The role of palladium catalyst and base in stereoselective transformations of (E)-2-chlorovinylsulfides

Stereoselective transformations of 2-chlorovinylsulfides in the presence of soluble (t-BuOK) or insoluble (solid KOH or Cs₂CO₃/18-crown-6) base and palladium catalyst (dppb)Pd(OAc)₂ have been studied. Depending on the substrate or catalytic system, the reaction leads to the formation of (E)-1,2-bis[aryl(or arylmethyl)thio]ethenes and/or (E)-1,4-bis[aryl(or arylmethyl)thio]-1-buten-3-ynes in yields of up to 93%.     

Photochemie organischer Festkörper

In den Jahren seiner Tätigkeit am Weizmann Institut of Science begann G. M. J. Schmidt seine Arbeiten über die Beziehungen zwischen der Struktur organischer Kristalle und der in ihnen stattfindenden chemischen Reaktionen, ein Forschungsvorhaben, das sich in der Folge als außergewöhnlich fruchtbar erwiesen hat. So wuchs seine ?Festkörper-Gruppe”? und wurde divergenter - Röntgenstrukturanalytiker, Organiker, Spektroskopiker und schließlich sogar Theoretiker wirkten mit. Professor Schmidt starb 1971. Als eines der Mitglieder dieser Gruppe folge ich nun der Einladung, über neuere Entwicklungen auf meinem Interessengebiet zu berichten. Ein Großteil der bisher untersuchten Reaktionen organischer Kristalle wird durch Licht oder andere Strahlung induziert. Dies ist eine natürliche Folge davon, daß Strahlung, ungleich den meisten chemischen Reaktanden, leicht die Oberfläche des Kristalls durchdringen und so die zu aktivierenden Orte erreichen kann. In diesem Beitrag sollen einige der in der Photochemie organischer Kristalle wirksamen Prinzipien aufgezeigt und anhand von Beispielen verdeutlicht werden, wobei nicht beabsichtigt ist, alle bisher untersuchten unterschiedlichen Reaktionstypen und Systeme zu erfassen. Es ist geboten, hier in Anerkennung auch eines anderen großen Wissenschaftlers zu gedenken, der vor kurzer Zeit verschied - Theodor Förster. Manche der Ideen, auf die ich im folgenden eingehe, wurzeln, wie so vieles in der jüngsten Entwicklung der Photochemie, in Professor Försters früheren Arbeiten.     

An ab initio study of the geometry,energy, and selected force constants for the three planar conformers of carbonic acid,and the bicarbonate ion; and of the energy for the reaction H2O + CO2 → H2CO3

Ab initio calculations using the unscaled 4-31G basis set have been carried out on the cc, tc, and tt conformers of carbonic acid and the bicarbonate ion, with full geometry optimization assuming the structures to be planar. The complete harmonic force field is reported for the (most stable) tt conformer and for the bicarbonate ion, also selected quadratic force constants for the cc and tc conformers. The changes in certain bond lengths and stretching force constants in the cc → tc, tc → tt, and cc → tt conformer conversion reactions are indicative of intramolecular hydrogen bonding, C?O…H? O and H? O…H? O, which is examined in greater detail by partitioning the overall conformer conversion energy into distortion and bonding energy components. The fundamental vibration frequencies for the tt conformer and the bicarbonate ion are calculated from the force constant matrices, and hence, using a scaling factor based on a comparison of calculated and experimental values for the bicarbonate ion and trans-formic acid, a value is predicted for the zero-point energy of the tt conformer. A new estimate of ΔH? for the hydration reaction, H₂O + CO₂ → H₂CO₃, at 298 K in the gas phase; is made from thermochemical data, +20.2 ± 3.4 kJ mol^?1, which, together with estimates of (H₂₉₈? – H₀?) and the zero-point energy for H₂CO₃, gives +8.1 ± 7.0 kJ mol^?1 for ΔE_T(expt). ΔE_T calculated from the 4-31G basis set data is -29.1 kJ mol^?1. Comparison of the experimental value, the Hartree–Fock limit value, and values calculated with a variety of basis sets for the bond separation reaction, CO₂ + CH₄ → 2H₂CO, suggests that the differences, ΔE_T(expt) minus ΔE_T(SCF ), are due mainly to basis set limitations and not substantial correlation energy contributions.     

