Product-like Transition State Research Articles

Rate of Formation of Industrial Lubricant Additive Precursors from Maleic Anhydride and Polyisobutylene

The Alder-ene reaction of neat polyisobutylene (PIB) and maleic anhydride (MAA) to produce the industrially important lubricant additive precursor polyisobutylene succinic anhydride (PIBSA) is studied at 150–180 °C. Under anaerobic conditions with [PIB] ∼ 1.24 M (550 g mol–1 grade, >80% exo alkene) and [MAA] ∼ 1.75 M, conversion of exo-PIB and MAA follows second-order near-equal rate laws with kobs up to 5 × 10–5 M–1 s–1 for both components. The exo-alkene-derived primary product PIBSA-I is formed at an equivalent rate. The less reactive olefinic protons of exo-PIB also react with MAA to form isomeric PIBSA-II (kobs up to 6 × 10–5 M–1 s–1). Some exo-PIB is converted to endo-PIB (containing trisubstituted alkene) in a first-order process (kobs ∼ 1 × 10–5 s–1), while PIBSA-I is difunctionalized by MAA to bis-PIBSAs very slowly. The MAA- and PIB-derived activation parameter ΔG‡(150 °C) 34.3 ± 0.3 kcal mol–1 supports a concerted process, with that of PIBSA-I suggesting a late (product-like) transition state.

Non-heme perferryl intermediates: Effect of spin state on the epoxidation enantioselectivity

• Chiral non-heme iron complexes catalyze epoxidation of olefins with H 2 O 2 in up to 96 % ee . • The active oxoiron(V) intermediates have been detected by EPR spectroscopy. • The Fe V =O intermediates adopt either low-spin ( S = 1/2) or high-spin ( S = 3/2) ground state. • The spin state is governed by the electron-donating ability of p -substituents at the pyridine rings. • The high-spin Fe V =O intermediates are more enantioselective than their low-spin counterparts. The catalyst systems Fe 2 (PDP NR1R2 ) 2 /H 2 O 2 /RCOOH (PDP = N , N′ -bis(pyridyl-2-methyl)-( S , S )-2,2′-bipyrrolidine, NR 1 R 2 = NMe 2 , NEt 2 , NMe i Pr or N(CH 2 ) 4 at the para -position in the pyridine rings, RCOOH = acetic or 2-ethylhexanoic acid) generate the high-spin ( S = 3/2) oxoiron(V) oxidizing intermediates with proposed structure [(PDP NR1R2 )Fe V =O(OC(O)R)] 2+ and the EPR spectrum g 1 , = 4.30, g 2 = 3.69, g 3 = 1.96. In contrast, the catalyst systems Fe 2 (PDP Me2OMe ) 2 /H 2 O 2 /RCOOH and Fe 2 (PDP MeOCH2CF3 ) 2 /H 2 O 2 /RCOOH, based on similar iron complexes, containing 3,5-Me 2 -4-OMe and 3-Me-4-OCH 2 CF 3 substituents at the pyridine rings, generate the low-spin ( S = 1/2) oxoiron(V) intermediates with characteristic EPR spectrum g 1 = 2.07, g 2 = 2.01, g 3 = 1.96. Both high and low-spin intermediates directly epoxidize cyclohexene, with the low-spin species being much more reactive than the high-spin congeners; the corresponding second-order rate constants have been evaluated. Crucially, the catalyst systems exhibiting the high-spin oxidizing intermediates demonstrate higher enantioselectivity in the epoxidation of prochiral olefinic substrates, compared with the catalyst systems featuring the low-spin intermediates. This enhanced enantioselectivity is explained in terms of attenuated reactivity of the high-spin intermediates, leading to more product-like transition state with tighter substrate-catalyst interactions.

