Control of the regioselectivity in catalytic transformations involving amphiphilic bis-allylpalladium intermediates: mechanism and synthetic applications

Various dialkyl-substituted allyl chloride derivatives (2d-i) undergo regioselective palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions with allylstannanes (1a,b) and benzylidenemalonitrile (4), providing functionalized 1,7-octadienes in good yield. The catalytic reaction proceeds through an unsymmetrical amphiphilic bis-allylpalladium intermediate. An introductory electrophilic attack on the terminal position of the unsubstituted allyl moiety is followed by a nucleophilic attack on the alkyl-substituted allyl ligand. A theoretical analysis was performed by applying density functional theory at the B3PW91/DZ+P level to study the substituent effects on the electrophilic attack. According to the theoretical results, the high regioselectivity can be ascribed to the electronic effects of the alkyl substituents: The terminal alkyl groups destabilize the eta(1),eta(3)-bis-allylpalladium intermediate of the reaction; in addition, the alkyl substitution increases the activation barrier for the electrophilic attack.     

Palladium-catalyzed tandem bis-allylation of isocyanates

A tandem bis-allylation of p-toluenesulfonyl isocyanate can be achieved by palladium-catalyzed three-component coupling reaction with allylstannanes and allyl chlorides. A high level of regioselectivity can be obtained by the appropriate choice of the allylic substituents. The reaction mechanism and the regiochemistry of the reaction can be explained by formation of an amphoteric bis-allylpalladium intermediate. This bis-allylpalladium intermediate undergoes an initial electrophilic attack on one of the allyl moieties followed by a nucleophilic attack on the other.     

Electron charge redistribution following electrophilic attack on heterocycles: nitrogen as a charge transducer

It is shown that an electrophilic attack on the ring nitrogen in pyrrole or tryptamine produces an electron charge redistribution that is qualitatively different from the redistribution caused by an attack on the oxygen in furan. The electrophilic attacks are represented theoretically as interactions with a positive point charge and calculated by an ab-initio LCAO-SCF method with gaussian basis sets. Results show that an attacked nitrogen responds to the perturbation by moving electronic charge to the adjacent carbons whereas oxygen retains most of the charge polarized by the interaction. The nitrogen also acts as a charge transducer in other systems that are structurally very different. As a consequence of the charge redistribution, the comparative susceptibility of various sites in the heterocyclic molecules to an electrophilic attack may also depend on the response of the molecule to a prior attack on the heteroatom. The results indicate the need for dynamical reactivity considerations which reflect the variability in the molecular response to an incipient attack and the possibility that enhanced reactivity can be induced at certain sites by this response.     

Nucleophilic de-coordination and electrophilic regeneration of "hemilabile" pincer-type complexes: formation of anionic dialkyl, diaryl, and dihydride Pt(II) complexes bearing no stabilizing pi-acceptors

Novel anionic dialkyl, diaryl, and dihydride platinum(II) complexes based on the new "long-arm" hemilabile PCN-type ligand C6H4[CH2P(tBu)2](CH2)2N(CH3)2 with the general formula Li+[Pt(PCN)(R)2]- (R=Me (4), Ph (6) and H (9)) were prepared by reaction of [Pt(PCN)(R)] complexes (obtained from the corresponding chlorides) with an equivalent of RLi, as a result of the opening of the chelate ring. Alkylating agents based on other metals produce less stable products. These anionic d8 complexes are thermally stable although they bear no stabilizing pi acceptors. They were characterized by 1H, 31P[1H], 13C, and 7Li NMR spectroscopy; complex 9 was also characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography, showing that the Li+ ion is coordinated to the nitrogen atom of the open amine arm and to the hydride ligand (trans to the P atom) of a neighboring molecule (H--Li=2.15 A), resulting in a dimeric structure. Complexes 4 and 9 exhibit high nucleophilic reactivity, upon which the pincer complex is regenerated. Reaction of 4 with water, methyl iodide, and iodobenzene resulted in the neutral complex [Pt(PCN)(CH3)] (3) and methane, ethane, or toluene, respectively. Labeling studies indicate that the reaction proceeds by direct electrophilic attack on the metal center, rather than attack on the alkyl ligand. The anionic dihydride complex 9 reacted with water and methyl iodide to yield [Pt(PCN)(H)] (8) and H2 or methane, respectively.     

Influence of remote substituents on the equatorial/axial selectivity in the monooxygenation of methylene C--H bonds of substituted cyclohexanes

The reactivity of individual C--H bonds in the methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane TFDO oxygenation of stereogenic methylene groups in conformationally homogeneous monosubstituted cyclohexanes (2) has been determined. The unexpectedly high occurrence of O-atom insertion into C--H(ax) bonds suggests an in plane trajectory attack in the oxygenation while the diastereoselectivity of the reaction is qualitatively interpreted on the basis of the distinct hyperconjugative stabilization by the substituent of diastereomeric transition states due to long-range through bond interactions.     

