Multi-component orbital interactions during oxyacyl radical addition reactions involving imines and electron-rich olefins

Ab initio and DFT calculations reveal that oxyacyl radicals add to imines and electron-rich olefins through simultaneous SOMO-pi*, SOMO-pi and pi*-HOMO interactions between the radical and the radicalophile. At the BHandHLYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level, energy barriers of 20.3 and 22.0 kJ mol(-1) are calculated for the attack of methoxycarbonyl radical at the carbon and nitrogen ends of methanimine, respectively. In comparison, barriers of 22.0 and 8.6 kJ mol(-1) are calculated at BHandHLYP/aug-cc-pVDZ for reaction of methoxycarbonyl radical at the 1- and 2-positions in aminoethylene, respectively. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis at the BHandHLYP/6-311G** level of theory reveals that SOMO-pi*, SOMO-pi and pi*-LP interactions are worth 111, 394 and 55 kJ mol(-1) respectively in the transition state (8) for reaction of oxyacyl radical at the nitrogen end of methanimine; similar interactions are observed for the chemistry involving aminoethylene. These multi-component interactions are responsible for the unusual motion vectors associated with the transition states involved in these reactions.     

Electronegativity scheme for reactions involving radical addition to vinyl monomers

The concept of the apparent electronegativity of a reaction site has been introduced. This has been used to develop a new scheme for calculating the relative rate constants of addition of radicals with different structures to vinyl monomers. The parameters of the scheme are given for 40 reagents. The results of a comparison of calculated and literature rate constants of addition are presented.Institute of Nonaqueous Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 150003 Ivanovo. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2238–2245, October, 1992.     

Kinetic effects in radical addition reactions to radicophiles

Beyond expectation from polar effects rate acceleration is observed when captodative (cd) substituted 1,1-diphenylethylenes 6 and styrenes 7 undergo addition of isobutyronitrile radicals. The effect can be rationalised in terms of frontier orbital interactions.     

Kinetics of recombination,dismutation, and disproportionation reactions involving neutral ketyl radicals and radical anions

The kinetics of fast elementary recombination of neutral ketyl radicals of benzophenone and its four derivatives (BPH?), the dismutation of benzophenone radical anions, the disproportionation between BPH? and stable nitroxyl radicals, ( ), and the electron transfer have been investigated in both individual solvents and binary mixtures of different viscosities. Reaction (1) for unsubstituted BPH in water, water glycerol, and n-hexane is controlled by diffusion with 2k₁ ? k_diff. In aliphatic alcohols and toluene, which form solvation complexes with BPH?, reaction (1) is diffusion-enhanced and activation-controlled, respectively, with 2k₁ < k_diff. In a viscous solvent such as 1-propanol–glycerol mixture (100 ? η ? 450 cP) reaction (1) is diffusion-controlled. Reaction (2) in alkaline 1-propanol and alkaline 1-propanol–glycerol mixture is activation controlled. The rates of reactions (3) and (4) for benzophenone radicals and nitroxyl radicals of the imidazoline series decrease as the viscosity of the water–glycerol and 1-propanol–glycerol mixtures is increased. The reactions are molecular mobility limited; nevertheless, the numerical values of k₃ (k₄) are 2–6 times as small as the corresponding k_diff values due to the low steric factor of the reactions (therefore called pseudodiffusion-controlled reactions). The theoretical estimates of k₃ (k₄) are in good agreement with the experimental results. The elimination of spin forbiddance in the process of radical recombination in viscous solvents is discussed.     

Multiorbital interactions during Acyl radical addition reactions involving imines and electron-rich olefins

Ab initio and DFT calculations reveal that acyl radicals add to imines and electron-rich olefins through simultaneous SOMO --> pi*, pi --> SOMO, and HOMO --> pi*C=O interactions between the radical and the radicalophile. At the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//QCISD/cc-pVDZ level, energy barriers of 15.6 and 17.9 kJ mol(-1) are calculated for the attack of the acetyl radical at the carbon and nitrogen ends of methanimine, respectively. These barriers are 17.1 and 20.4 kJ mol(-1) at BHandHLYP/cc-pVDZ. In comparison, barriers of 34.0 and 23.4 kJ mol(-1) are calculated at BHandHLYP/cc-pVDZ for reaction of the acetyl radical at the 1- and 2-positions in aminoethylene, repectively. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis at the BHandHLYP/6-311G** level of theory reveals that SOMO --> pi*imine, pi imine--> SOMO, and LPN --> pi*C=O interactions are worth 90, 278, and 138 kJ mol-1, respectively, in the transition state (2) for reaction of acetyl radical at the nitrogen end of methanimine; similar interactions are observed for the chemistry involving aminoethylene. These multiorbital interactions are responsible for the unusual motion vectors associated with the transition states involved in these reactions. NBO analyses for the remaining systems in this study support the hypothesis that the acetyl radical is ambiphilic in nature.     

