José R. Mora

Homogeneous catalysis on the gas-phase dehydration reaction of tertiary alcohols by hydrogen bromide. Density functional theory calculation

The gas-phase thermal dehydration mechanism of tert-butanol, 2-methyl-2-butanol, 2-methyl-2-pentanol and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butanol by homogeneous catalysis of hydrogen bromide was examined by density functional theory calculations with the hybrid functionals: M062X, CAMB3LYP and WB97XD. Reasonable agreements were found between theoretical and experimental enthalpy values at the WB97XD/6-311++G(d,p) level. The dehydration mechanism of tert-butanol with and without catalysis was evaluated in order to examine the catalyst effect on the mechanism. The elimination reaction without catalysis involves a four-membered transition state (TS), while the reaction with catalysis involves a six-membered TS. The mechanism without catalysis has enthalpy activation over 150 kJ mol–1 greater than the catalysed reaction. In all these reactions, the elongation of the C–O bond is significant in the TS. The un-catalysed reaction is controlled by breaking of C–O bond, and it was found to be more synchronous (Sy ≈ 0.91) than the hydrogen bromide catalysed reactions (Sy ≈ 0.75–0.78); the latter reactions are dominated by the three reaction coordinates associated with water formation. No significant effect on the enthalpies of activation was observed when the size of the alkyl chain was increased.

DFT calculations of triethyl and trimethyl orthoacetate elimination kinetics in the gas phase.

The reaction paths for the gas-phase molecular elimination of triethyl and trimethyl orthoesters were examined at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31G++(d,p), B3PW91/6-31G(d,p), B3PW91++G(d,p), MPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p), and MPW1PW91/6-31++G(d,p) levels of theory. The thermal decomposition of ethyl and methyl orthoesters involves similar transition state configurations in a four-membered ring arrangement. Products formed are ethanol and the corresponding unsaturated ketal for ethyl orthoesters, while in methyl orthoesters are methanol and the corresponding unsaturated ketal. Calculated thermodynamic and kinetic parameters from B3LYP calculations were found to be in good agreement with the experimental values. The calculated data imply the polarization of the C3-O4, in the direction C3(delta+)...O4(delta-), is rate determining. The NBO charges, bond indexes, and synchronicity parameters suggest the elimination reactions of ethyl orthoesters occur through a more polar asynchronic mechanism compared to methyl orthoesters.

Joint experimental and DFT study of the gas-phase unimolecular elimination kinetic of methyl trifluoropyruvate.

The elimination kinetics of methyl trifluoropyruvate in the gas phase was determined in a static system, where the reaction vessel was always deactivated with allyl bromide, and in the presence of at least a 3-fold excess of the free-radical chain inhibitor toluene. The working temperature range was 388.5-430.1 degrees C, and the pressure range was 38.6-65.8 Torr. The reaction was found to be homogeneous and unimolecular and to obey a first-order rate law. The products of the reaction are methyl trifluoroacetate and CO gas. The Arrhenius equation of this elimination was found to be as follows: log k(1) (s(-1)) = (12.48 +/- 0.32) - (204.2 +/- 4.2) kJ mol(-1)(2.303RT)(-1) (r = 0.9994). The theoretical calculation of the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters and the mechanism of this reaction were carried out at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p), MPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p), MPW1PW91/6-31++G(d,p), PBEPBE/6-31G(d,p), and PBEPBE/6-31G++(d,p) levels of theory. The theoretical study showed that the preferred reaction channel is a 1,2-migration of OCH(3) involving a three-membered cyclic transition state in the rate-determining step.

Theoretical study on the mechanism of the gas-phase elimination kinetics of alkyl chloroformates

ABSTRACT The theoretical calculations on the mechanism of the homogeneous and unimolecular gas-phase elimination kinetics of alkyl chloroformates– ethyl chloroformate (ECF), isopropyl chloroformate (ICF), and sec-butyl chloroformate (SCF) – have been carried out by using CBS-QB3 level of theory and density functional theory (DFT) functionals CAM-B3LYP, M06, MPW1PW91, and PBE1PBE with the basis sets 6-311++G(d,p) and 6-311++G(2d,2p). The chlorofomate compounds with alkyl ester Cβ–H bond undergo thermal decomposition producing the corresponding olefin, HCl and CO2. These homogeneous eliminations are proposed to undergo two different types of mechanisms: a concerted process, or via the formation of an unstable intermediate chloroformic acid (ClCOOH), which rapidly decomposes to HCl and CO2 gas. Since both elimination mechanisms may occur through a six-membered cyclic transition state structure, it is difficult to elucidate experimentally which is the most reasonable reaction mechanism. Theoretical calculations show that the stepwise mechanism with the formation of the unstable intermediate chloroformic acid from ECF, ICF, and SCF is favoured over one-step elimination. Reasonable agreements were found between theoretical and experimental values at the CAM-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

