Photoinduced, ionic Meerwein arylation of olefins

Irradiation of 4-chloroaniline or of its N,N-dimethyl derivative in polar solvents generates the corresponding triplet phenyl cations. These are trapped by alkenes yielding arylated products in medium to good yields. B3LYP calculations show that the triplet cation slides with negligible activation energy to a bonded adduct with ethylene, whereas it forms only a marginally stabilized CT complex with water (chosen as a representative sigma nucleophile). The structure of the final products depends on the preferred path from the adduct cation with the alkene. In the case of aryl olefins, this deprotonates to stilbene derivatives, while, from 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene and allytrimethylsilane, allylanilines are obtained by elimination of an electrofugal group in gamma. In the case of mono- and disubstituted alkenes the cation adds chloride rather than eliminating and beta-chloroalkylanilines are obtained. The regio- and sterochemistry of the addition across the alkene are best understood with a phenonium ion structure for the adduct. The nucleophile entering in beta can be varied under conditions in which the adduct cation is trapped more efficiently than the starting phenyl cation. Thus, beta-methoxyalkylanilines are formed when the irradiation is carried out in methanol. beta-Iodoalkylanilines are obtained in acetonitrile containing iodide and unsubstituted alkylanilines in the presence of sodium borohydride. A case of intramolecular nucleophilic trapping is found with 4-pentenoic acid. The reaction is a wide-scope ionic analogue of the radicalic Meerwin arylation of olefins.     

Aryl cation and carbene intermediates in the photodehalogenation of chlorophenols

The photochemistry of 2,6-dimethyl-4-chlorophenol (6) has been studied in methanol and trifluoroethanol (TFE) through product studies and transient absorption spectroscopy. Chloride loss from triplet 6 gave triplet hydroxyphenyl cation 14, which equilibrated with triplet oxocyclohexadienylydene 15 within a few tens of nanoseconds; the cation can, however, be selectively trapped by allyltrimethylsilane (k(ad) = 10(8)-10(9) m(-1) s(-1)) to give a phenonium ion and the allylated phenol. In neat alcohols, 14 and 15 are reduced through different mechanisms, namely by hydrogen transfer through radical cation 17 and via phenoxyl radical 16, respectively. The mechanistic rationalization has been substantiated by the parallel study of an O-silylated derivative. The work shows that the chemistry of the highly (but selectively) reactive phenyl cation 14 can not only be discriminated from that of the likewise highly reactive carbene 15, but also exploited for synthetically useful reactions, as in this case with alkenes. Photolysis of electron-donating substituted halobenzenes may be the method of choice for the mild generation of some classes of phenyl cations.     

High static pressure alters spin trapping rates in solution. Dependence on the structure of nitrone spin traps

Using a competitive spin trapping method, relative spin trapping rates were quantified for various short-lived radicals (methyl, ethyl, and phenyl radicals). High static pressure was applied to the competitive spin-trapping system by employing high-pressure electron spin resonance (ESR) equipment. Under high pressure (490 bar), spin trapping rate constants for alkyl and phenyl radicals increased by 10 to 40%, and the increase was dependent on the structure of nitrone spin traps. A maximum increase was obtained when tert-butyl(4-pyridinylmethylene)amine N-oxide (4-POBN) was used as a spin trap. Activation volumes (DeltaDeltaV(double dagger)) for the two spin trapping reactions were calculated to be -17-(-9) cm(3) mol(-1) for the 4-POBN system.     

Asymmetric induction during electron transfer mediated photoreduction of carbonyl compounds: role of zeolites

Photochemistry of 17 aryl alkyl ketones included within cation exchanged zeolites has been examined. In solution five of the 17 ketones undergo intramolecular hydrogen abstraction reaction even in the presence of a chiral amine and the rest are photoreduced to the corresponding alcohol. Within zeolites all 17 ketones yielded in presence of a chiral amine, the corresponding alcohol as the major product. When a chiral amine was used as the coadsorbent within alkali ion exchanged zeolites, enantiomerically enriched alcohol was formed in all cases. The best chiral induction was obtained with phenyl cyclohexyl ketone (enantiomeric excess: 68%). 1H-13C Cross Polarization Magic Angle Spinning (CP-MAS) experiments, with a model ketone (perdeuterated acetophenone) and chiral amine (pseudoephedrine) included within MY zeolites, suggested that the cation brings the reactant and the chiral amine closer. The role of the cation in such a process is also revealed by the computation results. The results presented here highlight the importance of a supramolecular structure in forcing a closer interaction between a reactant and a chiral inductor that could be used to achieve asymmetric induction in photoproducts.     

