Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)

This Glossary contains definitions, explanatory notes, and sources for terms used in physical organic chemistry. Its aim is to provide guidance on the terminology of physical organic chemistry, with a view to achieving a consensus on the meaning and applicability of useful terms and the abandonment of unsatisfactory ones. Owing to the substantial progress in the field, this 2021 revision of the Glossary is much expanded relative to the previous edition, and it includes terms from cognate fields.

Pyrazinyl- and pyrimidinylketenes, bisketenes, and ylides: direct observation and nucleophilic reactivity

Pyrazinylketene (9) and 4-pyrimidinylketene (11), identified by their IR absorption at 2128 and 2130 cm−1, respectively, are formed in CH3CN as transient intermediates by photolysis of the corresponding diazoketones. The corresponding ylides 10 and 12 are formed concurrently as longer-lived intermediates identified by their distinctive IR and UV absorption. Reactions of 2-pyridylketene and of 9 and 11 with diethylamine form initial amide enol intermediates leading to dihydroheteroarene intermediates and then to amides, whereas amide enols are not observed in reactions with n-butylamine. Reactions with water give observable dihydroheteroarenes. 2,5-Bis(ketenyl)pyrazine (33) is formed by photolysis of 2,5-bis(diazoacetyl)pyrazine (32) together with the corresponding bis(ylide) 35. The latter is calculated to have two geometrically isomeric structures (bond-stretch isomers) with similar energies, one with a central six-membered aromatic ring and another with a 10-pi electron aromatic system.

Ketene reactions with tertiary amines

Tertiary amines react rapidly and reversibly with arylketenes in acetonitrile forming observable zwitterions, and these undergo amine catalyzed dealkylation forming N,N-disubstituted amides. Reactions of N-methyldialkylamines show a strong preference for methyl group loss by displacement, as predicted by computational studies. Loss of ethyl groups in reactions with triethylamine also occur by displacement, but preferential loss of isopropyl groups in the phenylketene reaction with diisopropylethylamine evidently involves elimination. Quinuclidine rapidly forms long-lived zwitterions with arylketenes, providing a model for catalysis by cinchona and related alkaloids in stereoselective additions to ketenes.

The bisketene radical cation and its formation by oxidative ring-opening of cyclobutenedione

Parent cyclobutenedione 1 was photolyzed and ionized in an Ar matrix at 10K. The bisketene 2 that results in both cases (in the form of its radical cation after ionization) was characterized by its IR spectrum and by high-level quantum chemical calculations. Experiment and theory show that the neutral bisketene has only a single conformation where the two ketene moieties are nearly perpendicular, whereas the radical cation is present in two stable planar conformations. The mechanism of the ring-opening reaction, both in the neutral and in the radical cation, is discussed on the basis of calculations. In the latter case it is a nonsynchronous process that involves an avoided crossing of states.

Generation, observation, and reactivity of furyl- and thienylketenes and bisketenes

2- and 3-Furylketenes (18 and 20), 2- and 3-thienylketenes (19 and 21), and bis(2,5-ketenyl)thiophene (24) have been generated as observable reactive intermediates by photochemical Wolff rearrangements. Stabilization energies of the monoketenes 18–21 have been determined by DFT computations of isodesmic energy changes, and these ketenes are predicted to be modestly destabilized relative to phenylketene. Rate constants for reaction of 18–21 with H2O and with n-BuNH2 have been measured and are similar to those of the 2-, 3-, and 4-pyridylketenes (1). The product of reaction of 2-furylketene (18) with H2O is calculated to be stable as an acid enol, and reaction of 18 with the stable free radical TEMPO forms a stable ester enol, consistent with stabilization by intramolecular H-bonding to the furyl oxygen. Bis(thienyl)-1,2-bisketenes 26 and 28 have been generated by photochemical cyclobutenedione ring opening and are highly reactive in ring closure. This is attributed to destabilization of the ketenes and stabilization of the cyclobutenediones by the electron donating aryl groups.Key words: ketenes, furans, thiophenes, reactive intermediates, photolysis, mechanisms.

