Role of free valences and spin densities on the migrating atom in location of saddle points in radical-exchange reactions

The principle of the conservation of bond orders during radical-exchange reactions is examined using Mayer's definition of bond orders. This simple intuitive approximation is not valid in a quantitative sense. Ab initio results reveal that free valences (or spin densities) develop on the migrating atom during reactions. For several examples of hydrogen-transfer reactions, the sum of the reaction coordinate bond orders in the transition state was found to be 0.92 +/- 0.04 instead of the theoretical 1.00 because free valences (or spin densities) develop on the migrating atom during reactions. It is shown that free valence is almost equal to the square of the spin density on the migrating hydrogen atom and the maxima in the free valence (or spin density) profiles coincide (or nearly coincide) with the saddle points in the corresponding energy profiles.

Pd-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions of Hydrazones: Regioselective Synthesis of Highly Branched Dienes

The regioselective formation of highly branched dienes is a challenging task. Design and exploration of alternative working models to achieve such a regioselectivity to accomplish highly branched dienes is considered to be a historical advancement of Heck reaction to construct branched dienes. On the basis of the utility of carbene transfer reactions, in the reaction of hydrazones with Pd(II) under oxidative conditions, we envisioned obtaining a Pd-bis-carbene complex with alpha-hydrogens, which can lead to branched dienes. Herein, we report a novel Pd-catalyzed selective coupling reaction of hydrazones in the presence of t-BuOLi and benzoquinone to form the corresponding branched dienes. The utility of the Pd catalyst for the cross-coupling reactions for synthesizing branched conjugated dienes is rare. The reaction is very versatile and compatible with a variety of functional groups and is useful in synthesizing heterocyclic molecules. We anticipate that this Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction will open new avenues for synthesizing useful compounds.

Hydrogen-Atom Transfer Photochemistry of Tetrakis(µ-pyrophosphito)diplatinate(II)

In many senses, the hydrogen-atom transfer reactions observed with the triplet excited state of pyrophosphito-bridged platinum(II) dimers resemble the reactions of organic ketone nπ* states. The first two chapters describe our attempts to understand the reactivity differences between these two chromophores. Reactivity of the metal dimers is strongly regulated by the detailed nature of the ligands that ring the axial site, the hydrogen-abstraction center. A hydrogen-bonded network linking the ligands facilitates H-atom transfer quenching with alcohols through the formation of a hydrogen-bonded complex between the alcohol and a dimer. For substrates of equal C-H bond strength that lack a hydroxyl group (e.g., benzyl hydrocarbons), the quenching rate is several orders of magnitude slower.

The shape and size of the axial site, as determined by the ligands, also discriminate among quenchers by their steric characteristics. Very small quenchers quench slowly because of high entropies of activation, while very large ones have large enthalpic barriers. The two effects find a balance with quenchers of "just the right size."

The third chapter discusses the design of a mass spectrometer that uses positron annihilation to ionize neutral molecules. The mass spectrometer creates positron-molecule adducts whose annihilation produces fragmentation products that may yield information on the bonding of positrons in such complexes.

Theoretical study on the ClO/ClO- system electron-transfer reactivity by the golden-rule

The structures, properties and electron transfer reactivity of the ClO/ClO- coupling system are studied in this paper at ab initio (UHF and UMP2) levels and the Density Functional Theory (DFT: UB3LYP, UB3P86, UB3PW91) levels employing 6311 + G(3df) basis set and on the basis of the Golden-rule of the time-dependent perturbation theory. Investigations indicate that the results obtained using the UB3LYP method employing 6-311 + G(3df) basis set is in excellent agreement with the experiment. For this coupling system, six stable coupling modes have been found which correspond to six different encounter complexes and denote six different electron transfer mechanism: four O-O directly linked structures (one collinear: D-h, one anti-parallel: C-s, two twist: C-2) and two Cl-O linked structures (cis- and anti- C-s structures). The activation energies, the stabilization energies and the electronic coupling matrix elements have also been calculated for the electron transfer reactions via these six different mechanism at the UB3LYP/6-311 + G(3df) level, and then the electron transfer rates are determined at the same level. The most favorable coupling mode to the electron transfer is the anti-parallel mechanism. The averaged electron transfer rate is about 5.58 X 10(11) M-1 s(-1). It is also implied that the B3LYP method can give more reasonable results for the electron transfer reactivity of this system. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Systematic study of the transfer of amino acids across the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface facilitated by dibenzo-18-crown-6

