First observation of clusters for solvated tropylium ions

We have first observed clusters for solvated tropylium ions (Tr+(ROH)n) which were isolated from ROH-CH3CN (1:1 by vol.; R = Me, Et, and Prn) solutions by using a specially designed mass spectrometer and found the clear-cut essential features concerning the solvation structure around Tr+.     

A note on the theory of interatomic long-range forces

A comment is made on the multipolar expansion formula of the long-range force between hydrogen atoms previously obtained. The second-order perturbation energy neglecting exchange in the framework of the Unsöld approximation is evaluated exactly. An extension is made to helium atoms, and to other s-electron interactions. An approximate method is suggested to estimate the interatomic force between two atoms in general.     

A DFT study of the hydrolysis of hydantoin

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were made on the hydrolysis of hydantoin (2,4-imidazolidinedione). In the neutral hydrolysis, reacting systems composed of hydantoin and (H₂O)_n with n = 1+3, 2+3, 3+3, and 4+3 were adopted. Three water molecules (“+3”) participate in the in-plane hydrogen-bond circuit, and the n–3 = 1, 2, 3 or 4 water cluster works for the out-of-plane nucleophilic attack onto the carbonyl carbon of hydantoin. Transition states (TSs) involving bond interchanges prompted by proton transfers were determined. The reaction path with n = 3+3 containing N-carbamoyl glycine, N-carboxy glycine and three tetrahedral intermediates was found to be most likely. In the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis, a reacting system composed of hydantoin and H₃O⁺(H₂O)₇ was employed. Ten TSs and nine intermediates were obtained. N-carbamoyl glycine and N-carboxy glycine were confirmed to be detectable stable species. The product consists of glycine, carbonic acid (not CO₂), NH₄⁺, and (H₂O)₅. It has the exothermic energy, whereas the product in the neutral hydrolysis is of the endothermic one for all n values. For both neutral (n = 3+3) and acid-catalyzed hydrolyses, the rate-determining steps were calculated to be for formation of the tetrahedral intermediate, HOOC-CH₂-NH-C(OH)₂NH₂. The pattern of proton transfers along hydrogen bonds was carefully investigated.     

Electron-phonon interactions in the monocations of polyacetylenes

Electron-phonon interactions in the monocations of trans-polyacetylenes such as C2H4 (2tpa), C4H6 (2tpa), C6H8 (6tpa), and C8H10 (8tpa) are studied. The C-C stretching Ag modes around 1700 cm(-1) afford the largest electron-phonon coupling constants in the monocations of polyacetylenes. However, the C-C bending Ag modes around 1200 cm(-1) afford much smaller electron-phonon coupling constants than the C-C stretching Ag modes around 1700 cm(-1) in the monocations of polyacetylenes. The total electron-phonon coupling constants for the monocations (l HOMO) are estimated to be 0.357, 0.285, 0.281, and 0.279 eV for 2tpa, 4tpa, 6tpa, and 8tpa, respectively. The l HOMO values for polyacetylenes with C 2h geometry hardly change with an increase in molecular size while those for polyacenes with D 2h geometry significantly decrease with an increase in molecular size. The l HOMO values for polyacetylenes are larger than those for polyacenes. The calculated results are rationalized in terms of the phase patterns of the molecular orbitals in detail. The electron transfer in the positively charged polyacetylenes is also discussed. Intramolecular electron mobility (sigma(intra,monocation)) in the positively charged polyacetylenes is estimated to be smaller than those for the positively charged polyacenes. The reorganization energies for the positively charged polyacetylenes are estimated to be larger than those for the positively charged polyacenes. Thus, the larger overlap integrals between two neighboring molecules are needed for the positively charged polyacetylenes to become good conductor than those for positively charged polyacenes. On the other hand, the conditions under which the electron-electron interactions are attractive are more easily realized in the monocations of polyacetylenes than in the monocations of polyacenes. The quality as conducting materials would not significantly depend on the molecular size in the positively charged polyacetylenes, compared with that in the positively charged polyacenes. Multimode problem is also treated in order to investigate how consideration of multimode problem is closely related to the characteristics of the electron-phonon interactions.     

Correlation between the rate order and the number of molecules in the reaction of trimethyl phosphite with water in acetonitrile solvent

Density functional theory calculations of the title reaction, P(OCH?)? + (H?O)(n) in CH?CN, were conducted, where n is the number of water molecules. Two routes, the routes suggested by (A) Aksnes and (B) Arbuzov, were traced with various n values. Both routes consist of two transition states (TSs) and one intermediate. Route B was found to be more likely than route A. In the former, the activation free energy (ΔG(?)) of n = 3 is slightly smaller than that of n = 2. The n = 3 TS geometry is composed of a nucleophile H?O, a proton donor H?O, and an auxiliary one. Indeed, the geometry appears to be plausible for ready proton relays along hydrogen bonds, but it is inconsistent with the observed third-order rate constant. Catalytic water molecules were added to the n = 2 and 3 bond-interchange circuits. Then route B with n = 2 + 2 was found to be best. By n = 2 + 10 and n = 3 + 12 models, the n = 2 based route B was confirmed to be likely.     

