A pseudopericyclic [3,5]-sigmatropic rearrangement of a coumarin trichloroacetimidate derivative.

Thermolysis of a coumarin trichloroacetimidate yields a single rearrangement product. The proposed mechanism is a pseudopericyclic allowed (Woodward-Hoffman forbidden) [3,5]-sigmatropic rearrangement to form the corresponding amide followed by a sigmatropic [1,5]-hydrogen migration. Transition state calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level support this mechanism and suggest the selectivity is influenced by the stability of the intermediates.

A Computational Study on the Addition of HONO to Alkynes toward the Synthesis of Isoxazoles; a Bifurcation, Pseudopericyclic Pathways and a Barrierless Reaction on the Potential Energy Surface.

Homopropargyl alcohols react with t-BuONO to form acyloximes which can be oxidatively cyclized to yield ioxazoles. The mechanism for the initial reaction of HONO with alkynes to form acyloximes (e.g., 13c) has been explored at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) + ZPVE level of theory. The observed chemoselectivity and regioselectivity are explained via an acid-catalyzed mechanism. Furthermore, the potential energy surface revealed numerous surprising features. The addition of HONO (8) to protonated 1-phenylpropyne (18) is calculated to follow a reaction pathway involving sequential transition states (TS6 and TS8), for which reaction dynamics likely play a role. This reaction pathway can bypass the expected addition product 21 as well as transition state TS8, directly forming the rearranged product 23. Nevertheless, TS8 is key to understanding the potential energy surface; there is a low barrier for the pseudopericylic [1,3]-NO shift, calculated to be only 8.4 kcal/mol above 21. This places TS8 well below TS6, making the valley-ridge inflection point (VRI or bifurcation) and direct formation of 23 possible. The final tautomerization step to the acyloxime can be considered to be a [1,5]-proton shift. However, the rearrangement in the case of 17h to 13c is calculated to be barrierless, arguably because the pathway is pseudopericyclic and exothermic.

Competitive Pseudopericyclic [3,3]- and [3,5]-Sigmatropic Rearrangements of Trichloroacetimidates.

The Woodward-Hoffmann rules predict whether concerted pericyclic reactions are allowed or forbidden based on the number of electrons involved and whether the cyclic orbital overlap involves suprafacial or antarafacial orbital overlap. Pseudopericyclic reactions constitute a third class of reactions in which orthogonal orbitals make them orbital symmetry allowed, regardless of the number of electrons involved in the reaction. Based on the recent report of eight-centered ester rearrangements, it is predicted that the isoelectronic eight-centered rearrangements of imidates would also be allowed. We now report that these rearrangements occur, and indeed, an eight-centered rearrangement is slightly favored in at least one case over the well-known six-centered Overman rearrangements, in a trichloroacetimidoylcyclohexadienone, a molecular system where both rearrangements are possible.

Experimental and computational studies on the [3,3]- and [3,5]-sigmatropic rearrangements of acetoxycyclohexadienones: a non-ionic mechanism for acyl migration.

Flash vacuum pyrolysis studies of substituted 6-acetoxy-2,4-cyclohexadienones (3 and 10) from 300 to 500 °C provide strong experimental evidence that direct [3,5]-sigmatropic rearrangements in these molecules are favored over the more familiar [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements. The preference holds when the results are extrapolated to 0.0% conversion, indicating that this is a concerted process. Pyrolysis of 6,6-diacetoxy-2-methyl-2,4-cyclohexadienone (9) at 350 °C gives a modest yield of the initial [3,5]-sigmatropic rearrangement product, 2,6-diacetoxy-6-methyl-2,4-cyclohexadienone (11). Qualitative arguments and electronic structure theory calculations are in agreement that the lowest energy pathway for each [3,5]-sigmatropic rearrangement is via an allowed, concerted pseudopericyclic transition state. The crystal structures of compounds 3, 9, and 10 prefigure these transition states. The selectivity for the [3,5] products increases with an increasing temperature. This unexpected selectivity is explained by a concerted, intramolecular, and pseudopericyclic transition state (TS-5) that forms a tetrahedral interemediate (ortho-acid ester 4'), followed by similar ring openings to isomeric phenols, which shifts the equilibrium toward the phenols from the [3,5] (but not the [3,3]) products.

Potential energy surface for (retro-)cyclopropanation: metathesis with a cationic gold complex.

