Cyano-, nitro-, and alkoxycarbonyl-activated observable stable enols of carboxylic acid amides

A search for the enol structures of several amides YY'CHCONHPh with Y,Y' = electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs) was conducted. When Y = CN, Y' = CO(2)Me the solid structure is that of the enol (8b) MeO(2)CC(CN)=C(OH)NHPh, whereas in solution the NMR spectrum indicate the presence of both the amide MeO(2)CCH(CN)CONHPh (8a) and 8b. When Y = NO(2), Y' = CO(2)Et the main compound in CDCl(3) is the amide, but <10% of enol(s), presumably EtO(2)CC(NO(2))=C(OH)NHPh (9b), are also present. When Y = COEt, Y' = CO(2)Me or Y = COMe, Y' = CO(2)Et (10 and 11) enolization in solution and of 11 also in the solid state occurs at the carbonyl rather than at the ester site. With Y = Y' = CN a rapid exchange between the amide (NC)(2)CHCONHPh (12a) and a tautomer, presumably the enol, take place in several solvents on the NMR time scale. With YY' = barbituric acid moiety the species in DMSO-d(6) is an enol of an amide although which CONH group enolizes is unknown. B3LYP/6-31G calculations showed that the enol (NC)(2)C=C(OH)NH(2) (13b) is more stable by DeltaG of 0.4 kcal/mol than (NC)(2)CHCONH(2) (13a) due to a combination of stabilization of 13b and destabilization of 13a and both are much more stable than the hydroxyimine and ketene imine tautomers. The effect of Y,Y' and the solvent on the relative stabilization of enols of amides is discussed.     

Enols and thioenols of substituted cyanomonothiocarbonylmalonamides: structures, enolization vs. thioenolization, equilibria and conformations

Condensation of organic isothiocyanates with cyanoacetamides gave 24 N- and N'-substituted cyanomonothiocarbonylmalonamides in different tautomeric ratios i.e., amide-thioamides (TMA)R3NHCSCH(CN)CONR1R2 (12), thioamide-enols of amides (E) R3NHCSC(CN)=C(OH)NR1R2 (11)or amide-thioenols (TE) R3NHC(SH)=C(CN)CONR1R2 (13). The equilibrium constants (K(thioenol) =[TE]/[TMA] and K(enol) = [E]/[TMA]) in solution depend on R1, R2, R3 and the solvent. The %(E + TE)for NR1R2 increases in the order NMe2 < NHMe < NH2. The (K(thioenol) + K(enol)) in various solvents follows the order CCl4 > CDCl3 > C6D6 > THF-d8 > (CD3)2CO > CD3CN > DMF-d7 > DMSO-d6. The delta(OH) values are 16.46-17.43 and the delta(SH) values are 3.87-5.26 ppm in non polar solvents, e.g.,CDCl3 and 6.34-6.97 ppm in THF-d8 and CD3CN. An intramolecular O-H...O hydrogen bond leads to the preferred Z-configuration of the enols, and an N-H...O bond stabilizes the thioenols' preferred E-configuration with a non-bonded SH in solution. X-Ray crystallography revealed that systems with high %(E + TE) in solution mostly display the enols 11 in the solid state and systems with lower %(E +TE) in solution display structure 12. The differences in delta(OH), delta(NH), K(enol) and crystallographic data for analogous enol and thioenol systems are compared.     

Stable enols of amides ArNHC(OH)=C(CN)CO(2)R. E/Z enols,equilibria with the amides,solvent effects,and hydrogen bonding