Structural effects on interconversion of oxygen-substituted bisketenes and cyclobutenediones

Cyclobutenediones 5 disubstituted with HO (a), MeO (b), EtO (c), i-PrO (d), t-BuO (e), PhO (f), 4-MeOC6H4O (g), 4-O2NC6H4O (h), and 3,4-bridging OCH2CH2O (i) substituents upon laser flash photolysis gave the corresponding bisketenes 6a-i, as detected by their distinctive doublet IR absorptions between 2075 and 2106 and 2116 and 2140 cm-1. The reactivities in ring closure back to the cyclobutenediones were greatest for the group 6b-e, with the highest rate constant of 2.95 x 10(7) s-1 at 25 degrees C for 6e (RO = t-BuO) in isooctane, were less for 6a (RO = OH, k = 2.57 x 10(6) s-1 in CH3CN), while 6f-i were the least reactive, with the lowest rate constant of 3.8 x 10(4) s-1 in CH3CN for 6h (RO = 4-O2NC6H4O). The significantly reduced rate constants for 6f-i are attributed to diminution of the electron-donating ability of oxygen to the cyclobutenediones 5f-h by the ArO substituents compared to alkoxy groups and to angle strain in the bridged product cyclobutenedione 5i. The reactivities of the ArO-substituted bisketenes 6f-h in CH3CN varied by a factor of 50 and gave an excellent correlation of the observed rate constants log k with the sigma p constants of the aryl substituents. Computational studies at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of ring-closure barriers are consistent with the measured reactivities. Photolysis of squaric acid (5a) in solution provides a convenient preparation of deltic acid (7).

Observable azacyclobutenone ylides with antiaromatic character from 2-diazoacetyl-azaaromatics

Azacyclobutenone ylides 2 and 11 were generated in solution by laser flash photolysis of 2-diazoacetylpyridine (1) and 3-diazoacetylpyridazine (10), respectively, together with the corresponding ketenes. The ylides were identified by their characteristic IR and UV spectra: 2, nu (CH3CN) 1725 cm(-1), lambdamax 360 and 550 (br) nm; 11, nu (CH3CN) 1776 cm(-1), lambdamax 370 and 550 (br) nm. 2-Triisopropylsilyldiazoacetylpyridine 20 upon photolysis at 5 degrees C in CH3CN forms the ylide 21 as a rather persistent (T1/2 2 h at 25 degrees C) purple solution, nu (CH3CN) 1718 cm(-1), lambdamax 245, 378 and 546 (br) nm, but no ketene is observed. Quinolyl ylide 14 and pyridyl ylides 17 and 19 with Me and 2-pyridyl substituents, respectively, with characteristic IR and UV spectra were also generated. The 1H NMR spectrum of the pyridyl ring of 21 shows substantial upfield shifts relative to those of 20. Calculated nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS) for 2, 11, and 21 are comparable to those for benzocyclobutadiene (22) and benzocyclobutenone enolate (23), with substantial positive values for the 4-membered rings, while the NICS values for the 6-membered rings are significantly more positive than for benzene or pyridine. Significant bond alternation is also found in the calculated ylide structures, and these results suggest strong antiaromatic character for the 4-membered rings of 2, 11, 14, 17, 19, and 21, and greatly reduced aromatic character for the 6-membered rings.

Amino Substituted Bisketenes: Generation, Structure, and Reactivity

Hitherto unknown diamino-substituted bisketenes with both free (14) and tethered (16) amino substituents have been generated by using laser flash photolysis for ring opening of the corresponding cyclobutenediones. The time-resolved kinetics of ring closure of the amino bisketenes back to the cyclobutenediones were measured by IR or UV spectroscopy, and give first-order rate constants which vary by a factor of 7.5x10(4), and the bis(Me2N) bisketene 14 is the most reactive in ring closure that has been reported. Rate constants for ring closure of these and previously observed bisketenes vary by a factor of 10(13). The dialkylamino bisketenes 16 (R=Me, n-Bu) with tethered substituents and restricted geometries are less reactive than the bis(Me2N) bisketene 14 by factors of 1700 and 540, respectively. Computational results obtained with DFT methods suggest angle strain in the tethered cyclobutenediones 15 inhibits facile cyclization of bisketenes 16.

