An Open-Shell Singlet SnI Diradical and H2 Splitting

The first SnI diradical [(ADCPh )Sn]2 (4) based on an anionic dicarbene (ADCPh ={CN(Dipp)}2 CPh; Dipp=2,6-iPr2 C6 H3 ) scaffold has been isolated as a green crystalline solid by KC8 reduction of the corresponding bis-chlorostannylene [(ADCPh )SnCl]2 (3). The six-membered C4 Sn2 -ring of 4 containing six π-electrons shows a diatropic ring current, thus 4 may also be regarded as the first 1,4-distannabenzene derivative. DFT calculations suggest an open-shell singlet (OS) ground state of 4 with a remarkably small singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEOS-T =4.4 kcal mol-1 ), which is consistent with CASSCF (ΔES-T =6.6 kcal mol-1 and diradical character y=37 %) calculations. The diradical 4 splits H2 at room temperature to yield the bis-hydridostannylene [(ADCPh )SnH]2 (5). Further reactivity of 4 has been studied with PhSeSePh and MeOTf.

Theoretical Investigation of Main-Group Element Hydride Insertion into Phosphorus-Heterocyclic Carbenes (PHCs)

Initial reports of ring expansion reactions (RER) of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with main-group element hydrides have led to several synthetic and theoretical investigations, which include reports of insertion by Be, B, Al, Si, and Zn hydrides. The RERs generally lead to insertion of the heteroatom into the endocyclic C–N bond with formation of an expanded heterocyclic ring. Following the recent isolation of a P-heterocyclic carbene (PHC), here we report results from a computational study (RI-SCS-MP2/def2-TZVP//M06–2X/def2-TZVP) of RERs with a series of PHCs for the ring-insertion of silicon (SiH4, SiH2Ph2) and boron (BH3, BH2NMe2) hydrides. In order to explore the roles of both electronic and steric effects on PHCs and their reactivity, a series of P-substituent PHCR (R=H, Me, Ph, and bulky Ar groups) were investigated. Bulky R groups serve to maximise ring planarity and the σ-donating capability of the PHC. For RER, the PHC analogues exhibit facile initial hydride transfer from the main-group hydrides to the carbene carbon, with barriers that are substantially lower than with NHCs. However, the full ring insertion mechanisms for PHCs are, in general, kinetically unfavourable due to a large barrier associated with the ring-expansion step. While bulky P-substituents maximise heterocycle planarity towards that of NHCs, the RER reactivity with bulky PHCs does not reflect that of an NHC.

Theoretical Study on Open-Shell Singlet Character and Second Hyperpolarizabilities in Cofacial π-Stacked Dimers Composed of Weak Open-Shell Antiaromatic Porphyrins

From the analysis based on the broken-symmetry density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we in this study propose a strategy to enhance the open-shell characters and third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of π-stacked dimers composed of antiaromatic molecules with weak open-shell characters. For this purpose, we here constructed cofacial π-stacked dimer models composed of aromatic and antiaromatic Ni^II porphyrins in order to examine the π-π stacking distance (R) dependence of the diradical characters (y) and static second hyperpolarizabilities (γ). The antiaromatic porphyrin dimers are found to have intermediate y around R∼3.3 Å, the result of which originates in the unique intermolecular interactions between the antiaromatic monomers. Static γ along the stacking direction of such antiaromatic porphyrin dimers with intermediate diradical characters are shown to be enhanced significantly as compared to those of the isolated monomers and the aromatic porphyrin dimers.

Overcrowded aminophospanitrenes: a case study

In a search for stable phosphinonitrenes generated by thermally induced decomposition of the azidophosphines 8a, b, different cyclodiphosp(V)azene products were generated. While in the case of 8a the expected phosphinonitrene dimer 10 could be obtained, from 8b, which has the sterically more demanding TMP substituents, product 11, was obtained and characterized. DFT calculations have revealed that the primarily formed phosphinonitrene 9b is unstable against loss of TMP˙, and the resulting radical dimerizes to the biradicaloid 1,3-diaza-2,4-diphosphetane-2,4-diyl 13. Compound 13 then dimerizes after ring opening, yielding in the ring system, which provides the final product upon reaction with the starting azidophosphine.

