Jing-yao Liu

Stereoelectronic Control in Regioselective Carbohydrate Protection

Organotin-mediated regioselective protection has been extensively used in organic synthesis for many years. However, the mechanistic origin of the resulting regioselectivity is still not clear. By the comparison of the steric and stereoelectronic effects controlling the geometry of five-membered rings formed from neighboring group participation, from intramolecular acyl group migration, or from orthoester transesterification on pyranoside rings, a theory on the pattern resulting from the reaction with dibutyltin oxide is presented. It is thus suggested that the regioselectivity of organotin-mediated protection is controlled by analogous steric and stereoelectronic effects as in neighboring group participation and acyl group migration, mainly dependent on the stereoelectronic effects of the pyranoside itself, and not related to complex stannylene structures. An organotin protection mechanism is also suggested, emanating from steric and stereoelectronic effects, nucleophilicity, and organotin acyl migration.

A metallic molybdenum dioxide with high stability for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Compared with noble metals, semiconductors with surface plasmon resonance effect are another type of SERS substrate materials. The main obstacles so far are that the semiconducting materials are often unstable and easy to be further oxidized or decomposed by laser irradiating or contacting with corrosive substances. Here, we report that metallic MoO2 can be used as a SERS substrate to detect trace amounts of highly risk chemicals including bisphenol A (BPA), dichloropheno (DCP), pentachlorophenol (PCP) and so on. The minimum detectable concentration was 10−7 M and the maximum enhancement factor is up to 3.75 × 106. To the best of our knowledge, it may be the best among the metal oxides and even reaches or approaches to Au/Ag. The MoO2 shows an unexpected high oxidation resistance, which can even withstand 300 °C in air without further oxidation. The MoO2 material also can resist long etching of strong acid and alkali.

Theoretical study of the reactions CF3CH2OCHF2+OH/Cl and its product radicals and parent ether (CH3CH2OCH3) with OH

A dual‐level direct dynamic method is employed to study the reaction mechanisms of CF3CH2OCHF2 (HFE‐245fa2; HFE‐245mf) with the OH radicals and Cl atoms. Two hydrogen abstraction channels and two displacement processes are found for each reaction. For further study, the reaction mechanisms of its products (CF3CH2OCF2 and CF3CHOCHF2) and parent ether CH3CH2OCH3 with OH radical are investigated theoretically. The geometries and frequencies of all the stationary points and the minimum energy paths (MEPs) are calculated at the B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) level. The energetic information along the MEPs is further refined at the G3(MP2) level of theory. For reactions CF3CH2OCHF2 + OH/Cl, the calculation indicates that the hydrogen abstraction from CH2 group is the dominant reaction channel, and the displacement processes may be negligible because of the high barriers. The standard enthalpies of formation for the reactant CF3CH2OCHF2, and two products CF3CH2OCF2 and CF3CHOCHF2 are evaluated via group‐balanced isodesmic reactions. The rate constants of reactions CF3CH2OCHF2 + OH/Cl and CH3CH2OCH3 + OH are estimated by using the variational transition state theory over a wide range of temperature (200–2000 K). The agreement between the theoretical and experimental rate constants is good in the measured temperature range. From the comparison between the rate constants of the reactions CF3CH2OCHF2 and CH3CH2OCH3 with OH, it is shown that the fluorine substitution decreases the reactivity of the CH bond.

Dual-level direct dynamics studies for the reactions of CH3OCH3 and CF3OCH3 with the OH radical

The reactions of CH3OCH3+OH (R1) and CF3OCH3+OH (R2) via two hydrogen abstraction channels are investigated theoretically using the dual-level direct dynamics approach. The minimum energy path calculation is carried out at the MP2/6-311G(d,p) level, and energetic information is further refined by the G3 theory. For each reaction hydrogen abstraction is favored for the out-of-plane hydrogen, while the abstraction from the in-plane hydrogen is a minor channel. Hydrogen-bonded complexes are present on the reactants and products sides of the primary channel, indicating that the reactions may proceed via an indirect mechanism. By means of variational transition state theory with interpolated single-point energies method the dynamic results of all channels are obtained, and the small-curvature tunneling is included. The total rate constants calculated from the sum of the individual rate constants are in good agreement with the experimental data and are fitted to be k1=3.33×10−20 T2.91 exp(−409.7/T) and k2=1.23×...

