Bond Dissociation Energies of Carbene-Carbene and Carbene-Main Group Adducts.

A range of carbene structures and their adducts with one another and with a selection of small-molecule electrophiles and nucleophiles were examined at the composite correlated molecular orbital theory G3MP2 level to explore ground-state "carbenic" structures, their stabilities, and reactivities. Differences between carbene general classification as a singlet electrophilic carbene or singlet nucleophilic carbene and their given reactivity are discussed. A key quantity is the carbon-carbon bond dissociation energy for carbene dimers or the carbene-adduct dissociation energy for other species. The carbene dimer bond dissociation energies span a wide range from 10 to 170 kcal/mol. The hydrogenation energies and singlet-triplet splitting were found to correlate best with the carbene's self-dimerization energy, whereas other descriptors do not. The proton and fluoride affinities of the carbenes alone prove inadequate for classifying reactivity among classes of carbenes. The self-dimerization bond dissociation energy, hydrogenation energy, and singlet-triplet splitting of various carbenes, despite sometimes large differences in proton affinity and other indicators of reactivity, provide usable metrics to correlate substantial amounts of thermodynamic and kinetic (reactivity) information regarding these structures.

Lewis Acidity and Basicity: Another Measure of Carbene Reactivity.

The structural and energetic reactivities of various carbenes are evaluated against a standard electrophile (proton) and a standard nucleophile (fluoride). The proton and fluoride affinities of the carbenes studied provide an increased understanding of reactivity modes and mechanisms. General classification of carbenic reactivity as a singlet nucleophilic carbene or a singlet electrophilic carbene is facilitated by this present study, and a need for further classification means along the border between electrophilic and nucleophilic reactivity is considered. The results are based on electronic structure calculations at the composite correlated molecular orbital theory G3MP2 level.

Characterization of Carbenes via Hydrogenation Energies, Stability, and Reactivity: What's in a Name?

The hydrogenation energies and singlet-triplet (S-T) splittings at the G3MP2 level of theory have been calculated for a wide range of carbenes. The carbene, :CXY with different substituents (X, Y=H, CN, NC, F, Cl, OH, OCH3 , CH3 , CF3 , SiH3 , SiMe3 , phenyl, CH=O, PH2 , and NH2 ) at the carbenic carbon center, immidazole-based carbenes, Bertrand's carbenes, and Seppelt's CF3 CSF3 were studied. The stable carbenes are singlets with large S-T splittings and with the least exothermic hydrogenation energies. The singlet ground state immidazole-based carbenes are calculated to have the least exothermic hydrogenation energies (-15 to -30 kcal mol-1 ) and the largest S-T gaps. The singlet ground states of the Bertrand carbenes have more exothermic hydrogenation (ca. -67 kcal mol-1 ) energies and much smaller S-T gaps. The more exothermic reaction energies arise due to the need to make the phosphorus planar in the carbene so that it can donate into the empty p-orbital at the carbene carbon center. The bending potential at the carbene carbon center in the Bertrand compounds is very flat with a large XC:Y angle. Seppelt's CF3 CSF3 appears to be energetically similar to the Bertrand system, probably due to the required adjustments for geometric distortions at the sulfur center.

Asymmetric One-Pot Synthesis of (3R,3aS,6aR)-Hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-ol: A Key Component of Current HIV Protease Inhibitors.

A concise and efficient synthesis of (3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-ol, a key building block for several clinical and experimental HIV protease inhibitors including the highly important drug darunavir, was achieved via a one-pot procedure using furan and Cbz-protected glycol aldehyde as starting materials. A [2+2]-photocycloaddition between both reactants which can be prepared from wood-based starting materials according to the principles of xylochemistry, followed by hydrogenation and lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution afforded the target compound in high yield and up to 99% ee.

Xylochemistry--Making Natural Products Entirely from Wood.

