Heterolytic activation of dihydrogen molecule by hydroxo-/sulfido-bridged ruthenium-germanium dinuclear complex. Theoretical insights.

Heterolytic activation of dihydrogen molecule (H2) by hydroxo-/sulfido-bridged ruthenium-germanium dinuclear complex [Dmp(Dep)Ge(µ-S)(µ-OH)Ru(PPh3)](+) (1) (Dmp = 2,6-dimesitylphenyl, Dep = 2,6-diethylphenyl) is theoretically investigated with the ONIOM(DFT:MM) method. H2 approaches 1 to afford an intermediate [Dmp(Dep)(HO)Ge(µ-S)Ru(PPh3)](+)-(H2) (2). In 2, the Ru-OH coordinate bond is broken but H2 does not yet coordinate with the Ru center. Then, the H2 further approaches the Ru center through a transition state TS2-3 to afford a dihydrogen σ-complex [Dmp(Dep)(HO)Ge(µ-S)Ru(η(2)-H2)(PPh3)](+) (3). Starting from 3, the H-H σ-bond is cleaved by the Ru and Ge-OH moieties to form [Dmp(Dep)(H2O)Ge(µ-S)Ru(H)(PPh3)](+) (4). In 4, hydride and H2O coordinate with the Ru and Ge centers, respectively. Electron population changes clearly indicate that this H-H σ-bond cleavage occurs in a heterolytic manner like H2 activation by hydrogenase. Finally, the H2O dissociates from the Ge center to afford [Dmp(Dep)Ge(µ-S)Ru(H)(PPh3)](+) (PRD). This step is rate-determining. The activation energy of the backward reaction is moderately smaller than that of the forward reaction, which is consistent with the experimental result that PRD reacts with H2O to form 1 and H2. In the Si analogue [Dmp(Dep)Si(µ-S)(µ-OH)Ru(PPh3)](+) (1Si), the isomerization of 1Si to 2Si easily occurs with a small activation energy, while the dissociation of H2O from the Si center needs a considerably large activation energy. Based on these computational findings, it is emphasized that the reaction of 1 resembles well that of hydrogenase and the use of Ge in 1 is crucial for this heterolytic H-H σ-bond activation.

{2 + 2} Cycloaddition of alkyne with titanium-imido complex: theoretical study of determining factor of reactivity and regioselectivity.

The {2 + 2} cycloaddition of alkyne across the Ti=N bond of [(H(3)SiO)(2)Ti(=NSiH(3))] 1 was theoretically investigated. Though this cycloaddition is symmetry forbidden in a formal sense by the Woodward-Hoffmann rule, the cycloaddition of 2-butyne (MeC[triple bond]CMe) easily occurs with moderate activation barrier (7.6 kcal/mol) and considerably large exothermicity (41.0 kcal/mol), where the CCSD(T)-calculated energies are presented hereafter. The moderate activation barrier is interpreted in terms of the considerably polarized Ti=N bond; Because the d(pi)-p(pi) bonding orbital largely consists of the p(pi) orbital of the N and moderately of the d(pi) orbital of the Ti, the pi* orbital of 2-butyne interacts with the d(pi)-p(pi) bonding orbital so as to form a bonding overlap with the p(pi) orbital of the N, into which the pi orbital of 2-butyne mixes in an antibonding way with the p(pi) orbital of N. As a result, the C[triple bond]C bond of 2-butyne is polarized in the transition state and the symmetry forbidden character becomes very weak, which is the reason of the moderate activation barrier. The {2 + 2} cycloaddition of 1-methoxy-1-propyne (MeC(alpha)[triple bond]C(beta)OMe) occurs with smaller activation barrier (3.2 kcal/mol) than that of 2-butyne, when the C(alpha) and C(beta) approach the Ti and N, respectively. The higher reactivity of this alkyne is interpreted in terms of its polarized C[triple bond]C bond. In the reverse regioselective {2 + 2} cycloaddition in which the C(alpha) and C(beta) approach the N and Ti, respectively, the activation barrier becomes larger. From these results, it is concluded that the regioselective {2 + 2} cycloaddition can be performed by introducing such pi-electron donating group as methoxy on one C atom of alkyne. The major product contains the Ti-C(alpha) and N-C(beta) bonds, where the methoxy group is introduced on the C(beta). The ratio of the major to minor products is theoretically estimated to be very large.