The structures of anilido cyano(fluoroalkoxycarbonyl)methanes ArNHCOCH(CN)CO(2)R, where R = CH(2)CF(3) or CH(CF(3))(2), Ar = p-XC(6)H(4), and X = MeO, Me, H, or Br, were investigated. In the solid state, all exist as the enols ArNHC(OH)=C(CN)CO(2)R 7 (R = CH(2)CF(3)) and 9 (R = CH(CF(3))(2)) with cis arrangement of the hydrogen-bonded ROC=O.HO moiety and a long C1=C2 bond. The product composition in solution is solvent dependent. In CDCl(3) solution, only a single enol is observed, whereas in THF-d(8) and CD(3)CN, two enols (E and Z) are the major products, and the amide is the minor product or not observed at all (K(Enol) 1.04-9 (CD(3)CN, 298 K) and 3 to >/=100 (THF, 300 K)). The percentage of the amide and the Z-enol increase upon an increase in temperature. In all solvents, the percent enol is higher for 9 than for 7. In CD(3)CN, more enol is observed when the aryl group is more electron-donating. The spectra in DMSO-d(6) and DMF-d(7) indicate the presence of mostly a single species, whose spectra do not change on addition of a base and is ascribed to the anion of the ionized carbon acid. Comparison with systems where the CN is replaced by a CO(2)R group (R = CH(2)CF(3), CH(CF(3))(2)) shows a higher percentage of enol for the CN-substituted system. Intramolecular (to CO(2)R) and intermolecular hydrogen bonds determine, to a significant extent, the stability of the enols, their Z/E ratios (e.g., Z/E (THF, 240 K) = 3.2-4.0 (7) and 0.9-1.3 (9)), and their delta(OH) in the (1)H spectra. The interconversion of Z- and E-enol by rotation around the C=C bond was studied by DNMR, and DeltaG() values of >/=15.3 and 14.1 +/- 0.4 kcal/mol for Z-7 and Z-9 were determined. Features of the NMR spectra of the enols and their anions are discussed.     

Enols of amides activated by the 2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl group

Reaction of isocyanates XNCO (X = Ar, i-Pr, t-Bu) with CH(2)(Y)CO(2)CH(2)CCl(3) (Y = CO(2)Me, CO(2)CH(2)CCl(3), CN) gave 15 amides XNHCOCH(Y)CO(2)CH(2)CCl(3) (6) or enols of amides XNHC(OH)=C(Y)CO(2)CH(2)CCl(3) (5) systems. The amide/enol ratios in solution depend strongly on the substituent Y and the solvent and mildly on the substituent X. The percentage of enol for group Y increases according to Y = CN > CO(2)CH(2)CCl(3) > CO(2)Me and decreases with the solvent according to CCl(4) > C(6)D(6) > CDCl(3) > THF-d(8) > CD(3)CN > DMSO-d(6). With the most acidic systems (Y = CN) amide/enol exchange is observed in moderately polar solvents and ionization to the conjugate base is observed in DMSO-d(6). The solid-state structure of the compound with Y = CN, X = i-Pr was found to be that of the enol. The reasons for the stability of the enols were discussed in terms of polar and resonance effects. Intramolecular hydrogen bonds result in a very low delta(OH) and contribute to the stability of the enols and are responsible for the higher percentage of the E-isomers when Y = CO(2)Me and the Z-isomers when Y = CN. The differences in delta(OH), delta(NH), K(enol), and E/Z enol ratios from the analogues with CF(3) instead of CCl(3) are discussed.     

Enols of substituted cyanomalonamides

Twenty open-chain mono-, di-, and trialkyl and aryl-N-substituted cyanomalonamides R2R1NCOCH(CN)CONHR3 were prepared. In solution, signals for both amide and a single enol are mostly observed, despite the potential for E and Z isomeric enols. The equilibrium (KEnol) values between the amides and the enols were determined in different solvents by NMR spectra. They decrease on increasing the polarity of the solvent in the order CDCl3 approximately C6D6>THF-d8>(CD3)2CO>CD3CN>DMF-d7>DMSO-d6. For the R1R2NCOCH(CN)CONHR3 system when R1=R2=H, Me or R1=H, R2=Me, KEnol for R3 follows the order: C6F5>Ph>or=An>or= i-Pr>or= t-Bu, and for R1, R2:H, H>Me, H>Me, Me in all solvents. A unique feature is the appreciable % enol in DMSO-d6 when R1=R2=H, in contrast with enol systems with other electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs). Calculations (B3LYP/6-31G**) corroborate the higher KEnol values for less alkyl-substituted systems, showing that in the most stable conformer when R1=H, R2=R3=Me the N-hydrogens are closer to the CN group. The order of promoting substituents for enol of amide formation is CONH2>CO2CH2CF3>CO2Me>CONHMe. The solid-state structures of the isolated species, determined by X-ray crystallography, were either amides or enols, and a higher KEnol(CDCl3) value does not ensure a solid enol structure. In no system were both solid species isolated. The X-ray structures of the enols were temperature-dependent. In most cases, the difference between the O-H and O...H bond lengths at low temperature were appreciable, but they become closer at the higher temperature. Similar tendency for either the C=C/C-C or the C-O/C=O bonds was observed. This is ascribed to a hydrogen shift between two regioisomeric enols in an asymmetric double-well potential, which becomes faster at a higher temperature. Calculations show that the enol structures are nonsymmetrical, resembling the lower temperature structures, even when they are chemically symmetrical, but the energy differences between the two regioisomers are <1 kcal. The hydrogen bonds in the enol moiety are strong, with O...O distances <2.45 A, and are resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds. IR spectra in solution and the solid state qualitatively corroborate the NMR and X-ray structure determination.     

