Relative reactivity of peracids versus dioxiranes (DMDO and TFDO) in the epoxidation of alkenes. A combined experimental and theoretical analysis

Comparative analysis of the calculated gas-phase activation barriers (DeltaE++) for the epoxidation of ethylene with dimethyldioxirane (DMDO) and peroxyformic acid (PFA) [15.2 and 16.4 kcal/mol at QCISD(T)// QCISD/6-31+G(d,p)] and E-2-butene [14.3 and 13.2 kcal/mol at QCISD(T)/6-31G(d)//B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p)] suggests similar oxygen atom donor capacities for both oxidants. Competition experiments in CH(2)Cl(2) solvent reveal that DMDO reacts with cyclohexene much faster than peracetic acid/acetic acid under scrupulously dried conditions. The rate of DMDO epoxidation is catalyzed by acetic acid with a reduction in the classical activation barrier of 8 kcal/mol. In many cases, the observed increase in the rate for DMDO epoxidation in solution may be attributed to well-established solvent and hydrogen-bonding effects. This predicted epoxidative reactivity for DMDO is not consistent with what has generally been presumed for a highly strained cyclic peroxide. The strain energy (SE) of DMDO has been reassessed and its moderated value (about 11 kcal/mol) is now more consistent with its inherent gas-phase reactivity toward alkenes in the epoxidation reaction. The unusual thermodynamic stability of DMDO is largely a consequence of the combined geminal dimethyl- and dioxa-substitution effects and unusually strong C-H and C-CH(3) bonds. Methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (TFDO) exhibits much lower calculated activation barriers than DMDO in the epoxidation reaction (the average DeltaDeltaE++ values are about 7.5 kcal/mol). The rate increase relative to DMDO of approximately 10(5), while consistent with the higher strain energy for TFDO (SE approximately 19 kcal/mol) is attributed largely to the inductive effect of the CF(3) group. We have also examined the effect of alkene strain on the rate of epoxidation with PFA. The epoxidation barriers are only slightly higher for the strained alkenes cyclopropene (DeltaE++ = 14.5 kcal/mol) and cyclobutene (DeltaE++ = 13.7 kcal/mol) than for cyclopentene (DeltaE++ = 12.1 kcal/mol), reflecting the fact there is little relief of strain in the transition state. Alkenes strained by twist or pi-bond torsion do exhibit much lower activation barriers.     

Stereochemical features of the physical and chemical interactions of singlet oxygen with enecarbamates

Oxazolidinone-substituted enecarbamates represent a mechanistically rich system for the study of stereoelectronic, steric, and conformational effects on stereoselectivity and mode selectivity in (1)O(2) [2 + 2] and ene reactions. Photooxygenation of these enecarbamates with (1)O(2) leads to diastereomerically pure dioxetanes that decompose to yield an oxazolidinone carbaldehyde and one of the two enantiomers of methyldesoxybenzoin in enantiomeric excess. Stereoselectivity originates at the allylic stereocenter, a result supported by quenching studies, computational analysis, and deuterium solvent isotope effects. [reaction: see text]     

Direct episulfidation of alkenes and allenes with elemental sulfur and thiiranes as sulfur sources,catalyzed by molybdenum oxo complexes

The molybdenum oxo complexes 1a and 1b catalyze efficiently the sulfur transfer to a series of alkenes 4 and allenes 6, for which elemental sulfur, phenylthiirane, or methylthiirane have been employed as sulfur sources to afford the corresponding episulfides 5 and 7. The most effective catalytic episulfidation system to date is the combination of the dithiophosphate-ligated oxo complex 1b and phenylthiirane (Ibeta). This metathesis process is efficient enough to convert usually reluctant alkenes (cyclopentene, cycloheptene, Z-cyclooctene, Z-cyclononene, E-cyclodecene, norbornene, and even bicyclopropylidene) to their episulfides in good yields under mild conditions. The direct catalytic sulfuration of allenes (cyclonona-1,2-diene, cyclonona-1,2,5-triene, cyclodeca-1,2-diene, and 2,4-dimethylpenta-2,3-diene) to their labile methylenethiiranes is unprecedented.     

On the electronic character of localized singlet 2,2-dimethoxycyclopentane-1,3-diyl diradicals: substituent effects on the lifetime

Photodenitrogenation of the diazenes 4 affords exclusively the housanes 5 through intramolecular cyclization of the spectrally detected and characterized singlet diradicals 3. The lifetime of singlet diradical 3, determined by transient absorption measurements, depends on the Y and Z substituents at the para position of the phenyl ring and has the following order: Y, Z = OMe, OMe > OMe, CN > CN, CN > OMe, H > Cl, Cl approximately CN, H approximately Me, Me > H, H. This unprecedented substituent effect reveals stabilization of the singlet 2,2-dimethoxycyclopentane-1,3-diyl diradicals 3 through radical, zwitterionic, pi-bonding, and hyperconjugative structures.     