Aryl Cation and Carbene Intermediates in the Photodehalogenation of Chlorophenols

The photochemistry of 2,6‐dimethyl‐4‐chlorophenol ( 6 ) has been studied in methanol and trifluoroethanol (TFE) through product studies and transient absorption spectroscopy. Chloride loss from triplet 6 gave triplet hydroxyphenyl cation 14 , which equilibrated with triplet oxocyclohexadienylydene 15 within a few tens of nanoseconds; the cation can, however, be selectively trapped by allyltrimethylsilane (k_ad = 10⁸–10⁹ m ^?1 s^?1) to give a phenonium ion and the allylated phenol. In neat alcohols, 14 and 15 are reduced through different mechanisms, namely by hydrogen transfer through radical cation 17 and via phenoxyl radical 16 , respectively. The mechanistic rationalization has been substantiated by the parallel study of an O‐silylated derivative. The work shows that the chemistry of the highly (but selectively) reactive phenyl cation 14 can not only be discriminated from that of the likewise highly reactive carbene 15 , but also exploited for synthetically useful reactions, as in this case with alkenes. Photolysis of electron‐donating substituted halobenzenes may be the method of choice for the mild generation of some classes of phenyl cations.     

Photochemical generation of six- and five-membered cyclic vinyl cations

The photochemical solvolyses of 4-tert-butylcyclohex-1-enyl(phenyl)iodonium tetrafluoroborate (1) and cyclopent-1-enyl(phenyl)iodonium tetrafluoroborate (2) in methanol yield vinylic ethers and vinylic cycloalkenyliodobenzenes and cycloalkenylbenzene, which are the trapping products of the geometrically destabilized C6-ring and C5-ring vinyl cation with the solvent and with the leaving group iodobenzene. Iodonium salt 2 also yields an allylic ether and allylic cyclopentenyliodobenzenes and cyclopentenylbenzene, which are the trapping products of the C5-ring allylic cation produced from the C5-ring vinyl cation by a hydride shift in a typical carbocationic rearrangement.     

Intramolecular trapping of an intermediate in the reduction of imines by a hydroxycyclopentadienyl ruthenium hydride: support for a concerted outer sphere mechanism

Reduction of imines by [2,5-Ph2-3,4-Tol(2)(eta(5)-C(4)COH)]Ru(CO)2H (1) produces kinetically stable ruthenium amine complexes. Reduction of an imine possessing an intramolecular amine was studied to distinguish between inner sphere and outer sphere mechanisms. 1,4-Bn(15)NH(c-C(6)H(10))=NBn (12) was reduced by 1 in toluene-d8 to give 85% of [2,5-Ph2-3,4-Tol(2)(eta(4)-C(4)CO)](CO)(2)RuNHBn(c-C(6)H(10))(15)NHBn (16-RuN,15N), resulting from coordination of the newly formed amine to the ruthenium center, and 15% of trapping product [2,5-Ph2-3,4-Tol(2)(eta(4)-C(4)CO)](CO)(2)Ru(15)NHBn(c-C(6)H(10))NHBn (16-Ru(15)N,N), resulting from coordination of the intramolecular trapping amine. These results provide support for an outer sphere transfer of hydrogen to the imine to generate a coordinatively unsaturated intermediate, which can be trapped by the intramolecular amine. An opposing mechanism, requiring coordination of the imine nitrogen to ruthenium prior to hydrogen transfer, cannot readily explain the observation of the trapping product 16-Ru(15)N,N.     

Benzyl (phenyl) gamma- and delta-lactones via photoinduced tandem Ar-C, C-O bond formation

A convenient metal-free procedure for the preparation of benzyl (phenyl) gamma- and delta-lactones is illustrated. This method is based on the photochemical generation of phenyl cations and their reaction with 3, 4, or 5-alkenoic acids. This leads to a phenyl- or benzyl-substituted lactone by tandem formation of an aryl-C and C-O bond. The intermediacy of a phenonium ion imparts a full regio- and stereoselectivity to the reaction.     