Metal-metal interactions in platinum(II)/gold(I) or platinum(II)/silver(I) salts containing planar cations and linear anions

The salts [Pt{C(NHMe)(2)}(4)][Au(CN)(2)](2), [Pt{C(NHMe)(2)}(4)][Ag(2)(CN)(3)][Ag(CN)(2)], [Pt(en)(2)][Au(CN)(2)](2), [Pt(en)(2)][Ag(CN)(2)](2), and [Pt(bipy)(2)][Au(CN)(2)](2) have been prepared by mixing solutions of salts containing the appropriate cation with solutions of K[Au(CN)(2)] or K[Ag(CN)(2)]. Because the platinum atom in the cation is sterically protected, the structures of [Pt{C(NHMe)(2)}(4)][Au(CN)(2)](2) and [Pt{C(NHMe)(2)}(4)][Ag(2)(CN)(3)][Ag(CN)(2)] reveal no close metal-metal interactions. Colorless crystals of [Pt(en)(2)][Au(CN)(2)](2) and [Pt(en)(2)][Ag(CN)(2)](2) are isostructural and involve extended chains of alternating cations and anions that run parallel to the crystallographic a axis, along with isolated anions. In the chains, the metal-metal separations are relatively short: Pt...Au, 3.1799(3) Angstroms; Pt...Ag, 3.1949(2) Angstroms. In [Pt(bipy)(2)][Au(CN)(2)](2), each cation has axial interactions with the anions through close Pt...Au contacts [3.1735(6) Angstroms]. In addition, the anions are weakly linked through Au...Au contacts of 3.5978(9) Angstroms. Unlike the previously reported Pt/Au complex [Pt(NH(3))(4)][Au(CN)(2)](2).1.5H(2)O, which is luminescent, none of the salts reported here luminesce.     

The mandelamide keto-enol system in aqueous solution. Generation of the enol by hydration of phenylcarbamoylcarbene

Flash photolysis of diazophenylacetamide in aqueous solution produced phenylcarbamoylcarbene, whose hydration generated a transient species that was identified as the enol isomer of mandelamide. This assignment is based on product identification and the shape of the rate profile for decay of the enol transient, through ketonization to its carbonyl isomer, as well as by the form of acid-base catalysis of and solvent isotope effects on the decay reaction. Rates of enolization of mandelamide were also determined, by monitoring hydrogen exchange at its benzylic position, and these, in combination with the ketonization rate measurements, gave the keto-enol equilibrium constant pK(E) = 15.88, the acidity constant of the enol ionizing as an oxygen acid, pQ(E)(a)= 8.40, and the acidity constant of the amide ionizing as a carbon acid pQ(K)(a)= 24.29. (These acidity constants are concentration quotients applicable at ionic strength = 0.10 M.) These results show the enol content and carbon acid strength of mandelamide, like those of mandelic acid and methyl mandelate, to be orders of magnitude less than those of simple aldehydes and ketones; this difference can be attributed to resonance stabilization of the keto isomers of mandelic acid and its ester and amide derivatives, through electron delocalization into their carbonyl groups from the oxygen and nitrogen substituents adjacent to these groups. The enol of mandelamide, on the other hand, again like the enols of mandelic acid and methyl mandelate, is a substantially stronger acid than the enols of simple aldehydes and ketones. This difference can be attributed to the electronegative nature of the oxygen and nitrogen substituents geminal to the enol hydroxyl group in the enols of mandelic acid and its derivatives; in support of this, the acidity constants of these enols correlate well with field substituent constants of these geminal groups.     