The gas-phase cyclopropanation and apparent metathesis reactivity of ligand-supported gold arylidenes with electron-rich olefins is explained by quantum-chemical calculations. A deep potential minimum corresponding to a metal-bound cyclopropane adduct is in agreement with the measured absolute energies of the cyclopropanation and metathesis channels and is also consistent with previously reported electronic effects of arylidenes and supporting phosphorus ylid ligands on the product ratios. In the gas phase, the rate-determining step for the cyclopropanation is dissociation of the Lewis-acidic metal fragment, whereas the metathesis pathway features several rate-limiting transition states that are close in energy to the final product dissociation and hence contribute to the overall reaction rate. Importantly, the presented potential energy surface also accounts for the recently reported gold-catalyzed solution-phase retro-cyclopropanation reactivity.

Multiphoton infrared initiated thermal reactions of esters: pseudopericyclic eight-centered cis-elimination.

Multiphoton infrared absorption from a focused, pulsed CO(2) laser was used to initiate gas-phase thermal reactions of cis- and trans-3-penten-2-yl acetate. By varying the helium buffer gas pressure, it was possible to deduce the product distribution from the initial unimolecular reactions, separate from secondary reactions in a thermal cascade. Thus, trans-3-penten-2-yl acetate gives 54 +/- 5% of beta-elimination to give trans-1,3-pentadiene, 40 +/- 3% of [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to give cis-3-penten-2-yl acetate and 6 +/- 4% of cis-1,3-pentadiene. Similar irradiation of cis-3-penten-2-yl acetate gives 45 +/- 1% of beta-elimination to give cis-1,3-pentadiene, 32 +/- 2% of [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to give trans-3-penten-2-yl acetate and 23 +/- 2% of trans-1,3-pentadiene. The latter process is an eight-centered delta-elimination, which is argued to be a pseudopericyclic reaction. Although beta-eliminations have been suggested to be pericyclic, B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), MP2 and MP4 calculations suggest that both beta- and delta-eliminations, as well as [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements of esters are primarily pseudopericyclic in character, as judged by both geometrical, energetic and transition state aromaticity (NICS) criteria. Small distortions from the ideal pseudopericyclic geometries are argued to reflect small pericyclic contributions. It is further argued that when both pericyclic and pseudopericyclic orbital topologies are allowed and geometrically feasible, the calculated transition state may be the result of proportional mixing of the two states; this offers an explanation of the range of pseudopericyclic and pericyclic characters found in related reactions.

A computational study of the formation and dimerization of benzothiet-2-one.

A computational B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) study of the formation of benzothiet-2-one (4) from benzothiophenedione (2) and its subsequent dimerization to 5 was performed. The proposed intermediate ketene 3 has no gas-phase barrier to ring closure to 4. Three transition structures for dimerization were located. The geometry of the lowest energy one (TS8a) has a geometry corresponding to a two atom + two atom, face-to-face addition of the two thiolactone moieties. The orbital interactions suggest that the reaction is pseudopericyclic.

Photochemical dehydration of acetamide in a cryogenic matrix.

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation of acetamide has been monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in argon matrix at 10 K. Several primary photoproducts, including HNCO ratio CH(4) and CO ratio CH(3)NH(2) molecular complexes, and acetimidic acid, which is reported for the first time, were characterized. The acetimidic acid identification was based on comparison between the experimental and theoretical (B3LYP) infrared spectra. Acetimidic acid is found in argon matrix in the (s-Z)-(E) and (s-Z)-(Z) configurations. It is also an intermediate in the VUV decomposition process, its dehydration leads to the formation of CH(3)CN ratio H(2)O molecular complex. The assignment of the complex was achieved by co-depositing the pairs of respective species and by ab initio calculation.

Stopped-flow kinetics of tetrazine cycloadditions; experimental and computational studies toward sequential transition states.

The Diels-Alder cycloadditions of tetrazines (1) with alkynes (2) are expected to give bicyclic adducts (3). Kinetic measurements of the cycloadditions of 1a and 1b with 2a give DeltaG(++) = 19.2 +/- 1.0 and 11.5 +/- 1.2 kcal/mol, respectively. Stopped-flow UV studies on the reaction of 1b with 2a show an isosbestic point at 428 nm; this places an upper limit of 11.6 +/- 2.6 kcal/mol on DeltaG(++) for loss of N(2) from the putative bicyclic intermediate 3b. Calculations (B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) + ZPVE) of transition structures for the reaction of tetrazinediacid 1d with propynylamine 2c are consistent with the experimental results for the reaction of 1b with 2a. This and several related model systems reveal two interesting features of the calculated energy surfaces. First, there may be no barrier for the loss of nitrogen from structures 3 and thus there may be two sequential transition states. This also extends Berson's correlation of activation energy with reaction energy in pericyclic reactions to significantly lower barriers. Second, for the cycloaddition of 4e and 2c, there is neither an intermediate nor a transition state between TS3e and the final product 6e. It appears that the energy surface "turns a corner" in the vicinity of a structure resembling 5e. This is not a mathematically well-defined point but has chemical consequences in that the overall exothermicity of the reaction from 4e to 6e is not felt in TS3e.