Ferrocenylketene and Ferrocenyl-1,2-bisketenes: Direct Observation and Reactivity Measurements

[Structure: see text]. Ferrocenylketene (1) is calculated to be destabilized by 1.6 kcal/mol relative to phenylketene (10) by B3LYP isodesmic comparison to the corresponding alkenes. Ketene 1 generated by Wolff rearrangement in CH3CN is identified by the IR band at 2119 cm(-1) and has a rate constant for reaction with n-BuNH2 less than that for 10 by a factor of 5. 1,2-Bisferrocenyl-1,2-bisketene 18 and 1-ferrocenyl-2-trimethylsilyl-1,2-bisketene 21 were prepared by photochemical ring opening of the corresponding cyclobutenediones, and 18 undergoes rapid ring closure 67 times faster than the corresponding 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-bisketene, while bisketene 21 is longer lived than 18 by a factor of 3.2 x 10(4).

Physical organic chemistry in Canada 1900–2005

Some of the history of the development of physical organic chemistry in Canada from the 1920s is presented, including many of the individuals involved, and their major areas of interest.Key words: history of physical organic chemistry in Canada, organic reaction mechanisms, free radicals, kinetics.

Acid enol and dihydropyridine intermediates in pyridylketene hydration — A computational study

3-Pyridylketene (3-1) is found experimentally to undergo hydration forming an intermediate acid enol 3-2; whereas 2- and 4-pyridylketenes (2-1 and 4-1), instead, form (carboxymethylene)dihydropyridine intermediates 2-4 and 4-4, which live much longer than 3-2. Density functional calculations have been carried out to elucidate the hydration reactivity of these ketenes, and reveal that the dihydropyridine intermediates 2-4 and 4-4 are more stable than the unobserved acid enols 2-2 and 4-2 by 6.23 and 12.2 kcal/mol, respectively. For 3-1 a pathway was calculated utilizing two H2O molecules leading to the acid enol intermediate 3-2, which then forms 3-pyridylacetic acid (3-3). Hydration of 4-pyridylketene involves net 1,6-addition of water, and a pathway involving a bridge of six H2O molecules connecting the pyridyl nitrogen and the carbonyl carbon was determined. Key words: mechanisms of pyridylketene hydration, computations, enols, dihydropyridines.

Formation of fulleroids as major products and application of solid state reaction in the functionalization of [60]fullerene by aromatic diazoketones

The reactions of various aromatic diazoketones with [60]fullerene were investigated in solution (o-dichlorobenzene) or in the solid-state. Under all the conditions examined, the fulleroid with the methine proton located over a six-membered ring was obtained as a major product along with a slight amount of the other fulleroid diastereoisomer and methanofullerene. Solid-state reactions considerably enhanced the reaction efficiency with minor effects on the selectivity. The thermal isomerization and photoisomerization from fulleroids into methanofullerene were relatively slow, almost independent of substituents under the conditions examined.

Hydration of Pyridylketenes: Formation of Acid Enol and Dihydropyridine (Eneaminone) Transients

2-, 3-, and 4-Pyridylketenes 4 formed in water by photochemical Wolff rearrangements using flash photolysis undergo rapid hydration forming transient intermediates observed by UV spectroscopy. 3-Pyridylketene (3-4) formed the acid enol intermediate 3-10 which was converted to the acid 3-11, and phenylketene gave similar behavior. 4-Pyridylketene (4-4) reacted with a similar initial rate constant of 5.0 x 10(4) s(-1) for decay of an absorption at 275 nm, with concomitant formation of a strong absorption at 370 nm with the same rate constant. The intermediate absorbing at 370 nm decayed with a lifetime 2.4 x 10(3) fold longer than that of the ketene, and is identified as 4-(carboxymethylene)-1,4-dihydropyridine (4-13), resulting from conjugate 1,6-addition of H(2)O to 4-4. 2-Pyridylketene (2-4) underwent hydration with a similar rate constant of 1.1 x 10(4) s(-1) forming a transient with a UV absorption with maxima at 310 and 380 nm that decayed with biexponetial kinetics, with rate constants slower than the rate of formation by factors of 5.2 and 110, respectively. These results are interpreted as indicating the presence of two species, namely Z- and E-2-(carboxymethylene)-1,2-dihydropyridines (2-13), resulting from conjugate 1,4-addition of H(2)O to 2-4. The identifications of the 1,2- and 1,4-(carboxymethylene)dihydropyridines 2- and 4-13 were confirmed by comparison of their UV spectra with those of the corresponding N-methyl derivatives. The amination of 2-pyridylketene in CH(3)CN was reinvestigated, and spectroscopic evidence, computational studies, and preparation of the N-methyl analogue demonstrated formation of the 1,2-dihydropyridine Z-2-8f as the long-lived intermediate.