Mechanistic insights and consequences of intrapore liquids in ethene, propene, and butene dimerization on isolated Ni2+ sites grafted within aluminosilicate mesopores

The stability, selectivity, and reactivity conferred by intrapore liquids onto Ni2+ species grafted within mesoporous aluminosilicates for the dimerization of C2-C4 alkenes are reported and interpreted by the preferential stabilization of dimer desorption transition states, which inhibit further growth during the surface sojourn that forms these dimers. The marked decrease in deactivation rate constants leads to catalyst half-lives > 600 h for all alkenes and to turnover rates (per Ni) at sub-ambient temperatures (240–260 K) that exceed those at the higher temperatures previously used for Ni-based solid catalysts (350–500 K). These effects appear at the relative pressures required for alkene capillary condensation within Ni-Al-MCM-41 catalysts with different mesopore diameters and are also evident when the intrapore liquids consist of unreactive alkanes, indicative of solvation effects conferred by non-covalent interactions mediated by dispersion forces. For all alkenes, turnover rates (per Ni) are unaffected by Ni content until each acidic proton in the Al-MCM-41 is replaced by one Ni atom, consistent with the involvement of grafted (Ni-OH)+ monomers as active centers and excess Ni leading to inactive NiO species. The stable nature of these catalysts allows accurate mechanistic assessments and a demonstration of the kinetic relevance of the CC coupling elementary steps on essentially bare (Ni-OH)+ centers, leading to rates described by second-order dimerization constants (αn′) and adsorption constants (βn′) for each alkene (Cn); these parameters are influenced only slightly by intrapore liquids, because they reflect free energies of formation of surface-bound species and transition states from gaseous precursors. These αn′ and βn′ parameters increase with alkene size, with the enthalpic component of αn′ increasing from 21 to 46 kJ mol−1 and the activation entropy becoming more negative (−103 to −187 J (mol K)−1), consistent with CC coupling transition states that occur late along the reaction coordinate and resemble its bound dimer product. The low C3n/C2n ratios observed in the presence of intrapore liquids (<0.04, for n = 2–4) reflect the endothermic nature of dimer desorption events, for which product-like transition states benefit from the solvation of desorbing products by a non-polar liquid phase, thus allowing detachment from Ni centers before subsequent growth. The inhibition of such growth events accounts not only for the unique dimer selectivity observed, but also for the unprecedented stability conferred by intrapore liquids by inhibiting the formation of oligomers that bind more strongly with increasing chain size, as evident from the βn′ values reported here for alkene reactants.

Detailed benchmark ab initio mapping of the potential energy surfaces of the X + C2H6 [X = F, Cl, Br, I] reactions.

We investigate three reaction pathways of the X + C2H6 [X = F, Cl, Br, I] reactions: H-abstraction, methyl-substitution, and H-substitution, with the latter two proceeding via either Walden-inversion or front-side-attack mechanisms. We report classical and adiabatic relative energies of unprecedented accuracy for the corresponding stationary points of the reaction potential energy surfaces (PESs) by augmenting the CCSD(T)-F12b/aug-cc-pVQZ energies by core-correlation, post-CCSD(T) and spin-orbit corrections. Taking these correction terms into account turns out to be essential to reach subchemical, i.e. <0.5 kcal mol-1, accuracy. Our new benchmark 0 K reaction enthalpies show excellent agreement with experimental data. Spin-orbit coupling in these open-shell systems is also monitored throughout the reaction paths and found to be non-negligible even in some transition-state geometries. Barrier heights corresponding to the different channels of the title reactions appear in the same order with increasing energy: H-abstraction, Walden-inversion methyl-substitution, Walden-inversion H-substitution, front-side-attack H-substitution and front-side-attack methyl-substitution, except for X = I where the latter two come in reverse order. Similarly, product channels follow the energy order of the corresponding barrier heights in all four cases. We find strongly reactant-like transition-state structures for the exothermic F + C2H6 reaction paths, while more and more product-like transition states are observed along with increasing endothermicity as going from Cl to I. Several entrance and exit channel minima are also identified for the studied reactions with significant spin-orbit effects for the formers.

