State-Dependent Global and Local Electrophilicity of the Aryl Cations

Aryl-aryl cross-coupling reactions without reagents or catalysts: photocyclization of ortho-iodoaryl ethers and related compounds via triplet aryl cation intermediates

Cyclisations of benzyl ortho-iodoaryl ethers to benzo[c]chromenes can be effected without reagents or catalysts by irradiation with UVC under flow. Reactions proceed via triplet aryl cation generation, 5-exo and 3-exo-cyclisations, and rearomatisation. They have wide scope, are easy to effect and extend to a myriad of related ring systems.

Impact sensitivity of aryl diazonium chlorides: Limitations of molecular and solid-state approach

The mechanism of the compression-induced decomposition of aryl diazonium chlorides is proposed on the basis of quantum-chemical calculations of both the isolated cations and crystalline materials. The electron transfer from the anion to the cation, followed by the crystal decomposition, is observed with the rise of pressure. Taking the known nature of the structural changes in cations undergone upon reduction, five structural, vibrational and electronic determinants of impact sensitivity are found. Thus, a correlation (R² = 0.79) between the experimentally known impact sensitivity of 40 different aryl diazonium cations and the developed empirical function Ω, which includes the above-mentioned parameters, is obtained. Meanwhile, an abnormal impact sensitivity of 4-nitrobenzenediazonium chloride (4 J) compared to the parent benzenediazonium chloride (3 J) is rationalized on the basis of first-principles calculations of the latter and its three nitro derivatives. Using our recently proposed solid-state criteria of impact sensitivity, another empirical function Ω was developed being able to predict impact sensitivity of these four salts with very good confidence (R² = 0.97).

Thermally accessible triplet state of π-nucleophiles does exist. Evidence from first principles study of ethylene interaction with copper species

Three different models of ethylene interaction with copper species, namely, the Cu(100) surface, odd-numbered copper clusters C₂H₄/Cu_n (where n = 3, 7, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25 and 27) and atomic copper C₂H₄/Cu were studied theoretically.

Competing pathways in the photogeneration of didehydrotoluenes from (Trimethylsilylmethyl)aryl sulfonates and phosphates

The scope of the photochemical generation of α,n-didehydrotoluene diradicals from aryl sulfonates and phosphates and their chemistry are explored. The thermally inaccessible α,2- and α,4- intermediates are efficiently obtained by irradiation of ortho- and para-(trimethylsilylmethyl)phenyl triflates through heterolytic splitting of the ester anion from the substrate in the triplet state. Triplet phenyl cations are formed and the loss of trimethylsilyl cation from them affords the desired diradicals ((3) Me3 SiCH2 C6 H4 -OZ→(3) Me3 SiCH2 C6 H4 (+) →(⋅) CH2 C6 H4 (⋅)). Triplet sensitization is required, for which acetone is used throughout. Direct irradiation leads, on the contrary, to photo-Fries fragmentation ((1) Me3 SiCH2 C6 H4 O-Z→Me3 SiCH2 C6 H4 O(⋅) +Z(⋅)). With mesylates, where ester cleavage is less convenient, a further competition from the triplet is direct desilylation. Didehydrotoluenes are also obtained from the corresponding phosphates, although with poor efficiency.

Electrochemical and theoretical analysis of the reactivity of shikonin derivatives: dissociative electron transfer in esterified compounds

An electrochemical and theoretical analysis of a series of shikonin derivatives in aprotic media is presented. Results showed that the first electrochemical reduction signal is a reversible monoelectronic transfer, generating a stable semiquinone intermediate; the corresponding E(I)⁰ values were correlated with calculated values of electroaccepting power (ω(+)) and adiabatic electron affinities (A(Ad)), obtained with BH and HLYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) and considering the solvent effect, revealing the influence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and the substituting group at position C-2 in the experimental reduction potential. For the second reduction step, esterified compounds isobutyryl and isovalerylshikonin presented a coupled chemical reaction following dianion formation. Analysis of the variation of the dimensionless cathodic peak potential values (ξ(p)) as a function of the scan rate (v) functions and complementary experiments in benzonitrile suggested that this process follows a dissociative electron transfer, in which the rate of heterogeneous electron transfer is slow (~0.2 cm s(-1)), and the rate constant of the chemical process is at least 10(5) larger.

Aromaticity of the planar hetero[8]circulenes and their doubly charged ions: NICS and GIMIC characterization

All hetero[8]circulenes represent nonaromatic species because the paratropic internal currents (red colour) substantially cancel out the diatropic contribution on the outside edge (blue colour).