Effective N2 capture by aryl cations at ambient temperature and pressure

Here, we show that molecular N2 was efficiently captured by organic arylium cations in a well-defined manner at ambient pressure and temperature, which was monitored by on-line mass spectrometry analysis. A kinetic picture was proposed to disclose the principle of the ion-molecule reaction behavior for exclusive aryldiazonium production. The observation has an implication for direct nitrogen fixation into an organic framework via the intermediacy of such cationic species.

Reactive N-protonated isocyanate species stabilized by bis(μ-hydroxo)divanadium(IV)-substituted polyoxometalate

O- or N-protonated? The bis(μ-hydroxo)divanadium(IV)-substituted γ-Keggin-type polyoxometalate (see picture, left) (TBA)(4)[γ-SiV(IV)(2)W(10)O(36)(μ-OH)(4)] (TBA = tetra(n-butyl)ammonium) was synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Its reaction with phenyl isocyanate gave (TBA)(4)[γ-SiV(IV)(2)W(10)O(38)(μ-OH)(2)(PhNHCO)(2)], which contains two N-protonated phenyl isocyanate species and catalyzes the cyclotrimerization of phenyl isocyanate.

Generation and Reactivity of the Phenyl Cation in Cryogenic Argon Matrices: Monitoring the Reactions with Nitrogen and Carbon Monoxide Directly by IR Spectroscopy

The phenyl cation 1 has been prepared by co-deposition of iodobenzene 6 or bromobenzene 7 with a microwave-induced argon plasma and characterized by IR spectroscopy in cryogenic argon matrices. The cation can clearly be identified by its strongest absorption at 3110 cm(-1) that is rapidly bleached upon visible light irradiation. This characteristic band is observed neither in the conventional photochemistry of 6 or 7 nor in discharge experiments with alkyl halides or chlorobenzene. The latter finding is in line with energetic considerations. According to density functional theory (DFT) computations, the strongest absorption of 1 is caused by a C-H stretching vibration that involves almost entirely the ortho-hydrogens. This is confirmed by isotopic labeling experiments. Co-deposition of halobenzene/N2 mixtures leads to a decrease of the 3110 cm(-1) absorption, whereas several new signals are detected in the 2200-2400 cm(-1) range of the IR spectrum. Annealing of a matrix that contains 1 and 1% N2 leads to an increase of a broad band at 2260 cm(-1) that is assigned to the benzenediazonium ion 2. A sharp signal at 2327 cm(-1) that had previously been assigned to the N-N stretching vibration of 2 is due to molecular nitrogen. The mechanism that triggers the IR activity of N2 is not yet understood. Annealing of a matrix that contains 1 and 0.5% CO leads to an increase of a broad band at 2217 cm(-1) that is considerably stronger than the 2260 cm(-1) absorption of 2. This signal is assigned to the C-O stretching vibration of the benzoyl cation 12, in excellent agreement with previous investigations of 12 in superacidic media. Some consequences of the measured frequencies with regard to bonding in 2 and 12 are discussed.

Intramolecular Photoarylation of Alkenes by Phenyl Cations

Acetone-sensitized irradiation of various o-chlorophenyl allyl ethers in polar solvents led to either (dihydro)benzofurans or chromanes. The reaction appeared to involve photoheterolysis of the aryl-Cl bond followed by phenyl cation addition onto the tethered double bond either in 5-exo or 6-endo modes. The adduct cation gave the end products by deprotonation; addition of chloride anion or of the solvent, depending on the structure; and the conditions used. Preference for the 5-exo mode increased in passing from medium polarity (methylene chloride, ethyl acetate) to high polarity solvents (aqueous acetonitrile, methanol, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol), for which this was often the exclusive path. The same compounds underwent photohomolysis when irradiated in cyclohexane, and radical cyclization was one of the process occurring. Substitution of a methylene group for the ether oxygen atom made 6-endo cyclization by far the main path in a related o-chlorophenylbutene. Again, the selectivity was higher in polar protic solvents. The results are discussed in terms of in cage ion pair versus free phenyl cation reactions.

Aryl Cation and Carbene Intermediates in the Photodehalogenation of Chlorophenols

The photochemistry of 2,6-dimethyl-4-chlorophenol (6) has been studied in methanol and trifluoroethanol (TFE) through product studies and transient absorption spectroscopy. Chloride loss from triplet 6 gave triplet hydroxyphenyl cation 14, which equilibrated with triplet oxocyclohexadienylydene 15 within a few tens of nanoseconds; the cation can, however, be selectively trapped by allyltrimethylsilane (k(ad) = 10(8)-10(9) m(-1) s(-1)) to give a phenonium ion and the allylated phenol. In neat alcohols, 14 and 15 are reduced through different mechanisms, namely by hydrogen transfer through radical cation 17 and via phenoxyl radical 16, respectively. The mechanistic rationalization has been substantiated by the parallel study of an O-silylated derivative. The work shows that the chemistry of the highly (but selectively) reactive phenyl cation 14 can not only be discriminated from that of the likewise highly reactive carbene 15, but also exploited for synthetically useful reactions, as in this case with alkenes. Photolysis of electron-donating substituted halobenzenes may be the method of choice for the mild generation of some classes of phenyl cations.