Hydration of Phenylketene Revisited: A Counter-Intuitive Result

In previous work (Can. J. Chem. 1987, 65, 1719-1723 and J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 9165-9171), flash photolysis of diazoacetophenone or phenylhydroxycyclopropenone in aqueous solution was found to produce phenylketene as a short-lived transient species with absorbance at lambda congruent with 260 nm, which decayed with single-exponential kinetics. It has now been discovered that, in the acidity region [H(+)] = 0.000 01 to 0.06 M, this decay is preceded by a faster absorbance rise, and that the overall change conforms well to a double exponential rate law. Analysis of the new data produces rate profiles whose general shapes, as well as the numerical values of their constituent rate constants, plus the form of buffer catalysis, indicate that this newly discovered absorbance rise represents ketonization of phenylacetic acid enol, and that the subsequent absorbance decay represents addition of water to phenylketene. The chemistry of the system, however, requires ketene hydration to precede enol ketonization in a time sequence opposite from that of the absorbance changes. This seemingly counter-intuitive result is nevertheless consistent with the rate law that governs the time evolution of the central species in a two-step rise and decay, such as that observed here.

Stability and three-dimensional aromaticity of closo-NB(n-1)H n azaboranes, n = 5-12

Computations on all the possible positional isomers of the closo-azaboranes NB(n)()(-)(1)H(n)() (n = 5-12) reveal substantial differences in the relative energies. Data at the B3LYP/6-311+G level of density functional theory (DFT) agree well with expectations based on the topological charge stabilization, with the qualitative connectivity preferences of Williams, and with the Jemmis-Schleyer six interstitial electron rules. The energetic relationship involving each of the most stable positional isomers, 1-NB(4)H(5), NB(5)H(6), 2-NB(6)H(7), 1-NB(7)H(8), 4-NB(8)H(9), 1-NB(9)H(10), 2-NB(10)H(11), NB(11)H(12), was based on the energies (DeltaH) of the model reaction: NBH(2) + (n-1)BH(increment) --> NB(n)()H(n)()(+1) (n = 4-11). This evaluation shows that the stabilities of closo-azaboranes NB(n)()(-)(1)H(n)() (n = 5-12) increase with increasing cluster size from 5 to 12 vertexes. The "three-dimensional aromaticity" of these closo-azaboranes NB(n)()(-)(1)H(n)() (n = 5-12) is demonstrated by their the nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS) and their magnetic susceptibilities (chi), which match one another well. However, there is no direct relationship between these magnetic properties and the relative stabilities of the positional isomers of each cluster. As expected, other energy contributions such as topological charge stabilization and connectivity can be equally important.

Cyclization of 5-hexenyl radicals from nitroxyl radical additions to 4-pentenylketenes and from the acyloin reaction