Pincer complex-catalyzed allylation of aldehyde and imine substrates via nucleophilic eta1-allyl palladium intermediates

Electrophilic allylic substitution of allylstannanes with aldehyde and imine substrates could be achieved by employment of palladium pincer complex catalysts. It was found that the catalytic activity of the pincer complexes is highly dependent on the ligand effects. The best results were obtained by employment of PCP pincer complexes with weakly coordinating counterions. In contrast to previous applications for electrophilic allylic substitutions via bisallylpalladium complexes, the presented reactions involve monoallylpalladium intermediates. Thus, employment of pincer complex catalysts extends the synthetic scope of the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions. Moreover, use of these catalysts eliminates the side reactions occurring in transformations via bisallylpalladium intermediates. The key intermediate of the electrophilic substitution reaction was observed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. This intermediate was characterized as an eta(1)-allyl-coordinated pincer complex. Density functional theory (DFT) modeling shows that the electrophilic attack can be accomplished with a low activation barrier at the gamma-position of the eta(1)-allyl moiety. According to the DFT calculations, this reaction takes place via a six-membered cyclic transition-state (TS) structure, in which the tridentate coordination state of the pincer ligand is preserved. The stereoselectivity of the reaction could be explained on the basis of the six-membered cyclic TS model.     

三聚氰胺对金属(Ⅱ)卟啉反应活性影响的概念密度泛函研究

选取8个典型的二价金属卟啉MP(M=Ca,Mg,Zn,Cu,Ni,Fe,Co,Mn)与三聚氰胺(L)形成轴向金属配合物(L-MP),应用概念密度泛函工具,系统地计算和比较了L键合前后对其结构和反应性质的影响.结果表明:除钙的特别不稳定物外,L配体对其余6种MP的结构影响较小,它们有较高的化学势指数和较低的总化学硬度而趋向配体的解离;与铁卟啉能形成最稳定的轴向配合物,电子由配体N原子流向铁,中心铁的亲核Fukui指数值大于体系里其他原子的Fukui指数,且发生符号改变.在这些典型的赤道键合配合物中,金属M、配体N之间的二级微扰相互作用能,自然电荷布局以及概念密度泛函指数等方面,存在着一系列线性关系.以上结果可为体内三聚氰胺致结石提供新的启示.     

Kinetico-mechanistic studies of cyclometalating C-H bond activation reactions on Pd(ii) and Rh(ii) centres: The importance of non-innocent acidic solvents in the process

The activation of C-H bonds in homogeneous systems has been the subject of study for many years due to its involvement in important industrial catalytic processes. A large number of reviews on the different areas involved have appeared, but those dealing with kinetic studies, including activation parameters, are rather scarce due to the severe difficulties in interpreting experimental data. In this perspective, the information available from kinetico-mechanistic studies of cyclometalation reactions on Pd(ii) and Rh(ii) centres via C-H bond activation is considered. Experimental results from studies performed on complexes of these metal centres indicate that the historically accepted electrophilic substitution classification is not a satisfactory mechanistic term for the process occurring during the reaction. A definite acid-assisted phenomenon is evident for all the processes studied, which contradicts the expected need for a proton abstractor in the reaction. This is even more surprising when considering the expected hydrolysis of M-C bonds in such acidic media, indicating that metalation prevails under these conditions. Only the presence of coordinated acid molecules in solvolytic carboxylic acid media can explain the observations. The fine tuning between the proton abstraction capacity of a coordinated RCO(2)H molecule and its Lewis basicity results in a unique reactivity trend. DFT calculations carried out for these acid-assisted processes fully agree with the experimental trends observed.     

THEORETICAL COMPARISON OF THE BONDING OF CHALCOCARBONYL LIGANDS

Abstract

Fenske-Hall molecular orbital calculations on the complexes CpFe(CO)₂(CX)⁺ (X = O, S, Se, and Te) have been used to quantify the nature of bonding between the CX ligands and the metal atom. In addition, conclusions have been reached about the reactivity of the complexes under both nucleophilic and electrophilic attack. The previously established trend of increasing metal—ligand bond strength as X changes from O to S to Se is demonstrated by our molecular orbital calculations, and found to extend to Te. The mechanism for nucleophilic attack, variously explained in the past by either charge control or orbital control, is quantitatively ascribed to orbital control only. The nature of electrophilic attack on these complexes is also found to begin with orbital control.     

