Stereodynamics of tetramezine

Chiral stationary phases and applications in gas chromatography

Chiral compounds are ubiquitous in nature and play a pivotal role in biochemical processes, in chiroptical materials and applications, and as chiral drugs. The analysis and determination of the enantiomeric ratio (er) of chiral compounds is of enormous scientific, industrial, and economic importance. Chiral separation techniques and methods have become indispensable tools to separate chiral compounds into their enantiomers on an analytical as well on a preparative level to obtain enantiopure compounds. Chiral gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography have paved the way and fostered several research areas, that is, asymmetric synthesis and catalysis in organic, medicinal, pharmaceutical, and supramolecular chemistry. The development of highly enantioselective chiral stationary phases was essential. In particular, the elucidation and understanding of the underlying enantioselective supramolecular separation mechanisms led to the design of new chiral stationary phases. This review article focuses on the development of chiral stationary phases for gas chromatography. The fundamental mechanisms of the recognition and separation of enantiomers and the selectors and chiral stationary phases used in chiral gas chromatography are presented. An overview over syntheses and applications of these chiral stationary phases is presented as a practical guidance for enantioselective separation of chiral compound classes and substances by gas chromatography.

New Trends in Diaziridine Formation and Transformation (a Review)

This review focuses on diaziridine, a high strained three-membered heterocycle with two nitrogen atoms that plays an important role as one of the most important precursors of diazirine photoaffinity probes, as well as their formation and transformation. Recent research trends can be grouped into three categories, based on whether they have examined non-substituted, N-monosubstituted, or N,N-disubstituted diaziridines. The discussion expands on the conventional methods for recent applications, the current spread of studies, and the unconventional synthesis approaches arising over the last decade of publications.

Nitrodiaziridines: Unattainable yet, but Desired Energetic Materials

Using quantum chemical methods and the original technique based on atom-atom potential methods, the molecular and crystal structure simulation of all possible structural forms of nitrodiaziridines were carried out. The possible pathways of thermal decomposition of nitrodiaziridines were modeled, and the most stable forms were identified. Thermodynamic stability, physicochemical characteristics, and detonation properties were also estimated. The obtained results enable a huge potential of the nitrodiaziridine-based compounds as high-energy materials for a variety of applications.

Equilibrium molecular structure and spectra of 6-methyl-1,5-diazabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane: joint analysis of gas phase electron diffraction, quantum chemistry, and spectroscopic data

The equilibrium geometry of the boat conformation (Cs point group symmetry) of the 6-methyl-1,5-diazabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (MDABH) molecule, absolutely dominating under normal conditions, was studied by the gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) method at 20 °C with the involvement of NMR, IR, and Raman spectroscopic data and quantum chemical calculations. The potential function of ring-puckering deformation for the MDABH bicyclic system was calculated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ and B3LYP/cc-pVTZ levels. It was found by MP2 calculation that the total energy of the boat conformation is 3.52 kcal mol-1 lower than that of the chair conformation. For the first time, we recorded the IR and Raman spectra for liquid samples of MDABH and assigned their peculiarities only to boat conformation vibrations using the Pulay technique of scaling quantum chemical force fields. In the case of the chair form, transferability of the refined scale factors was used for reliable prediction of the location of its fundamental frequencies. According to the joint structural analysis of the above data, the most important equilibrium geometric re-parameters for the boat conformation of the MDABH molecule were determined to be (bond lengths in Å; angles in degrees, Cs symmetry): C2N1 = 1.466(2), C2C3 = 1.523(2), N1N5 = 1.512(2), C6N1 = 1.440(2), C6C7 = 1.487(2), ∠C2N1N5 = 106.1(2), ∠N1C2C3) = 110.2(4), ∠C2C3C4 = 99.9(4), ∠N1N5C6 = 58.3(1), ∠N1C6N5 = 63.3(1), ∠N1C6C7 = 114.9(6), ∠C6N1C2 = 111.8(1), ∠N5N1C2C3 = 17.3(1), ∠N1C2C3C4 = -26.8(2), θ = C2C3C4/C2N1N5C4 = -26.2(3), φ = N1C6N5/C2N1N5C4 = 74.0(1). Comparison of these and earlier results showed that the NN bond length in the diaziridine ring is very weakly dependent on the cis- or trans-arrangement of substituents at the nitrogen atoms.