Mechanism of the Gaseous Hydrolysis Reaction of SO2: Effects of NH3 versus H2O

Effects of ammonia and water molecules on the hydrolysis of sulfur dioxide are investigated by theoretical calculations of two series of the molecular clusters SO2-(H2O)n (n = 1-5) and SO2-(H2O)n-NH3 (n = 1-3). The reaction in pure water clusters is thermodynamically unfavorable. The additional water in the clusters reduces the energy barrier for the reaction, and the effect of each water decreases with the increasing number of water molecules in the clusters. There is a considerable energy barrier for reaction in SO2-(H2O)5, 5.69 kcal/mol. With ammonia included in the cluster, SO2-(H2O)n-NH3, the energy barrier is dramatically reduced, to 1.89 kcal/mol with n = 3, and the corresponding product of hydrated ammonium bisulfate NH4HSO3-(H2O)2 is also stabilized thermodynamically. The present study shows that ammonia has larger kinetic and thermodynamic effects than water in promoting the hydrolysis reaction of SO2 in small clusters favorable in the atmosphere.

Mechanism of OH-initiated atmospheric oxidation of E/Z-CF3CF = CFCF3: a quantum mechanical study

AbstractA detailed theoretical investigation was performed on the mechanisms for the reactions of E/Z-CF3CF = CFCF3 with OH radicals by means of density functional theory (DFT). The geometries and frequencies of all the stationary points and the minimum energy path (MEP) are calculated at the M06-2X/aug-cc-pVDZ level. To obtain more reliable energy information, the high-level single-point energies are further refined at the MCG3/3 level. Possible reaction pathways including the addition-elimination and the OH-initiated oxidation pathways are considered. A complete description of the possible degradation mechanisms of E/Z-CF3CF = CFCF3 in the absence and presence of O2/NO has been presented. The calculated results demonstrate that the most accessible products are CF3, CF(OH) = CFCF3, CF(O)CHFCF3, CF3C(O)F, and CHFCF3 via the dissociation reactions starting from the addition intermediates IM1E/IM1Z in the absence of O2/NO. While in the atmosphere, IM1E/IM1Z can further react with O2/NO to form the likely products CF3C(O)F and HO2. The calculated results are consistent with the experimental results. FigureMechanism of OH-initiated atmospheric oxidation of E/Z-CF3CF = CFCF3

CH2NH2 + O2 and CH3CHNH2 + O2 Reaction Kinetics: Photoionization Mass Spectrometry Experiments and Master Equation Calculations

Two carbon centered amino radical (CH2NH2 and CH3CHNH2) reactions with O2 were scrutinized by means of laboratory gas kinetics experiments together with quantum chemical computations and master equation modeling. In the experiments, laser photolysis of alkylamine compounds at 193 nm was used for the radical production and photoionization mass spectrometry was employed for the time-resolved detection of the reactants and products. The investigations were performed in a tubular, uncoated borosilicate glass flow reactor. The rate coefficients obtained were high, ranging from 2.4 × 10(-11) to 3.5 × 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) in the CH2NH2 + O2 reaction and from 5.5 × 10(-11) to 7.5 × 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) in the CH3CHNH2 + O2 reaction, showed negative temperature dependence with no dependence on the helium bath gas pressure (0.5 to 2.5 Torr He). The measured rate coefficients can be expressed as a function of temperature with: k(CH2NH2 + O2) = (2.89 ± 0.13) × 10(-11) (T/300 K)(-(1.10±0.47)) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) (267-363 K) and k(CH3CHNH2 + O2) = (5.92 ± 0.23) × 10(-11) (T/300 K)(-(0.50±0.42)) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) (241-363 K). The reaction paths and mechanisms were characterized using quantum chemical calculations and master equation modeling. Master equation computations, constrained by experimental kinetic results, were employed to model pressure-dependencies of the reactions. The constrained modeling results reproduce the experimentally observed negative temperature dependence and the dominant CH2NH imine production in the CH2NH2 + O2 reaction at the low pressures of the present laboratory investigation. In the CH3CHNH2 + O2 reaction, similar qualitative behavior was observed both in the rate coefficients and in the product formation, although the fine details of the mechanism were observed to change according to the different energetics in this system. In conclusion, the constrained modeling results predict significant imine + HO2 production for both reactions even at atmospheric pressure.