The first catalytic inverse-electron demand hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of nitroso alkenes using pyrrolidine as an organocatalyst

The first catalytic inverse-electron demand hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of nitroso alkenes has been developed. Nitroso alkenes were generated in situ from alpha-halooximes and underwent [4 + 2]-cycloadditions with enamines as dienophiles formed from aldehydes and pyrrolidine (10 mol%) as an organocatalyst. The presence of a suitable heterogeneous buffer system was found to be essential and best results were obtained with sodium acetate trihydrate. The resulting 5,6-dihydro-4H-oxazines were obtained in moderate to good yields under mild reaction conditions. A catalytic cycle has been proposed and evidence for the cycloaddition mechanism has been obtained. Moderate asymmetric induction (42% ee) was observed when a chiral secondary amine was used.     

Generation and reactivity of the 4-aminophenyl cation by photolysis of 4-chloroaniline

4-Chloroaniline and its N,N-dimethyl derivative are photostable in cyclohexane but undergo efficient photoheterolysis in polar media via the triplet state and give the corresponding triplet phenyl cations. CASSCF and UB3LYP calculations show that the 4-aminophenyl triplet cation has a planar geometry and is stabilized by >10 kcal mol(-1) with respect to the slightly bent singlet. The triplet has a mixed carbene-diradical character at the divalent carbon. This species either adds to the starting substrate forming 5-chloro-2,4'-diaminodiphenyls (via an intermediate cyclohexadienyl cation) or is reduced to the aniline (via the aniline radical cation) in a ratio depending on the hydrogen-donating properties of the solvent. Transients attributable to the triplet aminophenyl cation as well as to the ensuing intermediates are detected. Chemical evidence for the generation of the phenyl cation is given by trapping via electrophilic substitution with benzene, mesitylene, and hexamethylbenzene (in the last case the main product is a 6-aryl-3-methylene-1,4-cyclohexadiene). Relative rates of electrophilic attack to benzene and to some alkenes and five-membered heterocycles are measured and span over a factor of 15 or 30 for the two cations. The triplet cation formed under these conditions is trapped by iodide more efficiently than by the best pi nucleophiles. However, in contrast to the singlet cation, it does not form ethers with alcohols, by which it is rather reduced.     

Intramolecular photoarylation of alkenes by phenyl cations

Acetone-sensitized irradiation of various o-chlorophenyl allyl ethers in polar solvents led to either (dihydro)benzofurans or chromanes. The reaction appeared to involve photoheterolysis of the aryl-Cl bond followed by phenyl cation addition onto the tethered double bond either in 5-exo or 6-endo modes. The adduct cation gave the end products by deprotonation; addition of chloride anion or of the solvent, depending on the structure; and the conditions used. Preference for the 5-exo mode increased in passing from medium polarity (methylene chloride, ethyl acetate) to high polarity solvents (aqueous acetonitrile, methanol, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol), for which this was often the exclusive path. The same compounds underwent photohomolysis when irradiated in cyclohexane, and radical cyclization was one of the process occurring. Substitution of a methylene group for the ether oxygen atom made 6-endo cyclization by far the main path in a related o-chlorophenylbutene. Again, the selectivity was higher in polar protic solvents. The results are discussed in terms of in cage ion pair versus free phenyl cation reactions.     

Synthesis and oxidation of triarylamine derivatives bearing hydrogen-bonding groups

Hydrogen-bonding triarylamines, 4-(N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amino)benzoic acid (TPA1), 5-(N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amino)isophthalic acid (TPA2), and N-(4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amine (BImTPA), were synthesized as radical cation precursors. TPA1 and TPA2 are readily p-doped by AgSbF(6) to give highly persistent radical cations. Poor solid-state spin yields of the radical cation from BImTPA may be due to spin delocalization.     