New palladium(II) complex of P,S-containing hybrid calixphyrin. Theoretical study of electronic structure and reactivity for oxidative addition.

The palladium complex of P,S-containing hybrid calixphyrin 1 was investigated with the DFT method. There are two kinds of valence tautomer in 1: one is a Pd(II) form in which the calixphyrin moiety possesses -2 charges and the Pd center takes +2 oxidation state, and the other is a Pd(0) form in which the calixphyrin is neutral and the Pd center takes zero oxidation state. Complex 1 takes the Pd(II) form in the ground state. Though the Pd center takes +2 oxidation state, DFT computations clearly show that the oxidative addition of phenyl bromide (PhBr) to 1 occurs with moderate activation enthalpy, as experimentally proposed. The first step of the oxidative addition is the coordination of PhBr with the Pd center to form intermediate 1INTa, in which the Pd center and the calixphyrin moiety are neutral; in other words, the valence tautomerization from the Pd(II) form to the Pd(0) form occurs in the palladium calixphyrin moiety. The activation enthalpy is 22.5 kcal/mol, and the enthalpy change of reaction is 20.3 kcal/mol. The next step is the C-Br sigma-bond cleavage of PhBr, which occurs with activation enthalpy of 2.0 kcal/mol relative to 1INTa. On the other hand, the oxidative additions of PhBr to palladium complex of P,S-containing hybrid porphyrin 2 and that of conventional porphyrin 3 need much larger activation enthalpies of 49.1 and 74.4 kcal/mol, respectively. The differences in the reactivity among 1, 2, and 3 were theoretically investigated; in 1, the valence tautomerization occurs with moderate activation enthalpy to afford the Pd(0) form which is reactive for the oxidative addition. In 2, the tautomerization from the Pd(II) form to the Pd(0) form needs very large activation enthalpy (43.3 kcal/mol). In 3, such valence tautomerization does not occur at all, indicating that the Pd(II) must change to the Pd(IV) in the oxidative addition of PhBr to 3, which is a very difficult process. These differences are interpreted in terms of the pi* orbital energies of P,S-containing hybrid calixphyrin, hybrid porphyrin, and conventional porphyrin and the flexibility of their frameworks.

Mechanism of helix induction in poly(4-carboxyphenyl isocyanide) with chiral amines and memory of the macromolecular helicity and its helical structures.

An optically inactive poly(4-carboxyphenyl isocyanide) (poly-1-H) changed its structure into the prevailing, one-handed helical structure upon complexation with optically active amines in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and water, and the complexes show a characteristic induced circular dichroism in the polymer backbone region. Moreover, the macromolecular helicity induced in water and aqueous organic solutions containing more than 50 vol % water could be "memorized" even after complete removal of the chiral amines (h-poly-1b-H), while that induced in DMSO and DMSO-water mixtures containing less than 30 vol % water could not maintain the optical activity after removal of the chiral amines (poly-1a-H). We now report fully detailed studies of the helix induction mechanism with chiral amines and the memory of the macromolecular helicity in water and a DMSO-water mixture by various spectroscopic measurements, theoretical calculations, and persistence length measurements together with X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. From the spectroscopic results, such as circular dichroism (CD), absorption, IR, vibrational CD, and NMR of poly-1a-H, h-poly-1b-H, and original poly-1-H, we concluded that the specific configurational isomerization around the C horizontal lineN double bonds occurs during the helicity induction process in each solvent. In order to obtain the structural information, XRD measurements were done on the uniaxially oriented films of the corresponding methyl esters (poly-1-Me, poly-1a-Me, and h-poly-1b-Me) prepared from their liquid crystalline polymer solutions. On the basis of the XRD analyses, the most plausible helical structure of poly-1a-Me was proposed to be a 9-unit/5-turn helix with two monomer units as a repeating unit, and that of h-poly-1b-Me was proposed to be a 10-unit/3-turn helix consisting of one repeating monomer unit. The density functional theory calculations of poly(phenyl isocyanide), a model polymer of h-poly-1b-Me, afforded a 7-unit/2-turn helix as the most possible helical structure, which is in good agreement with the XRD results. Furthermore, the persistence length measurements revealed that these structural changes accompany a significant change in the main-chain stiffness. The mechanism of helix induction in poly-1-H and the memory of the macromolecular helicity are discussed on the basis of these results.

