Introducing a new bond reactivity index: Philicities for natural bond orbitals

New insights about electronic mechanism of electrocyclic reactions: theoretical study about stereoselectivity in cyclobutenes

This work presents the study of a series of electrocyclic reactions with the main aim of obtaining new insights into the reaction process along IRCs. The energy variation of the different reaction paths as well as the different transition states have been calculated. These trends are according to the experimental data. The natural bond orbitals have been obtained and the second order perturbational theory analysis has been carried out to determine the main charge transfers due to delocalization. Bond reactivity indexes have been used to describe the reactivity mechanism in a local way. These reactivity indexes are also based on NBOs and this has made it possible to connect the results of the indexes with the previous analysis. To determine quantitatively the bond structure, we used the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and we have hereby completed the information obtained from the NBO analysis. Finally, we used the Hirshfeld population analysis as an approximation to understand how the load density changes in the different reaction pathways, and we have connected these variations with the information obtained from the bond structure.

The results has found that the reaction path with the lowest energy barrier Transition State Inward Conrotatory (TSIC) or Transition State Outward Conrotatory (TSOC) is determined by two magnitudes: the charge donations by delocalisation of the substituents (which we obtained from the Second Order Perturbational Theory Analysis of the NBOs) and in the case that these donations were very similar, the non-covalent interactions dominated (which we studied by means of the interaction energies of the Hirshfeld charges). Additionality, the most important factor influencing the lower energy reaction path was the interaction of lone pairs of the substituents with the σ∗(C–C) bond that is broken at the opening of the cycle. The alignment of these lone pairs with the C–C bond favours charge donation between them and, as can be seen in the discussion, this alignment varies depending on whether the structure is TSIC and TSOC.

Synthesis of Pyrazolo-Fused 4-Azafluorenones in an Ionic Liquid. Mechanistic Insights by Joint Studies Using DFT Analysis and Mass Spectrometry

A series of pyrazolo-fused 4-azafluorenones (indeno[1,2-b]pyrazolo[4,3-e]pyridines, IPP) were synthesized via the three-component reaction between arylaldehydes, 3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5-amine and 1,3-indanedione in an ionic liquid as a catalyst at room temperature. The applied synthetic route has the advantages of easy work-up under mild reaction conditions presenting moderate yields and an environmentally benign procedure. A theoretical study based on conceptual-density functional theory has been done, bond reactivity indices have been calculated and an electrophilic and nucleophilic character of localized orbitals has been determined to analyze the possible electronic mechanisms.

New advances in conceptual-DFT: an alternative way to calculate the Fukui function and dual descriptor

An alternative way of calculating the Fukui function and the partial derivative of second order of the electronic density with respect to the number of electrons N is presented, the new formulas agree with the usual ones but only in cases without degeneracy. The new operative formulas are more general than the previous ones and are the right ones for those problematic cases where one or both of the frontier molecular orbitals are degenerate. Finally, we present a new way of applying the finite difference approximation that leads to more realistic results than the usual formulas. Graphical abstract A new way of calculating the Fukui function is presented that results in a new operative formula of the function. It has also been obtained the partial derivative of second order of the electronic density with respect to the number of electrons N, and it agree with the usual formula of the dual descriptor function but only in cases without degeneration.