Tropone Is a Mere Ketone for Cycloadditions to Ketenes

Tropone ( 1 ) reacts with ketenes 2 to yield [8+2] cycloadducts, the γ‐lactones 3 . The concerted [8+2] cycloaddition path is formally symmetry‐allowed, but we established that it is unfavorable. Careful low‐temperature NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁹F) spectroscopies of the reaction of diphenyl ketene ( 2b ) or bis(trifluoromethyl) ketene ( 2c ) with tropone ( 1 ) allowed the direct detection of a β‐lactone intermediates 5b , c and novel norcaradiene species 6b , c in head‐to‐head configurations. The [2+2] cycloadducts 5b , c equilibrated with the norcaradienes 6b , c . The β‐lactones 5b and 5c were converted to the γ‐lactones 3b and 3c , respectively, in quantitative yields. The DFT calculations showed that the concerted [8+2] cycloaddition is unfavorable. The first step of the calculated reaction 1 + 2c is a cycloaddition which leads to a dioxetane intermediate. This initial [2+2] cycloadduct is isomerized to the β‐lactone 5c via the first zwitterionic intermediate. The β‐lactone 5c is further isomerized to the product γ‐lactone 3c via the second zwitterion intermediate. Thus, 3c is not formed via the well‐established two‐step mechanism including zwitterionic intermediates but via a five‐step mechanism composed of a [2+2] cycloaddition and subsequent isomerization (Scheme 12).     

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of poly(m-phenylcarbene)

The electronic structure and the magnetic properties of the ferromagnetic organic polymer poly (m-phenylcarbene ) was studied by application of the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) crystal orbital (CO) method. In comparison with the restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) result, it was revealed that the ferromagnetic state is more stable than the non-magnetic state. According to a detailed energy analysis, the stability originates from both the triplet spin configuration at the carbene centre and the delocalized π spins in an antiferromagnetic fashion over the phenyl ring.     

Gas-phase ion/molecule reactions in C5F8

Gas-phase ion-molecule reactions in octafluorocyclopentene (C5F8) were studied with a pulsed electron beam mass spectrometer. When a few Torr of major gas, CH4, Ar, or N2, containing approximately 10 mTorr C5F8 was ionized by 2 keV electrons, C5F8+, C5F7+, C4F6+, C4F5+, and C3F3+ were formed as major fragment ions. The interaction between those ions and C5F8 is found to be a weak electrostatic interaction. The cation...C5F8 bonding energies are around 10 kcal/mol, which were reproduced well by (U)B3LYP/6-311+G(d) calculations. The proton affinity of C5F8 (=148.6 kcal/mol by B3LYP/6-311+G(d)) was found to be smaller than that of C2H4 (=162.8 kcal/mol). In the negative mode of operation, the intense signal of C5F8- was observed during the electron pulse. This indicates that C5F8 has a positive electron affinity (1.27 eV by (U)B3LYP/6-311+G(d)). The C5F8- ion was quickly converted to a complex C10F16-. This complex did not react further with C5F8 down to 170 K. The theoretical calculation revealed that a C5F7-F-...C5F8 interaction mode in (C5F8)2- was converted to a C5F7*...C5F9- one via fluoride-ion transfer. The F- ion was found to form a strong covalent bond with C5F8, but the interaction in F-(C5F8)- - -C5F8 is a weak electrostatic interaction due to the charge dispersal in F-(C5F8). The halide ions except F- interact with C5F8 only weakly. Thermochemical stabilities for the cluster ions I-(CH3I)n (n = 1, 2) were also determined.     

Asymmetric [2 + 1] Cycloaddition Reactions of 1-Seleno-2-silylethene

The reaction of (E)-1-(phenylseleno)-2-(trimethylsilyl)ethene (1) and vinyl ketones 2a-d in the presence of a chiral Lewis acid prepared from TiCl(4), Ti(O(i)Pr)(4), (R)- or (S)-1,1'-binaphthol (BINOL), and MS4A gave enantiomerically enriched cis cyclopropane products 3a-d. The enantiomeric excess and chemical yield varied depending on the ratio of TiCl(4) and Ti(O(i)Pr)(4) to 1. Reproducible results (43-47% ee/33-41% yields) for cis-1-acetyl-2-[(phenylseleno)(trimethylsilyl)methyl]cyclopropane (3a) were obtained using 1.1 equiv of TiCl(4), 0.54-0.65 equiv of Ti(O(i)Pr)(4), and 1.65 equiv of BINOL. The observed enantioselectivity was explained by consideration of the structure of the postulated intermediates, alkoxy titanium-carbonyl complexes, via ab initio MO calculations.