Stereochemical memory versus Curtin-Hammett behavior in the rearrangement of 1,3-cyclopentanediyl radical cations derived from housanes through structural effects on conformational control

The electron-transfer-catalyzed rearrangement of the housanes 1 affords regioselectively the two cyclopentenes 2 and 3 by 1,2-migration of a group at the methano bridge. Appropriate ring annelation in the intermediary cyclopentane-1,3-diyl radical cation 1(*+) changes the stereochemical course of the rearrangement from complete stereoselectivity (stereochemical memory) for the structurally simple housane 1b to partial loss of stereoselectivity through competing conformational interconversion for the tricyclic housane 1c. Additional cyclohexane annelation, as in the tetracyclic housane 1a, results in complete loss of stereocontrol through Curtin-Hammett behavior, as substantiated by the viscosity dependence on the product ratio of the rearrangement. Whereas in the radical cations 1b(*+) and 1c(*+) the 1,2-shifts (k(2) and k(3)) are faster than the conformational anti <==> syn change (k(1), k(-1)), the reverse applies for the radical cation 1a(*+). Such structural manipulation of conformational effects in radical cation rearrangements has hitherto not been documented.     

Dynamics of theD-dimensional FRW-cosmological models within the superstring-generated gravity model

We study the dynamics of the generalizedD-dimensional (D = 1+3+d) Friedman-Robertson-Walker (FRW) cosmological models in the framework of an extended gravity theory obtained by adding the Gauss-Bonnet term to the standard Einstein-Hilbert action. In our discussion we extensively use methods of dynamical systems. We consider models filled in with a perfect fluid obeying the equation of statep=(–1) and vacuum but non-flat models. We present a detailed analysis of the ten dimensional model and in particular we study the vacuum case. Several phase portraits show how the evolution of this model depends on the parameter.     

Redox-iodometry: a new potentiometric method

A new iodometric method for quantifying aqueous solutions of iodide-oxidizing and iodine-reducing substances, as well as plain iodine/iodide solutions, is presented. It is based on the redox potential of said solutions after reaction with iodide (or iodine) of known initial concentration. Calibration of the system and calculations of unknown concentrations was performed on the basis of developed algorithms and simple GWBASIC-programs. The method is distinguished by a short analysis time (2–3 min) and a simple instrumentation consisting of pH/mV meter, platinum and reference electrodes. In general the feasible concentration range encompasses 0.1 to 10^–6 mol/L, although it goes down to 10^–8 mol/L (0.001 mg Cl₂/L) for oxidants like active chlorine compounds. The calculated imprecision and inaccuracy of the method were found to be 0.4–0.9% and 0.3–0.8%, respectively, resulting in a total error of 0.5–1.2%. Based on the experiments, average imprecisions of 1.0–1.5% at c(Ox)>10^–5 M, 1.5–3% at 10^–5 to 10^–7 M, and 4–7% at <10^–7 M were found. Redox-iodometry is a simple, precise, and time-saving substitute for the more laborious and expensive iodometric titration method, which, like other well-established colorimetric procedures, is clearly outbalanced at low concentrations; this underlines the practical importance of redox-iodometry.

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An erratum to this article is available at .     

A Puckered Singlet Cyclopentane‐1,3‐diyl: Detection of the Third Isomer in Homolysis

In the photochemical denitrogenation of 1,4‐diaryl‐2,3‐diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane ( AZ6 ) bearing sterically hindered substituents, a curious new absorption band at about 450 nm was observed under low‐temperature matrix conditions, together with the previously well‐characterized planar singlet diradical pl‐¹ DR6 with λ_max=≈580 nm. The 450 nm species was electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)‐silent. Instead of generating the planar diradical pl‐¹ DR6 and the precursor azoalkane AZ6 upon warming, the ring‐closed bicyclo[2.1.0]pentane derivative SB6 , that is, the AZ6 denitrogenation product was identified. Based on product analysis, low‐temperature spectroscopic observations, high‐level quantum‐mechanical computations, viscosity effect, and laser‐flash photolysis, the puckered singlet diradicaloid puc‐¹ DR6 was assigned to the new 450 nm absorption. The latter was detected experimentally at the same time as the planar singlet diradical pl‐¹ DR6 . Sterically demanding substituents as well as viscosity impediments were essential for the detection of the experimentally hitherto unknown puckered singlet cyclopentane‐1,3‐diyl diradicaloid puc‐¹ DR6 , that is, the third isomer in homolysis. The present findings should stimulate future work on the mechanistically fascinating stereoselectivity documented in the formation of bicyclo[2.1.0]pentanes during the 2,3‐diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane denitrogenation.     

Erratum to: “Comparative studies of Pd, Ru, Ni, Cu/ZnAl2O4 catalysts for the water gas shift reaction”

The original version of the article was published in Cent. Eur. J. Chem. 11(6) (2013) pp. 912–919. Unfortunately, the original version of this article contains a mistake in the Acknowledgement section. It should be written as “Partially financed from grant number 0680/B/H03/2011/40 and gratefully acknowledged. Pawe? Mierczyński is a participant of START Programme.”     

Aminophosphinic Acids in a Pyridine Series: Cleavage of Pyridine-2- and Pyridine-4-methyl(amino)phosphinic Acids in Acidic Solutions

The synthesis of a series of new pyridine aminomethylphosphinic acids is described. These compounds were obtained in the reaction of the corresponding pyridine aldehydes with primary amines and with ethyl phenylphosphinate, or methylphosphinate, in the presence of bromotrimethylsilane. In aqueous, strong acid solutions, pyridine aminophosphinic acids were split, forming the phenyl-, or methylphosphonic, acid and the corresponding secondary pyridyl-alkylamines. The kinetics of some observed cleavages were measured, and a mechanism of the cleavage has been proposed.