Evidence of reversibility in azo-coupling reactions between 1,3,5-tris(N,N-dialkylamino)benzenes and arenediazonium salts

The reactions between strongly electron-rich aromatic substrates (1,3,5-tris(N,N-dialkylamino)benzenes, neutral carbon super nucleophiles) and diazonium salts produce moderately stable sigma complexes (Wheland complexes). The reactivity of Wheland complexes with electrophiles (other diazonium salts, or 4,7-dinitrobenzofuroxan) produces exchange reactions in the electrophilic part: the better electrophile replaces the less powerful electrophile. In the same way, in Wheland complexes with the 1,3,5-tris(morpholinyl)benzene, the 1,3,5-tris(piperidinyl)benzene replaces the less powerful nucleophile 1,3,5-tris(morpholinyl)benzene. Evidence is reported here indicating that for the title system the reaction of the attack of the electrophilic reagent producing Wheland complexes is a reversible process. The final products of the diazo-coupling reactions undergo a further attack of some diazonium salts. From the final products of the double diazo-coupling reactions (diazo compounds), we collected evidence that is a clear instance of complete reversibility of the diazo-coupling reaction.     

The role of three-center/four-electron bonds in superelectrophilic dirhodium carbene and nitrene catalytic intermediates

Three-center/four-electron (3c/4e) bonds are important bonding motifs that dictate the electronic structure, and thereby the reactivity, of metal-metal bonded carbene and nitrene intermediate complexes that are crucial to the dirhodium-catalyzed functionalization of hydrocarbons. In this Perspective article, general features of the 3c/4e bond are presented and discussed in comparison to two-center/two-electron (2c/2e) bonds. Specifically, 3c/4e bonding interactions lead to longer distances between the atoms involved and measurably weaker bonds. Additionally, excited states derived from the 3c/4e bonding manifold are lower in energy than those derived from a 2c/2e manifold, signifying a greater degree of reactivity in the former case. Three coterminous 3c/4e Ru-Ru-N bonds are present in metal-metal/metal-ligand multiply bonded diruthenium terminal nitrido compounds. This bonding situation results in an unusual superelectrophilic character of the nitride nitrogen atom, exemplified by its insertion into aryl C-H bonds via an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism. The key catalytic intermediates in dirhodium-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions, dirhodium carbene and dirhodium nitrene complexes, may also be described as superelectrophilic by virtue of 3c/4e Rh-Rh-C(or N) σ and π bonds. These 3c/4e bonding interactions set apart dirhodium carbene and nitrene intermediates from other, less electrophilic, carbene or nitrene species.     

Multiplicity of Reaction Pathways in the Processes of Oxygen Transfer to Secondary Amines by Mo(VI) and W(VI) Peroxo Complexes

Oxidation of N,N-benzylmethylamine, N,N-benzylisopropylamine, and N,N-benzyl-tert-butylamine by both anionic and neutral Mo(VI) and W(VI) oxodiperoxo complexes yields the corresponding nitrones quantitatively. The oxidation reactions employing anionic oxidants were performed in CHCl(3) and follow second-order kinetics, first order with respect to the amine and to the oxidant. The data were rationalized on the basis of a rate-determining nucleophilic attack of the amine onto the peroxide oxygen of the oxidant, with a transition state in which N-O bond formation and O-O bond cleavage occur in a concerted way (electrophilic oxygen transfer mechanism). This attack yields the corresponding hydroxylamine, which then is furtherly oxidized to nitrone in a fast step. On the other hand, in the case of neutral oxidants (1)H-NMR data as well as kinetic data indicate that amine coordinates the metal center replacing the original ligand HMPA and yields a new peroxo complex. For N,N-benzyl-tert-butylamine such a complex was isolated and characterized. These new peroxo complexes can themselves behave as electrophilic oxidants, transferring oxygen to external amine molecules through the same pathway followed by anionic oxidants, or can yield the reaction product by intramolecular oxidation of the coordinate amine. Measurements of added HMPA effects on oxidation rate would seem more consistent with the electrophilic oxygen transfer mechanism.     

Spectroscopic and quantum chemical studies on low-spin FeIV=O complexes: Fe-O bonding and its contributions to reactivity

High-valent FeIV=O species are key intermediates in the catalytic cycles of many mononuclear non-heme iron enzymes and have been structurally defined in model systems. Variable-temperature magnetic circular dichroism (VT-MCD) spectroscopy has been used to evaluate the electronic structures and in particular the Fe-O bonds of three FeIV=O (S = 1) model complexes, [FeIV(O)(TMC)(NCMe)]2+, [FeIV(O)(TMC)(OC(O)CF3)]+, and [FeIV(O)(N4Py)]2+. These complexes are characterized by their strong and covalent Fe-O pi-bonds. The MCD spectra show a vibronic progression in the nonbonding --> pi* excited state, providing the Fe-O stretching frequency and the Fe-O bond length in this excited state and quantifying the pi-contribution to the total Fe-O bond. Correlation of these experimental data to reactivity shows that the [FeIV(O)(N4Py)]2+ complex, with the highest reactivity toward hydrogen-atom abstraction among the three, has the strongest Fe-O pi-bond. Density functional calculations were correlated to the data and support the experimental analysis. The strength and covalency of the Fe-O pi-bond result in high oxygen character in the important frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) for this reaction, the unoccupied beta-spin d(xz/yz) orbitals, that activates these for electrophilic attack. An extension to biologically relevant FeIV=O (S = 2) enzyme intermediates shows that these can perform electrophilic attack reactions along the same mechanistic pathway (pi-FMO pathway) with similar reactivity but also have an additional reaction channel involving the unoccupied alpha-spin d(z2) orbital (sigma-FMO pathway). These studies experimentally probe the FMOs involved in the reactivity of FeIV=O (S = 1) model complexes resulting in a detailed understanding of the Fe-O bond and its contributions to reactivity.     