Dialkoxyphosphinyl-substituted enols of carboxamides

Reactions of isocyanates XNCO (e.g., X = p-An, Ph, i-Pr) with (MeO)2P(=O)CH2CO2R [R = Me, CF3CH2, (CF3)2CH] gave 15 formal "amides" (MeO)2P(=O)CH(CO2R)CONHX (6/7), and with (CF3CH2O)2P(=O)CH2CO2R [R = Me, CF3CH2] they gave eight analogous amide/enols 17/18. X-ray crystallography of two 6/7, R = (CF3)2CH systems revealed Z-enols of amides structures (MeO)2P(=O)C(CO2CH(CF3)2)=C(OH)NHX 7 where the OH is cis and hydrogen bonded to the O=P(OMe)2 group. The solid phosphonates with R = Me, CF3CH2 have the amide 6 structure. The structures in solution were investigated by 1H, 13C, 19F, and 31P NMR spectra. They depend strongly on the substituent R and the solvent and slightly on the N-substituent X. All systems displayed signals for the amide and the E- and Z-isomers. The low-field two delta(OH) and two delta(NH) values served as a probe for the stereochemistry of the enols. The lower field delta(OH) is not always that for the more abundant enol. The % enol, presented as K(enol), was determined by 1H, 19F, and 31P NMR spectra, increases according to the order for R, Me < CF3CH2 < (CF3)2CH, and decreases according to the order of solvents, CCl4 > CDCl3 approximately THF-d8 > CD3CN >DMSO-d6. In DMSO-d6, the product is mostly only the amide, but a few enols with fluorinated ester groups were observed. The Z-isomers are more stable for all the enols 7 with E/Z ratios of 0.31-0.75, 0.15-0.33, and 0.047-0.16 when R = Me, CF3CH2, and (CF3)2CH, respectively, and for compounds 18, R = Me, whereas the E-isomers are more stable than the Z-isomers. Comparison with systems where the O=P(OMe)2 is replaced by a CO2R shows mostly higher K(enol) values for the O=P(OMe)2-substituted systems. A linear correlation exists between delta(OH)[Z-enols] activated by two ester groups and delta(OH)[E-enols] activated by phosphonate and ester groups. Compounds (MeO)2P(=O)CH(CN)CONHX show 相似文献   

Amination of pyridylketenes: experimental and computational studies of strong amide enol stabilization by the 2-pyridyl group

Laser flash photolyses of 2-, 3-, and 4-diazoacetylpyridines 8 give the corresponding pyridylketenes 7 formed by Wolff rearrangements, as observed by time-resolved infrared spectroscopy, with ketenyl absorptions at 2127, 2125, and 2128 cm(-1), respectively. Photolysis of 2-, 3-, and 4-8 in CH(3)CN containing n-BuNH(2) results in the formation of two transients in each case, as observed by time-resolved IR and UV spectroscopy. The initial transients are assigned as the ketenes 7, and this is confirmed by IR measurements of the decay of the ketenyl absorbance. The ketenes then form the amide enols 12, whose growth and decay are monitored by UV. Similar photolysis of diazoacetophenone leads to phenylketene (5), which forms the amide enol 17. For 3- and 4-pyridylketenes and for phenylketene, the ratios of rate constants for amination of the ketene and for conversion of the amide enol to the amide are 3.1, 7.7, and 22, respectively, while for the 2-isomer the same ratio is 1.8 x 10(7). The stability of the amide enol from 2-7 is attributed to a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond to the pyridyl nitrogen, and this is supported by the DFT calculated structures of the intermediates, which indicate this enol amide is stabilized by 12.8 kcal/mol relative to the corresponding amide enol from phenylketene. Calculations of the transition states indicate a 10.9 kcal/mol higher barrier for conversion of the 2-pyridyl amide enol to the amide as compared to that from phenylketene.     

Enols of amides. The effect of fluorine substituents in the ester groups of dicarboalkoxyanilidomethanes on the enol/amide and E-enol/Z-enol ratios. A multinuclei NMR study.