Zemplén transesterification: a name reaction that has misled us for 90 years

We demonstrated that using NaOH and NaOMe in methanol for deacylation are identical, indicating that the Zemplen condition has been misleading us for almost 90 years. The traditional base-catalyzed mechanism cannot be used to explain our results. We propose that H-bond complexes play key roles in the base-catalyzed process, explaining why deacylation in methanol can be catalyzed by hydroxide.

Hydrolysis of Sulfur Dioxide in Small Clusters of Sulfuric Acid: Mechanistic and Kinetic Study.

The deposition and hydrolysis reaction of SO2 + H2O in small clusters of sulfuric acid and water are studied by theoretical calculations of the molecular clusters SO2-(H2SO4)n-(H2O)m (m = 1,2; n = 1,2). Sulfuric acid exhibits a dramatic catalytic effect on the hydrolysis reaction of SO2 as it lowers the energy barrier by over 20 kcal/mol. The reaction with monohydrated sulfuric acid (SO2 + H2O + H2SO4 - H2O) has the lowest energy barrier of 3.83 kcal/mol, in which the cluster H2SO4-(H2O)2 forms initially at the entrance channel. The energy barriers for the three hydrolysis reactions are in the order SO2 + (H2SO4)-H2O > SO2 + (H2SO4)2-H2O > SO2 + H2SO4-H2O. Furthermore, sulfurous acid is more strongly bonded to the hydrated sulfuric acid (or dimer) clusters than the corresponding reactant (monohydrated SO2). Consequently, sulfuric acid promotes the hydrolysis of SO2 both kinetically and thermodynamically. Kinetics simulations have been performed to study the importance of these reactions in the reduction of atmospheric SO2. The results will give a new insight on how the pre-existing aerosols catalyze the hydrolysis of SO2, leading to the formation and growth of new particles.

Theoretical studies of the reactions of CF3CHCLOCHF2/CF3CHFOCHF2 with OH radical and Cl atom and their product radicals with OH

The mechanisms and dynamics studies of the OH radical and Cl atom with CF3CHClOCHF2 and CF3CHFOCHF2 have been carried out theoretically. The geometries and frequencies of all the stationary points are optimized at the B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) level, and the energy profiles are further refined by interpolated single‐point energies (ISPE) method at the G3(MP2) level of theory. For each reaction, two H‐abstraction channels are found and four products (CF3CHFOCF2, CF3CFOCHF2, and CF3CHClOCF2, CF3CClOCHF2) are produced during the above processes. The rate constants for the CF3CHClOCHF2/CF3CHFOCHF2 + OH/Cl reactions are calculated by canonical variational transition‐state theory (CVT) within 200–2000 K, and the small‐curvature tunneling is included. The total rate constants calculated from the sum of the individual rate constants and the branching ratios are in good agreement with the experimental data. The Arrhenius expressions for the reactions are obtained. Our calculation shows that the substitution of Cl by F decreases the reactivity of CF3CHClOCHF2 toward OH and Cl. In addition, the mechanisms of subsequent reactions of product radicals and OH radical are further investigated at the G3(MP2)//B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) level, and the main products are predicted in the this article.