Ultraviolet photolysis of CH2I2 in methanol: O-H insertion and HI elimination reactions to form a dimethoxymethane product

Ultraviolet photolysis of low concentrations of CH2I2 in methanol solution found that CH2I2 is converted into dimethoxymethane and some H+ and I- products. Picosecond time-resolved resonance Raman (ps-TR3) experiments observed that the isodiiodomethane (CH2I-I) photoproduct decayed faster as the concentration of methanol increases, suggesting that isodiiodomethane is reacting with methanol. Ab initio calculations indicate isodiiodomethane is able to react with methanol via an O-H insertion/HI elimination to form an iodoether (ICH2-O-CH3) and HI products. The iodoether can then further react via another O-H insertion/HI elimination reaction to form the dimethoxymethane (CH3-O-CH2-O-CH3) observed in the photochemistry experiments. A reaction mechanism consistent with these experimental and theoretical observations is proposed.     

Efficient dehalogenation of polyhalomethanes and production of strong acids in aqueous environments: water-catalyzed O--H-insertion and HI-elimination reactions of isodiiodomethane (CH2I-I) with water

A combined experimental and theoretical study of the ultraviolet photolysis of CH2I2 in water is reported. Ultraviolet photolysis of low concentrations of CH2I2 in water was experimentally observed to lead to almost complete conversion into CH2(OH)2 and 2HI products. Picosecond time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy experiments in mixed water/acetonitrile solvents (25%-75% water) showed that appreciable amounts of isodiiodomethane (CH2I-I) were formed within several picoseconds and the decay of the CH2I-I species became substantially shorter with increasing water concentration, suggesting that CH2I-I may be reacting with water. Ab initio calculations demonstrate the CH2I-I species is able to react readily with water via a water-catalyzed O--H-insertion and HI-elimination reaction followed by its CH2I(OH) product undergoing a further water-catalyzed HI-elimination reaction to make a H2C=O product. These HI-elimination reactions produce the two HI leaving groups observed experimentally and the H2C=O product further reacts with water to produce the other final CH2(OH)2 product observed in the photochemistry experiments. These results suggest that CH2I-I is the species that reacts with water to produce the CH2(OH)2 and 2HI products seen in the photochemistry experiments. The present study demonstrates that ultraviolet photolysis of CH2I2 at low concentration leads to efficient dehalogenation and release of multiple strong acid (HI) leaving groups. Some possible ramifications for the decomposition of polyhalomethanes and halomethanols in aqueous environments as well as the photochemistry of polyhalomethanes in the natural environment are briefly discussed.     

Lewis Acid Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Hydrogen Activation: Structures,Mechanisms, and Reactivities

As a new type of bifunctional catalyst, the Lewis acid transition-metal (LA-TM) catalysts have been widely applied for hydrogen activation. This study presents a mechanistic framework to understand the LA-TM-catalyzed H₂ activation through DFT studies. The mer(trans)-homolytic cleavage, the fac(cis)-homolytic cleavage, the synergetic heterolytic cleavage, and the dissociative heterolytic cleavage should be taken as general mechanisms for the field of LA-TM catalysis. Four typical LA-TM catalysts, the Z-type κ⁴-L₃B-Rh complex tri(azaindolyl)borane-Rh, the X-type κ³-L₂B-Co complex bis-phosphino-boryl (PBP)-Co, the η²-BC-type κ³-L₂B-Pd complex diphosphine-borane (DPB)-Pd, and the Z-type κ²-LB-Pt complex (boryl)iminomethane (BIM)-Pt are selected as representative models to systematically illustrate their mechanistic features and explore the influencing factors on mechanistic variations. Our results indicate that the tri(azaindolyl)borane-Rh catalyst favors the synergetic heterolytic mechanism; the PBP-Co catalyst prefers the mer(trans)-homolytic mechanism; the DPB-Pd catalyst operates through the fac(cis)-homolytic mechanism, whereas the BIM-Pt catalyst tends to undergo the dissociative heterolytic mechanism. The mechanistic variations are determined by the coordination geometry, the LA-TM bonding nature, the electronic structure of the TM center, and the flexibility or steric effect of the LA ligands. The presented mechanistic framework should provide helpful guidelines for LA-TM catalyst design and reaction developments.     

