Stereoelectronic control of the retro diels–alder reaction in 8-(N-pyrrolidyl)bicyclo[4.3.0]nona-3,7-diene isomers

The cis- and trans-annulated isomers of 8-(N-pyrrolidyl)bicyclo[4.3.0]nona-3,7-diene show different propensities for the retro Diels–Alder fragmentation following electron impact ionization. Molecular ions of the cis-annulated isomer decompose predominantly via the retro Diels–Alder reaction to give [C₉H₁₃N] ⁺· fragments of the appearance energy (AE)=8.45±0.05eV and critical energy E_c=133±8kJ mol^?1. The trans-annulated isomer gives abundant [M–H]⁺ (AE=9.34±0.08eV) and [M–C₆H₆]⁺· fragments, in addition to [C₉H₁₃N]⁺· ions of AE=8.98±0.05eV and E_c=181±8kJ mol^?1. The ionization energies (IE) were determined as IE_cis=7.07±0.05 eV and IE_trans=7.10±0.06eV. The stereochemical information is much less pronounced in unimolecular decompositions of long-lived (metastable) molecular ions which show very similar fragmentation patterns for both geometrical isomers. Nevertheless, the isomers exhibit different kinetic energy release values in the retro Diels–Alder fragmentation; T_0.5=3.8±0.3 and 4.8±0.2 kJ mol^?1 for the cis and trans isomer respectively. Topological molecular orbital calculations indicate that the retro Diels–Alder reaction prefers a two-step path, with a subsequent cleavage of the C(5)? C(6) and C(1)? C(2) bonds. The open-ring distonic intermediate represents the absolute minimum on the reaction energy hypersurface. The cleavage of the C(1)? C(2) bond is the rate-determining step in the decomposition of the cis isomer, with the critical energy calculated as 137 kJ mol^?1. The cleavage of the C(5)? C(6) bond becomes the rate-determining step in the trans-annulated isomer because of stereoelectronic control. The difference in the energy barriers to this cleavage in the isomers (ΔE=95k Jmol^?1) provides a quantitative estimate of the magnitude of the stereoelectronic effect in cation radicals.     

The origins of the base peak in the electron impact spectrum of limonene

The origins and nature of the [C₅H₈]⁺? ions which form the base peak in the electron impact spectrum of limonene, at nominal electron energies greater than 11 eV, have been investigated. Linked scan techniques were used to study unimolecular and collision induced fragmentation reactions. No fragmentation pathway leading to [C₅H₈]⁺? could be found. Measurement of ionization efficiency curves indicated that the threshold for formation of C₅H₈[⁺?] lies above the range of internal energies deposited in incident ions by collisional activation. By a combination of comparisons of collisionally activated spectra and energetic considerations, the [C₅H₈]⁺? ions formed from limonene were shown to resemble those of the molecular ion of isoprene, while the neutral fragment is most likely isoprene also. Deuterium labelling experiments yielded evidence of extensive scrambling prior to fragmentation. The most probable mechanism of formation of [C₅H₈]⁺? appears to involve a retro Diels–Alder reaction of a structurally intact molecular ion of limonene.     

Substituent effects on the gas‐phase fragmentation reactions of protonated peptides containing benzylamine‐derivatized lysyl residues

