Electronic Substituent Effects in Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane and [n]Staffane Derivatives: A Quantum Chemical Study Based on Structural Variation

Electrophilic Activation of [1.1.1]Propellane for the Synthesis of Nitrogen-Substituted Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes

Strategies commonly used for the synthesis of functionalised bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes (BCP) rely on the reaction of [1.1.1]propellane with anionic or radical intermediates. In contrast, electrophilic activation has remained a considerable challenge due to the facile decomposition of BCP cations, which has severely limited the applications of this strategy. Herein, we report the electrophilic activation of [1.1.1]propellane in a halogen bond complex, which enables its reaction with electron-neutral nucleophiles such as anilines and azoles to give nitrogen-substituted BCPs that are prominent motifs in drug discovery. A detailed computational analysis indicates that the key halogen bonding interaction promotes nucleophilic attack without sacrificing cage stabilisation. Overall, our work rehabilitates electrophilic activation of [1.1.1]propellane as a valuable strategy for accessing functionalised BCPs.

Divergent Strain-Release Amino-Functionalization of [1.1.1]Propellane with Electrophilic Nitrogen-Radicals

Herein we report the development of a photocatalytic strategy for the divergent preparation of functionalized bicyclo[1.1.1]pentylamines. This approach exploits, for the first time, the ability of nitrogen-radicals to undergo strain-release reaction with [1.1.1]propellane. This reactivity is facilitated by the electrophilic nature of these open-shell intermediates and the presence of strong polar effects in the transition-state for C-N bond formation/ring-opening. With the aid of a simple reductive quenching photoredox cycle, we have successfully harnessed this novel radical strain-release amination as part of a multicomponent cascade compatible with several external trapping agents. Overall, this radical strategy enables the rapid construction of novel amino-functionalized building blocks with potential application in medicinal chemistry programs as p-substituted aniline bioisosteres.

Substituent Effect Transmission Power of Alkyl, Alkenyl, Alkynyl, Phenyl, Thiophenyl, and Polyacene Spacers

The transmission of substituent effect through a variety of spacers, that is to say, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, phenyl, thiophenyl, and polyacene has been studied by modeling Y-G-X type molecular systems (Y: reaction center; G: spacer moiety; X: substituent) using B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) density functional theory calculations. The reaction center is always kept as a C=C double bond and the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) minimum (V_min ) observed for this bond showed subtle variation with respect to the changes in the spacer unit and the nature of substituent. Strong linear correlations are observed between Hammett substituent constants (σ_I and σ_p ) and V_min , which recommend the aptness of V_min as an electronic descriptor to quantify the substituent effect. Since V_min offers an alternative measure of substituent effect, the correlation between V_min and σ_p has been used for assessing the transmission of substituent effect through a variety of spacer moieties. The highest transmission coefficient (γ) is always observed for smaller spacer length. Among all the spacers, alkenyl showed the highest and alkyl showed the lowest transmission power. The study recommends the use of short chains of C=C double, C≡C triple or a combination of both as spacers for the effective transmission of substituent effect to the reaction center.

Propellanes-From a Chemical Curiosity to "Explosive" Materials and Natural Products

Propellanes are a unique class of compounds currently consisting of well over 10 000 representatives, all featuring two more or less inverted tetrahedral carbon atoms that are common to three bridging rings. The central single bond between the two bridgeheads is significantly weakened in the smaller entities, which leads to unusual reactivities of these structurally interesting propeller-like molecules. This Review highlights the synthesis of such propellanes and their occurrence in material sciences, natural products, and medicinal chemistry. The conversion of [1.1.1]propellane into bridgehead derivatives of bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane, including oligomers and polymers with bicyclo[1.1.1]penta-1,3-diyl repeat units, is also featured. A selection of natural products with larger propellane subunits are discussed in detail. Heteropropellanes and inorganic propellanes are also addressed. The historical background is touched in brief to show the pioneering work of David Ginsburg, Günther Snatzke, Kenneth B. Wiberg, Günter Szeimies, and others.

Transmission of electronic substituent effects through a benzene framework: a computational study of 4-substituted biphenyls based on structural variation

The transmission of substituent effects through a benzene framework has been studied by a novel approach, based on the structural variation of the Ph group in p-Ph-C(6)H(4)-X molecules. The molecular structures of many 4-substituted biphenyls were determined from MO calculations at the HF/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-311++G** levels of theory. The twist angle between the phenyl probe (ring B) and the benzene framework carrying the substituent (ring A) was set at 90° to prevent π-electron transfer from one ring to the other and at 0° to maximize it. The structural variation of the probe is best represented by a linear combination of the internal ring angles, termed S(F)(BIPH(o)) and S(F)(BIPH(c)) for the orthogonal and coplanar conformations of the molecules, respectively. Regression analysis of these parameters using appropriate explanatory variables reveals a composite field effect, a substantial proportion of which is originated by resonance-induced π-charges on the carbon atoms of ring A. Field-induced polarization of the π-system of ring A also contributes to the structural variation of the probe. Thus, the S(F)(BIPH(o)) parameter is very well reproduced by a linear combination of the π-charges on the ortho, meta, and para carbons of ring A, an uncommon example of a quantitative relationship between molecular geometry and electron density distribution. Comparison of S(F)(BIPH(o)) with the gas-phase acidities of para-substituted benzoic acids shows that, while the deprotonating carboxylic probe is more sensitive to π-electron withdrawal than donation, the phenyl probe is equally sensitive to both. While the ability of the orthogonal biphenyl system to exchange π-electrons with the para substituent is the same as that of the benzene ring in Ph-X molecules, an increase by about 18% occurs when the conformation is changed from orthogonal to coplanar. The structural variation of the probe becomes more complicated, however. This is due to π-electron transfer from one ring to the other, which is shown to introduce quadratic terms in the regressions.