Transfer hydrogenation between ethane and ethene: a critical assessment of theoretical procedures

Pericyclic reaction benchmarks: hierarchical computations targeting CCSDT(Q)/CBS and analysis of DFT performance

Hierarchical, convergent ab initio benchmark computations were performed followed by a systematic analysis of DFT performance for five pericyclic reactions comprising Diels-Alder, 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, electrocyclic rearrangement, sigmatropic rearrangement, and double group transfer prototypes. Focal point analyses (FPA) extrapolating to the ab initio limit were executed via explicit quantum chemical computations with electron correlation treatments through CCSDT(Q) and correlation-consistent Gaussian basis sets up to aug'-cc-pV5Z. Optimized geometric structures and vibrational frequencies of all stationary points were obtained at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level of theory. The FPA reaction barriers and energies exhibit convergence to within a few tenths of a kcal mol-1. The FPA benchmarks were used to evaluate the performance of 60 density functionals (eight dispersion-corrected), covering the local-density approximation (LDA), generalized gradient approximations (GGAs), meta-GGAs, hybrids, meta-hybrids, double-hybrids, and range-separated hybrids. The meta-hybrid M06-2X functional provided the best overall performance [mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.1 kcal mol-1] followed closely by the double-hybrids B2K-PLYP, mPW2K-PLYP, and revDSD-PBEP86 [MAE of 1.4-1.5 kcal mol-1]. The regularly used GGA functional BP86 gave a higher MAE of 5.8 kcal mol-1, but it qualitatively described the trends in reaction barriers and energies. Importantly, we established that accurate yet efficient meta-hybrid or double-hybrid DFT potential energy surfaces can be acquired based on geometries from the computationally efficient and robust BP86/DZP level.

Transfer hydrogenation of alkynes into alkenes by ammonia borane over Pd-MOF catalysts

Ammonia borane with both hydridic and protic hydrogens in its structure acted as an efficient transfer hydrogenation agent for selective transformation of alkynes into alkenes in non-protic solvents.

Ionic S(N)i-Si Nucleophilic Substitution in N-Methylaniline-Induced Si-Si Bond Cleavages of Si2Cl6

N-Methylaniline-induced Si-Si bond cleavage of Si2Cl6 has been theoretically studied. All calculations were performed by using DFT at the MPWB1K/6-311++G(3df,2p)//MPWB1K/6-31+G(d,p) levels. An ionic SN i-Si nucleophilic substitution mechanism, which is a newly found nucleophilic substitution in silicon-containing compounds, is proposed in the N-methylaniline-induced Si-Si bond cleavage in Si2Cl6. Unlike general S(N)i-Si nucleophilic substitutions that go through a pentacoordinated silicon transition state, ionic nucleophilic substitution goes through a tetracoordinated silicon transition state, in which the Si-Si bond is broken and siliconium ions are formed. Special cleavage of the Si-Si bond is presumably due to the good bonding strength between Si and N atoms, which leads to polarization of the Si-Si bond and eventually to heterolytic cleavage. Calculation results show that, in excess N-methylaniline, the final products of the reaction, including (NMePh)(3-n) SiHCl(n) (n=0-2) and (NMePh)(4-n) SiCl(n) (n=2-3), are the Si-Si cleavage products of Si2Cl6 and the corresponding amination products of the former. The ionic S(N)i-Si nucleophilic substitution mechanism can also be employed to describe the amination of chlorosilane by N-methylaniline. The suggested mechanisms are consistent with experimental data.

A computational study of methanol-to-hydrocarbon conversion — Towards the design of a low-barrier process

Computational quantum chemistry has been employed to examine the production of ethylene with methanol-to-hydrocarbon (MTH) processes via a carbon pool mechanism. We find that the M05-2X functional performs well for the types of reactions that are involved. The methylation reactions of the aromatic cocatalyst are the most energy-demanding steps in the process. For the subsequent production of C2H4, we have identified a low-energy pathway that involves multiple methyl shifts, followed by concerted deprotonation and C2H4 elimination. The substitutions of the Al and Si atoms in the participating Si–OH–Al moiety of zeolite catalysts with Ga and Ge do not lead to lower barriers for the methylation reactions, nor does the use of a more electron-rich aromatic cocatalyst. However, we find that the use of two cocatalysts, a nucleophile and an aromatic carbon pool, can provide an overall low-energy pathway for the MTH process.

Uncatalyzed transfer hydrogenation of quinones and related systems: a theoretical mechanistic study

Quantum chemistry calculations have been used to study the uncatalyzed transfer hydrogenation between a range of hydrogen donors and acceptors, in the gas phase and in solution. Our study shows in the first place that in order to obtain reliable condensed-phase transition structures, it is necessary to perform geometry optimization in the presence of a continuum. In addition, the use of a free energy of solvation obtained with the UB3-LYP/6-31+G(d,p)/IEF-PCM/UA0 combination, in conjunction with UMPWB1K/6-311+G(3df,2p)//B3-LYP/6-31+G(d,p) gas-phase energies, gives the best agreement with experimental barriers. In condensed phases, the geometries and energies of the transition structures are found to relate to one another in a manner consistent with the Hammond postulate. There is also a correlation between the barriers and the energies of the radical intermediates in accord with the Bell-Evans-Polanyi principle. We find that in the gas phase, all the transfer-hydrogenation reactions examined proceed via a radical pathway. In condensed phases, some of the reactions follow a radical mechanism regardless of the solvent. However, for some reactions there is a change from a radical mechanism to an ionic mechanism as the solvent becomes more polar. Our calculations indicate that the detection of radical adducts by EPR does not necessarily indicate a predominant radical mechanism, because of the possibility of a concurrent ionic reaction. We also find that the transition structures for these reactions do not necessarily have a strong resemblance to the intermediates, and therefore one should be cautious in utilizing the influence of polar effects on the rate of reaction as a means of determining the mechanism.

Modeling the nitrogenase FeMo cofactor with high-spin Fe8 S9 X+ (XN, C) clusters. Is the first step for N2 reduction to NH3 a concerted dihydrogen transfer?

A high-spin Fe(8)S(9)X(+) (X=N, C) cluster is used to model the reduction of molecular nitrogen to ammonia by the nitrogenase FeMo cofactor at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)/ECP(Fe,SDD) level of theory. A total of seventy-three structures were optimized (including three transition state optimizations) to explore the structure and energetic of N(2), C(2)H(2), and CO coordination to the Fe(8)S(9)X(+) cluster. After three protonation-reduction (PR) steps (modeled by addition of hydrogen atoms), N(2), C(2)H(2), and CO are predicted to bind to a Fe atom in the exo (cage does not open) position with binding energies of 7.6, 14.7, and 11.7 kcal/mol. With additional PR steps the coordination number of the core nitrogen atom is reduced from six to five and the bridging thiol group becomes a terminal SH(2) group. The fifth and sixth PR steps occur on the core nitrogen and the open Fe site. Coordination of N(2) is enhanced after six PR steps to give an intermediate ideally suited for a concerted dihydrogen transfer from the Fe and core nitrogen atoms to the coordinated N(2). The identity of the central atom (nitrogen or carbon) has only a minor effect on the reaction steps.