The first total synthesis of the dimeric berberine alkaloid ilicifoline (ilicifoline B) is reported. Its carbon skeleton is constructed from ferulic acid, veratrole, and methanol. The synthesis reported herein employs starting materials solely derived from wood. The natural product is thus constructed entirely from renewable resources. The same strategy is applied to a formal total synthesis of morphinan alkaloids. The use of wood-derived building blocks (xylochemicals) instead of the conventional petrochemicals represents a sustainable alternative to classical synthetic approaches.

Practical and Scalable Two-Step Process for 6-(2-Fluoro-4-nitrophenyl)-2-oxa-6-azaspiro[3.3]heptane: A Key Intermediate of the Potent Antibiotic Drug Candidate TBI-223.

A low-cost, protecting group-free route to 6-(2-fluoro-4-nitrophenyl)-2-oxa-6-azaspiro[3.3]heptane (1), the starting material for the in-development tuberculosis treatment TBI-223, is described. The key bond forming step in this route is the creation of the azetidine ring through a hydroxide-facilitated alkylation of 2-fluoro-4-nitroaniline (2) with 3,3-bis(bromomethyl)oxetane (BBMO, 3). After optimization, this ring formation reaction was demonstrated at 100 g scale with isolated yield of 87% and final product purity of >99%. The alkylating agent 3 was synthesized using an optimized procedure that starts from tribromoneopentyl alcohol (TBNPA, 4), a commercially available flame retardant. Treatment of 4 with sodium hydroxide under Schotten-Baumann conditions closed the oxetane ring, and after distillation, 3 was recovered in 72% yield and >95% purity. This new approach to compound 1 avoids the previous drawbacks associated with the synthesis of 2-oxa-6-azaspiro[3,3]heptane (5), the major cost driver used in previous routes to TBI-223. The optimization and multigram scale-up results for this new route are reported herein.

Synthesis of backbone P-functionalized imidazol-2-ylidene complexes: en route to novel functional ionic liquids.

1-Alkyl-3-methyl-4-diphenylphosphoryl-imidazolium hydrogensulfate (4a,b) (a: R(1) = R(2) = Me; b: R(1) = (i)Pr, R(2) = Me) and 1-alkyl-3-methyl-4,5-bis(diphenylphosphoryl)imidazolium hydrogensulfate (6a,c) (c: R(1) = (n)Bu, R(2) = Me) were obtained selectively and in good yields by oxidative desulfurization of 1-alkyl-3-methyl-4-diphenylphosphino-imidazole-2-thiones (2a,b) and 1-n-butyl-3-methyl-4,5-bis(diphenylphosphoryl)imidazole-2-thione (3c) or 1,3-dimethyl-4-diphenylthiophosphoryl-5-diphenylphosphino-imidazole-2-thione (5a), respectively, with hydrogen peroxide. Synthesis of phosphoryl functionalized imidazol-2-ylidene complexes of group VI metal pentacarbonyls (7a-9a) and (10b-12b) and bis(phosphoryl) functionalized imidazol-2-ylidene complexes of group VI metal pentacarbonyls (13c-15c) and (16a) with low steric demand (methyl, isopropyl, n-butyl) at both N-centers was achieved through deprotonation of imidazolium salts (4a,b) and (6a,c), respectively,-having HSO(4)(-) as a counterion-with potassium tert-butoxide followed by rapid addition of metal pentacarbonyl acetonitrile complexes [M(CO)(5)(CH(3)CN)] (M = Cr, Mo, W). The products were unambiguously characterized by elemental analyses, spectroscopic and spectrometric methods, and in addition, by single-crystal X-ray structure studies in the cases of 4b, 8a, 15c, and 16a; the latter two reveal imidazole ring bond distance alternation in contrast to 8a.

Xylochemicals and where to find them.