DFT study on abstraction reaction mechanism of oh radical with 2-methoxyphenol

Reaction mechanism of 2-methoxyphenol (2MP) (guaiacol) with OH radical has been performed using density functional theory methods BH&HLYP and MPW1K method with 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. Single-point energy calculations were done using CCSD(T)/6-311++G(d,p). The theoretical results reveal that the hydrogen abstraction from methoxy group is found to be the dominant reaction channel with an energy barrier of 9.31 kcal/mol. Also, time-dependent density functional theory calculations have been performed using BH&HLYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory, and the results reveal that the reactions occur in ground state than the excited state. The results of reaction force profile indicate that structural rearrangements are most influential with high percentage than the relaxation process. The calculated theoretical rate constants (12.19 × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1) are in good agreement with the experimental rate constant. The atmospheric lifetime of 2-methoxyphenol with respect to OH radicals is 2.27 hours, which implies that OH radical plays an important role in the degradation of 2MP. The Wiberg bond index of the abstraction reaction reveals that the bond order is concerted, partially synchronic. The reactant-like transition state satisfies Hammond postulate, which eventually results in an exothermic reaction, and the product-like transition state reveals in endothermic nature.

Designing graphene as a new frustrated Lewis pair catalyst for hydrogen activation by co-doping.

Boron and nitrogen co-doped bilayer graphene (BN-G) and graphene ribbon (BN-GR) as Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) catalysts are investigated for hydrogen molecule activation. The nitrogen and boron atoms are separated as they are in different layers of BN-G/GR. Calculations show that this novel FLP catalyst is capable of activating hydrogen molecules. From the Bader charge, Mayer bond order, and the geometrical structures, it can be seen that the hydrogen molecules undergo heterolytic scission and have a late product-like transition state. More interestingly, the active sites are identified as being the carbon atoms around dopants for BN-G. The BN-G/GR catalysts deliver performances comparable to that of the reported FLP catalyst when considering their barrier and reaction energy values. The current work demonstrates the great potential of doped carbon catalysts as FLP catalysts and paves the way to nanostructured carbon catalyst applications in reactions by directly utilizing hydrogen molecules.

A computational study of the CO dissociation in cyclopentadienyl ruthenium complexes relevant to the racemization of alcohols

The formation of an active 16-electron ruthenium sec-alkoxide complex via loss of the CO ligand is an important step in the mechanism of the racemization of sec-alcohols by (η(5)-Ph(5)C(5))Ru(CO)(2)X ruthenium complexes with X = Cl and O(t)Bu. Here we show with accurate DFT calculations the potential energy profile of the CO dissociation pathway for a series of relevant (η(5)-Ph(5)C(5))Ru(CO)(2)X complexes, where X = Cl, O(t)Bu, H and COO(t)Bu. We have found that the CO dissociation energy increases in the following order: O(t)Bu (lowest), Cl, COO(t)Bu and H (highest). Using the distance between ruthenium and C(CO), r = Ru-C(CO), as a constraint, and by optimizing all other degrees of freedom for a range of Ru-CO distances, we obtained relative energies, ΔE(r) and geometries of a sufficient number of transient structures with the elongated Ru-CO bond up to r = 3.4 Å. Our calculations provide a quantitative understanding of the CO ligand dissociation in (η(5)-Ph(5)C(5))Ru(CO)(2)Cl and (η(5)-Ph(5)C(5))Ru(CO)(2)(O(t)Bu) complexes, which is relevant to the mechanism of their catalytic activity in the racemization of alcohols. We recently reported that exchange of the CO ligand by isotopically labeled (13)CO in the Ru-O(t)Bu complex occurs twenty times faster than that in the Ru-Cl complex. This corresponds to a difference of 1.8 kcal mol(-1) in the CO dissociation energy (at room temperature). This is in very good agreement with the calculated difference between the two potential energy curves for Ru-O(t)Bu and Ru-Cl complexes, which is about 1.8-2 kcal mol(-1) around the corresponding transition states of the CO dissociation. The calculated difference in the total energy for CO dissociation in (η(5)-Ph(5)C(5))Ru(CO)(2)X complexes is related to the stabilization provided by the X group in the final 16-electron complexes, which are formed via product-like transition states. In addition to the calculated transition states of CO dissociation in Ru-O(t)Bu and Ru-Cl complexes, the calculated transient structures with the elongated Ru-CO bond provide insight into how the geometry of the ruthenium complex with a potent heteroatom donor group (X) gradually changes when one of the COs is dissociating.