Motivated by the need for chemical strategies designed to tune peptide fragmentation to selective cleavage reactions, benzyl ring substituent influence on the relative formation of carbocation elimination (CCE) products from peptides with benzylamine‐derivatized lysyl residues has been examined using collision‐induced dissociation (CID) tandem mass spectrometry. Unsubstituted benzylamine‐derivatized peptides yield a mixture of products derived from amide backbone cleavage and CCE. The latter involves side‐chain cleavage of the derivatized lysyl residue to form a benzylic carbocation [C₇H₇]⁺ and an intact peptide product ion [(MH_n)ⁿ⁺ – (C₇H₇)⁺]^(n‐1)+. The CCE pathway is contingent upon protonation of the secondary ε‐amino group (N_ε) of the derivatized lysyl residue. Using the Hammett methodology to evaluate the electronic contributions of benzyl ring substituents on chemical reactivity, a direct correlation was observed between changes in the CCE product ion intensity ratios (relative to backbone fragmentation) and the Hammett substituent constants, σ, of the corresponding substituents. There was no correlation between the substituent‐influenced gas‐phase proton affinity of N_ε and the relative ratios of CCE product ions. However, a strong correlation was observed between the π orbital interaction energies (ΔE_int) of the eliminated benzylic carbocation and the logarithm of the relative ratios, indicating the predominant factor in the CCE pathway is the substituent effect on the level of hyperconjugation and resonance stability of the eliminated benzylic carbocation. This work effectively demonstrates the applicability of σ (and ΔE_int) as substituent selection parameters for the design of benzyl‐based peptide‐reactive reagents which tune CCE product formation as desired for specific applications. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Activation of the Unreactive Bond in C70 Fullerene toward Diels‐Alder Reaction by Encapsulation of a Lithium Atom

Diels‐Alder cycloaddition reaction is useful for generation of covalent derivatives of fullerenes. Diels‐Alder reactions of C₇₀ and dienes usually take place at the carbon‐carbon bond that has a short bond length in C₇₀, while the bonds with long lengths are generally unreactive. In this paper, we investigated the reactivities of Li⁺@C₇₀ and Li@C₇₀ toward Diels‐Alder reactions with cyclohexadiene by means of density functional theory calculations. We found that the thermodynamic and kinetic reactivities of the fullerene cage are changed significantly after the encapsulation of the lithium ion or atom. The encapsulated lithium ion causes a remarkable decrease of the activation barrier for the cycloaddition reaction, which can be ascribed to the enhanced orbital interaction between cyclohexadiene and the fullerene cage. The unreactive bond with a long length in C₇₀ is activated efficiently after the encapsulation of the lithium atom. According to the activation‐strain model analysis, the improved reactivity of the long bond is associated with the small deformation energy and large interaction energy of the reactants. Unlike conventional Diels‐Alder reactions that proceed through concerted mechanism, the reaction of Li@C₇₀ and cyclohexadiene undergoes an unusual stepwise mechanism because of the open‐shell electronic structure of Li@C₇₀.     

New fragmentation pathways in the electron impact mass spectrometry of derivatized pyrano-1,3-diphenylprop-2-enones

The fragmentation patterns of closely related chalcones, cinnamoylchromans and cinnamoylchromenes, are reported to be strikingly different. The mass spectra of the first group show peaks typical of the fragmentation of simple chalcones balanced by additional fragmentation routes competing effectively with the typical chalcone fragmentation. For the other group with the introduced double bond the fragmentation is considerably changed. Initial loss of a methyl group gives rise to formation of the base peak in three of four examples. The [M – CH₃]⁺ ion decomposes further, eliminating a styrene yielding the m/z 187 ion. This process may be rationalized as a retro-Diels–Alder fragmentation of a flavanone formed on intramolecular rearrangement of the molecular ion.     

Theoretical insights into the relative bonding of normal and abnormal N‐heterocyclic carbenes in [PdCl2(NHCR)2] and [PdCl2(NHCR)(aNHCR)] (R = H,Ph, Mes)