Facilitated ion transfer reactions of 20 amino acids with di.benzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) at the water/1,2-dichloroethane (W/DCE) interfaces supported at the tips of micro- and nano-pipets were investigated systematically using cyclic voltammetry. It was found that there were only 10 amino acids, that is, Leu, Val, Ile, Phe, Trp, Met, Ala, Gly, Cys, Gln (in brief), whose protonated forms as cations can give well-defined facilitated ion transfer voltammograms within the potential window, and the reaction pathway was proven to be consistent with the transfer by interfacial complexation/dissociation (TIC/TID) mechanisms. The association constants of DB 18C6 with different amino acids in the DCE (beta(0)), and the kinetic parameters of reaction were evaluated based on the steady-state voltammetry of micro- or nano-pipets, respectively The experimental results demonstrated that the selectivity of complexation of protonated amino acid by DB18C6 compared with that of alkali metal cations was low, which can be attributed to the vicinal effect arising from steric hindrance introduced by their side group and the steric bulk effect by lipophilic stabilization.

Studies on charge transfer across the micro-liquid/liquid interface supported at a double-barrel micropipette

In this paper, the charge transfer across the micro-liquid/liquid interface supported at the orifice of a double-barrel micropipette, namely, a theta-pipette, is reported. Simple ion transfer(TMA(+)), facilitated ion transfer (potassium ion transfer facilitated by DB18C6), and electron transfer (ferrocene and ferri/ferrocyanide system) have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The experimental results show that a very thin aqueous film, linking both barrels filled with the aqueous solution and the organic solution respectively, can spontaneously be formed on the outer glass surface of such a double-barrel micropipette to construct a micro-liquid/liquid interface, which provides the asymmetry of diffusion field. Such device is demonstrated experimentally which can be employed as one of the simplest electrochemical cells to investigate the charge transfer across the liquid/liquid interface.

Charge transfer across the water/nitrobenzene interface by three-electrode system

A droplet of aqueous solution containing a certain molar ratio of redox couple is first attached onto a platinum electrode surface, then the resulting drop electrode is immersed into the organic solution containing very hydrophobic electrolyte. Combined with reference and counter electrodes, a classical three-electrode system has been constructed, Ion transfer (IT) and electron transfer (ET) are investigated systematically using three-electrode voltammetry. Potassium ion transfer and electron transfer between potassium ferricyanide in the aqueous phase and ferrocene in nitrobenzene are observed with potassium ferricyanide/potassium ferrocyanide as the redox couple. Meanwhile, the transfer reactions of lithium, sodium, potassium, proton and ammonium ions are obtained with ferric sulfate/ferrous sulfate as the redox couple. The formal transfer potentials and the standard Gibbs transfer energy of these ions are evaluated and consistent with the results obtained by a four-electrode system and other methods.

Investigation of proton transfer across the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface by o-phenanthroline using glass micro/nano-pipets and cyclic voltammetry

Facilitated proton transfer across the water/1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface supported on the tips of micro- and nano-pipets by o-phenanthroline (Phen) was studied by using cyclic voltammetry. The formed micro- and nano-liquid/liquid interfaces functioned as micro- and nano-electrodes under certain experimental conditions. The dependence of the half-wave potentials on the aqueous solutions acidities was studied and the ratio of association constants between Phen and proton in the aqueous and DCE phases was calculated by the method proposed by Matsuda et al.. The standard rate constant (k(0)) and the transfer coefficient (alpha) evaluated by using nano-pipets were equal to 0.183 +/- 0.054 cm/s and 0.70 +/- 0.09, respectively.

Gas-phase ion-molecule reactions of C-60 with methyl ethers CH3OCnH2n+1

Gas-phase ion-molecule reactions of buckminsterfullerene (C-60) with the ion systems generated from the self-chemical-ionization of alkyl methyl ethers(CH3OCnH2n+1, n =2 , 3, 4) were studied in the ion source of a mass spectrometer. The adduct cation [C60C2H5O](+) and protonated molecular ion [C60H](+) were observed as the major products, The former was produced by the reactions.of C-60 with the methoxymethyl ion [CH3O = CH2](+) , the latter corresponded to the proton transfer reactions from the protonated alkyl methyl ethers to C60 It is suggested that the [3+2] cycloadduct is the most favorable structure among the probable isomers with special chemical properties, Our investigation provides the guidance for the synthesis of this compound in condensed phase.