A theoretical study of the [4 + 4] dimerization of thioformylketene.

[reaction and structure: see text] A theoretical study (B3LYP and G3MP2B3) of the dimerization of thioformylketene (1) was performed. Four pathways-two [4 + 2] pathways with thioformylketene (1), one [4 + 4] pathway with 1, and one [4 + 2] pathway involving 1 and thietone (11)-were considered. Interestingly, the [4 + 4] pathway with 1 had the lowest barrier (3.8 kcal/mol). The geometry of the transition state TS14 is unusual, with the forming bonds in the plane of the ketene. This suggests that the reaction is pseudopericyclic.

Experimental support for planar pseudopericyclic transition states in thermal cheletropic decarbonylations.

Low-temperature crystal structures of three pyrrolediones (3-5) and a furandione (9) were obtained and compared to structurally related compounds that cannot undergo decarbonylation. Systematic trends in bond lengths and angles are consistent with distortions along the reaction coordinate, in accord with the structure correlation principle of Dunitz. Since the pyrroledione and furandione rings in 3-5 and 9 are planar, these ground-state geometries prefigure the calculated planar, pseudopericyclic transition states.

alpha,5-didehydro-3-picoline diradicals from skipped azaenediynes: computational and trapping studies of an aza-Myers-Saito cyclization.

[reaction: see text] On the basis of density functional calculations, the isomerization of skipped azaenediynes (C-alkynyl-N-propargylimines) to azaenyne allenes and subsequent rapid aza-Myers-Saito cyclization to alpha,5-didehydro-3-picoline were predicted. We prepared the N-propargylimine of 1-phenyl-3-tri(isopropyl)silylprop-2-yn-1-one, which undergoes proto-desilylation and isomerization to an azaenyne allene when treated with tetrabutylammonium fluoride. In the presence of 1,4-cyclohexadiene, this azaenyne allene affords 6-phenyl-3-picoline and other products corresponding to the trapping of an alpha,5-didehydro-3-picoline diradical.

Nitrosation of amides involves a pseudopericyclic 1,3-sigmatropic rearrangement.

Two possible pathways for the nitrosation of formamide and N-methyl formamide by nitrosonium ion (NO(+)) have been investigated at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The key steps are pseudopericyclic 1,3-sigmatropic rearrangements to give the observed N-nitrosamides. The transition structures (8a and 8b) are close to planar on the amide moiety and have remarkably low barriers of only 6.6 and 4.8 kcal/mol from the lowest energy conformations of 6a and 6b, respectively. [reaction: see text]

Experimental and theoretical studies of the dimerizations of imidoylketenes.

Reaction conditions are presented that, for the first time, allow the generation and dimerization of N-alkylimidoylketenes, e.g.,1d, while avoiding the intramolecular rearrangements observed under conventional conditions. The dimer of 1d (22a) is the result of [4 + 2] cycloaddition across the C=C bond of one ketene. In contrast, the N-H imidoylketene 1c dimerizes across the C=O bond to form 24b. Furthermore, N-methylbenzoimidoylketene (5b), in equilibrium with the more stable benzoazetidinone 14b, gives the formal [4 + 4] dimer 8b. B3LYP/6-31G(d) transition structure calculations on these three modes of dimerization reproduce and offer explanations for these divergent regiochemistries. Both [4 + 2] dimerizations have planar, pseudopericyclic transition structures (25a and 29b). Five transition structures were found for the formation of 8b. A unique pseudopericyclic dimerization of 5b with an orthogonal [4 + 4] geometry (31) has a barrier of only 0.7 kcal/mol. However, the overall lowest energy pathway involves concerted addition of 5b across a sigma bond in 14b via 35.

The stereochemistry of the thermal cheletropic decarbonylation of 3-cyclopentenone as determined by multiphoton infrared photolysis/thermolysis.

There are two allowed pathways for the thermal cheletropic decarbonylation of 3-cyclopentenone. The stereochemistry of decarbonylation of an unconstrained derivative (trans,trans-2,5-dimethyl-3-cyclopentenone, 4) has been determined for the first time. Under conventional pyrolysis conditions, thermal rearrangements of the initial product (trans,trans-2,4-hexadiene, 5) occur at the high temperatures required for the decarbonylation. However, by using multiphoton infrared photolysis/thermolysis to initiate decarbonylation, it was shown that the initial products from thermal decarbonylation of 4 are solely carbon monoxide and stereospecifically 5. The stereochemistry of decarbonylation is thus disrotatory, in accord with prior theoretical studies. A survey of crystal structures reveals ground-state distortions along this reaction coordinate as well.

