Accuracy of Calculations of Heats of Reduction/Hydrogenation: Application to Some Small Ring Systems

Abstract

The enthalpies of reduction of carbonyl compounds and hydrogenation of alkenes have been calculated at the HF, B3LYP, M06, MP2, G3, G4, CBS-QB3, CBS-APNO, and W1BD levels and, in the case of the first four methods, using a variety of basis sets up to aug-cc-pVTZ. The results are compared with the available experimental data, and it is found that the compound methods are generally more satisfactory than the others. Large basis sets are usually needed in order to reproduce experiments. Some C-C bond hydrogenolysis reactions also have been examined including those of bicycloalkanes and propellanes. In addition, the dimerization of the remarkably strained bicyclo[2.2.0]hex(1,4)ene was studied. The reaction forming a pentacyclic propellane was calculated to have ΔH = -57 kcal/mol, and the cleavage of the propellane to give a diene had ΔH = -71 kcal/mol. The strain energies of these compounds were estimated.