ISOMER COMPOSITION and SPECTRA OF THE DARK and LIGHT ADAPTED FORMS OF ARTIFICIAL BACTERIORHODOPSINS*

Abstract– The isomer composition and spectral properties of 15 artificial bacteriorhodopsin (bR) pigments, based on a series of retinal analogs with polyene residue modified below C₉ are determined for both dark-adapted (DA) and light-adapted (LA) forms. Similarly to native bR, in all cases only two isomers, C₁₃=C₁₄cis (13-cis) and M-trans, are observed. However, the artificial DA pigments have a lower 13-d.s content than native DA bR (? 66%) while the corresponding LA pigments have a much higher 13-cis content (11-69%) than native LA bR (<2%). Thus, in variance with the native pigment, in all of the artificial systems light also induced the reversed all-trans13-cis process. The data are accounted for in terms of specific steric interactions between the polyene and the protein binding site which allow a (C₁₅-anti)(C_ls-syn) isomerization during the photocycle of the artificial pigments, but not in the case of native bR. This accounts for the high proton pumping efficiency of the natural pigment. The nature of a highly red shifted light-adapted form of two of the artificial pigments is investigated and discussed. It is also shown that, in variance with native bR, several artificial pigments exhibit identical absorption spectra for their 13-cis and all-trans isomers. It is concluded that the spectral data for the above species of artificial pigments do not lead to a clear molecular model for the origin of the spectral shift between 13-cis and all-trans bR.     

A molecular orbital study of the rotation about the C-C bond in 1,3-butadiene

The geometry and energy of 1,3-butadiene have been calculated using the 6-311G** basis set as a function of the CCCC dihedral angle-0 ° (trans), 30 °, 60 °, 75 °, 90 °, 120 °, 135 °, 150 °, 165 ° and 180 ° (cis)-assuming that the vinyl groups remain planar. Potential minima are located at 0 ° and 141.4 °, with the trans structure more stable than the gauche by 13.2 kJ mol^–1. Potential maxima are located at 76.7 °, giving a barrier height of 25.4 kJ mol^–1 relative to the trans structure, and at 180 ° giving a barrier height of 3.0 kJ mol^–1 relative to the 141.4 °-gauche structure. Using the 6-31G* basis set the inclusion of electron correlation, accounting for about 52% of the correlation energy, was found to produce no significant change in the shape of the potential energy curve. The magnitude of the expectation energy differences is such that both barriers with respect to the 14l.4 °-gauche maximum structure can be categorized unequivocally as attractive-dominant, whereas the values for the energy barrier with respect to the trans structure, although characteristic of a repulsive-dominant barrier at the 6–311G** level, are sufficiently small that higher level calculations might give the opposite result. Analysis of V _nn for the conversion reactions cis 150 °-gauche, trans 60 °-gauche, and trans 90 °-gauche in terms of the individual contributions from the various internuclear interactions shows that nonbonded interactions are important, not only in initiating the destabilization of the crowded cis structure, but also through-out the entire range of CCCC dihedral angles, 0 ° to 180 °.     

