Assessing the nucleophilic character of 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles through coupling with 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan: Experimental and theoretical approaches based on structure-reactivity relationships

A kinetic study of the reactions of potentially bioactive 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles with highly reactive 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan (DNBF) is reported herein in acetonitrile solution. The complexation reaction was followed by recording the UV–vis spectra with time at λ_max = 482 nm. Electronic effects of substituents influencing the rate of reaction have been studied using structure-reactivity relationships. It is shown that the Hammett plot relative to the reaction of DNBF with 2-amino-4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole exhibit positive deviation from the log k₁ versus σ correlation, while it showed excellent linear correlation in terms of Yukawa–Tsuno equation. It has be noticed that the nonlinear Hammett plot observed for 2-amino-4-(4-chlorophenyl) thiazole is not attributed to a change in rate-determining step but is due to nature of electronic effect of substituent caused by the resonance of stabilization of substrates. The second-order rate constant (k₁) relating to the bond C–C and C-N forming step of the complexation processes of DNBF with 4-substituted-aminothiazoles and 2-amino-5-methyl-4-phenylthiazole, respectively, is fit into the linear relationship log k = s_N (N + E), thereby permitting the assessment of the nucleophilicity parameter (N) of the 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles of the range (4.90 < N < 6.85). 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles is subsequently ranked by positioning its reactivity on the general nucleophilicity scale developed recently by Mayr and coworkers (2003) leading an interesting and a direct comparison over a large domain of π-, σ -, and n-nucleophiles. The global electrophilicity/nucleophilicity reactivity indexes of the 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles have been investigated by means of a density functional theory (DFT) method. .     

Quantitative characterization of the global electrophilicity pattern of some reagents involved in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions

The global electrophilicity power, ω, of a series of dipoles and dipolarophiles commonly used in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions may be conveniently classified within a unique relative scale. The effects of chemical substitution on the electrophilicity of molecules have been evaluated using a representative set of electron-withdrawing and electron-releasing groups for a series of dipoles including nitrone, nitrile oxide and azide derivatives. The absolute scale of electrophilicity is used to rationalize the chemical reactivity of these species as compared to the static reactivity pattern of the reagents involved in the Diels-Alder reactions.     

Chemo- and regioselectivity in the reactions between highly electrophilic fluorine containing dicarbonyl compounds and amines. Improved synthesis of the corresponding imines/enamines

Chemo- and regioselectivity in the reactions between highly electrophilic fluorine containing dicarbonyl compounds (ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoroacetoacetate, 3,3,3-trifluoropyruvate and 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentane-2,4-dione) and various benzylamines were systematically studied. The results obtained lead to the development of a generalized and practical method for large-scale synthesis of the corresponding imines/enamines, useful starting materials for preparation fluorinated amines and amino acid.     

Catalytic olefination of carbonyl compounds. A new versatile method for the synthesis of alkenes

The review is devoted to a new catalytic olefination reaction (COR) discovered by the authors. This is the reaction between N-unsubstituted hydrazones of carbonyl compounds with dihalides CHal₂XY in the presence of copper(i) chloride to give substituted alkenes. Catalytic olefination is versatile. Variation of the carbonyl and olefinating components opens up the way for the synthesis of various classes of unsaturated compounds including those containing functional groups. The reaction mechanism is discussed and a catalytic cycle describing the process is proposed. A model for estimating and predicting the reactivity of halogen-containing compounds in the COR is developed. The relationship between the structure of the carbonyl substrates and their behavior in the title reaction is elucidated.     

Substituent electrophilicities in the NMR spectra of barbituric derivatives

Comparison of the ¹H and ¹³ C NMR spectra of a series of substituted 5‐benzylidene‐N,N′‐dimethylbarbituric acids (1) revealed chemical‐shift variations of different centers that correlated with the theoretical electrophilicities or with the substituent electrophilic constant σ_ω , in an example of the usefulness of these DFT‐based indices. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Easy Synthesis of Monofluorinated Derivatives of Pyrroles from β-Fluoro-β-Nitrostyrenes

The catalyst-free conjugate addition of pyrroles to β-Fluoro-β-nitrostyrenes was investigated. The reaction was found to proceed under solvent-free conditions to form 2-(2-Fluoro-2-nitro-1-arylethyl)-1H-pyrroles. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated through the preparation of a series of the target products in a quantitative yield. The kinetics of a conjugate addition of pyrrole was studied in detail to reveal the substituent effect and activation parameters of the reaction. The subsequent base-induced elimination of nitrous acid afforded a series of novel 2-(2-Fluoro-1-arylvinyl)-1H-pyrroles prepared in up to an 85% isolated yield. The two-step sequence herein proposed is an indispensable alternative to a direct reaction with elusive and unstable 1-Fluoroacetylenes.     

Interface Engineering in Two‐Dimensional Heterostructures: Towards an Advanced Catalyst for Ullmann Couplings

The design of advanced catalysts for organic reactions is of profound significance. During such processes, electrophilicity and nucleophilicity play vital roles in the activation of chemical bonds and ultimately speed up organic reactions. Herein, we demonstrate a new way to regulate the electro‐ and nucleophilicity of catalysts for organic transformations. Interface engineering in two‐dimensional heteronanostructures triggered electron transfer across the interface. The catalyst was thus rendered more electropositive, which led to superior performance in Ullmann reactions. In the presence of the engineered 2D Cu₂S/MoS₂ heteronanostructure, the coupling of iodobenzene and para‐chlorophenol gave the desired product in 92 % yield under mild conditions (100 °C). Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited excellent stability as well as high recyclability with a yield of 89 % after five cycles. We propose that interface engineering could be widely employed for the development of new catalysts for organic reactions.     

Geometrical structure and nonlinear response variations of metal (M = Ni2+, Pd2+, Pt2+) octaphyrin complex derivatives: A DFT study

Nonlinear optical response of designed organometallic complexes of Ni²⁺, Pd²⁺, and Pt²⁺ metal ions with octaphyrin (OP) as ligand were explored by using DFT at CAM-B3LYP/6–311G++(d, p)/LANL2DZ/DEF2SV level of theory. The geometries of these organometallic complexes were studied in terms of effect on molecular framework by metal ion and substituent groups. The optimized geometry of free ligand displays that one of the four pyrrole rings orients out of plane to reduce the steric hindrance. The effect of the substituents on the geometry was found more prominent in the Ni²⁺-OP complexes. The calculations reveal enhancement in the values of dipole moment and hyperpolarizability on introducing electron withdrawing and electron donating groups in ligand framework with maximum enhancement in case of Pt²⁺-OP derivatives. In this study no regular trend was observed for the HOMO and LUMO energies with the second-order hyperpolarizability of M²⁺-OP complexes. However, we have observed that the excited-state properties calculated by using TD-DFT correlate well with the second-order hyperpolarizability values and the dependence was rationalized in terms of two-level model. Thus, from overall calculations we have observed that the designed organometallic complexes display higher polarizability and hyperpolarizability values and can be effective candidates for nonlinear response.