Remarkable Substituent Effect Research Articles

Unveiling [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of diphenyl diazomethane to thiobenzophenone and cycloaliphatic thioketones in the light of molecular electron density theory

The reactivity, regiochemistry and substituent effects observed in the [3 + 2] cycloaddition (32CA) reactions of diphenyldiazomethane (PDM) with thiobenzophenone and a series of cycloaliphatic thioketones (TKs) have been studied within the molecular electron density theory at the ωB97XD/6-311G(d,p) computational level. The cycloaliphatic TK series shows remarkable substituent effects, changing from a non-polar 32CA reaction to a highly polar one, with the electron density flowing from PDM to the corresponding TK in a reaction classified as a forward electron density flux (FEDF). These 32CA reactions follow a one-step mechanism through earlier asynchronous transition state structures in which the formation of the two new single bonds has not yet begun, and the energetically predicted regiochemistry towards the generation of 1,3,4-thiadiazole is in complete agreement with the experimental outcome.

Mechanism and Enantioselectivity in QUINOX-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylations of Aromatic Aldehydes: Solvent and Substituent Effects.

Computational investigations were conducted on the QUINOX-catalyzed asymmetric allylation of aromatic aldehydes with allyltrichlorosilanes. Our calculations provide evidence that the catalytic allylation can follow distinct mechanisms, depending on the solvent employed. In toluene and CH2Cl2, the QUINOX-catalyzed allylation predominantly follows an associative pathway, while in CH3CN, a dissociative pathway becomes more favorable. Noncovalent interactions, such as π-stacking effects for the associative mechanism and CH/π interactions for the dissociative mechanism, play a pivotal role in enantiostereodifferentiation in the asymmetric QUINOX-catalyzed reactions of benzaldehyde. Furthermore, the study unveils how different aldehyde substituents exert differing influences on the catalytic allylation reaction. Specifically, the QUINOX-catalyzed allylation of 4-(trifloromethyl)benzaldehyde displays a strong preference for the associative pathway, yielding excellent results in both yield and enantioselectivity. Conversely, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde tends to favor a dissociative mechanism with reduced yields and enantioselectivity. The mechanistic basis for these remarkable substituent effects on the catalytic allylation reaction was also elucidated. In summary, this research enhances our understanding of the QUINOX-catalyzed asymmetric allylation, shedding light on the role of solvents and substituents in the reaction mechanism and enantioselectivity.

Substituent effects on aromatic interactions in water.

Molecular recognition in water involves contributions due to polar functional group interactions, partial desolvation of polar and non-polar surfaces and changes in conformational flexibility, presenting a challenge for rational design and interpretation of supramolecular behaviour. Conformationally well-defined supramolecular complexes that can be studied in both water and non-polar solvents provide a platform for disentangling these contributions. Here 1 : 1 complexes formed between four different calix[4]pyrrole receptors and thirteen different pyridine N-oxide guests have been used to dissect the factors that govern substituent effects on aromatic interactions in water. H-bonding interactions between the receptor pyrrole donors and the guest N-oxide acceptor at one end of the complex lock the geometrical arrangement of a cluster of aromatic interactions at the other end of the complex, so that a phenyl group on the guest makes two edge-to-face and two stacking interactions with the four aromatic side-walls of the receptor. The thermodynamic contribution of these aromatic interactions to the overall stability of the complex was quantified by chemical double mutant cycles using isothermal titration calorimetry and 1H NMR competition experiments. Aromatic interactions between the receptor and a phenyl group on the guest stabilise the complex by a factor of 1000, and addition of substituents to the guest phenyl group further stabilises the complex by an additional factor of up to 1000. When a nitro substituent is present on the guest phenyl group, the complex has a sub-picomolar dissociation constant (370 fM). The remarkable substituent effects observed in water for these complexes can be rationalised by comparison with the magnitude of the corresponding substituent effects measured in chloroform. In chloroform, the double mutant cycle free energy measurements of the aromatic interactions correlate well with the substituent Hammett parameters. Electron-withdrawing substituents increase the strength of the interactions by a factor of up to 20, highlighting the role of electrostatics in stabilising both the edge-to-face and stacking interactions. The enhanced substituent effects observed in water are due to entropic contributions associated with the desolvation of hydrophobic surfaces on the substituents. The flexible alkyl chains that line the open end of the binding site assist the desolvation of the non-polar π-surfaces of polar substituents, like nitro, but at the same time allow water to interact with the polar H-bond acceptor sites on the substituent. This flexibility allows polar substituents to maximise non-polar interactions with the receptor and polar interactions with the solvent, leading to remarkably high binding affinities.

Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated 4H-Pyran and 4H-Thiopyran via Divergent Reaction of β-CF3-1,3-Enynes with β-Ketothioamides.

A chemodivergent tandem intermolecular hydrocarbonation and intramolecular oxy- or thioheterocyclization sequence of β-CF3-1,3-enyne with β-ketothioamides (KTAs) leading to ring-trifluoromethylated 4H-pyran or 4H-thiopyran, respectively, by the combined use of AgNO3 as a catalyst and Et3N as a base was developed. A remarkable substituent effect was observed. The substituent on either the keto moiety or the nitrogen atom of β-ketothioamides has a great impact on the chemoselectivity. Enynes possessing electron-withdrawing aryl groups on the alkyne moiety are generally good candidates for the present transformation.

Supramolecular Helical Assemblies of Dirhodium(II) Paddlewheels with 1,4-Diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane: A Remarkable Substituent Effect on the Helical Sense Preference and Amplification of the Helical Handedness Excess of Metallo-Supramolecular Helical Polymers.

We report unique coordination-driven supramolecular helical assemblies of a series of dirhodium(II) tetracarboxylate paddlewheels bearing chiral phenyl- or methyl-substituted amide-bound m-terphenyl residues with triethylene glycol monomethyl ether (TEG) or n-dodecyl tails through a 1:1 complexation with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO). The chiral dirhodium complexes with DABCO in CHCl3/n-hexane (1:1) form one-handed helical coordination polymers with a controlled propeller chirality at the m-terphenyl groups, which are stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen-bonding networks between the adjacent amide groups at the periphery mainly via a cooperative nucleation-elongation mechanism as supported by circular dichroism (CD), vibrational CD, and variable-temperature (VT) absorption and CD analyses. The VT visible-absorption titrations revealed the temperature-dependent changes in the degree of polymerization. The columnar supramolecular helical structures were elucidated by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The helix sense of the homopolymer carrying the bulky phenyl and n-dodecyl substituents is opposite those of other chiral homopolymers despite having the same absolute configuration at the pendants. A remarkably strong "sergeants and soldiers" (S&S) effect was observed in most of the chiral/achiral copolymers, while the copolymers of the bulky chiral phenyl-substituted dirhodium complexes with n-dodecyl chains displayed an "abnormal" S&S effect accompanied by an inversion of the helix sense, which could be switched to a "normal" S&S effect by changing the solvent composition. A nonracemic dirhodium complex of 20% enantiomeric excess bearing the less bulky chiral methyl substituents with n-dodecyl chains assembled with DABCO to form an almost one-handed helix (the "majority rule" (MR) effect), whereas the three other nonracemic copolymers showed a weak MR effect.

Unveiling the intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions ofC,N-disubstituted nitrones from the molecular electron density theory perspective

The zwitterionic type intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of nitrones show remarkable substituent effects and varying reactivities in the cases of cyclic and acyclic alkenes.

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Behaviors of Pseudorotaxane Formation with C3v Macrocyclic BODIPY Trimers and the Remarkable Substituent Effect on Ring-Face Selectivity.

The thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors of the pseudorotaxane formation between the C3v macrocyclic BODIPY trimers and unsymmetrical secondary ammonium guests are investigated. We find a remarkable substituent effect of the BODIPY trimer on the ring-face selectivity during the threading. The difference in the small substituents (H or CH3) in the macrocyclic host molecules significantly modulated the thermodynamic and kinetic selectivity of the threading direction of the unsymmetrical ammonium ions.

DFT studies of the substituent effects of dimethylamino on non-heme active oxidizing species: iron(V)-oxo species or iron(IV)-oxo acetate aminopyridine cation radical species?