Unusual equilibria involving group 4 amides, silyl complexes, and silyl anions via ligand exchange reactions

Silyl anion SiButPh2- (2) was found to substitute an amide ligand in Zr(NMe2)4 (3) to give the disilyl complex Zr(NMe2)3(SiButPh2)2- (1a) and Zr(NMe2)5- (1b) in THF. The reaction is reversible, and nucleophilic amide NMe2- attacks the Zr-SiButPh2 bonds in 1a or Zr(NMe2)3(SiButPh2) in the reverse reaction, leading to an unusual ligand exchange equilibrium 2 3 + 2 2 right harpoon over left harpoon 1a + 1b (eq 1). The silyl anion 2 selectively attacks the -N(SiMe3)2 ligand in Zr(NMe2)3[N(SiMe3)2] (6) to give 1a and N(SiMe3)2- (7). Reversible reaction occurs as well, where 7 selectively substitutes the silyl ligand in Zr(NMe2)3(SiButPh2)2- (1a) or Zr(NMe2)3(SiButPh2), giving the equilibrium 6 + 2 2 right harpoon over left harpoon 1a + 7 (eq 3). The thermodynamics of these equilibria has been studied: For eq 1, DeltaH degrees = -8.3(0.2) kcal/mol, DeltaS degrees = -23.3(0.9) eu, and DeltaG degrees 298K = -1.4(0.5) kcal/mol at 298 K; for eq 3, DeltaH degrees = -1.61(0.12) kcal/mol, DeltaS degrees = -2.6(0.5) eu, and DeltaG degrees 298K = -0.8(0.3) kcal/mol. In both equilibria, the enthalpy changes for the forward reactions outweigh the entropy changes, and therefore the substitutions of amide ligands in Zr(NMe2)4 (3) and Zr(NMe2)3[N(SiMe3)2] (6) to afford the disilyl complex 1a are thermodynamically favored. The following equilibria were also observed and studied: Zr(NMe2)3[N(SiMe3)2] (6) + Si(SiMe3)3- (9) right harpoon over left harpoon Zr(NMe2)3[Si(SiMe3)3] (10) + N(SiMe3)2- (7) and Zr(NMe2)4 (3) + 9 right harpoon over left harpoon 10 + Zr(NMe2)5- (1b).     

alpha,beta-Unsaturated and cyclopropyl acyl radicals, and their ketene alkyl radical equivalents. Ring synthesis and tandem cyclisation reactions

Treatment of the alpha,beta-unsaturated selenyl esters 12 and 14 with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN produces the corresponding 2-cyclohexenones 13 and 15 respectively via presumed alpha-ketene alkyl radical intermediates, viz. 10. By contrast, the 2,7-diene esters 34 and 39 undergo tandem radical cyclisations producing diquinanes, e.g.(76%), and the corresponding allene-substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated selenyl ester 48 gives the cyclooctadienone 56 on treatment with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN in refluxing benzene. The selenyl ester 19 derived from chrysanthemic acid produces a mixture of the gamma,delta-unsaturated aldehyde 22 and the corresponding dimer 25a on treatment with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN. Furthermore, in the presence of methanol the only product from this reaction was the bis(methyl ester) dimer 25b, thereby lending further credence to the involvement of ketene alkyl radical intermediates in these reactions, and in the aforementioned reactions involving 2,6- and 2,7-diene selenyl esters. Treatment of the cyclopropane selenyl esters and , containing keto- and oxy-group functionality in their side-chains, with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN led to excellent syntheses of the enol lactone 66 (76%) and the trans-fused bicyclo[6.1.0]nonane 67 (80-95%) respectively.     

Reactivity of the silyl, germanyl, and stannyl radicals in addition reactions: The effect of the atomic radius on the activation energy

Experimental data on the addition of silyl, germanyl, and stannyl radicals to olefins are analyzed in the framework of a three intersecting parabolas model. The parameters characterizing these reactions are calculated. The activation energy of the thermally neutral reaction for this class of reactions depends on both the strength of the formed bond and the radius of the atom bearing the free valence. The dependence is the following: E _{e, 0} ^1/2 ～ αD _e + bD _e ^3/2 r _C-X ^1/2 , where D _e is the strength of the formed bond and r _C-X is its length. Steric repulsion is observed in the reactions of the silyl radicals with symmetrically substituted ethylene derivatives. The presence of a π-bond or aromatic ring near the attacked double bond increases E _{e, 0}. The increments are calculated that characterize the contribution to the activation energy from the following factors: the enthalpy of the reaction, triplet repulsion, steric hindrance, and effect of adjacent π electrons.     

