar to that proposed in the literature on the basis of experimental evidence: the carbonyl oxygen of the N-acyl group bonded at C2 of the substrate pyranose ring attacks the anomeric carbon affording a bicyclic oxazoline intermediate and causing the breaking of the glycosidic bond and the expulsion of the aglycon. This occurs in a single kinetic step where the transfer of a proton from Asp-243 (behaving as a general base) to the leaving group is simultaneous to the cycle formation and departure of the aglycon (an activation barrier E(a) of 16.5 kcal mol(-1)). Even if the other component of the catalytic dyad (Asp-242) is not actually involved in a proton transfer (as commonly suggested), it plays an important role in the catalysis through a complex network of hydrogen bonds that contribute to lower the activation barrier. The transition state of the process resembles an oxocarbenium ion (half chair conformation with an approximately planar sp(2) anomeric carbon). Following the lines of previous experiments aimed to demonstrate the existence of a substrate-assisted mechanism, it is found that the computed E(a) increases when the hydrogen atoms of the N-acetyl group are replaced with one, two and three F atoms and that a good linear correlation exists between the activation barrier E(a) and the σ* Taft electronic parameter of the fluoro-substituted N-acetyl groups.     

Acid-base chemistry of a carbenium ion in a zeolite under equilibrium conditions: verification of a theoretical explanation of carbenium ion stability

The 1,3-dimethylcyclopentenyl carbenium ion (C7H11(+)) was reproducibly prepared on zeolite HZSM-5 using a pulse-quench reactor, and then each of a number of bases was coadsorbed into the catalyst channels to either compete with the cation for protonation or to possibly react with it as a nucleophile. For seven bases with proton affinities (PA) between 142 and 212.1 kcal/mol, there was no reaction with C7H11(+). Coadsorption of smaller amounts of dimethylacetamide (PA = 217 kcal/mol) also produced no reaction, but with a higher loading, a proton was transferred from the carbenium ion to the base to leave 1,3-dimethylcyclopenta-1,3-diene in the zeolite as a neutral olefin. Deprotonation was the primary reaction with coadsorption of either pyridine (PA = 222 kcal/mol) or trimethylphosphine (PA = 229.2 kcal/mol). The estimated experimental deprotonation enthalpy for C7H11(+), approximately 217 kcal/mol in the zeolite, is in excellent agreement with MP4/6-311G gas-phase value of 215.6 kcal/mol. Coadsorption of either NH3 (PA = 204.0 kcal/mol) or PH3 (PA = 188 kcal/mol) does not deprotonate the carbenium ion, but these species do react as nucleophiles to form onium ion derivatives of C7H11(+). Analogous onium complexes with pyridine or trimethylphosphine formed in lower yields due to steric constraints in the zeolite channels. The essential experimental observations were all predicted and explained by density functional calculations (B3LYP/6-311G) and extensions of our recently developed theory of carbenium ion stability in zeolites. In addition, we report theoretical geometries for several complexes which contain unusual C-H- - -X hydrogen bonds.     

1,2-Metallobridging and the Antiperiplanar Effect. Thermodynamic Preference for the Z-Configuration in Imidoyl(Alkali Metals) and their Phosphorus Analogs

We showed that imidoyl- and phosphaethenyl(alkali metals) would thermodynamically prefer the Z-configuration. The bond model analysis of the electronic structures showed that the Z-preference should originate from 1,2-metallobridging by the delocalization of lone pairs on N or P to vacant p-orbitals of the alkali metals and from the antiperiplanar effect of the delocalization from σ _C—M to σ? _{N(P)—R ²} and from n _N(P) to the C—R¹. The Z-preference increases by more electron-withdrawing groups at the carbon atom of the double bond. However, substitution at the nitrogen/phosphorus results in E-preference because of 1,4-chelation of the lone pair of the substituents to alkali metals. Most of halogen derivatives were not stable and eliminate metal halides.     

Copper(I)-catalyzed regioselective propargylic substitution involving Si-B bond activation

The silicon nucleophile generated by copper(I)-catalyzed Si-B bond activation allows several γ-selective propargylic substitutions. The regioselectivity (γ:α ratio) is strongly dependent on the propargylic leaving group. Chloride is superior to oxygen leaving groups in linear substrates (γ:α > 99:1), and it is only the phosphate group that also shows promising regiocontrol (γ:α = 90:10). That leaving group produces superb γ-selectivity (γ:α > 99:1) in α-branched propargylic systems, and enantioenriched substrates react with excellent central-to-axial chirality transfer.