Through the introduction of dimethylamino (Me2N) substituent at the pyridine ring of 2-((R)-2-[(R)-1-(pyridine-2-ylmethyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl]pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (PDP) ligand, the non-heme FeII(Me2NPDP)/H2O2/AcOH catalyst system was found to exhibit significant higher catalytic activity and enantioselectivity than the non-substituent one in the asymmetric epoxidation experiments. The mechanistic origin of the remarkable substituent effects in these oxidation reactions has not been well established. To ascertain the potent oxidant and the related reaction mechanism, a detailed DFT calculation was performed. Interestingly, a novel Fe(IV)-oxo Me2NPDP cation radical species, [(Me2NPDP)+·FeIV(O)(OAc)]2+ ( Me2N 5), with about one spin spreading over the non-heme Me2NPDP ligand was formed via a carboxylic-acid-assisted O-O bond heterolysis, which is reminiscent of Compound I (an Fe(IV)(O)(porphyrin cation radical) species) in cytochrome P450 chemistry. Me2N 5 is energetically comparable with the cyclic ferric peracetate species Me2N 6, while in the pristine Fe(PDP) catalyst system, H 6 is more stable than H 5. Comparison of the activation energy for the ethylene epoxidation promoted by Me2N 5 and Me2N 6, Me2N 5 is supposed as the true oxidant triggering the epoxidation of olefins. In addition, a systematic research on the substituent effects varied from the electron-donating substituent (dMM, the substituents at sites 3, 4, and 5 of the pyridine ring: methyl, methoxyl, and methyl) to the electron-withdrawing one (CF3, 2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) on the electronic structure of the reaction intermediates has also been investigated. An alternative cyclic ferric peracetate complex is obtained, indicating that the substituents at the pyridine ring of PDP ligands have significant impacts on the electronic structure of the oxidants.

Paramagnetic nitroxide radical liquid crystalline compounds with methyl di(ethylene glycol) chain

ABSTRACTWe have synthesized a racemic and enantiomerically enriched all-organic paramagnetic nitroxide radical (NR) liquid crystalline (LC) compound, which contains a chiral NR unit in the mesogen core and a methyl di(ethylene glycol) chain as one of their terminal units. These new compounds showed remarkable substituent effects of the methyl di(ethylene glycol) chain on the phase transition behaviors and hydrophilic properties in contrast to structural analogs of the previous reported NR-LC compounds containing alkoxy chains.

Terminal Fluorinated Nitroxide Radical Liquid Crystalline Compounds

We have synthesized a new series of all-organic paramagnetic liquid crystalline (LC) compounds, which include a five-membered ring nitroxide radical (NR) moiety in the mesogen core and fluorine atoms as terminal substituents. These new compounds are the structural analogs of the previously reported NR-LC compounds, and showed remarkable fluorine substituent effects. The introducing fluorine atom into terminal unit stabilizes nematic phase. However, an excess of fluorination leads to the destabilization of nematic phase.

Substrate dependent ligand acceleration in enantioselective hydrogenation of (E)-2,3-diarylpropenoic acid on cinchonidine-modified Pd/C

The hydrogenation of substituted 2,3-diarylpropenoic acids over cinchonidine-modified Pd/C showed obvious ligand acceleration effects with the substrates yielding over 90% enantiomeric excess (ee). 2,3-Di(methoxyphenyl)propenoic acid exhibited profound ligand acceleration, and its hydrogenation rate relative to the rate on unmodified Pd/C was 370%, yielding 91%ee. 3-(p-Fluorophenyl)-2-(o-methoxyphenyl)propenoic acid showed 92%ee with an activity increase of 230%. It is considered that the difference is caused by the ortho-methoxy substituent on the α-phenyl ring. The substituent effect of the ortho-substituent on the α-phenyl ring demands the presence of an electron-donor substituent on the β-phenyl ring. A remarkable substituent effect was observed with 3-(p-methoxyphenyl)-2-(o-methoxyphenyl)propenoic acid, which attained up to 93%ee. The factors affecting enantioselectivity results are analyzed for each substituent.