Equilibrium structures of the tetramezine diastereomers and their ratio: joint analysis of gas phase electron diffraction, quantum chemistry, and spectroscopic data

For the first time, we applied a gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) method together with vibrational spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations to investigate the equilibrium geometries of achiral meso and enantiomeric diastereomers of tetramezine [1,2-bis-(3,3-dimethyldiaziridin-1-yl)ethane] and their ratio in the mixture. In the joint structural analysis of these data, a new approach based on PES parameters is used in the framework of a static molecular model (small amplitude motion approximation). The agreement between the theoretical and experimental molecular intensities is characterized by a divergence factor Rf of 5.9%. The experimental re-parameters of tetramezine diastereomers agreed with our B3LYP/cc-pVTZ and MP2/cc-pVTZ calculations, which predicted the total energy of the meso form (Ci point group symmetry) to be lower than that of the enantiomeric form (C2 point group symmetry), by 6.4 and 4.7 kJ mol-1, respectively. The experimentally measured percentages of the meso and both enantiomeric diastereoisomers at 360 K were 70% and 30%, respectively. We characterized the meso form using 2D NMR spectra. Our GED data are in good agreement with the X-ray diffraction analysis of the meso form. This result reflects the weak effect of intermolecular interactions in the crystal. We assigned the IR spectrum bands of the crystalline meso form using the Pulay technique of scaling quantum chemical force fields. In the case of the enantiomeric form calculated at the same level, transferability of the refined scale factors was used for more reliable prediction of the mutual location and interpretation of its fundamental frequencies.

Photocatalytic Generation of Nitrenes for Rapid Diaziridination

A blue LED, an organic photocatalyst (rose bengal), and the Lewis acid like oxidant PhI(OAc)₂ were utilized to generate nitrene intermediates through reactions of 1,2-diols and aliphatic amines under mild reaction conditions. A versatile and rapid diaziridination strategy was established to construct functionalized 1,2-disubstituted diaziridines, diaziridines with chiral substituents, and 1,2,3-trisubstituted analogues with excellent reaction rates, yields, and stereoselectivities. Control and labeling experiments to elucidate the mechanism of this elegant metal-free photocatalyzed cyclization reaction were performed.

Chiral 1,2-dialkenyl diaziridines: synthesis, enantioselective separation, and nitrogen inversion barriers

trans-1,2-Disubstituted diaziridines form stable enantiomers at ambient conditions because of the two stereogenic pyramidal nitrogen atoms. Functionalized trans-1,2-disubstituted diaziridines can be utilized as a chiral switching moiety between two enantiomeric states in more complex molecular structures. However, the synthesis of functionalized diaziridines is quite challenging, because of the limited tolerance of reaction conditions that can be applied. Here we present a strategy to make trans-1,2-disubstituted diaziridines accessible as versatile building blocks in C-C-bond formations, i.e., the Heck reaction, and therefore introducing aryl substituents. The synthesis of trans-1,2-dialkenyl diaziridines with terminal alkenyl substituents and their stereodynamic properties are described.

From stereodynamics to high-throughput screening of catalysed reactions

In this review we summarised recent developments in high-throughput kinetic monitoring of reactions including the dynamics of interconverting stereoisomers and the simultaneous combination of (catalysed) reactions with chemical analysis in on-column reaction chromatographic devices.

Stereodynamics of small 1,2-dialkyldiaziridines

Diaziridines are very interesting representatives of organic compounds containing stereogenic nitrogen atoms. In particular, 1,2-dialkyldiaziridines show extraordinarily high stereointegrity. The lone electron pairs of the nitrogen atoms are in trans configuration, avoiding a four-electron repulsive interaction. Furthermore, the trans configuration of the substituents at the nitrogen atoms is energetically favored because of reduced steric interactions. Therefore only two stereoisomers (enantiomers) are observed. At elevated temperatures the enantiomers are interconverting because of the limited stereointegrity of the chirotopic nitrogen atoms. The enantiomerization rate constants and the activation parameters of interconversion are of great interest. Here, we investigated the stereodynamics of a set of small 1,2-dialkyldiaziridines bearing short substituents (Me, Et, iPr, tBu), using enantioselective dynamic gas chromatography (DGC). Separation of enantiomers of all compounds, including the highly volatile 1,2-dimethyldiaziridine, was achieved using heptakis(2,3-di-O-ethyl-6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-β-cyclodextrin in 50% PS086 (w/w) as chiral stationary phase in fused silica capillaries with a length of up to 50 m. Measurements at variable temperatures were performed and reaction rate constants were determined using the unified equation of chromatography implemented in the software DCXplorer. The activation barriers at room temperature for 1-(tert-butyl)-2-ethyldiaziridine, ΔG(╪)(298K) = 123.8 kJ mol(-1) (ΔH(╪) = 115.5±2.9 kJ mol(-1), ΔS(╪) = -28±1 J mol(-1) K(-1)), and 1-ethyl-2-isopropyldiaziridine, ΔG(╪)(298K) = 124.2 kJ mol(-1) (ΔH(╪) = 113.1±2.4 kJ mol(-1), ΔS(╪) = -37±2 J mol(-1) K(-1)), were determined, representing some of the highest values observed for nitrogen inversion in diaziridines.