Pawel Bednarek

2-Pyridylnitrene and 3-Pyridazylcarbene and Their Relationship via Ring-Expansion, Ring-Opening, Ring-Contraction, and Fragmentation

Photolysis of triazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine 8 isolated in Ar matrix generates diazomethylpyridazines 9Z and 9E and diazopentenynes 11Z and 11E as detected by IR spectroscopy. ESR spectroscopy detected the 3-pydidazylcarbene 10 as well as pent-2-en-3-yn-1-ylidene 12 formed by loss of one and two molecules of N(2), respectively. Further photolysis caused rearrangement of the carbenes to 1,2-pentadien-4-yne 13 and 3-ethynylcyclopropene 14. Flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT) of 8 at 400-500 degrees C with Ar matrix isolation of the products yielded 13, 14, and 1,4-pentadiyne 15. At higher temperatures, glutacononitriles 27Z and 27E were formed as well together with minor amounts of 2- and 3-cyanopyrroles 28 and 29. Tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine/2-azidopyridine 22T/22A yields 2-pyridylnitrene 19 as well as the novel open-chain cyanodienylnitrene 23 and the ring-expanded 1,3-diazacyclohepta-1,2,4,6-tetraene 21 on short wavelength photolysis. Nitrenes 19 and 23 were detected by ESR spectroscopy, and cumulene 21 by IR and UV spectroscopy. FVT of 22T/22A also affords 2-pyridylnitrene 19 and diazacycloheptatetraene 21, as well as glutacononitriles 27Z,E and 2- and 3-cyanopyrroles 28 and 29. Photolysis of 21 above 300 nm yields the novel spiroazirene 25, identified by its matrix IR spectrum. The reaction pathways connecting the four carbenes (10Z,E and 12Z,E) and three nitrenes (19, 23EZ, and 23ZZ) in their open-shell singlet and triplet states are elucidated with the aid of theoretical calculations at DFT, CASSCF, and CASPT2 levels. Three possible mechanisms of ring-contraction in arylnitrenes are identified: (i) via ring-opening to dienylnitrenes, (ii) concerted ring-contraction, and (iii) via spiroazirenes 25, whereby (i) is the energetically most favorable.

Phenylnitrene, Phenylcarbene, and Pyridylcarbenes. Rearrangements to Cyanocyclopentadiene and Fulvenallene

Flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT) of phenyl azide 29 as well as precursors of 2-pyridylcarbene 34 and 4-pyridylcarbene 25 affords phenylnitrene 30 (labeled or unlabeled), as revealed by matrix isolation electron spin resonance spectroscopy. FVT of 1-(13)C-phenyl azide 29 affords 1-cyanocyclopentadiene (cpCN) 32, which is exclusively labeled on the CN carbon, thus demonstrating direct ring contraction in phenylnitrene 30 without the intervention of cycloperambulation and 1,3-H shifts. However, the cpCN obtained by rearrangement of pyridyl-2-((13)C-carbene) 34 carries (13)C label on all carbon atoms, including the CN carbon. Calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level and in part at the CASSCF/6-31G* and CASPT2/cc-pVDZ//CASSCF(8,8)/cc-pVDZ levels support a new mechanism whereby 2-pyridylcarbene rearranges in part via 1-azacyclohepta-1,2,4,6-tetraene 36 to phenylnitrene, which then undergoes direct ring contraction to cpCN. Another portion of 2-pyridylcarbene undergoes ring expansion to 4-azacyclohepta-1,2,4,6-tetraene 42, which then by trans-annular cyclization affords 6-azabicyclo[3.2.0]cyclohepta-1,3,5-triene 43. Further rearrangement of 43 via the spiroazirine 44 and biradical/vinylnitrene 45 affords cpCN with the label on the CN group. An analogous mechanisms accounts for the labeling pattern in fulvenallene 60 formed by ring contraction of 1-(13)C-phenylcarbene 59 in the FVT of 1-(13)C-phenyldiazomethane 58.