The back photoreaction of the M intermediate in the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin: mechanism and evidence for two M species

The back photoreaction of the M intermediate in the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin is investigated both for the native pigment and its D96N mutant. The experimental setup is based on creating the M intermediate by a first pulse, followed by a (blue) laser pulse which drives the back photoreaction of M. Experiments are carried out varying the delay between the two pulses, as well as the temperature over the -25 degrees C-20 degrees C range. It is found that the kinetic patterns of the M back photoreaction change with time after the generation of this intermediate. The data provide independent evidence for the suggestion of a photocycle mechanism based on two distinct M intermediates. They are thus in keeping with the consecutive model of Varo and Lanyi (Biochemistry 30, 5016-5022; 1991), although they cannot exclude other models such as those based on branched or parallel cycles. More generally, we offer a "photochemical" approach to discriminating between intermediate stages in the photocycle which does not depend on spectroscopic and/or kinetic data. While markedly affecting the rate of the M --> N transition in the photocycle, the rate of the thermal step in back photoreaction of M, at both room and low temperatures, is not significantly affected by the D96N mutation. It is proposed that while Asp 96 is the Schiff-base protonating moiety in the M --> N transition, another residue (most probably Asp 85) reprotonates the Schiff base following light absorption by M.     

Rotation about the C?N bond in 2-aza-1,3-butadiene and the N?N bond in 2,3-diaza-1,3 butadiene: A molecular orbital study

The geometry and energy of 2-aza-1,3-butadiene and 2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene have been calculated using the 6-31G* basis set as a function of the CNCC and CNNC dihedral angles, respectively. With the 2-aza derivative potential minima are located at 0° (trans) and at about 130° for a gauche structure approximately 9.5 kJ mol^?1 less stable than the trans. Potential maxima are at about 75° giving a gauche barrier height of approximately 19 kJ mol^?1 relative to the trans structure, and at 180° (cis) giving a barrier height of approximately 14.5 kJ mol^?1 relative to the 130° gauche structure. With the 2,3-diaza derivative the gauche barrier has disappeared and there are a series of gauche structures in the region 70°–100° of almost equal energy 12.5-15 kJ mol^?1 less stable than the trans. In addition the cis barrier is much greater, nearly 70 kJ mol^?1 relative to the trans structure. Inclusion of electron correlation, accounting for about 50% of the correlation energy, produces no significant changes in the shape of the potential energy curves. There are systematic and progressive changes in almost all the geometrical parameters as the ?CH? groups in butadiene are replaced by ?N? . The outward tilt and compression within the methylene groups show adverse steric interactions to be operative in the cis structures. The values of V_nn indicate that gauche structures of both the 2-aza and the 2,3-diaza derivatives near the cis structure are more compact (as with butadiene), and gauche structures of the 2-aza derivative near the trans structure are less compact (as with butadiene). Originating in the changes in bond lengths and bond angles, rotation-independent nuclear–nuclear interactions again play an important role.     

Intramolecular interaction effects and the structure of N2OS and N2O2: An Ab initio study

An ab initio study of O?N? N?S with full geometry optimization has been carried out to corroborate the presence of an interaction between the terminal atoms in this type of structure, which, in O?N? N?O, apparently stabilizes the cis conformer. Using the unscaled 4–31G basis set with a full set of d functions on the sulfur, there is a potential minimun at the trans but not the cis geometry. A gauche conformer with a torsional angle of 77.2° is the most stable. With N₂O₂ this basis set gives potential minima at both the cis and trans geometries, but the trans conformer is slightly more stable, contrary to experiment and the results of (7,3) basis-set calculations reported in the literature in which Gaussian lobe functions were employed. Using a (9,5) basis set there is no longer a potential minimum at the cis geometry, and a gauche structure is more stable than the cis conformer as in the case of N₂OS with the less-extended basis set. Force constants (harmonic and anharmonic), compliance constants, relaxed force constants, and interaction-displacement coordinates for both molecules are compared for key structural elements.     

The use of 90°-1,3-butadiene as a reference structure for the evaluation of stabilization energies for benzene and other conjugated cyclic hydrocarbons

Reactions are described that employ 90°-1,3-butadiene as a reference structure for the evaluation of the stabilization energyof the benzenoid and other cyclic conjugated hydrocarbons. The unique benefits of this rotamer of butadiene as a reference molecule within the homodesmotic conceptual framework are discussed. Experimental stabilization energies are presented for a number of cyclic hydrocarbons.