Stretching the Polanyi Rules

Chemistry Forty years ago, Polanyi laid out a framework to explain and predict the relative effectiveness of translational and vibrational energy in driving the reactions of atoms with diatomics. The current frontier in state-resolved molecular dynamics research encompasses the reactions of halogen atoms with methane and its various isotopologues—a six-atom system. Over the past several years, successive experimental and theoretical studies have sought to clarify the extent to which the Polanyi Rules apply (or fail to apply) to such systems. For the reaction of chlorine with CHD3, the Rules suggest that the product-like transition state ought to favor the efficacy of vibration over translation, although the results of recent studies have been ambiguous in this regard. Zhang et al. now report quantum dynamics simulations of this reaction and compare their results with those from previous experiments and quasiclassical trajectories. The simulations suggest that C–H stretch excitation does indeed promote the reaction, except at collision energies below 1 kcal/mol. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 10.1021/jz301649w (2012).

N-Acylated Dipeptide Tags Enable Precise Measurement of Ion Temperature in Peptide Fragmentation

Peptide fragmentations into b- and y-type ions are useful for the identification of proteins. The b ion, having the structure of a N-protonated oxazolone, dissociates to the a-type ion with loss of CO. This CO-loss process affords the possibility of characterizing the temperature of the b ion. Herein, we used N-acylated dipeptide tags, isobaric tags originally developed for protein quantification, as internal standards for the measurement of the ion temperature in peptide fragmentation. Amine-reactive dipeptide tags were attached to the N-termini of sample peptides. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the tagged peptides yielded a b-type quantitation signal (b(S)) from the tag, which subsequently dissociated into the a(S) ion with CO-loss. As the length of alkyl side chain on the dipeptide tag was extended from C(1) to C(8), the yield of a(S) ion gradually increased for the 4-alkyl-substituted oxazolone ion but decreased for the 2-alkyl-substituted one. To gain insights into the unimolecular dissociation kinetics, we obtained the potential energy surface from ab initio calculations. Theoretical study suggested that the 4-alkyl substitution on N-protonated oxazolone decreased the enthalpy of activation by stabilizing the productlike transition state, whereas the 2-alkyl substitution increased it by stabilizing the reactant. Resulting potential energy surfaces were used to calculate the microcanonical and canonical rate constants as well as the a(S)-ion yield. Arrhenius plots of canonical rate constants provided activation energies and pre-exponential factors for the CO-loss processes in the 600-800 K range. Comparison of experimental a(S)-ion yields with theoretical values led to precise determination of the temperature of b(S) ion. Thus, the b(S)-ion temperature of tagged peptide can be measured simply by combining kinetic parameters provided here and a(S)-ion yields obtained experimentally. Although the b-type fragment patterns varied with the chain length and position of alkyl substituent on the N-protonated oxazolone, the y-type fragment patterns were almost identical under these conditions. Furthermore, b(S)-ion temperatures were nearly the same with only a few degrees K difference. Our results demonstrate a novel use of N-acylated dipeptide tags as internal temperature standards, which enables the reproducible acquisition of peptide fragment spectra.

Electronic tuning of site-selectivity.

Site-selective functionalizations of complex small molecules can generate targeted derivatives with exceptional step-efficiency, but general strategies for maximizing selectivity in this context are rare. Here we report that site-selectivity can be tuned by simply modifying the electronic nature of the reagents. A Hammett analysis is consistent with linking of this phenomenon to the Hammond postulate: electronic tuning to a more product-like transition state amplifies site-discriminating interactions between a reagent and its substrate. This strategy transformed a minimally site-selective acylation reaction into a highly selective and thus preparatively useful one. Electronic tuning of both an acylpyridinium donor and its carboxylate counterion further promoted site-divergent functionalizations. With these advances, a range of modifications to just one of the many hydroxyl groups appended to the ion channel-forming natural product amphotericin B was achieved. Thus, electronic tuning of reagents represents an effective strategy for discovering and optimizing site-selective functionalization reactions.