A new insight on the gas phase retro-Diels–Alder reaction of bicyclic compounds: density functional theory calculations

The mechanisms of the gas-phase thermal decomposition of bicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene and 3,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene were examined by density functional theory calculations with the hybrid functionals: B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, MPW1PW91, and PBEPBE. Reasonable agreements were found between theoretical and experimental values with the B3LYP hybrid functional. Three molecular concerted pathways for bicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene decomposition are proposed. The retro-Diels–Alder (retro-DA) pathway yields cyclopentadiene and acetylene through a nearly synchronous transition state structure (Sy = 0.97). The other two reaction channels are stepwise with a common step with the formation of the intermediate bicyclo[4.1.0] heptadiene. This reaction is dominated by C–C bond breaking leading to the methylene migration by an early transition state in the reaction coordinate (Sy = 0.91). The rearrangements of the latter intermediate producing toluene were also studied. The retro-DA elimination of 3,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene gives 1,5,5-trimethyl-cyclopenta-1,3-diene in a less synchronous process (Sy = 0.77). This fact may be due to the electronic effects of the methyl substituent. The latter product is unstable and undergoes methyl migrations to give a more stable isomer 1,2,3-trimethylcyclopenta-1,3-diene. The stepwise mechanism for the retro-DA reaction through a biradical intermediate appears to be unfavourable because the barrier is bigger than that for the concerted reaction.

Mechanism of α-Amino Acids Decomposition in the Gas Phase. Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Elimination Kinetics of N-Benzyl Glycine Ethyl Ester

The gas-phase elimination kinetics of N-benzylglycine ethyl ester was examined in a static system, seasoned with allyl bromide, and in the presence of the free chain radical suppressor toluene. The working temperature and pressure range were 386.4-426.7 degrees C and 16.7-40.0 torr, respectively. The reaction showed to be homogeneous, unimolecular, and obeys a first-order rate law. The elimination products are benzylglycine and ethylene. However, the intermediate benzylglycine is unstable under the reaction conditions decomposing into benzyl methylamine and CO(2) gas. The variation of the rate coefficients with temperature is expressed by the following Arrhenius equation: log k(1) (s(-1)) = (11.83 +/- 0.52) - (190.3 +/- 6.9) kJ mol(-1) (2.303RT)(-1). The theoretical calculation of the kinetic parameters and mechanism of elimination of this ester were performed at B3LYP/6-31G*, B3LYP/6-31+G**, MPW1PW91/6-31G*, and MPW1PW91/6-31+G** levels of theory. The calculation results suggest a molecular mechanism of a concerted nonsynchronous six-membered cyclic transition state process. The analysis of bond order and natural bond orbital charges implies that the bond polarization of C(=O)O-C, in the sense of C(=O)O(delta-)...C(delta+), is rate determining. The experimental and theoretical parameters have been found to be in reasonable agreement.

New Insight into the Chloroacetanilide Herbicide Degradation Mechanism through a Nucleophilic Attack of Hydrogen Sulfide