Structure, spectroscopy, and reactivity properties of porphyrin pincers: a conceptual density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory study

Porphyrin and pincer complexes are both important categories of compounds in biological and catalytic systems. The idea to combine them is computationally investigated in this work. By employment of density functional theory (DFT), conceptual DFT, and time-dependent DFT approaches, structure, spectroscopy, and reactivity properties of porphyrin pincers are systematically studied for a selection of divalent metal ions. We found that the porphyrin pincers are structurally and spectroscopically different from their precursors and are more reactive in electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions. A few quantitative linear/exponential relationships have been discovered between bonding interactions, charge distributions, and DFT chemical reactivity indices. These results are implicative in chemical modification of hemoproteins and understanding chemical reactivity in heme-containing and other biologically important complexes and cofactors.     

Infrared spectroscopy of Si(CO)n+ complexes: evidence for asymmetric coordination

Si(CO)(n)(+) and Si(CO)(n)(+)Ar complexes are produced via laser vaporization with a pulsed nozzle source and cooled in a supersonic beam. The ions are mass selected in a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer and studied with infrared laser photodissociation spectroscopy near the free molecular CO vibration (2143 cm(-1)). Si(CO)(n)(+) complexes larger than n = 2 fragment by the loss of CO, whereas Si(CO)(n)(+)Ar complexes fragment by the loss of argon. All clusters have resonances near the free molecular CO stretch that provide distinctive patterns from which information on their structure and bonding can be obtained. The number of infrared-active bands, their frequency positions, and relative intensities indicate that larger species consist of an asymmetrically coordinated Si(CO)(2)(+) core with additional CO ligands attached via van der Waals interactions. Density functional theory computations are carried out in support of the experimental spectra.     

A study of pyrazoles

The reactivity of pyrazolo[2, 3-a]pyridine in electrophilic substitution reactions has been studied. It has been shown that electrophilic attack is directed to position 3 (equivalent to position 4 of the pyrazole nucleus). The position of entry of the substituents was shown by chemical methods and was confirmed by a study of PMR spectra.     

配体分子结构对Pd(Ⅱ)-Phen-PCA体系堆积作用的影响

用pH电位滴定法测定了含l，10-邻菲咯啉(Phen)和羧酸(CA)配体的三元混配配合物Pd(Phen)(CA)体系的稳定常数，比较和讨论了各种三元混配配合物之间的稳定性差异．实验结果表明，在三元混配配合物Pd(Phen)(PCA)中(PCA为苯基羧酸)存在分子内芳环堆积作用，堆积程度依赖于苯基和配位的羧酸根之间的亚甲基数目，其中以2-苯乙酸和3-苯丙酸与邻菲咯啉为最佳堆积．     

On the use of isovalued surfaces to determine molecule shape and reaction pathways

Summary Novel insights into local molecule structure and reactivity can be gained from viewing isovalued surfaces of the molecular electron density, electrostatic potential and molecular orbitals rendered as colored, 3-D objects. For example, drawing positive and negative electrostatic isopotential surfaces partitions the molecule into regions subject to nucleophilic or electrophilic attack. Similarly, coloring isodensity surfaces to indicate the magnitude of the gradient of the electron density maps the molecule surface into regions of high and low electronegativity.A basic understanding of reaction mechanisms can also come from viewing and manipulating isovalued surfaces. A theory of molecular interactions, based upon second-order perturbation theory, provides for the decomposition of the intermolecular interaction energy into steric, electrostatic and orbital interactions. Color figures illustrate the docking of reactant molecular densities, electrostatic potentials and orbitals on low-energy pathways. The figures are used to visualize the steric, electrostatic and orbital contributions to molecular interaction energy. The visualization not only identifies low-energy reaction pathways, but it frequently reveals local interactions which determine the magnitude of the total interaction energy. Similar insight is not easily obtained by simple evaluation of the total interaction energy. Approximate transition states, built from structures along low-energy approach pathways, are excellent starting points for transition state searches.CAChe^TM Technical Report No. 1, Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, OR.