An energetic analysis of the Diels-Alder endo:exo selectivity reaction by using composite methods

Determination of the standard enthalpy of formation of iodine compounds through the G2 and G3(MP2)//B3-SBK theories

The domain of application of the G3(MP2)//B3-SBK theory was expanded, and its efficiency was evaluated to determinate enthalpies of formation of forty-one iodine compounds. The results were compared to those obtained with the G2 theory for the same set of molecules. The G3(MP2)//B3-SBK theory showed a mean deviation and deviation standard equal to 3.7 kcal mol^-1 and 6.0 kcal mol^-1, respectively. The G2 theory (mean deviation = 3.1 kcal mol^-1 and standard deviation = 4.9 kcal mol^-1) presented a lower error and standard deviation, but at a significantly higher computational cost. For a more complete evaluation, as a secondary part of the work, it also used different functionals B3LYP, M06-2X, WB97XD, and MP2 method with four different basis sets 6-311G(d,p), LANL2DZ, jorge-ADZP, and CEP-31G(d). The best density functional/basis set combination was obtained with M06-2X/CEP-31G(d) among the three mentioned functionals. However, the produced mean deviation is significant and equal to 17.3 kcal mol^-1, with a standard deviation equal to 23.0 kcal mol^-1. The 6-311G(d,p) basis achieved the best performance with the MP2 method, generating an equally significant mean deviation of 12.8 kcal mol^-1 with a standard deviation equal to 18.7 kcal mol^-1.

Construction of poly-N-heterocyclic scaffolds via the controlled reactivity of Cu-allenylidene intermediates

Controlling the sequence of the three consecutive reactive carbon centres of Cu-allenylidene remains a challenge. One of the impressive achievements in this area is the Cu-catalyzed annulation of 4-ethynyl benzoxazinanones, which are transformed into zwitterionic Cu-stabilized allenylidenes that are trapped by interceptors to provide the annulation products. In principle, the reaction proceeds via a preferential γ-attack, while annulation reactions via an α- or β-attack are infrequent. Herein, we describe a method for controlling the annulation mode, by the manipulation of a CF₃ or CH₃ substituent, to make it proceed via either a γ-attack or an α- or β-attack. The annulation of CF₃-substituted substrates with sulfamate-imines furnished densely functionalized N-heterocycles with excellent enantioselectivity via a cascade of an internal β-attack and an external α-attack. CH₃-variants were transformed into different heterocycles that possess a spiral skeleton, via a cascade of an internal β-attack and a hydride α-migration followed by a Diels-Alder reaction.

Systematic Convergence of the Numerical Taylor Series to the Best Standard and Its Potential Implication for the Development of Composite Methods

The numerical Taylor series is used as an alternative to systematically converge to a high-level calculation showing that it has the potential to be used in the development of composite methods. Five methods are tested, with two of them differing in the truncation of the series expansion and basis sets, namely, Taylor-Dunning and Taylor-Pople, and three of the interpretations of the G4, ccCA-TZ, and CBS-QB3, which are referred to as G4-Taylor, ccCA-TZ-Taylor, and CBS-QB3-Taylor, respectively. The Taylor-Dunning and Taylor-Pople methods restricted to second-order expansion show mean absolute errors of 1.16 and 1.11 kcal mol^-1, respectively, for a training set involving enthalpies of formation, ionization energies, and electronic affinities. The G4-Taylor, ccCA-TZ-Taylor, and CBS-QB3-Taylor methods achieve the lowest mean absolute errors of 0.96, 1.54, and 0.58 kcal mol^-1, respectively. The CBS-QB3-Taylor method is submitted to a validation step. The method using either forward or backward derivatives achieves a mean absolute error of 0.82 kcal mol^-1. These results show that the numerical Taylor series and possibly other series expansions can be applied systematically for the development of accurate alternatives for composite methods.

Assessment of pKa Determination for Monocarboxylic Acids with an Accurate Theoretical Composite Method: G4CEP

For 22 monoprotic acids, pK_a values were calculated using the G4CEP composite theory. The solvation effect was included considering the continuous SMD solvation model; SMD and one explicit water molecule; and SMD, one water molecule, and linear correction with respect to the experimental pK_a values. The three tests provided mean absolute errors equal to 0.83, 0.51, and 0.30 pK_a units, respectively, indicating excellent performance of the G4CEP method. Comparison with density functional theory at the B3LYP and BMK levels showed that these results are quickly obtained but with a significant error. The best performance of the functionals was obtained from the combination of SMD, one explicit water molecule, linear regression correction, and basis set including diffuse functions. However, the dispersion of the results with DFT can lead to deviations of up to two pK_a units, whereas for G4CEP the largest deviations seldom exceed one pK_a unit.

Theoretical Study of Ruthenium(0)-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenative Cycloaddition of Cyclohexadiene and Norbornadiene with 1,2-Diols to Form Bridged Carbocycles

The recent success of Krische et al. ( Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2017 , 56 , 14667 -14671 ) in achieving a ruthenium(0)-catalyzed transfer hydrogenative cycloaddition of 1,2-diols with cyclohexadiene and norbornadiene in excellent yield with exo- and diastereoselectivity represents an exciting development in the synthesis of bridged carbocycles. In the present work, the possible catalytic mechanisms and origin of the exo- and diastereoselectivity for cyclohexadiene and norbornadiene were studied in detail by density functional theory calculations. The theoretical results indicate that the exoselective pathway for the cyclohexadiene substrate proceeds by a novel two-step successive C-C coupling, while the endoselective pathway undergoes the C-C coupling reaction in a conventional concerted manner. The origin of the preferential chemoselectivity of dione-cyclohexadiene C-C coupling over aromatization to benzene was investigated. Aromatization to benzene is unfavorable because of the large distortion energy of the three-membered ring in the transition state of hydrogen migration. From distortion/interaction analysis, for norbornadiene, the distortion energy plays the main role in determining the exoselectivity.