Quantum chemical insights into normal Pd‐C2(NHC^R) and abnormal Pd‐C5(aNHC^R) bonding, dominated by dispersion interactions in N‐hetereocyclic carbene complexes [PdCl₂(NHC^R)₂] ( I , R = H; II , R = Ph; III , R = Mes (2,4,6‐trimethyl)phenyl)) and [PdCl₂(NHC^R)(aNHC^R] ( IV , R = H; V , R = Ph; VI , R = Mes) have been investigated at DFT and DFT‐D3(BJ) level of theory with particular emphasis on the effects of the noncovalent interactions on the structures and the nature of Pd‐C2(NHC^R) and Pd‐C5(aNHC^R) bonds. The optimized geometries are good agreement with the experimental values. The Pd‐C bonds are essentially single bond. Hirshfeld charge distributions indicate that the abnormal aNHC^R carbene ligand is relatively better electron donor than the normal NHC^R carbene ligand. The C2 atom has larger %s contribution along Pd‐C2 bond than the C5 atom along Pd‐C5 bond. As a consequence the Pd‐C2(NHC^R) bonds are relative stronger than the Pd‐C5(aNHC^R) bonds. Thus, the results of natural hybrid orbital analysis support the key point of the present study. Calculations predict that for bulky substituent (R = Ph, Mes) at carbene, the Pd‐C2(NHC^R) bond is stronger than Pd‐C5(aNHC^R) bond due to large dispersion energy in [PdCl₂(NHC^R)₂] than in [PdCl₂(NHC^R)(aNHC^R)]. However, in case of non‐bulky substituent with small and almost equal contribution of dispersion energy, the Pd‐C2(NHC^R) bond is relative weaker than Pd‐C5(aNHC^R) bond. The bond dissociation energies are dependent on the R substituent, the DFT functional and the inclusion of dispersion interactions. Major point of this study is that the abnormal aNHCs are not always strongly bonded with metal center than the normal NHCs. Effects of dispersion interaction of substituent at nitrogen atoms of carbene ligand are found to play a crucial role on estimation of relative bonding strengths of the normal and abnormal aNHCs with metal center. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Dual Functionalization of White Phosphorus: Formation,Characterization, and Reactivity of Rare‐Earth‐Metal Cyclo‐P3 Complexes

The [3+1] fragmentation reaction of rare‐earth metallacyclopentadienes 1 a – c with 0.5 equivalents of P₄ affords a series of rare‐earth metal cyclo‐P₃ complexes 2 a – c and a phospholyl anion 3. 2 a – c demonstrate an unusual η³ coordination mode with one P−P bond featuring partial π‐bonding character. 2 a – c are the first cyclo‐P₃ complexes of rare‐earth metals, and also the first organo‐substituted polyphosphides in the category of Group 3 and f‐block elements. Rare‐earth metallacyclopentadienes play a dual role in the combination of aromatization and Diels–Alder reaction. Compounds 2 a – c can coordinate to one or two [W(CO)₅] units, yielding 4 a – c or 5 c , respectively. Furthermore, oxidation of 2 a with p ‐benzoquinone produces its corresponding phospholyllithium and regenerated P₄.     

A Well‐Defined Aluminum‐Based Lewis Acid as an Effective Catalyst for Diels–Alder Transformations

A catalytically active aluminum‐based system for Diels–Alder transformations is reported. The system was generated by mixing a β‐diketiminate‐stabilized aluminum bistriflate compound with Na[BAr^Cl₄] (Ar^Cl=3,5‐Cl₂C₆H₃). Solid‐state analysis of the catalytic system reveals a unique structure incorporating a two‐dimensional coordination polymer. According to the experimental results obtained from several Diels–Alder transformations, the aluminum‐based system appears to be a more practical and more robust alternative to the recently reported compounds based on carbon and silicon cations.     

Dual Functionalization of White Phosphorus: Formation,Characterization, and Reactivity of Rare‐Earth‐Metal Cyclo‐P3 Complexes

The [3+1] fragmentation reaction of rare‐earth metallacyclopentadienes 1 a – c with 0.5 equivalents of P₄ affords a series of rare‐earth metal cyclo‐P₃ complexes 2 a – c and a phospholyl anion 3. 2 a – c demonstrate an unusual η³ coordination mode with one P−P bond featuring partial π‐bonding character. 2 a – c are the first cyclo‐P₃ complexes of rare‐earth metals, and also the first organo‐substituted polyphosphides in the category of Group 3 and f‐block elements. Rare‐earth metallacyclopentadienes play a dual role in the combination of aromatization and Diels–Alder reaction. Compounds 2 a – c can coordinate to one or two [W(CO)₅] units, yielding 4 a – c or 5 c , respectively. Furthermore, oxidation of 2 a with p ‐benzoquinone produces its corresponding phospholyllithium and regenerated P₄.     