Modes conversion due to plasmons induced transparency

We investigate simulated and theoretically the optical properties of the metamaterial, composed of two bigger split ring resonators and one smaller split ring resonator in unit cell. We observe the magic phenomena that one mode B is inhibited from strong to weak then disappears while another mode A appears and becomes stronger and stronger as asymmetric degree increases. The results show the mode A originates from the destructive interference between the dipole mode and the quadrapole mode, and its strength is proportional to the cross coupling coefficient of near-field. The disappearance of the mode B is due to the competition between the mode B and the mode A, and the variation of strength is proportional to the frequency shift of the dark mode. That is, with asymmetric degree increasing, the mode B converts into the mode A. These phenomena are explained very well by the temporal coupled-mode theory. Our metamaterial provides a kind of new design for understanding the interaction between light and matter.     

Platinum(II)-catalyzed cyclization sequence of aryl alkynes via C(sp3)-H activation: a DFT study

The mechanism and intermediates of hydroalkylation of aryl alkynes via C(sp(3))-H activation through a platinum(II)-centered catalyst are investigated with density functional theory at the B3LYP/[6-31G(d) for H, O, C; 6-31+G(d,p) for F, Cl; SDD for Pt] level of theory. Solvent effects on reactions were explored using calculations that included a polarizable continuum model for the solvent (THF). Free energy diagrams for three suggested mechanisms were computed: (a) one that leads to formation of a Pt(II) vinyl carbenoid (Mechanism A), (b) another where the transition state implies a directed 1,4-hydrogen shift (Mechanism B), and (c) one with a Pt-aided 1,4-hydrogen migration (Mechanism C). Results suggest that the insertion reaction pathway of Mechanism A is reasonable. Through 4,5-hydrogen transfer, the Pt(II) vinyl carbenoid is formed. Thus, the stepwise insertion mechanism is favored while the electrocyclization mechanism is implausible. Electron-withdrawing/electron-donating groups substituted at the phenyl and benzyl sp(3) C atoms slightly change the thermodynamic properties of the first half of Mechanism A, but electronic effects cause a substantial shift in relative energies for the second half of Mechanism A. The rate-limiting step can be varied between the 4,5-hydrogen shift process and the 1,5-hydrogen shift step by altering electron-withdrawing/electron-donating groups on the benzyl C atom. Additionally, NBO and AIM analyses are applied to further investigate electronic structure changes during the mechanism.     

A theoretical study of the mechanism of the water-catalyzed HCl elimination reactions of CHXCl(OH) (X = H, Cl) and HClCO in the gas phase and in aqueous solution

A systematic ab initio investigation of the water-assisted decomposition of chloromethanol, dichloromethanol, and formyl chloride as a function of the number of water molecules (up to six) building up the solvation shell is presented. The decomposition reactions of the chlorinated methanols and formyl chloride are accelerated substantially as the reaction system involves additional explicit coordination of water molecules. Rate constants for the decomposition of chlorinated methanols and formyl chloride were found to be in reasonable agreement with previous experimental observations of aqueous phase decomposition reactions of dichloromethanol [CHCl(2)(OH)] and formyl chloride. For example, using the calculated activation free energies in conjunction with the stabilization free energies from the ab initio calculations, the rate constant was predicted to be 1.2-1.5 x 10(4) s(-1) for the decomposition of formyl chloride in aqueous solution. This is in good agreement with the experimental rate constant of about 10(4) s(-1) reported in the literature. The mechanism for the water catalysis of the decomposition reactions as well as probable implications for the decomposition of these chlorinated methanol compounds and formaldehydes in the natural environment and as intermediates in advanced oxidation processes are briefly discussed.     