New type of azacyclization: thermal preparation of 4,6-disubstituted 2-piperidinone from N-sulfonyldienamide and its substituent effect

The thermal 6-endo cyclization of N-sulfonyl-2,4-dienamide compounds to produce 4,6-disubstituted 2-piperidinone is described. The observed remarkable substituent effect due to the N-sulfonyl and C3 ethoxycarbonyl groups for acceleration of this 6-endo cyclization strongly suggests that the reaction would proceed via the 6π-azaelectrocyclization of the intermediary imidic acid. On the contrary, the corresponding 5-formyl and 5-acetyl derivatives rapidly cyclized at room temperature to produce the 5-exo cyclized products.

ChemInform Abstract: Direct Synthesis of 6‐Azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct‐6‐en‐2‐ones and Pyrrolizidines from Divinyl Ketones and Observation of Remarkable Substituent Effects.

AbstractDBU‐catalyzed treatment of divinyl ketones with isocyanoacetate at 0 or 25 °C allows a new, mild, easy, and stereoselective access to azabicyclooctenones.

1,5]-H Shift of Aldehyde Hydrogen in Dienal Compounds to Produce Ketenes

In 3-ethoxycarbonyl-2,4-dienal compounds, a thermal [1,5]-H shift of aldehyde hydrogen easily proceeded to produce the corresponding vinyl ketenes due to the remarkable substituent effect caused by the C3 ester group. The produced ketenes were captured by an alcohol and olefins to afford the corresponding esters and four-membered ring compounds, respectively.

Direct Synthesis of 6‐Azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct‐6‐en‐2‐ones and Pyrrolizidines from Divinyl Ketones and Observation of Remarkable Substituent Effects

AbstractSubstituents create access to molecular diversity. Under basic conditions, 6‐azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct‐6‐en‐2‐ones 3 and pyrrolizidines 4 are efficiently synthesized, respectively, in a single step from ethyl isocyanoacetate 2 and divinyl ketones 1 bearing an aryl or alkyl group at the 2‐position. For comparison, only the corresponding pyrrolizidines 4′ can be obtained from divinyl ketones 1′ bearing a methoxycarbonyl group at the 2‐position.

Enantioselective Synthesis of the Lomaiviticin Aglycon Full Carbon Skeleton Reveals Remarkable Remote Substituent Effects during the Dimerization Event

A full carbon skeleton of the natural product lomaiviticin has been synthesized. The approach features anionic annulation reactions to deliver A and B rings of the natural product, and stereoselective oxidative enolate coupling to form the central C2C2′ σ bond. In the course of the investigation, a remarkable substituent effect at C11 position was observed.

ChemInform Abstract: A Remarkable Substituent Effect on the Enantioselectivity of Tandem Asymmetric Epoxidation and Enantiospecific Ring Expansion of Cyclopropylidene Alcohols: A New Enantiocontrolled Synthesis of (-)- Debromoaplysin and (-)-Aplysin.

A remarkable substituent effect by the tert-butyldimethylsiloxy group on the enantioselectivity of the tandem asymmetric epoxidation and enantiospecific ring expansion of 2-[2-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)-4-methylphenyl]-2-cyclopropylideneethanol (18), affording (S)-(-)-2-[2-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)-4-methylphenyl]-2-hydroxymethylcyclobutanone (21) in high yield and high enantiomeric excess, was observed. This enabled us to accomplish a concise and highly enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-debromoaplysin (2) and (-)-aplysin (1), providing a new and general strategy for the enantioselective synthesis of biologically important substances having the dihydrobenzofuran framework

Remarkable Substituent Effects on the Activation Energy of Silylene Insertion into Silicon–Chlorine Bonds