Condensation of phenyl isocyanate substituted by 4-MeO, 4-Me, 4-H, 4-Br, and 2,4-(MeO)(2) with esters CH(2)(CO(2)R)CO(2)R', R = CH(2)CF(3), R' = CH(3), CH(2)CF(3), CH(CF(3))(2), or R = CH(3), R' = CH(CF(3))(2) gave 17 "amides" ArNHCOCH(CO(2)R)CO(2)R' containing three, six, or nine fluorines in the ester groups. X-ray crystallography of six of them revealed that compounds with > or =6 fluorine atoms exist in the solid state as the enols of amides ArNHC(OH)=C(CO(2)R)CO(2)R' whereas the ester with R = R' = CH(3) was shown previously to have the amide structure. In the solid enols, the OH is cis and hydrogen bonded to the better electron-donating (i.e., with fewer fluorine atoms) ester group. X-ray diffraction could not be obtained for compounds with only three fluorine atoms, i.e., R = CH(2)CF(3), R' = CH(3) but the (13)C CP-MAS spectra indicate that they have the amide structure in the solid state, whereas esters with six and nine fluorine atoms display spectra assigned to the enols. The solid enols show unsymmetrical hydrogen bonds and the expected features of push-pull alkenes, e.g., long C(alpha)=C(beta) bonds. The structure in solution depends on the number of fluorine atoms and the solvent, but only slightly on the substituents. The symmetrical systems (R = R' = CH(2)CF(3)) show signals for the amide and the enol, but all systems with R not equal R' displayed signals for the amide and for two enols, presumably the E- and Z-isomers. The [Enol I]/[Enol II] ratio is 1.6-2.9 when R = CH(2)CF(3), R' = CH(3), CH(CF(3))(2) and 4.5-5.3 when R = CH(3), R' = CH(CF(3))(2). The most abundant enol display a lower field delta(OH) and a higher field delta(NH) and assigned the E-structure with a stronger O-H.O=C(OR) hydrogen bond than in the Z-isomer. delta(OH) and delta(NH) values are nearly the same for all systems with the same cis CO(2)R group. The [Enols]/[Amide] ratio in various solvents follows the order CCl(4) > CDCl(3) > CD(3)CN > DMSO-d(6). The enols always predominate in CCl(4) and the amide is the exclusive isomer in DMSO-d(6) and the major one in CD(3)CN. In CDCl(3) the major tautomer depends on the number of fluorines. For example, in CDCl(3,) for Ar = Ph, the % enol (K(Enol)) is 35% (0.54) for R = CH(2)CF(3,) R' = CH(3), 87% (6.7) for R = R' = CH(2)CF(3), 79% (3.8) for R = CH(3), R' = CH(CF(3))(2) and 100% (> or =50) for R = CH(2)CF(3), R' = CH(CF(3))(2). (17)O and (15)N NMR spectra measured for nine of the enols are consistent with the suggested assignments. The data indicate the importance of electron withdrawal at C(beta), of intramolecular hydrogen bonding, and of low polarity solvents in stabilizing the enols. The enols of amides should no longer be regarded as esoteric species.     

Gas-phase acidities of disubstituted methanes and of enols of carboxamides substituted by electron-withdrawing groups

The gas-phase acidities DeltaG degrees (acid) of some 20 amides/enols of amides RNHCOCHYY'/RNHC(OH)=CYY' [R = Ph, i-Pr; Y, Y' = CO(2)R', CO(2)R' ', or CN, CO(2)R', R', R' ' = Me, CH(2)CF(3), CH(CF(3))(2)], the N-Ph and N-Pr-i amides of Meldrum's acid, 1,3-cyclopentanedione, dimedone, and 1,3-indanedione, and some N-p-BrC(6)H(4) derivatives and of nine CH(2)YY' (Y, Y' = CN, CO(2)R', CO(2)R' '), including the cyclic carbon acids listed above, were determined by ICR. The acidities were calculated at the B3LYP/6-31+G//B3LYP/6-31+G level for both the enol and the amide species or for the carbon acid and the enol on the CO in the CH(2)YY' series. For 12 of the compounds, calculations were also conducted with the larger base sets 6-311+G and G-311+G. The DeltaG degrees (acid) values changed from 341.3 kcal/mol for CH(2)(CO(2)Me)(2) to 301.0 kcal/mol for PhNHC(OH)=C(CN)CH(CF(3))(2). The acidities increased for combinations of Y and Y' based on the order CO(2)Me < CO(2)CH(2)CF(3) < CN, CO(2)CH(CF(3))(2) for a single group and reflect the increased electron-withdrawal ability of Y,Y' coupled with the ability to achieve planarity of the crowded anion. The acidities of corresponding YY'-substituted systems follow the order N-Ph enols > N-Pr-i enols > CH(2)YY'. Better linear relationships between DeltaG degrees (acid) values calculated for the enols and the observed values than those for the values calculated for the amides suggest that the ionization site is the enolic O-H of most of the noncyclic trisubstituted methanes. The experimental DeltaG degrees (acid) value for Meldrum's acid matches the recently reported calculated value. The calculated structures and natural charges of all species are given, and the changes occurring in them on ionization are discussed. Correlations between the DeltaG degrees (acid) values and the pK(enol) values, which are linear for the trisubstituted methanes, excluding YY' = (CN)(2) and nonlinear for the CH(2)YY' systems, are discussed.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of an Ionic Compound [Fe(CN)_6·(PhCH_2NC_9H_7)_4]·12H_2O