Conformation et reactivite de derives (4.n.0) bicycliques a jonction trans—XXIV: Trifluoroéthanolyse du phényl-4a et du méthyl-4a tosyloxy-3a bicyclo (4.2.0) octane trans. mise en évidence d'une réaction d'élimination à partir d'union phénonium

Rate constants and reaction products for trifluoroethanolysis of transfused 4a-phenyl 3a-tosyloxy bicyclo (4.2.0) octane 1 and 4a-methyl 3a-tosyloxy bicyclo(4.2.0) octane 1' are reported. As for methanolysis, this reaction occurs through the E₁(ip) process. Nevertheless, first-formed secondary cations are rearranged before reacting, by hydride migration for 1 and 1', and phenyl migration for 1. Reaction products result from solvent or leaving group basic and nucleophilic attack on tertiary ions, and phenonium ion for 1. Elimination via phenonium ion has been established by the characterisation of a rearranged olefin (with equatorial phenyl). A mechanism for this elimination reaction is proposed.     

Femtosecond dynamics after ionization: 2-phenylethyl-N,N-dimethylamine as a model system for nonresonant downhill charge transfer in peptides

The cation of 2-phenylethyl-N,N-dimethylamine (PENNA) offers two local sites for the charge: the amine group and 0.7 eV higher in energy the phenyl chromophore. In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of the charge transfer (CT) from the phenyl to the amine site. We present a femtosecond resonant two-color photoionization spectrum which shows that the femtosecond pump laser pulse is resonant in the phenyl chromophore. As shown previously with resonant wavelengths the aromatic phenyl chromophore can be then selectively ionized. Because the state "charge in the phenyl chromophore" is the first excited state in the PENNA cation, it can relax to the lower-energetic state "charge in the amine site". To follow this CT dynamics, femtosecond probe photoabsorption of green light (vis) is used. The vis light is absorbed by the charged phenyl chromophore, but not by the neutral phenyl and the neutral or cationic amine group. Thus, the absorption of vis photons of the probe laser pulse is switched off by the CT process. For detection of the resonant absorption of two or more vis photons in the cation the intensity of a fragmentation channel is monitored which opens only at high internal energy. The CT dynamics in PENNA cations has a time constant of 80 +/- 28 fs and is therefore not a purely electronic process. Because of its structural similarity to phenylalanine, PENNA is a model system for a downhill charge transfer in peptide cations.     

Ion-Molecule Reactions of Free Phenyl Cations with Diethylamine in the Gas Phase: Radiochemical Study

Ion-molecule reactions of free phenyl cations with diethylamine in the gas phase were studied radiochemically. The reaction practically totally follows the pathway of proton transfer, which occurs in the intermediate complex not only from the incoming cation (C₆H₅ ⁺) but also from the ethyl substituent of the amine. Also, products of the reaction of diethylamine with benzyne (C₆H₄) generated by proton abstraction from the phenyl cation were detected.     

The photochemistry of 4-chlorophenol in water revisited: the effect of cyclodextrins on cation and carbene reactions

The photochemistry of 4-chlorophenol (1) in water and in the presence of cyclodextrins has been studied by means of steady-state and time-resolved experiments. These have shown that 1 undergoes photoheterolysis of the C--Cl bond in the triplet state to yield the 4-hydroxyphenyl cation (3)2 in equilibrium with 4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienylidene, (3)3. These triplet intermediates scarcely react with a n nucleophile, such as water, nor abstract hydrogen from this solvent, thus they are long-lived (approximately 1 micros). Specific trapping of both intermediates has been achieved. The cation adds to 2-propenol, k(add) approximately 1.3 x 10(8) m(-1) s(-1), to form the long-lived phenonium ion 11 (with lambda(max) = 290 nm), which then converts to 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane-1,2-diol (10). Carbene (3)3 is trapped by oxygen to give benzoquinone and is reduced by D-glucose (k(q) = 8.5 x 10(6) m(-1) s(-1)) to give the phenoxyl radical (8) and phenol (9). Cyclodextrins have been found to trap the intermediates much more efficiently (k(q) = 9.4 x 10(8) m(-1) s(-1) with beta-CD), which indicates that inclusion is involved. Ground state 1 forms inclusion complexes with 1:1 stoichiometry and association constants of 140 and 300 M(-1) with alpha- and beta-CD, respectively. Complexation does not change the efficiency or the mode of photofragmentation of 1; however, it does influence the course of the reaction because the major portion of the intermediates are reduced to phenol within the cavity (k'(red)> or = 5 x 10(7) s(-1)) either via a radical 8 or via a radical cation 9(+)(.). Under these conditions, neither 2-propenol nor oxygen trap the intermediates to a significant extent.     