Hydrogen Atom Reactivity toward Aqueous tert-Butyl Alcohol

Through a combination of pulse radiolysis, purification, and analysis techniques, the rate constant for the H + (CH(3))(3)COH → H(2) + (•)CH(2)C(CH(3))(2)OH reaction in aqueous solution is definitively determined to be (1.0 ± 0.15) × 10(5) M(-1) s(-1), which is about half of the tabulated number and 10 times lower than the more recently suggested revision. Our value fits on the Polanyi-type, rate-enthalpy linear correlation ln(k/n) = (0.80 ± 0.05)ΔH + (3.2 ± 0.8) that is found for the analogous reactions of other aqueous aliphatic alcohols with n equivalent abstractable H atoms. The existence of such a correlation and its large slope are interpreted as an indication of the mechanistic similarity of the H atom abstraction from α- and β-carbon atoms in alcohols occurring through the late, product-like transition state. tert-Butyl alcohol is commonly contaminated by much more reactive secondary and primary alcohols (2-propanol, 2-butanol, ethanol, and methanol), whose content can be sufficient for nearly quantitative scavenging of the H atoms, skewing the H atom reactivity pattern, and explaining the disparity of the literature data on the H + (CH(3))(3)COH rate constant. The ubiquitous use of tert-butyl alcohol in pulse radiolysis for investigating H atom reactivity and the results of this work suggest that many other previously reported rate constants for the H atom, particularly the smaller ones, may be in jeopardy.

Structure-reactivity effects on primary deuterium isotope effects on protonation of ring-substituted alpha-methoxystyrenes.

Primary product isotope effects (PIEs) on L(+) and carboxylic acid catalyzed protonation of ring-substituted alpha-methoxystyrenes (X-1) to form oxocarbenium ions X-2(+) in 50/50 (v/v) HOH/DOD were calculated from the yields of the alpha-CH(3) and alpha-CH(2)D labeled ketone products, determined by (1)H NMR. A plot of PIE against reaction driving force shows a maximum PIE of 8.7 for protonation of 4-MeO-1 by Cl(2)CHCOOH (DeltaG(o) = 1.0 kcal/mol). The PIE decreases to 8.1 for protonation of 4-MeO-1 by L(3)O(+) (DeltaG(o) = -2.8 kcal/mol) and to 5.1 for protonation of 3,5-di-NO(2)-1 by MeOCH(2)COOH (DeltaG(o) = 13.1 kcal/mol). The PIE maximum is around DeltaG(o) = 0. Arrhenius-type plots of PIEs on protonation of 4-MeO-1 and 3,5-di-NO(2)-1 by L(3)O(+) and on protonation of X-1 by MeOCH(2)COOH in 50/50 (v/v) HOH/DOD give similar slopes and intercepts. These were used to calculate values of [(E(a))(H) - (E(a))(D)] = -1.2 kcal/mol and (A(H)/A(D)) = 1.0 for the difference in activation energy for reactions of A-H and A-D and for the limiting PIE at infinite temperature, respectively. These parameters are consistent with reaction of the hydron over an energy barrier. There is no evidence for quantum mechanical tunneling of the hydron through the barrier. These PIEs suggest that the transferred hydron at the transition state lies roughly equidistant between the acid donor and base acceptor and contrast with the recently published Brønsted parameters [Richard, J. P.; Williams, K. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 6952-6961], which are consistent with a product-like transition state. An explanation for these seemingly contradictory results is discussed.