A novel ionic compound [Fe(CN)6(PhCH2NC9H7)4]·12H2O (C70H80FeN10O12, Mr = 1309.29) has been synthesized and its structure was characterized by IR, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in triclinic, space group P1, with a = 10.968(7), b = 11.466(7), c = 14.077(8) , α = 87.014(7), β = 78.124(7), γ = 72.708(7)o, V = 1654.1(17) 3, Z = 1, Dc = 1.314 g·cm–3, F(000) = 692, μ = 0.298 mm–1, the final R = 0.0519 and wR = 0.1355. The building unit of the title compound consists of four (PhCH2N+C9H7) ions, one [Fe(CN)6]4– anion, and a dozen water molecules. According to the structural analysis, [Fe(CN)6]4– ions are linked together by O–H···O and O–H···N hydrogen bonds, while (PhCH2N+C9H7) and [Fe(CN)6]4– ions interact with each other by electrostatic force to form an ionic compound.     

The first solid enols of anhydrides. Structure, properties, and enol/anhydride equilibria(1)

Reaction of beta-methylglutaconic anhydride with NaOMe followed by reaction with methyl or phenyl chloroformate gave the corresponding O-methoxy (and O-phenoxy) carbonylation derivatives. Reaction of the anhydride with MgCl2/pyridine, followed by methyl chloroformate gave C-methoxycarbonylation at C3 of the anhydride. The product (4) was previously suggested by calculation to be the enol of the anhydride 5 and this is confirmed by X-ray crystallography (bond lengths: C-OH, 1.297 A; C1C2 1.388 A; HO...O=C(OMe) distance 2.479 A) making it the first solid enol of an anhydride. In CDCl3, CD3CN, or C6D6 solution it displays the OH as a broad signal at ca. 15 ppm, suggesting a hydrogen bond with the CO2Me group. NICS calculations indicate that 4 is nonaromatic. With D2O in CDCl3 both the OH and the C5H protons exchange rapidly the H for D. An isomeric anhydride 5a of 5 is formed in equilibrium with 4 in polar solvents. In solution, anhydride(s)/enol equilibria are rapidly established with Kenol of 6.40 (C6D6, 298 K), 0.52 (CD3CN, 298 K), 9.8 (CDCl3, 298 K), 22.8 (CDCl3, 240 K), and decreasing Kenol in CDCl3:CD3CN mixtures with the increase in percent of CD3CN. The percentage of the rearranged anhydride in CDCl3:(CD3)2CO increases with the increased percent of (CD3)2CO. In DMSO-d6 and DMF-d7 the observed species are mainly the conjugated base 4- and 5a. Deuterium effects on the delta(13C) values were determined. An analogous C2-OH enol of anhydride 15 substituted by 3-CO2Me and 4-OCO2Me groups was prepared. Its structure was confirmed by X-ray crystallography (CO bond length 1.298 A, O...O distance 2.513 A); delta(OH) = 12.04-13.22 ppm in CDCl3, THF-d8, and CD3CN, and Kenol = > or = 100, 7.7, and 3.4 respectively. In DMSO-d6 enol 15 ionizes to its conjugate base. Substantial upfield shifts of the apparent delta("OH") proton on diluting the enol solutions are ascribed to the interaction of the H+ formed with the traces of water in the solvent to give H3O+, which gives the alleged "OH proton" signal.     

A molecular dynamics study of the pentacyclo-undecane cage amino acid tripeptide

In this paper, we report on the conformational profile of the pentacyclo-undecane (PCU) cage tripeptide carried out by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation using water as an explicit solvent. The MD solution phase studies carried on the model peptide analogues (A)=Ac–Ala–Ala–Ala–NHMe; (B)=Ac–Cage–Cage–Cage–NHMe; (C)=Ac–Ala–Cage–Ala–NHMe and (D)=Ac–Ala–Pro–Ala–NHMe, are used as a complimentary technique to the corresponding gas phase simulated annealing (SA) study previously carried out in our laboratory. No significant structural changes were observed over the MD trajectories. However, the results reported here provide further evidence that the (PCU) cage amino acid exhibits C_7eq, C_7aq, _R and _L conformations, and the theoretical results suggest that the PCU cage amino acid is a strong β-turn inducer. These results support the prediction that when the PCU cage residues are in the (i) and (i+2) positions, the β-turn can be extended in either direction to form anti-parallel β-pleated sheets, thereby forming the basis of the mechanism for the folding back of the chain in a cross-β-turn structure.     