Synthesis of thiophene-containing hybrid calixphyrins of the 5,10-porphodimethene type.

The synthesis, structure, and optical and electrochemical properties of thiophene-containing hybrid calixphyrins are reported. The 5,10-porphodimethene type 14pi- and 16pi-S,N2,X-hybrid calixphyrins (X = NH, O, S) were prepared by acid-promoted dehydrative condensation between a thiatripyrrane and the corresponding 2,5-bis[hydroxy(phenyl)methyl]heteroles followed by DDQ oxidation. Both crystallographic and spectroscopic analyses of the newly prepared hybrid calixphyrins have revealed that the combination of heteroles explicitly influences the electronic structures of the pi-conjugated framework. The 14pi-S,N2,X-hybrid calixphyrins have proven to be fluorescent in solution.

Syntheses, structures, and coordination chemistry of phosphole-containing hybrid calixphyrins: promising macrocyclic P,N2,X-mixed donor ligands for designing reactive transition-metal complexes.

The syntheses, structures, and coordination chemistry of phosphole-containing hybrid calixphyrins (P,N2,X-hybrid calixphyrins) and the catalytic activities of their transition-metal complexes are reported. The 5,10-porphodimethene type 14pi-P,(NH)2,X- and 16pi-P,N2,X-hybrid calixphyrins (X = O, S, NH) are prepared via acid-promoted dehydrative condensation between a sigma4-phosphatripyrrane and the corresponding 2,5-bis[hydroxy(phenyl)methyl]heteroles followed by DDQ oxidation. Both spectroscopic and crystallographic data of the hybrid calixphyrins have revealed that the conformation and size of the macrocyclic platforms as well as the oxidation state of the -conjugated pyrrole-heterole-pyrrole (N-X-N) units vary considerably depending on the combination of heteroles. The sigma3-P,(NH)2,S- and sigma3-P,N2,S-hybrids react with Pd(OAc)2 and Pd(dba)2, respectively, to afford the same Pd(II)-P,N2,S-hybrid complex, in which the calixphyrin platform is regarded as a dianionic ligand. In the complexation with [RhCl(CO)2]2 in dichloromethane, the sigma3-P,N2,S-hybrid behaves as a neutral ligand to afford an ionic Rh(I)-P,N2,S-hybrid complex, whereas the sigma3-P,N2,NH-hybrid behaves as an anionic ligand to produce Rh(III)-P,N3-hybrid complexes. In the latter reaction, it is likely that a neutral Rh(I)-P,N3-hybrid complex, generated as a highly nucleophilic intermediate, undergoes C-Cl bond activation of the solvent. The complexation of AuCl(SMe2) with the sigma3-P,N2,X-hybrids (X = S, NH) leads to the formation of the corresponding Au(I)-monophosphine complexes. The spectral data and crystal structures of these metal complexes exhibit the hemilabile nature of the phosphole-containing hybrid calixphyrin platforms derived from the flexible phosphole unit and the redox active N-X-N units. The hybrid calixphyrin-palladium and -rhodium complexes catalyze the Heck reaction and hydrosilylations, respectively, implying that the metal center in the core is capable of activating the substrates under appropriate reaction conditions. The present results demonstrate the potential utility of the phosphole-containing hybrid calixphyrins as a new class of macrocyclic P,N2,X-mixed donor ligands for designing highly reactive transition-metal complexes.

Oxidation reaction by xanthine oxidase: theoretical study of reaction mechanism.