Differences in Carbon Isotope Discrimination of Three Variants of D-Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase Reflect Differences in Their Catalytic Mechanisms

The carboxylation kinetic (stable carbon) isotope effect was measured for purified d-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylases/oxygenases (Rubiscos) with aqueous CO(2) as substrate by monitoring Rayleigh fractionation using membrane inlet mass spectrometry. This resulted in discriminations (Delta) of 27.4 +/- 0.9 per thousand for wild-type tobacco Rubisco, 22.2 +/- 2.1 per thousand for Rhodospirillum rubrum Rubisco, and 11.2 +/- 1.6 per thousand for a large subunit mutant of tobacco Rubisco in which Leu(335) is mutated to valine (L335V). These Delta values are consistent with the photosynthetic discrimination determined for wild-type tobacco and transplastomic tobacco lines that exclusively produce R. rubrum or L335V Rubisco. The Delta values are indicative of the potential evolutionary variability of Delta values for a range of Rubiscos from different species: Form I Rubisco from higher plants; prokaryotic Rubiscos, including Form II; and the L335V mutant. We explore the implications of these Delta values for the Rubisco catalytic mechanism and suggest that Rubiscos that are associated with a lower Delta value have a less product-like carboxylation transition state and/or allow a decarboxylation step that evolution has excluded in higher plants.

Despite slow catalysis and confused substrate specificity, all ribulose bisphosphate carboxylases may be nearly perfectly optimized.

The cornerstone of autotrophy, the CO(2)-fixing enzyme, d-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), is hamstrung by slow catalysis and confusion between CO(2) and O(2) as substrates, an "abominably perplexing" puzzle, in Darwin's parlance. Here we argue that these characteristics stem from difficulty in binding the featureless CO(2) molecule, which forces specificity for the gaseous substrate to be determined largely or completely in the transition state. We hypothesize that natural selection for greater CO(2)/O(2) specificity, in response to reducing atmospheric CO(2):O(2) ratios, has resulted in a transition state for CO(2) addition in which the CO(2) moiety closely resembles a carboxylate group. This maximizes the structural difference between the transition states for carboxylation and the competing oxygenation, allowing better differentiation between them. However, increasing structural similarity between the carboxylation transition state and its carboxyketone product exposes the carboxyketone to the strong binding required to stabilize the transition state and causes the carboxyketone intermediate to bind so tightly that its cleavage to products is slowed. We assert that all Rubiscos may be nearly perfectly adapted to the differing CO(2), O(2), and thermal conditions in their subcellular environments, optimizing this compromise between CO(2)/O(2) specificity and the maximum rate of catalytic turnover. Our hypothesis explains the feeble rate enhancement displayed by Rubisco in processing the exogenously supplied carboxyketone intermediate, compared with its nonenzymatic hydrolysis, and the positive correlation between CO(2)/O(2) specificity and (12)C/(13)C fractionation. It further predicts that, because a more product-like transition state is more ordered (decreased entropy), the effectiveness of this strategy will deteriorate with increasing temperature.

Alkene cyclopropanation catalyzed by Halterman iron porphyrin: participation of organic bases as axial ligands

With the iron(III) complex of the Halterman iron porphyrin [P*Fe(Cl)] and ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) as catalyst and carbene source, respectively, styrene-type substrates were converted to cyclopropyl esters with high trans/cis ratio (not less than 12) and high enantioselectivity for the trans-isomers (74-86% ee). The isomeric distribution of the cyclopropyl esters so obtained is akin to that obtained from the previously reported Ru(II) counterpart [P*Ru(CO)]. A linear Hammett correlation log(k(X)/k(H)) = sigma(+)rho was observed with rho = -0.57 suggesting the involvement of an electrophilic cyclopropanating species derived from the iron(II) center as the reactive intermediate in the catalytic cycle. This is further supported by a dramatic decrease in the enantioselectivity and trans/cis ratio observed in an experiment of styrene cyclopropanation when the reaction mixture was deliberately exposed to air. Axial ligand effects on the selectivities was also investigated. Substantial improvement in trans/cis ratios could be achieved by addition of organic bases such as pyridine (py) and 1-methylimidazole (MeIm) to the catalytic reaction. The existence of axially ligated iron carbene moieties, [P*Fe(CHCO(2)Et)(py)] and [P*Fe(CHCO(2)Et)(MeIm)], was established by electrospray mass spectrometry. Study of secondary kinetic isotope effect indicated that a more product-like transition state was generated by addition of MeIm.