Reactions of the ionized enol tautomer of acetanilide: elimination of HNCO via a novel rearrangement

The reactions of ionised acetanilide, C(6)H(5)NH(=O)CH(3)(.+), and its enol, C(6)H(5)NH(OH)=CH(2)(.+), have been studied by a combination of tandem mass spectrometric and computational methods. These two isomeric radical cations have distinct chemistries at low internal energies. The keto tautomer eliminates exclusively CH(2)=C=O to give ionised aniline. In contrast, the enol tautomer loses H-N=C=O, via an unusual skeletal rearrangement, to form predominantly ionised methylene cyclohexadiene. Hydrogen atom loss also occurs from the enol tautomer, with the formation of protonated oxindole. The mechanisms for H-N=C=O and hydrogen atom loss both involve cyclisation; the former proceeds via a spiro transition state formed by attachment of the methylene group to the ipso position, whereas the latter entails the formation of a five-membered ring by attachment to the ortho position. The behaviour of labelled analogues reveals that these two processes have different site selectivities. Hydrogen atom loss involves a reverse critical energy and is subject to an isotope effect. Surprisingly, attempts to promote the enolisation of ionised acetanilide by proton-transport catalysis were unsuccessful. In a reversal of the usual situation for ionised carbonyl compounds, ionised acetanilide is actually more stable than its enol tautomer. The enol tautomer was resistant to proton-transport catalysed ketonisation to ionised acetanilide, possibly because the favoured geometry of the encounter complex with the base molecule is inappropriate for facilitating tautomerisation.     

A catalytic antibody against a tocopherol cyclase inhibitor

The cyclic ammonium cation 5 and its guanidinium analogue 4 are inhibitors of tocopherol cyclase. Monoclonal antibodies were raised against protein conjugates of the haptens 1-3 and screened for catalytic reactions with alkene 8, a short chain analogue of the natural substrate phytyl-hydroquinone 6, and its enol ether analogues 10a,b. Antibody 16E7 raised against hapten 3 was found to catalyze the hydrolysis of Z enol ether 10a to form hemiacetal 12 with an apparent rate acceleration of k(cat)/k(uncat)=1400. Antibody 16E7 also catalyzed the elimination of Kemp's benzisoxazole 59. The absence of cyclization in the reaction of enol ether 10a was attributed to the competition of water molecules for the oxocarbonium cation intermediate within the antibody binding pocket. Hapten and reaction design features contributing to this outcome are discussed. Antibody 16E7 provides the first example of a carboxyl group acting both as an acid in an intrinsically acid-catalyzed process and as a base in an intrinsically base-catalyzed process, as expected from first principles. In contrast to the many examples of general-acid-catalyzed processes known to be catalyzed by catalytic antibodies, the specific-acid-catalyzed cyclization of phytyl-hydroquinone 6 or its analogue 8 still eludes antibody catalysis.     

Observable Enols of Anhydrides: Claimed Literature Systems,Calculations, and Predictions

The literature describing the observation of enols of carboxylic anhydrides and mixed carboxylic‐sulfuric anhydrides was examined. In the phenylbutyric anhydride system, the alleged enol was shown to be ethylphenylketene, and the monoenol EtC(Ph)=C(OH)OC(=O)CH(Ph)Et ( 5 ) and the dienol ( 6 ) should not be observed according to calculations. Calculations also show that the claimed enols H₂C=C(OH)OSO₂Y, Y=SO, Ac ( 15 ) and the enol of 2H‐pyran‐2,6(3H)‐dione ( 7 ) are too unstable to be observed. The bulky enols of β,β‐ditipylacetic formic ( 35a ) or trifluoroacetic ( 35b ) anhydride were calculated to be unstable with pK_Enol=7.7 (6.2). The suggestion that compounds with the 3‐acyl or 3‐aroyl‐2H‐pyran‐2,6(3H)‐dione skeleton are enolic was examined. In the solid state, all the known structures show that enolization takes place on C(5)=O. However, B3LYP/6‐31G** calculations show that, for 3‐acetyl‐4‐methyl‐2H‐pyran‐2,6(3H)‐dione ( 10 , R¹=Me, R²=H), which is completely enolic, the enol on the acetyl group (cf. 12 ) is only 0.9 kcal/mol more stable than the enol on the anhydride (cf. 11 ). Calculations also revealed that 3‐(trifluoroacetyl)‐2H‐pyran‐2,6(3H)‐dione ( 28 ) should exist in nearly equal amounts of the enol of anhydride (cf. 30 ) and the enol of the acyl group (cf. 29 ), whereas the enol of anhydride (cf. 32 ) is the only stable species for 3‐(methoxycarbonyl)‐2H‐pyran‐2,6(3H)‐dione ( 31 ). Furan‐2,5‐diol ( 27 ) and 5‐hydroxyfuran‐2‐one ( 26 ) are calculated not to give observable isomers of succinic anhydride ( 25 ) (pK_Enol=30 and 18, resp.) in spite of the expected aromatic stabilization of 27 . Surprisingly, the calculations reveal that the enol (NC)₂C=C(OH)OCHO ( 38 ) is less stable than its tautomeric anhydride ( 37 ) (pK_Enol=1.6). Comparison of calculated pK_Enol values for (NC)₂CHC(=O)X ( 41 ) and MeC(=O)X indicates that the assumption that substitution by two β‐CN groups affects similarly all the systems regardless of X is incorrect. A pK_Enol((NC)₂CHC(=O)X) vs. pK_Enol(MeC(=O)X) plot is linear for most substituents with severe and mild negative deviations, respectively, for X=NH₂ and MeO. Appropriate isodesmic reactions have shown that the β,β‐(CN)₂ substitution increases the stabilization of the enol of amide (X=NH₂) by 14.6 kcal/mol over that for the anhydride (X=OCHO), whereas the amide form is 7.1 kcal/mol less destabilized than for the anhydride. The pK_Enol value for (MeOCO)₂CHCOOCHO ( 43 ) is 3.6, i.e., stabilization by these β‐electron‐withdrawing groups is insufficient to make the enols observable.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Tetra（（8-quinolyl）-amido-N）ytterbium Bi（tetrahydrofuran-O）lithium