This article surveys a range of important platform and high value chemicals that may be considered primary and secondary 'xylochemicals'. A summary of identified xylochemical substances and their natural sources is provided in tabular form. In detail, this review is meant to provide useful assistance for the consideration of potential synthetic strategies using xylochemicals, new methodologies and the development of potentially sustainable, xylochemistry-based processes. It should support the transition from petroleum-based approaches and help to move towards more sustainability within the synthetic community. This feasible paradigm shift is demonstrated with the total synthesis of natural products and active pharmaceutical ingredients as well as the preparation of organic molecules suitable for potential industrial applications.

Modeling the direct activation of dihydrogen by a P2C2 cyclic biradical: formation of a cyclic bis(P-H lambda(5)-phosphorane).

The synthesis of a remarkable cyclic bis(P-H lambda(5)-phosphorane) is reported. A stable phosphorus-heterocyclic biradical, 1,3-diphosphacyclobutane-2,4-diyl, sequentially accepts negatively and positively charged hydrogen atoms to afford 2,4-diphospha-1,3-cyclobutadiene with a diylidic structure containing two P-H bonds.

Diammoniosilane: computational prediction of the thermodynamic properties of a potential chemical hydrogen storage system.

Atomization energies at 0 K and heats of formation at 0 and 298 K are predicted for diammoniosilane, H(4)Si(NH(3))(2), and its dehydrogenated derivates at the CCSD(T) and G3(MP2) levels. To achieve near chemical accuracy (+/-1 kcal/mol), three corrections were added to the complete basis set binding energies based on frozen core coupled cluster theory energies: a correction for core-valence effects, a correction for scalar relativistic effects, and a correction for first-order atomic spin-orbit effects. Vibrational zero-point energies were computed at the CCSD(T) or MP2 levels. The edge inversion barrier of silane is predicted to be 88.9 kcal/mol at 298 K at the CCSD(T) level and a substantial amount, -63.6 kcal/mol, is recovered upon complexation with 2 NH(3) molecules, so that the diammoniosilane complex is only 25.6 kcal/mol at 298 K above the separated reactants SiH(4) + 2NH(3). The complex is a metastable species characterized by all real frequencies at the MP2/aV(T+d)Z level. We predict the heat of reaction for the sequential dehydrogenation of diammoniosilane to yield H(3)Si(NH(2))(NH(3)) and H(2)Si(NH(2))(2) to be exothermic by 33.6 and 12.2 kcal/mol at 298 K at the CCSD(T) level, respectively. The cumulative dehydrogenation reaction yielding two molecules of hydrogen at 298 K is -45.8 kcal/mol at the CCSD(T) level. The sequential release of H(2) from H(2)Si(NH(2))(2) consequently yielding HN=SiH(NH(2)) and HN=Si=NH are predicted to be largely endothermic reactions at 45.3 and 55.7 kcal/mol at the CCSD(T) level at 298 K. If the endothermic reaction for the third step and the exothermic reactions for the release of the first two H(2) were coupled effectively, loss of three H(2) molecules from H(4)Si(NH(3))(2) would be almost thermoneutral at 0 K.

Carbene-Pnictinidene Adducts.

The syntheses, characterizations, and X-ray crystallographic structure determinations are described for adducts of stable nucleophilic carbenes with pnictinidenes. The adducts between 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene and phenylphosphinidene, phenylarsinidene, (trifluoromethyl)phosphinidene, and (pentafluorophenyl)arsinidene are reported. These carbene-pnictinidene adducts are formed by the direct reaction of a stable nucleophilic carbene with the corresponding pnictinidene cyclic oligomers. The synthesis and structure of the adduct between 1,3-dimesitylimidazolin-2-ylidene and phenylphosphinidene from the reaction of 1,3-dimesitylimidazolin-2-ylidene with phenylphosphorus dichloride are also reported. These carbene-pnictinidene adducts possess strongly polarized pnictinidene-carbene bonds. The C-Pn-C angles are all typically small at 97-102 degrees, and there is only a 4% shortening of the nominal Pn=C double bond compared to the Pn-C single bond to the second substituent on the pnictogen. The (31)P NMR shifts of the phosphorus adducts suggest strongly shielded phosphorus centers in accord with the polarized structures.