Open-Shell Singlet Nature and σ-/π-Conjugation Effects on the Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Si Chains: Polysilane and Poly(disilene-1,2-diyl)

We theoretically investigate the open-shell singlet nature and σ-/π-conjugation effects on the longitudinal second hyperpolarizabilities (γ) of one-dimensional chains involving silicon-silicon bonds, that is, polysilane and poly(disilene-1,2-diyl), by comparison with their carbon analogues, polyethylene and polyacetylene, respectively. It is found that poly(disilene-1,2-diyl) has less bond length alternation than polyacetylene and that σ-conjugation of polysilane is less effective on the enhancement of γ than π-conjugation of polyacetylene, whereas π-conjugation of poly(disilene-1,2-diyl) indicates a more than 20 times greater enhancement of the γ than that of polyacetylene, which is known to be a typical nonlinear optical molecule with large γ, for one-dimensional chains involving 3-5 double bonds. Further theoretical analyses of poly(disilene-1,2-diyl) reveal the σ- and π-electrons contribute negatively and positively to the γ, respectively. The latter contribution is significantly larger than the former and thus causes the remarkable enhancement of γ amplitudes due to the emerging open-shell singlet nature in the long π-conjugation length.

The stability of biradicaloid versus closed-shell [E(μ-XR)]2 (E = P, As; X = N, P, As) rings. Does aromaticity play a role?

High-level CASSCF calculations, supplemented with MCQDPT ab initio calculations, demonstrate that the [E(μ-XH)]₂ (E = P, As; X = N, P, As) compounds possess one planar and one butterfly-like isomers.

Substituent effect on the energy barrier for σ-bond formation from π-single-bonded species, singlet 2,2-dialkoxycyclopentane-1,3-diyls

Background: Localized singlet diradicals are in general quite short-lived intermediates in processes involving homolytic bond-cleavage and formation reactions. In the past decade, long-lived singlet diradicals have been reported in cyclic systems such as cyclobutane-1,3-diyls and cyclopentane-1,3-diyls. Experimental investigation of the chemistry of singlet diradicals has become possible. The present study explores the substituents and the effect of their substitution pattern at the C(1)–C(3) positions on the lifetime of singlet octahydropentalene-1,3-diyls to understand the role of the substituents on the reactivity of the localized singlet diradicals.

Results: A series of singlet 2,2-dialkoxy-1,3-diaryloctahydropentalene-1,3-diyls DR were generated in the photochemical denitrogenation of the corresponding azoalkanes AZ. The ring-closed products CP, i.e., 3,3-dialkoxy-2,4-diphenyltricyclo[3.3.0.0^2,4]octanes, were quantitatively obtained in the denitrogenation reaction. The first-order decay process (k = 1/τ) was observed for the fate of the singlet diradicals DR (λ_max ≈ 580–590 nm). The activation parameters, ΔH^‡ and ΔS^‡, for the ring-closing reaction (σ-bond formation process) were determined by the temperature-dependent change of the lifetime. The energy barrier was found to be largely dependent upon the substituents Ar and Ar’. The singlet diradical DRf (Ar = 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl, OCH₂Ar’ = OCH₂(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)) was the longest-lived, τ₂₉₃ = 5394 ± 59 ns, among the diradicals studied here. The lifetime of the parent diradical DR (Ar = Ph, OCH₂Ar’ = OCH₃) was 299 ± 2 ns at 293 K.

Conclusion: The lifetimes of the singlet 1,3-diyls are found to be largely dependent on the substituent pattern of Ar and Ar’ at the C(1)–C(3) positions. Both the enthalpy and entropy effect were found to play crucial roles in increasing the lifetime.