Sequential transition States and the valley-ridge inflection point in the formation of a semibullvalene.

[structure: see text] Two sequential transition states are calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level for the deazetization of 3b. The intrinsic reaction coordinate for loss of nitrogen passes through a transition state and then a valley-ridge inflection point and ultimately leads to the transition state for the Cope rearrangement of semibullvalene 4b. The energetic and geometrical consequences are discussed.

A density functional theory study clarifying the reactions of conjugated ketenes with formaldimine. A plethora of pericyclic and pseudopericyclic pathways.

The reactions of vinylketene (1a), imidoylketene (1b), and formylketene (1c) with formaldimine (2) were studied at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. For the cycloadditions of these conjugated ketenes with 2, several possible pathways to both [4 + 2] and [2 + 2] products were examined. The lowest energy [2 + 2] pathways are, in most cases, calculated to be stepwise, forming the products via rate-determining conrotatory electrocyclization of zwitterionic intermediates. However, concerted transition structures analogous to the ketene plus ethene [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction were also located; the existence of multiple transition states offers a resolution to a long-standing controversy regarding the mechanism of ketene plus imine cycloadditions. Both stepwise and concerted [4 + 2] pathways were calculated for 2b and for 2c; both these pathways are pseudopericyclic. The inherently low barriers associated with pseudopericyclic transition states provide an explanation of the experimental preference for [4 + 2] cycloadditions of alpha-oxoketenes and predict [4 + 2] cycloadditions should also be favored for imidoylketenes. For a vinylketene constrained to a Z-geometry, the concerted [4 + 2] cycloaddition is also predicted to be the lowest energy pathway. An explanation is offered for the unusual thermal equilibration from a six-membered ring (3d) to a four-membered ring (4d) observed by Sato et al. Transition structures for facile pseudopericyclic 1,3- and 1,5-hydrogen shifts in the zwitterions were also calculated.

Chemoselectivity in the Reactions of Acetylketene and Acetimidoylketene: Confirmation of Theoretical Predictions.

Acetylketene (1) was generated by flash pyrolysis of 2,2,6-trimethyl-4H-1,3-dioxin-4-one (6). The selectivities of 1 toward a number of representative functional groups were measured for the first time in a series of competitive trapping reactions. The trend in reactivities toward 1 follows the general order amines > alcohols >> aldehydes approximately ketones and can be rationalized by considering both the nucleophilicity and the electrophilicity of the reacting species. Alcohols show significant selectivity based on steric hindrance, with MeOH approximately 1 degrees > 2 degrees > 3 degrees. These selectivities are consistent with the activation energies and the pseudopericyclic transition structure previously calculated for the addition of water to formylketene. The results, presented here, of ab initio transition structure calculations for the addition of ammonia to formylketene are qualitatively consistent with the experimental trends as well. N-Propylacetacetimidoylketene (2) was generated by the solution pyrolysis of tert-butyl N-propyl-3-amino-2-butenoate (9a) and showed similar selectivity toward alcohols as opposed to ketones and similar steric discrimination toward alcohols. This is again in agreement with previous ab initio calculations. Taken together, these experimental trends in the reactivities of both 1 and 2 toward a variety of reagents provide strong, although indirect support for the planar, pseudopericyclic transition structures for these reactions which are predicted by ab initio calculations.

Imidoylketene: An ab Initio Study of Its Conformations and Reactions.

MP4(SDQ)/6-31G//MP2/6-31G calculations on the conformations of imidoylketene (1) as well as transition structures for several of its reactions are reported. Anti-Z-1 and anti-E-1 are of equal energy, while syn-Z-1 and syn-E-1 are respectively 2.0 and 0.5 kcal/mol higher. As the nitrogen analog of formylketene (2), the reactivity of 1 is modified from that of 2. While the nitrogen in 1 is more basic and nucleophilic than the oxygen in 2, greater resonance donation from the nitrogen decreases the electrophilicity of the ketene carbon in 1 relative to 2. Thus the barriers for the addition of water (6.3 kcal/mol) and of formaldehyde (10.6 kcal/mol) to 1 are very similar to those previously calculated for their respective additions to 2. Transition structures for the 1,3-hydrogen shifts of 3-amino-1,2-propadien-1-one (5a) and formylketene imine (6a) to give 1 were also located. The barriers to these reactions, (41.0 and 48.6 kcal/mol, respectively) are higher than those of the analogous reactions to form 2; reasons for these trends are discussed. The transition structures for these reactions are all planar or nearly so, reflecting the pseudopericyclic orbital topology which makes all the reactions allowed.