Electronic structure predictions of the properties of non-innocent P-ligands in group 6B transition metal complexes.

Neutral group 6B (Cr, Mo, W) pentacarbonyl complexes M(CO)5-L possessing various P-ligands such as phosphines, phosphaalkenes, and phospha-quinomethanes can form radical cations and anions under redox conditions. There is significant interest in whether the radical site is localized on the metal or on a "non-innocent" ligand. Density functional theory was used to predict whether the radicals of the complexes behave as metal or ligand-centered radicals and whether these compounds could form in solution or as an ion pair with various oxidizing and reducing agents. The quinone-like ligands are predicted to be ligand centered radicals when they are anions and metal centered radicals when they are cations. The predicted reaction energies for single electron transfer (SET) reactions involving the quinone like ligands are negative or near thermoneutral for both radicals in polar solutions and as solid state ion pairs. The energetics of the SET reactions can be controlled by the nature of L, the nature of the oxidizing/reducing agent, and the solvent polarity. Such complexes could be used as flexible catalysts for single electron transfer reactions.

Synthesis and first complexes of C(4/5) P-bifunctional imidazole-2-thiones.

A synthetic route to C(4/5)-bis(phosphinoyl)imidazole-2-thiones (7d,e) (d: R(1) = (n)Bu, R(2) = Me; e: R(1) = n-dodecyl, R(2) = Me) and C(4/5)-bis(thio/selenophosphinoyl)imidazole-2-thiones (8b,c), (9a,b,e) and 10a (a: R(1) = R(2) = Me; b: R(1) = R(2) = Ph, c: R(1) = (i)Pr, R(2) = Me) is presented that employs initial C(5) lithiation of mono-phosphinoyl/thiophosphinoyl substituted imidazole-2-thiones (3c-e)/(4a-c,e) followed by reaction with chlorodiphenylphosphane, leading to mixed phosphinoyl and phosphanyl substituted imidazole-2-thiones (5c-e) or mixed thiophosphinoyl and phosphanyl substituted imidazole-2-thiones (6a-c,e). Subsequent oxidation of mixed phosphinoyl and phosphanyl substituted imidazole-2-thione (5d,e) with H2O2-urea gives the bis(phosphinoyl) substituted imidazole-2-thiones (7d,e), and the oxidation of mixed thiophosphinoyl and phosphanyl substituted imidazole-2-thione (6a-c,e) using H2O2-urea, elemental sulfur or elemental selenium gives a set of mixed P(V)-chalcogenide substituted imidazole-2-thiones (8b,c), (9a,b,e) and 10a, respectively. P(V,V) substituted imidazole-2-thiones 7d and 9a reacted with tellurium tetrachloride, titanium tetrachloride or palladium dichloride to give complexes 11d, (12d and 12d') and 14a, respectively, having a bidentate chelate (11d and 14a) or a monodentate bonding motif (12d,d'). The titanium complexes 12d,d' slowly and selectively converted into the mono-ethoxy substituted product 13 possessing a seven membered chelate motif being unprecedented in the titanium chemistry of phosphine oxide donor ligands. The compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, spectroscopic and spectrometric methods and, in addition, X-ray diffraction studies in the case of 5c, 7d, 8b, 9a and 13.

Synthesis, structure and reactivity of 4-phosphanylated 1,3-dialkyl-imidazole-2-thiones.

Selective formation of 4-phosphanylated 1,2-dialkyl imidazole-2-thiones 3a-f has been obtained via a lithiation followed by phosphanylation reaction. The reactivity of 3a-f was examined towards oxidation and complexation reactions. All products were unambiguously characterized by elemental analyses, spectroscopic and spectrometric methods including X-ray analysis (3a, 3b, 4b, 4d, 5b, 6a and 6d).