Gas-phase ion-molecule reactions of neutral C-60 with alkyl methyl ethers under chemical ionization conditions

Gas-phase ion-molecule reactions of buckminsterfullerene (C-60) with the ion systems generated from the self-chemical ionization of alkyl methyl ethers (CH3OR, R = n-C2H5, n-C3H7, n-C4H9) were studied in the ion source of a mass spectrometer. The adduct cation [C60C2H5O](+) and protonated molecule [C60H](+) were observed as the major products. The former adduct ion was produced by the reactions of C-60 with the methoxymethyl ion [CH3OCH2](+), and the latter resulted from the proton transfer reactions from protonated alkyl methyl ethers to C-60 It is suggested that the [3+2] cycloadduct to a 6-6 bond of C-60 (a C-C bond common to two annulated six-membered rings) is the most favorable structure among the probable isomers of [C60C2H5O](+). (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

REEVALUATION OF 2,2-BIPYRIDINE AND PYRAZINE AS PROMOTERS FOR DIRECT ELECTRON-TRANSFER BETWEEN CYTOCHROME-C AND METAL-ELECTRODES

Results from previous electrochemical studies have indicated that 2,2'-bipyridine and pyrazine do not function as promoters for heterogeneous electron transfer between cytochrome c and metal electrodes. Their lack of activity was attributed to the improper positioning of the two functional groups in 2,2'-bipyridine and the inefficient length of pyrazine. In the present study it was determined that both 2,2'-bipyridine and pyrazine act as promoters when self-absorbed over a sufficiently long dipping time or at roughened electrodes. The promoter characteristics of these two molecules were studied and compared with those of 4,4'-bipyridine. The difference in their promoter behavior appears to result primarily from their different strengths of adsorption and not because electrodes modified with 2,2'-bipyridine or pyrazine are unsuitable for accelerating direct electron transfer reactions in cytochrome c. These results have implications regarding the mechanism(s) of promoter effects in electrochemical reactions of cytochrome c.

Analysis of DNA processing reactions in bacterial conjugation by using suicide oligonucleotides

Protein TrwC is the conjugative relaxase responsible for DNA processing in plasmid R388 bacterial conjugation. TrwC has two catalytic tyrosines, Y18 and Y26, both able to carry out cleavage reactions using unmodified oligonucleotide substrates. Suicide substrates containing a 30-Sphosphorothiolate linkage at the cleavage site displaced TrwC reaction towards covalent adducts and thereby enabled intermediate steps in relaxase reactions to be investigated. Two distinct covalent TrwC–oligonucleotide complexes could be separated from noncovalently bound protein by SDS–PAGE. As observed by mass spectrometry, one complex contained a single, cleaved oligonucleotide bound to Y18, whereas the other contained two cleaved oligonucleotides, bound to Y18 and Y26. Analysis of the cleavage reaction using suicide substrates and Y18F or Y26F mutants showed that efficient Y26 cleavage only occurs after Y18 cleavage. Strand-transfer reactions carried out with the isolated Y18–DNA complex allowed the assignment of specific roles to each tyrosine. Thus, only Y18 was used for initiation. Y26 was specifically used in the second transesterification that leads to strand transfer, thus catalyzing the termination reaction that occurs in the recipient cell.

Ground and Excited State Electron Transfer Reaction Between a few Anthracene Appended Tertiary Amines and Suitable Electron Acceptors

the thesis entitled “Ground and Excited State Electron Transfer Reaction Between a few Anthracene Appended Tertiary Amines and Suitable Electron Acceptors” portrays our attempts to explore the solvent, concentration and temperature effect of the reaction between a few (anthracen-9- yl)methanamines with electron acceptors like DMAD, DBA and DBE. We have also studied the effect of solvent and percentage fluorescence quenching in the photoinduced electron transfer reactions of these ‘donor-spacer-acceptor’ systems. Finally we look in to the intramolecular electron transfer reactions of a few tertiary amine appended dibenzobarrelenes and bisdibenzobarrelenes

Statistics and kinetics of single-molecule electron transfer dynamics in complex environments: A simulation model study

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)