Electron impact ionization mass spectra of 2,4,5,5-tetrasubstituted 1,2,4-triazolidine-3-thiones. The effect of the ethoxycarbonyl group at position 4

The electron impact ionization mass spectra of 2,4,5,5-tetrasubstituted 1,2,4-triazolidine-3-thiones studied confirmed that the substituent at position 4 has the most dramatic influence on the fragmentation pattern. When the substituent is a methylallyl group the molecular ions exhibit four main routes of fragmentation, but when it is an ethoxycarbonyl/acetyl or a methyl group these direct decompositions of the molecular ion become less abundant. Interestingly all 4-ethoxycarbonyl derivatives and the 4-acetyl derivative exhibited the ions [M-R⁴-COOC₂H₄]⁺ and [M-R⁴-COCH₂]⁺, respectively, with the same composition.     

Hydrogen rearrangement in molecular ions of alkyl benzenes: Appearance potentials and substituent effects on the formation of [C7H8]+ ions

The mechanism of the formation of [C₇H₈]⁺ ions by hydrogen rearrangement in the molecular ions of 1-phenylpropane and 1,3-diphenylpropane has been investigated by looking at the effects of CH₃O and CF₃ substituents in the meta and para positions on the relative abundances of the corresponding ions and on the appearance energies. The formation of [C₇H₈]⁺ ions from 1,3-diphenylpropane is much enhanced at the expense of the formation of [C₇H₇]⁺ ions by benzylic cleavage, due to the localized activation of the migrating hydrogen atom by the γ phenyl group. A methoxy substituent in the 1,3-diphenylpropane, exerts a site-specific influence on the hydrogen rearrangement, which is much more distinct than in 1-phenylpropane and related 1-phenylalkanes, the rearrangement reaction being favoured by a meta methoxy group. The mass spectrum of 1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(4-trideuteromethoxyphenyl)-propane shows that this effect is even stronger than the effect of para methoxy groups on the benzylic cleavage. From measurements of appearance potentials it is concluded that the substituent effect is not due to a stabilization of the [C₇H₇X]⁺ product ions. Whereas the [C₇H₇]⁺ ions are formed directly from molecular ions of 1-phenylpropane and 1,3-diphenylpropane, the [C₇H₈]⁺ ions arise by a two-step mechanism in which the s? complex type ion intermediate can either return to the molecular ion or fragment to [C₇H₈]⁺ by allylic bond cleavage. Obviously the formation of this s? complex type ion, is influenced by electron donating substituents in specific positions at the phenyl group. This is borne out by a calculation of the ΔH_f values of the various species by thermochemical data. Thus, the relative abundances of the fragment ions are determined by an isomerization equilibrium of the molecular ions, preceding the fragmentation reaction.     

Investigation of Diels–Alder Reaction of 7‐Substituted 4‐Styrylcoumarins with Symmetrical Dienophiles Leading to 3,4‐Annulated Coumarins

The thermal [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 7‐substituted 4‐styrylcoumarins with N‐phenylmaleimide and tetracyanoethylene in nitrobenzene under reflux conditions rapidly gives 3,4‐annulated coumarins as the Diels–Alder adducts. The position of the surviving double bond was determined on the basis of NMR and supported by energies of the possible structures. The effects of the 7‐substituent and the solvent on the reaction were studied.     