Water-catalyzed dehalogenation reactions of the isomer of CBr4 and its reaction products and a comparison to analogous reaction of the isomers of di-and trihalomethanes

A combined experimental and theoretical study of the UV photolysis of a typical tetrahalomethane, CBr4, in water and acetonitrile/water was performed. Ultraviolet photolysis of low concentrations of CBr4 in water mostly leads to the production of four HBr leaving groups and CO2. Picosecond time-resolved resonance Raman (Ps-TR3) experiments and ab initio calculations indicate that water-catalyzed O-H insertion/HBr elimination of the isomer of CBr4 and subsequent reactions of its products lead to the formation of these products. The UV photolyses of di-, tri-, and tetrahalomethanes at low concentrations in water-solvated environments are compared to one another. This comparison enables a general reaction scheme to be deduced that can account for the different products produced by UV photolysis of low concentrations of di-, tri-, and tetrahalomethanes in water. The fate of the (halo)formaldehyde intermediate in the chemical reaction mechanism is the key to determining how many strong acid leaving groups are produced and which carbon atom final product is likely formed by UV photolysis of a polyhalomethane at low concentrations in a water-solvated environment.     

Samarium(III) carbenoid as a competing reactive species in samarium-promoted cyclopropanation reactions

The trivalent samarium carbenoid I2SmCH2I-promoted cyclopropanation reactions with ethylene have been investigated and are predicted to be highly reactive, similarly to the divalent samarium carbenoid ISmCH2I. The methylene transfer and carbometalation pathways were explored and compared with and without coordination of THF solvent molecules to the carbenoid. The methylene transfer was found to be favored, with the barrier to reaction going from 12.9 to 9.2 kcal/mol compared to barriers of 15.4-17.5 kcal/mol for the carbometalation pathway upon the addition of one THF molecule.     

硅烯及取代硅烯与饱和键插入反应的量子化学研究

用量子化学的密度泛函理论(DFT)在6-311G水平上对硅烯及其取代物与甲烷的C-H键进行插入反应的势能面进行了系统地研究。用IRC方法对过渡态进行了验证。并用组态混合模型讨论了反应势垒(△E^≠)和反应热(△H)与SiXY的单-三态激发能△Est的关系。我们发现,硅烯SiXY的△Est是控制反应的主要因素,取代基的电负性越大,取代基越多,π电子给予越强,SiXY的△Est就越大,插入反应的活化能就越大,放热就越小。     

Mechanistic Insight into the Intramolecular Benzylic C−H Nitrene Insertion Catalyzed by Bimetallic Paddlewheel Complexes: Influence of the Metal Centers

The intramolecular benzylic C?H amination catalyzed by bimetallic paddlewheel complexes was investigated by using density functional theory calculations. The metal–metal bonding characters were investigated and the structures featuring either a small HOMO–LUMO gap or a compact SOMO energy scope were estimated to facilitate an easier one‐electron oxidation of the bimetallic center. The hydrogen‐abstraction step was found to occur through three manners, that is, hydride transfer, hydrogen migration, and proton transfer. The imido N species are more preferred in the Ru–Ru and Pd–Mn cases whereas coexisting N species, namely, singlet/triplet nitrene and imido, were observed in the Rh–Rh and Pd–Co cases. On the other hand, the triplet nitrene N species were found to be predominant in the Pd–Ni and Pd–Zn systems. A concerted asynchronous mechanism was found to be modestly favorable in the Rh–Rh‐catalyzed reactions whereas the Pd–Co‐catalyzed reactions demonstrated a slight preference for a stepwise pathway. Favored stepwise pathways were seen in each Ru–Ru‐ and Pd–Mn‐catalyzed reactions and in the triplet nitrene involved Pd–Ni and Pd–Zn reactions. The calculations suggest the feasibility of the Pd–Mn, Pd–Co, and Pd–Ni paddlewheel complexes as being economical alternatives for the expensive dirhodium/diruthenium complexes in C?H amination catalysis.