Modeling the reaction mechanisms of the imide formation in an N-(o-carboxybenzoyl)-L-amino acid

Mechanochemically-Assisted Synthesis of Polyimides

Polyimides were obtained in 99 % yield in under 1 h through the "beat and heat" approach, involving solvent-free vibrational ball milling and a thermal treatment step. The influence of a plethora of additives was explored, such as Lewis acids, Lewis bases, and dehydrating agents, and the mechanochemical reaction was identified to run via a polyamic acid intermediate. The protocol was adopted to a range of substrates inaccessible through solution-based processes, including perylene tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and melamine. Furthermore, quantum chemical calculations were conducted to identify the water removal as the crucial step in the reaction mechanism. The presented method is substantially faster and more versatile than the solution-based process.

SOLVENT AND SUBSTITUENT EFFECTS ON THE INTRAMOLECULAR AMIDE HYDROLYSIS OF N-METHYLMALEAMIC ACID

Intramolecular amide hydrolysis of N-methylmaleamic acid is revisited at the B3LYP/6-311G(2df, p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) + ZVPE level, including solvent effects at the CPCM-B3LYP/6-311G(2df, p)//Onsager-B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) + ZPVE level. The concerted reaction mechanism is energetically favorable over stepwise reaction mechanisms in both the gas phase and solution. The calculated reaction barriers are significantly lower in solution than in the gas phase. In addition, it is concluded that the substituents of the four N-methylmaleamic acid derivatives considered herein have a significant effect on the gas-phase reaction barriers but a smaller, or little, effect on the barriers in solution.

Effects of Mixed H2O—CH3CN and H2O—HCONMe2 Solvents on the Rate of Cleavage of N-Benzylphthalamic Acid

The values of pseudo first-order rate constants, k1, for the O-cyclization and k3 for N-cyclization of N-benzylphthalamic acid 1, obtained at 0.02 M HCl and 35°C, show a respective nonlinear increase from 17.6 × 10−6 to 29.7 × 10−6 s−1 and decrease from 12.5 × 10−7 to 3.75 × 10−7 s−1 with increase in the CH3CN content from 2 to 60% v/v in mixed aqueous solvent. Increase in the CH3CN content from 60 to 90% v/v decreases k1 from 29.7 × 10−6 to 24.4 × 10−6 s−1 and increases k3 from 3.75 × 10−7 to 14.7 × 10−7 s−1. The respective values of k1 and k3 decrease nonlinearly from 16.0 × 10−6 to 3.0 × 10−6 s−1 and 14.0 × 10−7 to ~4.0 × 10−7 s−1 with increase in the content of N,N-dimethylformamide (HCONMe2) from 2 to 80% v/v in mixed aqueous solvents. These results indicate rather mild rate-retarding effects of mixed H2O—CH3CN and H2O—HCONMe2 solvents on the rates of the intramolecular reactions.

Theoretical Studies on the Mechanism of Acid-Promoted Hydrolysis of N-Formylaziridine in Comparison with Formamide

[reaction: see text] We present an ab initio study of the acid-promoted hydrolysis reaction mechanism of N-formylaziridine in comparison with formamide. Since the rate of amide hydrolysis reactions depends on the formation of the tetrahedral intermediate, we focused our attention mainly on the reactant complex, the tetrahedral intermediate, and the transition state connecting these two stationary points. Geometries were optimized using the density functional theory, and the energetics were refined using ab initio theory including electron correlation. Solvent effects were investigated by using polarizable continuum method calculations. The proton-transfer reaction between the O-protonated and N-protonated amides was investigated. In acidic media, despite that the N-protonated species is more stable than the O-protonated one, it is predicted that both N-protonated and O-protonated pathways compete in the hydrolysis reaction of N-formylaziridine.

Modeling the reaction mechanisms of the amide hydrolysis in an N-(o-carboxybenzoyl)-L-amino acid

Reaction mechanisms of the amide hydrolysis from the protonated, neutral, and deprotonated forms of N-(o-carboxybenzoyl)-l-amino acid have been investigated by use of the B3LYP density functional method. Our calculations reveal that in the amide hydrolysis the reaction barrier is significantly lower in solution than that in the gas phase, in contrast with the mechanism for imide formation in which the solvent has little influence on the reaction barrier. In the model reactions, the water molecules function both as a catalyst and as a reactant. The reaction mechanism starting from the neutral form of N-(o-carboxybenzoyl)-l-amino acid, which corresponds to pH 0-3, is concluded to be the most favored, and a concerted mechanism is more favorable than a stepwise mechanism. This conclusion is in agreement with experimental observations that the optimal pH range for amide hydrolysis of N-(o-carboxybenzoyl)-l-leucine is pH 0-3 where N-(o-carboxybenzoyl)-l-leucine is predominantly in its neutral form. We suggest that besides the acid-catalyzed mechanism the addition-elimination mechanism is likely to be an alternative choice for cleaving an amide bond. For the reaction mechanism initiated by protonation at the amidic oxygen (hydrogen ion concentration H(0) < -1), the reaction of the model compound with two water molecules lowers the transition barrier significantly compared with that involving a single water molecule.