Diastereomeric differentiation of norbornene amino acid peptides by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A new class of diastereomeric pairs of non‐natural amino acid peptides derived from butyloxycarbonyl (Boc‐)protected cis‐(2S,3R)‐ and trans‐(2S,3S)‐β‐norbornene amino acids including a monomeric pair have been investigated by electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry using quadrupole time‐of‐flight (Q‐TOF) and ion‐trap mass spectrometers. The protonated cis‐BocN‐β‐nbaa (2S,3R) (1) (βnbaa = β‐norbornene amino acid) eliminates the Boc group to form [M+H–Boc+H]⁺, whereas an additional ion [M+H–C₄H₈]⁺ is formed from trans‐BocN‐β‐nbaa (2S,3S) (2). Similarly, it is observed that the peptide diastereomers (di‐, tri‐ and tetra‐), with cis‐BocN‐β‐nbaa (2S,3R)‐ at the N‐terminus, initially eliminate the Boc group to form [M+H–Boc+H]⁺ which undergo further fragmentation to give a set of product ions that are different for the peptides with trans‐BocN‐β‐nbaa (2S,3S)‐ at the N‐terminus. Thus the Boc group fragments differently depending on the configuration of the amino acid present at the N‐terminus. It is also observed that the peptide bond cleavage in these peptides is less favoured and most of the product ions are formed due to retro‐Diels‐Alder fragmentation. Interestingly, sodium‐cationized peptide diastereomers mainly yield a series of retro‐Diels‐Alder fragment ions which are different for each diastereomer as they are formed starting from [M+Na–Boc+H]⁺ in peptides with cis‐BocN‐β‐nbaa (2S,3R)‐ at the N‐terminus, and [M+Na–C₄H₈]⁺ in peptides with trans‐BocN‐β‐nbaa (2S,3S)‐ at the N‐terminus. All these results clearly indicate that these diastereomeric pairs of peptides yield characteristic product ions which help distinguish the isomers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mass spectra of new heterocycles: XV. Fragmentation of 1-substituted 3-alkoxy-2-(propargylsulfanyl)- and 3-alkoxy-2-(allenylsulfanyl)-1<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-pyrroles under electron impact

The electron impact mass spectra of 1-R-substituted 3-alkoxy-2-(propargylsulfanyl)- and 3-alkoxy-2-(allenylsulfanyl)-1H-pyrroles (R = Me, i-Pr, s-Bu, Ph) have been studied for the first time. These compounds give rise to stable molecular ions whose primary fragmentation follows three competing pathways: cleavage of the C–O bonds with expulsion of alkyl radical, cleavage of the C–S bonds with formation of [M–C₃H₃]⁺ ions, and cleavage of the C–N bonds with synchronous hydrogen transfer to give odd-electron [M–C_nH_2n]+ · ion. The main fragmentation pathway of 2-(propargylsulfanyl) derivatives is cleavage of the C–S bond with formation of [M–C₃H₃]⁺ ion.     

The mass spectra of some pyrazole compounds

The mass spectra of ten pyrazole compounds have been determined. Fragmentation schemes have been derived by means of the metastable defocusing method. The predominant process is cleavage of the nitrogen-nitrogen bond resulting in expulsion of HCN. The process second in prominence is the loss of a nitrogen molecule after initial removal of a hydrogen radical or a substituent, giving the species [C₃H₂R]⁺, probably a cyclopropenyl ion. In general, the fragmentation pattern is strongly influenced by the substituent.     

Diels–Alder reaction of 2,7‐dichloroquinoline‐5,8‐dione with a thiazole o‐quinodimethane. Assignment of the regiochemistry by 1H–13C HMBC correlations

The Diels–Alder reaction between a thiazole o‐quinodimethane and 4,6‐dichloroquinoline‐5,8‐dione gave 6‐chloro‐9‐azaanthra[2,3‐b]thiazole‐5,10‐dione as a single regioisomer. Its structure was assigned by 2D ¹H–¹³C HMBC short‐ and long‐range correlations. Measuring the spectra in CF₃CO₂D indicated that both nitrogen atoms of pyridine and thiazole rings are deuterated. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition of furfurylsubstituted homoallylamines to allylhalides,acryloyl chloride and maleic anhydride