Directive effects and selectivity in radical addition reactions: A theoretical study

The factors determining the relative reactivities and orientation ratios in free radical additions to unsymmetrically substituted alkenes have been analysed in terms of intermolecular population analysis. The reactivity of trifluoromethyl radical additions was found to be primarily determined by charge transfer contributions characterising the extent of bond formation in the transition state, whereas the addition of the methyl radical is influenced predominantly by steric effects.     

Acylcobalt salophen reagents. Precursors to acyl radical intermediates for inter- and intra-molecular oxidative michael addition reactions

Acylcobalt salophens (2) undergo homolytic cleavage (Δ, sunlamp) producing acyl radicals (10) which undergo oxidative additions to activated carbon-to-carbon double bonds leading to enones and functionalised ring systems e.g. (3)→(4); (5)→(6); (7)→(8); (12)→(13); and (14)→(15).     

Temperature dependent reaction pathways in the addition of silyl, germyl, stannyl and plumbyl radicals to maleic anhydride and related compounds: an ESR study

The addition of Group IVB organometallic radicals to maleic anhydride, maleic thioanhydride, maleimide and N-methyl maleimide has been investigated by ESR spectroscopy. For Si and Ge centred radicals the reaction pathway has been found to be temp dependent, the addition of the organometallic radical occurring at the CC double bond at lower temps at either of the two CO groups at higher temps. For Sn and Pb centred radicals only the latter spin adducts could be detected even at low temp.     

Radicals masquerading as electrophiles: a computational study of the intramolecular addition reactions of acyl radicals to imines

Ab initio calculations using 6-311G**, cc-pVDZ, and aug-cc-pVDZ, with (MP2, QCISD, CCSD(T)) and without (UHF) electron correlation, and density functional methods (BHandHLYP and B3LYP) predict that cyclization of the 5-aza-5-hexenoyl and (E)-6-aza-5-hexenoyl radicals proceed to afford the 5-exo products. At the CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//BHandHLYP/cc-pVDZ level of theory, energy barriers (deltaE(double dagger)) of 36.1 and 47.0 kJ mol(-1) were calculated for the 5-exo and 6-endo pathways for the cyclization of the 5-aza-5-hexenoyl radical. On the other hand, at the same level of theory, deltaE(double dagger) of 38.9 and 45.4 kJ mol(-1) were obtained for the 5-exo and 6-endo cyclization modes of (E)-6-aza-5-hexenoyl radical, with exothermicities of about 27 and 110 kJ mol(-1) calculated for the exo and endo modes, respectively. Under suitable experimental conditions, the 6-endo cyclization product is likely to dominate. Analysis of the molecular orbitals involved in these ring-closure reactions indicate that both reactions at nitrogen are assisted by dual orbital interactions involving simultaneous SOMO-pi* and LP-pi* overlap in the transitions states. Interestingly, the (Z)-6-aza-5-hexenoyl radical, that cannot benefit from these dual orbital effects is predicted to ring-close exclusively in the 5-exo fashion.     

An ab initio and DFT study of radical addition reactions of imidoyl and thioyl radicals to methanimine

Ab initio and DFT calculations reveal that both imidoyl and thioyl radicals add to the nitrogen end of methanimine through simultaneous SOMO-π*(imine), SOMO-π(imine), SOMO-LP(N) and π*(radical)-LP(N) interactions between the radical and the imine. At the CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//BHandHLYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory, barriers of 13.8 and 26.1 kJ mol(-1) are calculated for the attack of the methylimidoyl radical at the carbon- and nitrogen- end of methanimine, respectively, indicating that the imidoyl radial has a preference for addition to the nitrogen end of imine. On the other hand, barriers of 25.1 and 13.4 kJ mol(-1) are calculated at the same level of theory for the addition reaction of the methanethioyl radical at the carbon- and nitrogen- end of methanimine, respectively. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis at the BHandHLYP/6-311G** level of theory reveals that SOMO-π*(imine), SOMO-π(imine), SOMO-LP(N) and π*(radical)-LP(N) interactions are worth 111, 89, 115 and 17 kJ mol(-1), respectively, in the transition state (4) for the reaction of methylimidoyl radical at the nitrogen end of methanimine; similar interactions are observed for the chemistry involving all the radicals studied here. These multi-component interactions are responsible for the unusual motion vectors associated with the transition states involved in these reactions.     

