Impact of Diradical Spin State (Singlet vs Triplet) and Structure (Puckered vs Planar) on the Photodenitrogenation Stereoselectivity of 2,3-Diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes

Photoswitchable and long-lived seven-membered cyclic singlet diradicals for the bioorthogonal photoclick reaction

Annularly 1,3-localized singlet diradicals are energetic and homolytic intermediates, but commonly too short-lived for widespread utilization. Herein, we describe a direct observation of a long-lived and seven-membered singlet diradical, oxepine-3,6-dione-2,7-diyl (OXPID), via spectroscopic experiments and also theoretical evidence from computational studies, which is generated via photo-induced ring-expansion of 2,3-diaryl-1,4-naphthoquinone epoxide (DNQO). The photo-generated OXPID reverts to the thermally stable σ-bonded DNQO with t1/2 in the μs level, thus constituting a novel class of T-type molecular photoswitches with high light-energy conversion efficiency (η = 7.8-33%). Meanwhile, the OXPID is equilibrated to a seven-membered cyclic 1,3-dipole as an electronic tautomer that can be captured by ring-strained dipolarophiles with an ultrafast cycloaddition rate (k2CA up to 109 M-1 s-1). The T-type photoswitchable DNQO is then exploited to be a highly selective and recyclable photoclick reagent, enabling spatiotemporal-resolved bioorthogonal ligation on living cell membranes via a tailored DNQO-Cy3 probe.

Energetically More Stable Singlet Cyclopentane-1,3-diyl Diradical with π-Single Bonding Character than the Corresponding σ-Single Bonded Compound

Carbon-carbon σ-single bonds are crucial for constructing molecules like ethane derivatives (R3C-CR3), which are composed of tetrahedral four-coordinate carbons. Molecular functions, such as light absorption or emission, originate from the π-bonds existing in ethylene derivatives (R2C═CR2). In this study, a relatively stable cyclopentane-1,3-diyl species with π-single bonding system (C-π-C) with planar four-coordinate carbons is constructed. This diradicaloid is energetically more stable than the corresponding σ-single bonding system. The π-electron single bonding system provides deeper insights into the chemical bonding and the physical properties derived from the small energy gaps between the bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals.

Direct Detection of Singlet Cyclopentane-1,3-diyl Diradicals By Infrared and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy at Cryogenic Temperature and Their Photoreactivity

Photolysis of a 7,7-difluoro-1,4-diphenyl-2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene derivative (AZ1) using a 365 nm light-emitting diode in an Ar matrix at 4 K resulted in the formation of a planar singlet 2,2-difluoro-1,3-diphenylcyclopentane-1,3-diyl diradical derivative, S-DR1-pl (λ_max = 520 nm). A singlet cyclopentane-1,3-diyl diradical system (S-DR1-pl) was directly detected by steady-state infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Due to the photolability of S-DR1-pl, initial photolysis of AZ1 also yielded the ring-closed product ret-CP1 and migration products trans-MG1 and/or cis-MG1, which were observed using IR spectra. Monitoring of prolonged photolysis using IR and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra demonstrated the formation of the allylic cation CT1 (λ_max = 470 nm). On the other hand, photolysis of a 7,7-dimethoxy-1,4-diphenyl-2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene derivative (AZ2) yielded a puckered conformer (instead of planar) of the corresponding diradical S-DR2-puc, which was detected by IR and UV-vis spectroscopy in an Ar matrix at 4 K. This spectroscopic characterization opens a new strategy to obtain more detailed information about the structure and reactivity of singlet cyclopentane-1,3-diyl diradicals.

Impact of the macrocyclic structure and dynamic solvent effect on the reactivity of a localised singlet diradicaloid with π-single bonding character

Localised singlet diradicals are key intermediates in bond homolysis processes. Generally, these highly reactive species undergo radical–radical coupling reaction immediately after their generation. Therefore, their short-lived character hampers experimental investigations of their nature. In this study, we implemented the new concept of “stretch effect” to access a kinetically stabilised singlet diradicaloid. To this end, a macrocyclic structure was computationally designed to enable the experimental examination of a singlet diradicaloid with π-single bonding character. The kinetically stabilised diradicaloid exhibited a low carbon–carbon coupling reaction rate of 6.4 × 10³ s⁻¹ (155.9 μs), approximately 11 and 1000 times slower than those of the first generation of macrocyclic system (7.0 × 10⁴ s⁻¹, 14.2 μs) and the parent system lacking the macrocycle (5 × 10⁶ s⁻¹, 200 ns) at 293 K in benzene, respectively. In addition, a significant dynamic solvent effect was observed for the first time in intramolecular radical–radical coupling reactions in viscous solvents such as glycerin triacetate. This theoretical and experimental study demonstrates that the stretch effect and solvent viscosity play important roles in retarding the σ-bond formation process, thus enabling a thorough examination of the nature of the singlet diradicaloid and paving the way toward a deeper understanding of reactive intermediates.

An extremely long-lived localised singlet diradical with π-single bonding character is found in a macrocyclic structure that retards the radical–radical coupling reaction by the “stretch and solvent-dynamic effects”.

Unusually Long-Wavelength Emissions of Cyclopropanes: New Insight into C-C Bond Homolysis

Bond homolysis (BHo) is a fundamental concept in chemical-bonding phenomena. To date, research studies on the BHo concept have provided crucial information for understanding the nature of chemical bonding and reactions. Two potential-energy minima, a σ-bonding isomer and a singlet-diradical isomer, have been known to exist in carbon-carbon BHo. Herein, a third isomer, that is, a puckered singlet diradical exhibiting unstructured long-wavelength fluorescence beyond 460 nm, was first observed in the excited states of 1,4-diarylbicyclo[2.1.0]pentane derivatives. The careful selection of appropriate substituents in the bicyclic structures enabled direct spectral detection. State-of-the-art ab initio quantum chemical calculations quantitatively reproduced the experimental observations. This new finding provides new insight into carbon-carbon bond-breaking and -forming processes.

Mechanistic study of stereoselectivity in azoalkane denitrogenations

Since 1965, the stereoselectivity in azoalkane denitrogenation has attracted much attention in both synthetic organic chemistry and physical organic chemistry. In this paper, a short review of the recent findings on the mechanism underlying the fascinating stereoselectivity in azoalkane denitrogenation is presented. The two types of singlet diradicals, i.e. the puckered and planar conformations, were found to play important roles in the stereoselectivity in the photochemical denitrogenation of cyclic azoalkanes. The presence of the puckered singlet diradical, which is the third isomer in homolysis, resolves the mechanistic puzzle reported so far for the stereoselectivity in azoalkane denitrogenations.