Interconversion of Nitrenes, Carbenes, and Nitrile Ylides by Ring Expansion, Ring Opening, Ring Contraction, and Ring Closure : 3-Quinolylnitrene, 2-Quinoxalylcarbene, and 3-Quinolylcarbene

Photolysis of 3-azidoquinoline 6 in an Ar matrix generates 3-quinolylnitrene 7, which is characterized by its electron spin resonance (ESR), UV, and IR spectra in Ar matrices. Nitrene 7 undergoes ring opening to a nitrile ylide 19, also characterized by its UV and IR spectra. A subsequent 1,7-hydrogen shift in the ylide 19 affords 3-(2-isocyanophenyl)ketenimine 20. Matrix photolysis of 1,2,3-triazolo[1,5-c]quinoxaline 26 generates 4-diazomethylquinazoline 27, followed by 4-quinazolylcarbene 28, which is characterized by ESR and IR spectroscopy. Further photolysis of carbene 28 slowly generates ketenimine 20, thus suggesting that ylide 19 is formed initially. Flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT) of both 6 and 26 affords 3-cyanoindole 22 in high yield, thereby indicating that carbene 28 and nitrene 7 enter the same energy surface. Matrix photolysis of 3-quinolyldiazomethane 30 generates 3-quinolylcarbene 31, which on photolysis at >500 nm reacts with N2 to regenerate diazo compound 30. Photolysis of 30 in the presence of CO generates a ketene (34). 3-Quinolylcarbene 31 cyclizes on photolysis at >500 nm to 5-aza-2,3-benzobicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,7-triene 32. Both 31 and 32 are characterized by their IR and UV spectra. FVT of 30 yields a mixture of 2- and 3-cyanoindenes via a carbene–carbene–nitrene rearrangement 31 → 2-quinolylcarbene 39 → 1-naphthylnitrene 43. The reaction mechanisms are supported by density functional theory calculations of the energies and spectra of all relevant ground and transition state structures at the B3LYP/6–31G* level.

3-Pyridylnitrene, 2- and 4-pyrimidinylcarbenes, 3-quinolylnitrenes, and 4-quinazolinylcarbenes. Interconversion, ring expansion to diazacycloheptatetraenes, ring opening to nitrile ylides, and ring contraction to cyanopyrroles and cyanoindoles

Summary Precursors of 3-pyridylnitrene and 2- and 4-pyrimidinylcarbenes all afford mixtures of 2- and 3-cyanopyrroles on flash vacuum thermolysis, but 3-cyanopyrroles are the first-formed products. 3-Quinolylnitrenes and 4-quinazolinylcarbenes similarly afford 3-cyanoindoles. 2-Pyrimidinylcarbenes rearrange to 3-pyridylnitrenes, but 4-pyrimidinylcarbenes and 4-quinazolinylcarbenes do not necessarily rearrange to the corresponding 3-pyridylnitrenes or 3-quinolylnitrenes. The ring contraction reactions are interpreted in terms of ring opening of either the nitrenes or the diazacycloheptatetraenes to nitrile ylides.

Effect of substitution on the curvature and bowl-to-bowl inversion barrier of bucky-bowls. Study of mono-substituted corannulenes (C19XH10, X = B−, N+, P+ and Si)

Ab initio MO and DFT calculations predict that replacement of a single carbon by an isoelectronic species on the corannulene skeleton can effectively arrest the bowl shape or flatten it and the bowl rigidity, curvature and relative stabilties of the positional isomers are solely controlled by the size of the substituent and site of substitution.

Spiro[4.4]nonatetraene and its Positive and Negative Radical Ions: Molectronic Structure Investigations

The electronic structure of spiro[4.4]nonatetraene 1 as well as that of its radical anion and cation were studied by different spectroscopies. The electron-energy-loss spectrum in the gas phase revealed the lowest triplet state at 2.98 eV and a group of three overlapping triplet states in the 4.5 – 5.0 eV range, as well as a number of valence and Rydberg singlet excited states. Electron-impact excitation functions of pure vibrational and triplet states identified various states of the negative ion, in particular the ground state with an attachment energy of 0.8 eV, an excited state corresponding to a temporary electron attachment to the 2b1 MO at an attachment energy of 2.7 eV, and a core excited state at 4.0 eV. Electronic-absorption spectroscopy in cryogenic matrices revealed several states of the positive ion, in particular a richly structured first band at 1.27 eV, and the first electronic transition of the radical anion. Vibrations of the ground state of the cation were probed by IR spectroscopy in a cryogenic matrix. The results are discussed on the basis of density-functional and CASSCF/CASPT2 quantum-chemical calculations. In their various forms, the calculations successfully rationalized the triplet and the singlet (valence and Rydberg) excitation energies of the neutral molecule, the excitation energies of the radical cation, its IR spectrum, the vibrations excited in the first electronic absorption band, and the energies of the ground and the first excited states of the anion. The difference of the anion excitation energies in the gas and condensed phases was rationalized by a calculation of the Jahn-Teller distortion of the anion ground state. Contrary to expectations based on a single-configuration model for the electronic states of 1, it is found that the gap between the first two excited states is different in the singlet and the triplet manifold. This finding can be traced to the different importance of configuration interaction in the two multiplicity manifolds.