Assessing alkyl-, silyl-, and halo-substituent effects on the electron affinities of silyl radicals

Neutral anion energy differences for a large class of alpha-substituted silyl radicals have been computed to determine the effect of alkyl, silyl, and halo substituents on their electron affinities. In particular, we report theoretical predictions of the adiabatic electron affinities (AEAs), vertical electron affinities (VEAs), and vertical detachment energies (VDEs) for a series of methyl-, silyl-, and halo-substituted silyl radical compounds. This work utilizes the carefully calibrated DZP++ basis set, in conjunction with the pure BLYP and OLYP functionals, as well as with the hybrid B3LYP, BHLYP, PBE1PBE, MPW1K, and O3LYP functionals. Bromine has the largest effect in stabilizing the anions, and the BLYP/DZP++ AEA for SiBr(3) is 3.29 eV. The other predicted electron affinities are for SiH(3) (1.37 eV), SiH(2)CH(3) (1.09 eV), SiH(2)F (1.54 eV), SiH(2)Cl (1.94 eV), SiH(2)Br (2.05 eV), SiH(2)(SiH(3)) (1.77 eV), SiH(CH(3))(2) (0.92 eV), SiHF(2) (1.86 eV), SiHCl(2) (2.53 eV), SiHBr(2) (2.67 eV), Si(CH(3))(3) (0.86 eV), SiF(3) (2.66 eV), SiCl(3) (3.21 eV), Si(SiH(3))(3) (2.25 eV), and SiFClBr (3.13 eV). For the five silyl radicals where experimental data are available, the BLYP functional gives the most accurate determination of AEAs; the average absolute error is 0.04(1) eV, whereas the corresponding errors for the O3LYP, MPW1K, PBE1PBE, B3LYP, OLYP, and BHLYP functionals are 0.05(8), 0.06(0), 0.06(3), 0.08(5), 0.11(5), and 0.15(3) eV, respectively.     

New addition and cyclization reactions involving phosphorus based allenes

In this paper, we describe convenient methods for functionally active phenol addition reaction of allenylphosphonates/allenyl phosphine oxides. These reactions lead to either vinyl or allylphosphonates. In the reaction α-aryl allenylphosphonates with 2-iodophenol in the presence of Pd nanoparticles [Pd-PVP] isomeric vinylphosphonates are preferentially obtained. A novel cyclization reaction of 2-iodo-t-butylbenzaldimine with and allenylphosphine oxide that leads to an isoquinoline is also discovered; the product is characterized by single crystal X-ray structure determination.     

Exchange and addition reactions involving tin—allyl compounds

Allyltin chlorides (or bromides) may be prepared by simple exchange reactions between tetraallyltin and the corresponding tetrahalide. Hydroboration of allylttrimethyltin yields the air-reactive borane, [Me₃Sn(CH₂)₃]₃B, which is readingly oxidised to the corresponding alcohol Me₃Sn(CH₂)₃OH.     

SmI2 reduced thioesters as synthons of unstable acyl radicals: direct synthesis of potential protease inhibitors via intermolecular radical addition

Aromatic alpha-heterosubstituted thioesters were found to undergo radical 1,4-addition reactions to a series of alpha,beta-unsaturated amides and one ester when subjected to the single electron reducing agent, samarium diiodide, at -78 degrees C. These thioesters derived from alpha-amino acids represent a synthetically useful synthon of unstable acyl radicals. This reaction conveniently provides access to gamma-ketoamides and esters in yields up to 90%, structures that are common in various protease inhibitors derived from peptides. Examples with acryloyl and methacryloyl derivatives of alpha-amino acids and dipeptides lead directly to tri- and tetrapeptide mimetics possessing the gamma-ketoamide functionality. No epimerization was observed with the mild conditions used for these reactions.     

A comparison of orbital interactions in the additions of phosphonyl and acyl radicals to double bonds

Calculation of the barriers for addition of the H2P(=O) and HC(=O) radicals to alkenes, at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//BHandHLYP/6-311G** level, indicates that both radicals display ambiphilic behaviour. For the HC(=O) radical this behaviour occurs because a secondary orbital interaction of the type pi*(C=O)<--HOMO acts in conjunction with the primary SOMO<--HOMO interaction to balance the SOMO-->LUMO interaction. For the H2P(=O) radical, on the other hand, the much higher-lying LUMO (the sigma*P-O orbital) allows for only minimal secondary interaction, and this radical's ambiphilic behaviour is therefore reflective of a balance between SOMO-->LUMO and SOMO<--HOMO interactions.