The nucleophilic attack of hydrogen sulfide (HS−) on six different chloroacetanilide herbicides was evaluated theoretically using the dispersion-corrected hybrid functional wB97XD and the 6-311++G(2d,2p) Pople basis sets. The six evaluated substrates were propachlor (A), alachlor (B), metolachlor (C), tioacetanilide (D), β-anilide (E), and methylene (F). Three possible mechanisms were considered: (a) bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2) reaction mechanism, (b) oxygen assistance, and (c) nitrogen assistance. Mechanisms based on O- and N-assistance were discarded due to a very high activation barrier in comparison with the corresponding SN2 mechanism, with the exception of compound F. The N-assistance mechanism for compound F had a free activation energy of 23.52 kcal/mol, which was close to the value for the corresponding SN2 mechanism (23.94 kcal/mol), as these two mechanisms could occur in parallel reactions with almost 50% of each one. In compounds A to D, an important electron-withdrawing effect of the C=O and C=S groups was seen, and consequently, the activation free energies in these SN2 reactions were smaller, with a value of approximately 18 kcal/mol. Instead, compounds E and F, which have a CH2 group in the β-position, presented a higher activation free energy (≈22 kcal/mol). Good agreement was found between experimental and theoretical values for all cases, and a reaction force analysis was performed on the intrinsic reaction coordinate profile in order to gain more details about the reaction mechanism. Finally, from the natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, it was possible to evaluate the electronic reorganization through the reaction pathway where all the transition states were early in nature in the reaction coordinate (δBav < 50%); the transition states corresponding to compounds A to D turned out to be more synchronous than those for compounds E and F.

Understanding the role of Zn2+ in the hydrolysis of glycylserine: a mechanistic study by using density functional theory

ABSTRACT The hydrolysis mechanism of glycylserine in the presence of Zn2+ was theoretically studied by means of density functional theory calculations. Two possible reaction mechanisms are proposed for the hydrolysis reaction: (1) the first one involves a stepwise reaction with an initial attack of the serine –OH to the amide carbonyl group through a general base catalysis of a water molecule, which undergoes to a proton transfer to the carboxylate group to give a cyclic intermediate. Its further rearrangement finally forms an ester that hydrolyses to yield products. (2) The second mechanism involves a general base catalysis by the carboxylate group for the water attack to the amide carbonyl group to generate a tetrahedral intermediate. Upon comparison of both mechanisms, it is observed that the former is favoured; furthermore, its first step is the rate-limiting step in a bicyclic asynchronous transition state with evolution of 86% in C(1)–O(2) bond. The crucial role of Zn2+ in this hydrolysis process can be rationalised in terms of the inductive effect and the formation of a rigid structure that increases the electrophilicity of the amide carbonyl group. The calculations presented in this report are in good agreement with reported values for the activation barrier.

DFT and ab-initio study on the mechanism of the gas-phase elimination kinetics of 1-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene and 3-chloro-3-methylbut-1-ene and their isomerization

The mechanisms of the gas-phase elimination kinetics of 1-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene and 3-chloro-3-methylbut-1-ene and their interconversion have been examined at MP2 and DFT levels of theory. These halide substrates yield isoprene and hydrogen chloride. The results MPW1PW91 calculations agree with the experimental kinetic parameters showing the elimination reaction occurs at greater rate for 1-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene than that for the 3-chloro-3-methylbut-1-ene isomer. The mechanism for the molecular elimination of 1-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene suggests proceeding through an uncommon six-membered cyclic transition state for alkyl halides in the gas phase, while 3-chloro-3-methylbut-1-ene eliminates through the usual four-membered cyclic transition state. The elongation and subsequent polarization of the C-Cl bond, in the direction of C^{δ+}…Cl^{δ-}, is rate determining step of these reactions. The isomerization of 1-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene and 3-chloro-3-methylbut-1-ene was additionally studied. The 1-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene converts to 3-chloro-3-methylbut-1-ene easier than the reverse reaction. This means that 1-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene was found thermodynamically more stable than 3-chloro-3-methylbut-1-ene.

The thermal decomposition of 4-bromobutyric acid in the gas phase: A quantum chemical theory calculation

The gas-phase elimination kinetic of 4-bromobutyric acid to give butyrolactone, and hydrogen bromide was studied using Density Functional Theory DFT and Moller-Plesset Perturbation Theory of Second Order MP2 to investigate the more reasonable reaction mechanism. Good agreement of calculated activation parameters with the experimental values was obtained when using PBEPBE/6-31++Gd,p level of theory. Analysis of the calculated thermodynamic and kinetic parameters suggested the reaction mechanism is unimolecular, with involvement of the hydroxyl oxygen of the carboxylic moiety of the substrate assisting the exit of bromide in nucleophilic substitution. The alternate mechanism with the participation of the carbonyl oxygen in a slow step to give an intimate ion-pair intermediate was disregarded due to the high energy of activation. Bond order analysis shows the process is dominated by the breaking of the C-Br bond. The reaction can be described as unimolecular and moderately non-synchronous process.