The oxidation process by molybdenum-containing enzyme, xanthine oxidase, is theoretically studied with a model complex representing the reaction center and a typical benchmark substrate, formamide. Comparisons were systematically made among reaction mechanisms proposed previously. In the concerted and stepwise mechanisms that were theoretically discussed previously, the oxidation reaction takes place with a moderate activation barrier. However, the product is less stable than the reactant complex, which indicates that these mechanisms are unlikely. Moreover, the product of the concerted mechanism is not consistent with the isotope experimental result. In addition to those mechanisms, another mechanism initiated by the deprotonation of the active site was newly investigated here. In the transition state of this reaction, the carbon atom of formamide interacts with the oxo ligand of the Mo center and the hydrogen atom is moving from the carbon atom to the thioxo ligand. This reaction takes place with a moderate activation barrier and considerably large exothermicity. Furthermore, the product by this mechanism is consistent with the isotope experimental result. Also, our computations clearly show that the deprotonation of the active site occurs with considerable exothermicity in the presence of glutamic acid and substrate. The intermediate of the stepwise mechanism could not be optimized in the case of the deprotonated active site. From all these results, it should be concluded that the one-step mechanism with the deprotonated active site is the most plausible.

Theoretical study of C-H and N-H sigma-bond activation reactions by titinium(IV)-imido complex. Good understanding based on orbital interaction and theoretical proposal for N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia.

The C-H sigma-bond activation of methane and the N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia by (Me3SiO)2Ti(=NSiMe3) 1 were theoretically investigated with DFT, MP2 to MP4(SDQ), and CCSD(T) methods. The C-H sigma-bond activation of methane takes place with an activation barrier (Ea) of 14.6 (21.5) kcal/mol and a reaction energy (DeltaE) of -22.7 (-16.5) kcal/mol to afford (Me3SiO)2Ti(Me)[NH(SiMe3)], where DFT- and MP4(SDQ)-calculated values are given without and in parentheses, respectively, hereafter. The electron population of the CH3 group increases, but the H atomic population decreases upon going to the transition state from the precursor complex, which indicates that the C-H sigma-bond activation occurs in heterolytic manner unlike the oxidative addition. The Ti atomic population considerably increases upon going to the transition state from the precursor complex, which indicates that the charge transfer (CT) occurs from methane to Ti. These population changes are induced by the orbital interactions among the d(pi)-p(pi) bonding orbital of the Ti=NSiMe3 moiety, the Ti d(z2) orbital and the C-H sigma-bonding and sigma*-antibonding orbitals of methane. The reverse regioselective C-H sigma-bond activation which leads to formation of (Me3SiO)2Ti(H)[NMe(SiMe3)] takes place with a larger Ea value and smaller exothermicity. The reasons are discussed in terms of Ti-H, Ti-CH3, Ti-NH3, N-H, and N-CH3 bond energies and orbital interactions in the transition state. The N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia takes place in a heterolytic manner with a larger Ea value of 19.0 (27.9) kcal/mol and considerably larger exothermicity of -45.0 (-39.4) kcal/mol than those of the C-H sigma-bond activation. The N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia by a Ti-alkylidyne complex, [(PNP)Ti(CSiMe3)] 3 (PNP = N-[2-(PH2)2-phenyl]2-]) ,was also investigated. This reaction takes place with a smaller E(a) value of 7.5 (15.3) kcal/mol and larger exothermicity of -60.2 (-56.1) kcal/mol. These results lead us to predict that the N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia can be achieved by these complexes.

Phosphorus-containing hybrid calixphyrins: promising mixed-donor ligands for visible and efficient palladium catalysts.

Phosphorus-sulfur-containing hybrid calixphyrins were prepared by the BF3-promoted dehydrative condensation between sigma4-2,5-bis[(pyrrol-2-yl)methyl]phosphole and 2,5-bis[hydroxy(phenyl)methyl]thiophene. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the Pd-P,N2,S-hybrid calixphyrin complex revealed that the Pd center was coordinated by the four heteroatoms to adopt a distorted square planar geometry. The Pd complex, displaying a characteristic reddish purple color in solution, catalyzed the Heck reaction of bromoarenes with n-butyl acrylate with high efficiency at elevated temperatures.