Using β-hydride elimination to test propositions for characterizing surface catalyzed reactions

We describe the transition states determined using plane wave Density Functional Theory (DFT) for the β-hydride elimination reaction RCH 2O (ad) → RCHO (ad) + H (ad) on Cu(1 1 1) for R = H, CH 3, CH 2F, CHF 2, and CF 3. Our results allow us to assess qualitative descriptions of these transition states based on previous experiments. Our calculations confirm that the character of the transition state is unaffected by fluorine substituents and the transition state for the forward reaction is late. By considering β-hydride elimination from adsorbed methoxy on multiple metal surfaces using DFT, we have examined the hypothesis that surface catalyzed reactions with product-like transition states are more structure sensitive than reactions with reactant-like transition states.

Diastereoselectivity in Addition of Nitrile‐Stabilized Carbanions to Schiff Bases and in Subsequent Alkylation Reactions.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

Diastereoselectivity in addition of nitrile-stabilized carbanions to Schiff bases and in subsequent alkylation reactions

The stereochemical course in the addition of lithiated benzylcyanide and propionitrile to aromatic Schiff bases, as well as of the subsequent alkylation reaction has been investigated. The stereochemical ratios in the condensation reaction are proved to result from the intermediacy of a prochiral carbanionic intermediate, produced by a fast proton shift in the initially formed azanion. Subsequent one-pot alkylation reaction with a variety of electrophiles leads in high to moderate yields to diastereoselective formation of a second carbon–carbon bond at the same carbon center. Diastereoselectivity in alkylation, which varies from outstanding to high and poor is rationalized in terms of open-chain, product-like or reactant-like transition state models.

Lewis acid catalysed rearrangements of unsaturated bicyclic [2.2. n] endoperoxides in the presence of vinyl silanes; access to novel Fenozan BO-7 analogues

Reactions of a series of unsaturated bicyclic [2.2. n] endoperoxides with allyltrimethylsilane in the presence TMSOTf or SnCl 4 provides the cis-configured endoperoxides 9a– 12 . It is proposed that this novel reaction proceeds via attack of the allylsilane on the carbocation derived from heterolytic cleavage of the endoperoxide bridge. The reaction proceeds with a high degree of diastereoselectivity and we propose that the bulky –CH 2SiMe 3 substituent adopts an equatorial position in a product-like transition state. In contrast to Fenozan B0-7, these compounds displayed poor antimalarial activity versus chloroquine-resistant parasites in vitro.

Effect of Added Nucleophilic Species on the Rate of Primary Amino Acid Nitrosation

The rate of primary amino acid nitrosation, both with and without the addition of nucleophilic species, has been studied using stopped-flow spectrophotometry. The rate of nitrosation in the presence of strong nucleophilic species such as thiocyanate and thiourea was shown to be much faster than nitrosation without the addition of a nucleophile. Rate constants were determined at 25 degrees C for reaction of the amino acids alanine, glycine, and valine with five common nitrosating agents. For the nitrosating agents nitrosyl chloride, nitrosyl bromide, and dinitrogen trioxide the rate of reaction was observed to approach the predicted encounter-controlled limit. However, for nitrosyl thiocyanate and S-nitrosothiourea nitrosation was found to be reaction-controlled. In the reaction-controlled regime, rate constants were found to increase with increasing electrophilic strength of the nitrosating agent, as measured by the parameter En, with a slope indicative of a product-like transition state. Activation energies were also measured, being around 10-30 kJ mol-1 for encounter-controlled rate constants, and 30-50 kJ mol-1 for reaction-controlled rate constants. Our results are discussed in the context of in vivo amino acid nitrosation, where it is proposed that the rate of nitrosation may be considerably greater than currently thought, due to the presence of nucleophilic species.