Insertion reactions of dimethylsilylene (Me(2)Si:) into the silicon-chlorine bond of various substituted chlorosilanes have been computationally studied by using DFT calculations with a 6-31++G(d,p) basis set. All of the insertions investigated herein were exothermic (more than 40 kcal mol(-1)) and proceeded via three-membered cyclic transition states (TS) with one substituent of a chlorosilane in the ring plane and two other substituents out of the plane. Among the two possible concerted insertion pathways, the pathway via a TS with a silylene lone-pair orbital approaching a chlorosilane silicon atom was preferred. Important nucleophilic interactions of silylene lone-pair orbitals with anti-bonding sigma orbitals of Si-Y (in plane) were supported by carrying out a natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of the reaction. A radical pathway through the initial abstraction of chlorine from chlorosilane by the silylene cannot compete with the preferred concerted pathway. Systematic calculations for SiMe(2) insertion into various chlorosilanes (YR(2)SiCl; Y (in-plane substituent) = H, Me, NH(2), OH, F, SiH(3), PH(2), SH and Cl; R (out-of-plane substituent) = H, Me, iPr and tBu) have revealed remarkable substituent effects on activation free energies (DeltaG(double dagger)). In-plane (Y) substituent effects were mostly electronic. Electron-withdrawing substituents accelerate the insertion through enhanced nucleophilic interaction between silylene lone-pair orbitals with the sigma*(Si-Y) orbital at the TS. The DeltaG(double dagger) values correlate with the sigma(I) constants as a scale of the inductive effect of Y. Out-of-plane (R) substituent effects are mainly steric, and bulky substituents increase the activation free energy . Correlation of the DeltaG(double dagger) values with Taft's steric substituent constants (E(s)) was observed. There was no significant difference in the out-of-plane substituent effects between the electron-withdrawing Cl and the electron-donating Me groups.

Copper β-Octakis(trifluoromethyl)corroles: New Paradigms for Ligand Substituent Effects in Transition Metal Complexes

The reaction of copper beta-octabromo- meso-triarylcorrole derivatives with methyl 2,2-difluoro-2-(fluorosulfonyl)acetate has provided four beta-octakis(trifluoromethyl)corrole complexes, Cu[(CF 3) 8T( p-XP)C] (X = F, H, Me, OMe), in moderate yields. The new complexes present a conglomeration of remarkable substituent effects, both steric and electronic. DFT (OLYP/TZP) geometry optimization of Cu[(CF 3) 8TPC] (i.e., X = H) indicates a sterically hindered, strongly saddled geometry, with numerous short F...F nonbonded contacts of 2.5-2.9 A and certain beta carbons displaced by over 1.5 A relative to the mean corrole plane. The CF 3 groups generally appear as quartets in the (19)F NMR spectra, with unexpectedly large (5) J FF coupling constants of about 14 Hz, apparently a manifestation of the highly crowded structure. The eight CF 3 groups together exert a powerful influence on the redox potentials of the copper corrole core. Thus, the E 1/2ox of Cu[(CF 3) 8TPC] (1.4 V vs saturated calomel electrode) is a full half of a volt above that of Cu(TPC) (0.9 V) and a quarter of a volt above that of Cu(Br 8TPC) (1.14 V). Intriguingly, the beta CF 3 groups also greatly intensify the influence of the meso aryl substituents on the redox potentials, relative to the other Cu[Y 8T( p-XP)C] series, where Y = H, F, and Br. The Cu[(CF 3) 8T( p-XP)C] complexes also exhibit the most red-shifted optical spectra of any series of metallocorroles synthesized to date. Thus, between Cu(TPC) and Cu[(CF 3) 8T( p-MeO-P)C], the Soret maximum shifts by nearly 100 nm. The observed red-shifts are attributed in part to charge-transfer transitions of the Soret region and in part to the extreme nonplanar distortions.

Practical by Ligand Design: A New Class of Monodentate Phosphoramidite Ligands for Rhodium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenations

AbstractA new class of low‐cost and easy‐to‐prepare monodentate phosphoramidite ligands (CydamPhos) has been developed from readily accessible and cheap trans‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexane as starting material through a three‐step transformation. This type of ligands exhibited excellent enantioseletivities and high activities in rhodium(I)‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenations of dehydro‐α‐amino acid methyl esters 9 (ee: 96.2–99.8 %) and acetylenamides 11 (91.8–98.8 %). The remarkable substituent effects exhibited by the ligands on the enantioselective control of the catalysis are rationalized on the basis of molecular structure of the catalyst precursor.