San-Yan Chu

Gas-phase non-identity SN2 reactions at neutral nitrogen: a hybrid DFT study

The gas-phase non-identity nucleophilic substitution reactions at saturated nitrogen Y-+ NH2X --> NH2Y + X- (Y, X = F, Cl, Br and I) were evaluated at the level of MPW1K/6-31+G(d, p). The enthalpies of reactions are exothermic only when the nucleophile is the lighter halide. Central barriers (DeltaH(YX)(not equal)) for reactions in the exothermic direction are slightly higher than the corresponding barriers at carbon. The lower overall barriers relative to the reactants (DeltaH(YX)(b)) than the corresponding reactions at carbon suggest that S(N)2 reactions at nitrogen may be more facile than at carbon. Both the central barriers (AH(YX)(not equal)) and the overall barriers (DeltaH(YX)(b)) correlate well with reaction exothermicity. Further interesting features of the non-identity reactions at nitrogen are the reasonable correlation between the central barriers (DeltaH(YX)(not equal)) with the composite geometrical looseness (%L-not equal), geometrical asymmetry (%AS(not equal)), and charge asymmetry of the transition structures (Deltaq (X - Y)). The data for the central barriers and the overall barriers show good agreement with the prediction of the Marcus equation and its modification, respectively. Kinetic and thermodynamic investigations predict that the nucleophilicity of X- in the S(N)2 at nitrogen decreases in the order F- Cl > Br > I

A comprehensive theoretical study on the hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide in the neutral water

The detailed hydration mechanism of carbonyl sulfide (COS) in the presence of up to five water molecules has been investigated at the level of HF and MP2 with the basis set of 6‐311++G(d, p). The nucleophilic addition of water molecule occurs in a concerted way across the CS bond of COS rather than across the CO bond. This preferential reaction mechanism could be rationalized in terms of Fukui functions for the both nucleophilic and electrophilic attacks. The activation barriers, ΔH  ≠298 , for the rate‐determining steps of one up to five‐water hydrolyses of COS across the CS bond are 199.4, 144.4, 123.0, 115.5, and 107.9 kJ/mol in the gas phase, respectively. The most favorable hydrolysis path of COS involves a sort of eight‐membered ring transition structure and other two water molecules near to the nonreactive oxygen atom but not involved in the proton transfer, suggesting that the hydrolysis of COS can be significantly mediated by the water molecule(s) and the cooperative effects of the water molecule(s) in the nonreactive region. The catalytic effect of water molecule(s) due to the alleviation of ring strain in the proton transfer process may result from the synergistic effects of rehybridization and charge reorganization from the precoordination complex to the rate‐determining transition state structure induced by water molecule. The studies on the effect of temperature on the hydrolysis of COS show that the higher temperature is unfavorable for the hydrolysis of COS. PCM solvation models almost do not modify the calculated energy barriers in a significant way.

EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL ENERGY SURFACE OF THE CATALYZED ISOMERIZATION OF NITROSOMETHANE TO FORMALDOXIME

The mechanism of the isomerization of nitrosomethane to formaldoxime catalyzed by neutral molecule (H2O and HCOOH) has been investigated at the level of B3LYP/6-311+G**. Calculated results indicate that the rearrangement from nitrosomethane to more stable trans-formaldoxime can proceed via two different reaction channels, but the favorable reaction pathway catalyzed by water and formic acid is different from the one in the catalyst-free reaction. It is more favorable that the tautomeric reaction involves the formation of cis-formaldoxime and a subsequent rotation about the N–O bond to form trans-formaldoxime in the catalyzed reaction. The activation energy of rate-determining step was reduced from 197.9 kJ/mol to 138.7 kJ/mol in the water-catalyzed reaction and 79.6 kJ/mol in the formic acid-catalyzed reaction, respectively, due to the catalysis of hydroxylic groups, but the catalysis of more acidic hydroxyl group in the latter system has been shown to be more efficient.