Influence of carbocation stability in the gas phase on solvolytic reactivity: beyond bridgehead derivatives

Easy and accurate computation of energy barriers for carbocation solvation: an expeditious tool to face carbocation chemistry

An expeditious procedure for the challenging computation of the free energy barriers (ΔG≠) for the solvation of carbocations is presented. This procedure is based on Marcus Theory (MT) and the popular B3LYP/6-31G(d)//PCM method, and it allows the easy, accurate and inexpensive prediction of these barriers for carbocations of very different stability. This method was validated by the fair mean absolute error (ca. 1.5 kcal mol-1) achieved in the prediction of 19 known experimental barriers covering a range of ca. 50 kcal mol-1. Interestingly, the new procedure also uses an original method for the calculation of the required inner reorganization energy (Λi) and free energy of reaction (ΔG). This procedure should pave the way to face computationally the pivotal issue of carbocation chemistry and could be easily extended to any bimolecular organic reaction.

Stability of alkyl carbocations

The traditional and widespread rationale behind the stability trend of alkyl-substituted carbocations is incomplete.

Nature of Salt Effects and Mechanism of Covalent Bond Heterolysis

Data on the influence of neutral salts on the rates of unimolecular heterolyses of organic substrates, obtained mainly by the verdazyl method, are summarized here. It is assumed that heterolysis takes place with consecutive formation of four ion pairs: contact (CIP), cavity-separated (CSIP), one solvent moleculeseparated (SIP) and solvent-separated (SSIP). [Formula: see text]

In the limiting step, the CIP interacts with a solvent cavity and the CSIP is formed, which converts quickly into the SIP and subsequently to the SSIP, which also quickly gives the reaction products. In the transition state, bonds between the molecules solvating the CIP are broken. In the absence of salt, the return from external ion pairs does not have much importance. The verdazyl indicator quickly and quantitatively reacts with the SSIP.

The normal salt effect takes place due to the action of salt on the covalent substrate, which catalyses CIP formation. The special salt effect is caused by the association of the salt with the CIP, which prolongs the lifetime of the intermediate and increases the probability of its contact with a solvent cavity.

The negative special salt effect is caused by association of the salt with the SIP or SSIP, which prolongs the lifetime of the intermediates and increases the probability of their contact with a solvent cavity to return to the covalent substrate. When the salt reacts with the SIP, the salt effect does not depend on the concentration and nature of verdazyl, but such a dependence takes place when the salt reacts with the SSIP.

The site of the action of the salt is determined by the Hard and Soft Acids and Bases (HSAB) principle.

Why Are Vinyl Cations Sluggish Electrophiles?

The kinetics of the reactions of the vinyl cations 2 [Ph₂C═C⁺-(4-MeO-C₆H₄)] and 3 [Me₂C═C⁺-(4-MeO-C₆H₄)] (generated by laser flash photolysis) with diverse nucleophiles (e.g., pyrroles, halide ions, and solvents containing variable amounts of water or alcohol) have been determined photometrically. It was found that the reactivity order of the nucleophiles toward these vinyl cations is the same as that toward diarylcarbenium ions (benzhydrylium ions). However, the reaction rates of vinyl cations are affected only half as much by variation of the nucleophiles as those of the benzhydrylium ions. For that reason, the relative reactivities of vinyl cations and benzhydrylium ions depend strongly on the nature of the nucleophiles. It is shown that vinyl cations 2 and 3 react, respectively, 227 and 14 times more slowly with trifluoroethanol than the parent benzhydrylium ion (Ph)₂CH⁺, even though in solvolysis reactions (80% aqueous ethanol at 25 °C) the vinyl bromides leading to 2 and 3 ionize much more slowly (half-lives 1.15 yrs and 33 days) than (Ph)₂CH-Br (half-life 23 s). The origin of this counterintuitive phenomenon was investigated by high-level MO calculations. We report that vinyl cations are not exceptionally high energy intermediates, and that high intrinsic barriers for the sp² ⇌ sp rehybridizations account for the general phenomenon that vinyl cations are formed slowly by solvolytic cleavage of vinyl derivatives, and are also consumed slowly by reactions with nucleophiles.

Hyperconjugation in hydrocarbons: Not just a “mild sort of conjugation”

This article emphasizes two underappreciated aspects of hyperconjugation in hydrocarbons, two-way hyperconjugation and hyperconjugation in tight spaces. Nonplanar polyenes [e.g., cyclooctatetraene (D2d), biphenyl (D2), styrene (C1)], the nonplanar rotational transition states (TSs) of planar polyenes (e.g., perpendicular 1,3-butadiene), as well as the larger nonplanar Hückel or Möbius annulenes, are stabilized by effective σ-electron delocalization (involving either the C–C or C–H bonds) via two-way hyperconjugation. The collective consequence of two-way hyperconjugation in molecules can be nearly as stabilizing as π-conjugation effects in planar polyenes. Reexamination of the σ- vs. π-bond strength of ethylene results in surprising counterintuitive insights. Strained rings and cages (e.g., cyclopropane and tetrahedrane derivatives, the cubyl cation, etc.) can foster unexpectedly large hyperconjugation stabilizations due to their highly deformed ring angles. The thermochemical stabilities of these species rely on a fine balance between their opposing destabilizing geometrical features and stabilizing hyperconjugative effects in tight spaces (adjustable via substituent effects). We hope to help dispel chemists’ prejudice in viewing hyperconjugation as merely a “mild” effect with unimportant consequences for interpreting the structures and energies of molecules.

Solvent-equilibrated homoadamantyl chloride ion pairs from chloroformate or oxachlorocarbene fragmentations

Fragmentations of 3-homoadamantyl chloroformate and 3-homoadamantyloxychlorocarbene produce identical ion pairs as product-determining intermediates.

Rates of C−S Bond Cleavage in tert-Alkyl Phenyl Sulfide Radical Cations

[reaction: see text] Radical cations of tert-alkyl phenyl sulfides 1-4 have been generated photochemically in MeCN in the presence of the N-methoxyphenanthridinium cation (MeOP(+)), and the rates of C-S bond cleavage have been determined by laser flash photolysis.

Solvent-Equilibrated Ion Pairs from Carbene Fragmentation Reactions

[R(+) OC Cl(-)] ion pairs were generated in methanol/dichloroethane solutions, with R(+) as the 1-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl, 1-adamantyl, or 3-homoadamantyl cation. Ion pairs were produced either by the direct fragmentation of alkoxychlorocarbenes (ROCCl), with R = 1-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl, 1-adamantyl, or 3-homoadamantyl, or by the ring expansion-fragmentation of R'CH(2)OCCl, with R' = 1-norbornyl, 3-noradamantyl, or 1-adamantyl. Correlations of the [ROMe]/[RCl] product ratios as a function of the mole fraction of MeOH in dichloroethane showed that the homoadamantyl chloride ion pairs, produced by either the direct or ring expansion-fragmentations, were identical, solvent- and anion-equilibrated, and precursor independent. Laser flash photolysis experiments gave 20-30 ps as the time required for solvent equilibration and precursor independence. Methanol/chloride selectivities of the (less-stable) 1-adamantyl chloride and 1-bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl chloride ion pairs were not independent of their ROCCl or R'CH(2)OCCl precursors. Computational studies provided transition states for the fragmentations and for the structures of the ion pairs.