Acylation of 4‐(furyl‐2)‐4‐R‐aminobut‐1‐enes and 4‐R‐4‐furfurylaminobut‐1‐enes with maleic anhydride, acryloyl chloride or allylhalides provided 3‐aza‐10‐oxatricyclo[5.2.1.0^1,5]decenes. The tricycles are formed via an initial amide formation followed by a stereoselective exo‐IMDAF (Intramolecular Diels‐Alder of Furan). In case of competing cycloaddition (for compounds possessing two furan or two dienophilic moieties) the most substituted fivemembered cycle is preferably annulated. Refluxing of 4‐R‐4‐furfurylaminobut‐1‐enes in acetic anhydride led to exo‐3‐aza‐11‐oxatricyclo[6.2.1.0^1,6]undecenes with the pseudoequatorial substituent R‐4. Treatment of 3‐aza‐10‐oxatricyclo[5.2.1.0^1,5]decenes with PPA at 90?110°C promoted cyclic ether opening, aromatization and intramolecular cyclization reactions sequence to give the corresponding tetracyclic compounds — tetrahydroisoindolo[2,1‐a]quinolines and tetrahydroisoindolo[2,1‐b][2]benzazepines in good yields. Unusual products of ipso‐substitution in aromatic ring were obtained on cyclization of N‐p‐R‐substituted 2‐allyl‐4‐oxo‐3‐aza‐10‐oxatricyclo[5.2.1.0^1,5]dec‐8‐enes.     

Change of the favored routes of EI MS fragmentation when proceeding from N1, N1‐dimethyl‐N2‐arylformamidines to 1,1,3,3‐tetraalkyl‐2‐arylguanidines: substituent effects

Although series of N¹, N¹‐dimethyl‐N²‐arylformamidines and of 1,1,3,3‐tetraalkyl‐2‐arylguanidines are structurally analogous and similar electron‐ionization mass spectral fragmentation may be expected, they display important differences in the favored routes of fragmentation and consequently in substituent effects on ion abundances. In the case of formamidines, the cyclization‐elimination process (initiated by nucleophilic attack of the N‐amino atom on the 2‐position of the phenyl ring) and formation of the cyclic benzimidazolium [M‐H]⁺ ions dominates, whereas the loss of the NR₂ group is more favored for guanidines. In order to gain information on the most probable structures of the principal fragments, quantum‐chemical calculations were performed on a selected set. A good linear relation between log{I[M‐H]⁺I [M]^+?} and σ_R⁺ constants of substituent at para position in the phenyl ring occurs solely for formamidines (r = 0.989). In the case of guanidines, this relation is not significant (r = 0.659). A good linear relation is found between log{I[M‐NMe₂]⁺/I [M]^+?} and σ_p⁺ constants (r = 0.993). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of the characteristic fragmentation behavior of hydroquinone glycosides by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with optimization of collision energy

The fragmentation behavior of hydroquinone glycosides involving one or two sugar groups from Fraxinus sieboldiana and their analogue arbutin was investigated systematically by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in negative ion mode. The characteristic fragmentation reaction of these compounds was through the homolytic and heterolytic cleavage of the O‐glycosidic bond to produce radical aglycone ion ([Y₀ ? H]^??) and aglycone ion (Y₀^?), respectively. Unambiguous differentiation between the mono‐O‐glycoside isomers which differ in glycosylation position was achieved by comparing the relative abundance of [Y₀ ? H]^?? and Y₀^? ions with the optimized collision energy. In the fragmentation of 1, 4‐di‐O‐glycosides, only the Y₀^? ion was produced when the first glucosyl residue was expelled. However, both the [Y₀ ? H]^?? and Y₀^? ions were present when the second glucosyl residue was eliminated. In addition, an interesting [Y₀‐2H]^? ion was present in the product ion spectra of hydroquinone glycosides with methoxy group(s) substituted at C‐3 or/and C‐5 positions of the benzene ring. The results of this study can facilitate the rapid determination of hydroquinone glycosides in crude plant extracts and also reveal that the systematic investigation and optimization of collision energy play an important role in the differentiation of isomers which have subtle differences in structures. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.