Photochemical Wolff rearrangements were used to form 5-substituted-4-pentenylketenes 1a–1d (RCH=CHCH2XCH2CH=C=O: 1a R = H, X = CH2; 1b R = Ph, X = CH2; 1c R = c-Pr, X = CH2; 1d R = H, X = O), which were observed by IR at 2121, 2120, 2119, and 2126 cm–1, respectively, as relatively long-lived species at room temperature in hydrocarbon solvents. These reacted with the nitroxyl radical tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl (TEMPO, TO·) forming carboxy-substituted 5-hexenyl radicals 3, which were trapped by a second nitroxyl radical forming 1,2 diaddition products 4a–4d. On thermolysis, 4a–4d underwent reversible reformation of the radicals 3, which underwent cyclization forming cyclopentanecarboxylic acid derivatives 6 or 11 as the major products. However, in the case of 1b, the cyclopentane derivative was formed reversibly and on prolonged reaction times the only product isolated was PhCH=CH-(CH2)4CO2H (8b) from hydrogen transfer to Cβ and cleavage of the TEMPO group. Cyclopropylcarbinyl radical ring opening in the cyclized radical 5c from 1c led to the 2-(4-N-tetramethylpiperidinyloxybut-1-enyl)cyclopentane derivative 11 as the major product. In a test for 5-hexenyl radical ring closure in the radical anion intermediate of the acyloin condensation, the ester CH2=CH(CH2)3CO2Et (12a) gave the acyloin 13a (76%) as the only observed product, while PhCH=CH(CH2)3CO2CH3 (12b) with Na in toluene gave 21% of the acyloin product 13b and 42% of 2-benzylcyclopentanol (15) from cyclization of the intermediate radical anion.Key words: ketenes, free radical cyclization, TEMPO, acyloin condensation.

Aromaticity and antiaromaticity in fulvenes, ketocyclopolyenes, fulvenones, and diazocyclopolyenes

The structures, energies, natural charges, and magnetic properties of 3-, 5-, 7-, and 9-membered cyclic polyenes 1-4, respectively, with exocyclic methylene, keto, ketenyl, and diazo substituents (a-d, respectively) were computed at the B3LYP/6-311G+ **//B3LYP/6-311+G** level to elucidate their aromatic and antiaromatic properties. The corresponding conjugated cyclic cations le and 3e were also studied. The criteria used are isomerization energies (ISE), magnetic susceptibility exaltations (lambda), aromatic stabilization energies (ASE), nucleus independent chemical shifts (NICS), and bond length alternation (deltaR). Planar C2v structures were found to be the lowest energy minima with the exceptions of diazocyclopropene (1d), cycloheptafulvenone (3c), diazocycloheptatriene (3d), and all of the cyclononatetraene derivatives (4). The fulvenes (1a-4a) have modest aromatic or antiaromatic character, and are used as standards for comparison. By these criteria the ketenylidene and diazo cyclopropenes and cycloheptatrienes 1,3-c,d and oxo cyclopentadiene and cyclononatetraene 2,4b are antiaromatic, while the 5- and 9-ring ketenyl and diazo compounds and 3- and 7-ring ketones are aromatic. The degree of aromatic/antiaromatic character decreases with ring size. The consistent agreement with Hückel rule predictions for all the criteria shows their utility for the evaluation of the elusive properties of aromaticity and antiaromaticity.

Amination of pyridylketenes: experimental and computational studies of strong amide enol stabilization by the 2-pyridyl group

Laser flash photolyses of 2-, 3-, and 4-diazoacetylpyridines 8 give the corresponding pyridylketenes 7 formed by Wolff rearrangements, as observed by time-resolved infrared spectroscopy, with ketenyl absorptions at 2127, 2125, and 2128 cm(-1), respectively. Photolysis of 2-, 3-, and 4-8 in CH(3)CN containing n-BuNH(2) results in the formation of two transients in each case, as observed by time-resolved IR and UV spectroscopy. The initial transients are assigned as the ketenes 7, and this is confirmed by IR measurements of the decay of the ketenyl absorbance. The ketenes then form the amide enols 12, whose growth and decay are monitored by UV. Similar photolysis of diazoacetophenone leads to phenylketene (5), which forms the amide enol 17. For 3- and 4-pyridylketenes and for phenylketene, the ratios of rate constants for amination of the ketene and for conversion of the amide enol to the amide are 3.1, 7.7, and 22, respectively, while for the 2-isomer the same ratio is 1.8 x 10(7). The stability of the amide enol from 2-7 is attributed to a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond to the pyridyl nitrogen, and this is supported by the DFT calculated structures of the intermediates, which indicate this enol amide is stabilized by 12.8 kcal/mol relative to the corresponding amide enol from phenylketene. Calculations of the transition states indicate a 10.9 kcal/mol higher barrier for conversion of the 2-pyridyl amide enol to the amide as compared to that from phenylketene.