DFT study on the structure and racemization mechanism of 2-amino-2′-hydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl

Elucidating the Racemization Mechanism of Aliphatic and Aromatic Amino Acids by In Silico Tools

The racemization of biomolecules in the active site can reduce the biological activity of drugs, and the mechanism involved in this process is still not fully comprehended. The present study investigates the impact of aromaticity on racemization using advanced theoretical techniques based on density functional theory. Calculations were performed at the ωb97xd/6-311++g(d,p) level of theory. A compelling explanation for the observed aromatic stabilization via resonance is put forward, involving a carbanion intermediate. The analysis, employing Hammett's parameters, convincingly supports the presence of a negative charge within the transition state of aromatic compounds. Moreover, the combined utilization of natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations confirms the pronounced stabilization of electron distribution within the carbanion intermediate. To enhance our understanding of the racemization process, a thorough examination of the evolution of NBO charges and Wiberg bond indices (WBIs) at all points along the IRC profile is performed. This approach offers valuable insights into the synchronicity parameters governing the racemization reactions.

Pristine Graphene as a Racemization Catalyst for Axially Chiral BINOL

Despite versatile applications of functionalized graphene in catalysis, applications of pure, unfunctionalized graphene in catalysis are in their infancy. This work uses both computational and experimental approaches to show that single-layer graphene can efficiently catalyze the racemization of axially chiral BINOL in solution. Using double-hybrid density functional theory (DHDFT) we calculate the uncatalyzed and catalyzed Gibbs free reaction barrier heights in a number of representative solvents of varying polarity: benzene, diphenyl ether, dimethylformamide (DMF), and water. These calculations show that (i) graphene can achieve significant catalytic efficiencies (▵▵G^≠ _cat ) varying between 47.2 (in diphenyl ether) and 60.7 (in DMF) kJ mol^-1 . An energy decomposition analysis reveals that this catalytic activity is driven by electrostatic and dispersion interactions. Based on these computational results, we explore the graphene-catalyzed racemization of axially chiral BINOL experimentally and show that single-layer graphene can efficiently catalyze this process. Whilst the uncatalyzed racemization requires high temperatures of over 200 °C, a pristine single-layer graphene catalyst makes it accessible at 60 °C.

Catalysis by Pure Graphene-From Supporting Actor to Protagonist through Shape Complementarity

In most catalytic applications, graphene is either functionalized or acts as the catalyst support. DFT calculations show on the example of the racemizations of binaphthyl compounds that pure unmodified graphene can directly catalyze chemical processes through stabilizing noncovalent π-π interactions resulting from shape complementarity between transition structures and catalyst.

Optical Stability of 1,1'-Binaphthyl Derivatives

The racemization process of various 1,1'-binaphthyl derivatives is studied by quantum calculations. The preferred racemization pathway passes through a transition state belonging to the Ci symmetry group. The energy barrier for this process is independent of solvation, the electron-withdrawing/releasing power of substituents, or their ability to engage in H-bonds within the molecule. The primary factor is instead the substituent size. The barrier is thus reduced when the -OH groups of 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol are replaced by H. There is a drop in the barrier also when the substituents are moved from the 2,2' positions to 6,6', where they will not come close to one another in the transition state. Upon removal of the peripheral aromatic rings of the binaphthyl system, the biphenyl system undergoes a facile racemization. It is concluded that the optimal means of improving optical stability of 1,1'-binaphthyl systems is the substitution of large bulky groups in the 2,2' positions.