The treatment of the mixture of n-BuLi with 1 equiv.8-aminoquinoline in THF in situ,which reacted further with 1/3 equiv.of YbCl3 in THF,to give the homoleptic lanthanide amide ate complex Yb(NH-C9H6N)4Li(C4H8O)2(1).The crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction and the following crystallographic data were obtained:C44H44N8O2YbLi,Mr = 896.85,monoclinic,space group C2/c,a = 7.8384(16),b = 22.294(5),c = 22.668(5),β = 97.614(5)°,V = 3926.3(14)3,Z = 4,Dc = 1.517 g/cm3,F(000)= 1812,μ(MoKα)= 2.431 mm-1,R = 0.0542 and wR = 0.1523 for 3372 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I).The structure of molecule 1 consists of one ytterbium atom,one lithium atom,four 8-aminoquinoline ligands and two THF molecules.The ytterbium atom is coordinated by eight nitrogen atoms of four 8-aminoquinoline ligands,forming a distorted dodecahedral geometry.     

Are dipolar liquids ferroelectric?

VH and HV depolarized hyper-Rayleigh scattering spectra were measured for liquid solutions of dipolar CH3CN in nondipolar C2Cl4 at T=300 K. The VH spectrum contains a strong narrow peak due to a slowly relaxing longitudinal orientation mode. This peak is absent in the HV spectrum, and it disappears from the VH spectrum when the CH3CN concentration is reduced to 8%. This observation is consistent with a ferroelectric phase transition predicted to occur when rho mu0(2)=9epsilon0kT=49 D2 M.     

Reactions of enols of amides with diazomethane

The reaction of 10 carboxamides activated by two beta-electron-withdrawing groups, which mostly exist completely or partially in their enol forms, with diazomethane was investigated. The main outcome is the diversity of reactions observed. With the most acidic enols 3-7, activated by at least one trifluoroethoxycarbonyl group or a cyano group, O-methylation or O,N-dimethylation takes place. With beta-dimethoxycarbonyl-activated systems 5 and 8, the C-methylation product of the amide form was one of the products. With a Meldrum's acid anilide enol 2, a cleavage took place leading to the C-alkylated imine having a CH(CO(2)Me)(2) group. Exchange of one 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxycarbonyl by a methoxycarbonyl in the C,N-dimethylation product of Me(2)CHNHC(OH)[double bond]C(CO(2)CH(2)CF(3))(2) 4 took place. The 2-anilido-1,3-cyclopentanedione 10 was methylated on a ring carbonyl while the enol of the 1,3-indanedione analogue 11 reacted with three diazomethane molecules and underwent a ring expansion and O-methylation to the 3-anilido-1,4-dimethoxynaphthalene. It is suggested that the reaction initiates by protonation of the diazomethane by the enol and an approximate qualitative relationship exists between the acidity of the enol and K(enol) and the regioselectivity of the reaction.