Chelation of transition metal ions by peptide nanoring

We have computationally studied the energetics and electronic structures of a chelate system where the guest cation is a transition metal (TM) and the host ligand is a peptide nanoring (PNR). The trapping of a TM cation by a cyclic peptide skeleton is primarily caused by the electrostatic interaction. The exchange interaction plays a secondary role in determining the relative stability in accordance with the spin multiplicity. An interesting feature of this chelate system is that a TM cation can also be trapped by the side-chain aromatic groups of the PNR via pi-d hybridization. However, the spin multiplicity of the system changes the trapped form. When the chelate system has spin singlet multiplicity, a Fe(2+) cation, for example, is not trapped by the single-phenyl group but is preferentially sandwiched by the two phenyl groups. In contrast, a Fe(2+) cation can be trapped by single as well as by double-phenyl groups when the chelate system has higher spin multiplicity, such as triplet and quintet. These two different trapping forms are caused by the difference in the number of valence electrons of TM cations. For this chelate system, the newly occupied molecular orbital (MO) has an interbenzene antibonding character. Therefore, an electron occupying this MO state favors the mutual separation of two benzene molecules. Because the electron occupation of this MO varies in accordance with the spin multiplicity, one can predict the preference for the single-phenyl-group trapping process rather than the double-phenyl-group process systematically as well as consistently.     

Nonvolatile resistive memory devices based on ferrocene‐terminated hyperbranched polyimide derived from different dianhydrides

A series of ferrocene‐terminated hyperbranched polyimides (HBPI‐Fcs) were synthesized from a tetra‐amine, bis(4‐(3,5‐bis (4‐amino‐2‐(trifluoromethyl) phenoxy) phenoxy) phenyl) methanon, and various dianhydrides, followed by termination with (4‐amino) phenyl ferrocene. All the HBPI‐Fcs possessed good organo‐solubility and high thermal stability. The devices based on HBPI‐Fcs exhibited bipolar and nonvolatile write‐once‐read‐many times (WORM) memory performance with various threshold voltages and the same ON/OFF current ratio of 10⁴. Moreover, the devices possessed excellent bistability under a constant bias of −1.00 V during a test period of 10⁴ s. The different charge trapping ability of the electron‐accepting moiety endowed the devices with different the threshold voltages. Mechanism analysis showed that the switching behavior was dominated by the charge trapping effect and the charge transfer was well fitted with the space‐current‐limited‐current (SCLC) and ohmic model. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 505–513     

The beta effect of silicon in phenyl cations

Irradiation of chloroanisoles, phenols, and N,N-dimethylanilines bearing a trimethylsilyl (TMS) group in the ortho position with respect to the chlorine atom caused photoheterolysis of the Ar-Cl bond and formation of the corresponding ortho-trimethylsilylphenyl cations in the triplet state. The beta effect of silicon on these intermediates has been studied by comparing the resulting chemistry in alcoholic solvents with that of the silicon-free analogues and by computational analysis (at the UB3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) level in MeOH). TMS groups little affect the photophysics and the photocleavage of the starting phenyl chlorides, while stabilizing the phenyl cations, both in the triplet (ca. 4 kcal/mol per group) and, dramatically, in the singlet state (9 kcal/mol). As a result, although triplet phenyl cations are the first formed species, intersystem crossing to the more stable singlets is favored with chloroanisoles and phenols. Indeed, with these compounds, solvent addition to give aryl ethers (from the singlet) competed efficiently with reduction or arylation (from the triplet). In the case of the silylated 4-chloro-N,N-dimethylaniline, the triplet cation remained in the ground state and trapping by pi nucleophiles remained efficient, though slowed by the steric bulk of the TMS group. In alcohols, the silyl group was eliminated via a photoinduced protiodesilylation during the irradiation. Thus, the silyl group could be considered as a directing, photoremovable group that allowed shifting to the singlet phenyl cation chemistry and was smoothly eliminated in the same one-pot procedure.