Intermolecular catalysis

An example of an intermolecular aldol type condensation, which works only under acidic catalysis is the Knoevenagel condensation of a sterically hindered aldehyde group in a formyl-porphyrin with a malonic ester (J.-H. Fuhrhop, 1976). Self-condensations of the components do not occur, because the ester groups of malonic esters are not electrophilic enough, and because the porphyrin-carboxaldehyde cannot form enolates. 

Derive the general expression for the observed rate constant for hydrolysis of A as a function of pH. Assume, as is the case experimentally, that intramolecular general acid catalysis completely outweighs intermolecular catalysis by hydronium ion in the pH range of interest. Does the form of your expression agree with the pH rate profile given for this reaction in Fig. 8.6 (p. 489) ... 

Yet another distinction is between intermolecular catalysis, in which the catalytic function and the reaction site are on different molecules, and intramolecular catalysis, in which the catalytic function and the reaction site are within the same molecule. All of the above examples constitute intermolecular catalyses. The following reaction, the hydrolysis of a monomaleate ester, is an intramolecular nucleophilic catalysis. 

As with intermolecular catalysis, the form of the rate equation may not decisively indicate the meehanism of the catalysis because of kinetic equivalences. Consider a substrate containing the acyl function -COX and an ionizable catalytic function -YH. 

Jamieson and McNeill [142] studied the degradation of poIy(vinyI acetate) and poly(vinyI chloride) and compared it with the degradation of PVC/PVAc blend. For the unmixed situation, hydrogen chloride evolution from PVC started at a lower temperature and a faster rate than acetic acid from PVAc. For the blend, acetic acid production began concurrently with dehydrochlorination. But the dehydrochlorination rate maximum occurred earlier than in the previous case indicating that both polymers were destabilized. This is a direct proof of the intermolecular nature of the destabilizing effect of acetate groups on chlorine atoms in PVC. The effects observed by Jamieson and McNeill were explained in terms of acid catalysis. Hydrochloric acid produced in the PVC phase diffused into the PVAc phase to catalyze the loss of acetic acid and vice-versa. 

The applications of quantitative structure-reactivity analysis to cyclodextrin com-plexation and cyclodextrin catalysis, mostly from our laboratories, as well as the experimental and theoretical backgrounds of these approaches, are reviewed. These approaches enable us to separate several intermolecular interactions, acting simultaneously, from one another in terms of physicochemical parameters, to evaluate the extent to which each interaction contributes, and to predict thermodynamic stabilities and/or kinetic rate constants experimentally undetermined. Conclusions obtained are mostly consistent with those deduced from experimental measurements. 

As shown above, quantitative structure-reactivity analysis is very useful in elucidating the mechanisms of cyclodextrin complexation and cyclodextrin catalysis. This method enables us to separate several intermolecular interactions, acting simultaneously,... 

One of the most dramatic recent developments in metal carbene chemistry catalyzed by dirhodium(II) has been demonstration of the feasibility and usefulness of intermolecular carbon-hydrogen insertion reactions [38, 91]. These were made possible by recognition of the unusual reactivity and selectivity of aryl- and vinyldiazoacetates [12] and the high level of electronic control that is possible in their reactions. Some of the products that have been formed in these reactions, and their selectivities with catalysis by Rh2(S-DOSP)4, are reported in Scheme 10. 

Lewis-acid catalysis is effective in intermolecular as well as intramolecular /zomo-Diels-Alder reactions. Thus, complex polycyclic compounds 93 have been obtained in good yield by the cycloaddition of norbornadiene-derived dienynes 92 by using cobalt catalyst, whereas no reaction occurred under thermal conditions [91] (Scheme 3.18). 

Imino esters with any or all of the three groups being alkyl also rearrange, but they require catalysis by H2SO4 or a trace of methyl iodide or methyl sulfate. The mechanism is different, involving an intermolecular process.This is also true for derivatives for formamide (Ar = H). 

The addition of glyceraldehyde dimer had a significant impact on the catalysis of glucose. CrCf is the preferred catalyst and resulted in a 94% conversion of glucose with a 70% yield of HMF. In the presence of glyceraldehyde the conversion decreased to about 60% and the yield of HMF fell to 20%. This means that HMF selectivity also decreased (selectivity = yield/conversion). The loss of selectivity was primarily due to formation of heavies via intermolecular condensation reactions. The heavies were not characterized. 

Lewis acid catalysis usually substantially improves the stereoselectivity of IMDA reactions, just as it does in intermolecular cases. For example, the thermal cyclization of 4 at 160° C gives a 50 50 mixture of two stereoisomers, but the use of (C2H5)2A1C1 as a catalyst permits the reaction to proceed at room temperature and endo addition is favored by 7 1.125... 

Intermolecular allylation of aldehydes with 1 -trialkylsilyl-1,3-dienes 22 in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of triethylsilane and a catalytic amount of Ni(cod)2 and PPI13 shows novel regio- and stereoselectivity (Scheme 6) [20-22], When a toluene solution of a 1-silyl-1,3-diene and an aldehyde is refluxed in the presence of trialkylsilane under the catalysis of Ni(cod)2 and PPh3, ( )-allylsilane (E)-23 is obtained exclusively. On the other hand, when the reaction is carried out in THF upon heating at 50 °C as... 

The insulin-like growth factor I receptor is closely related to the insulin receptor. The RTK activity of the IGF-I receptor is regulated by intermolecular autophosphorylation at three sites within the activation loop. The crystal structure of the trisphosphorylated form of IGF-I RTK domain with an ATP analog and a specific peptide substrate showed that autophosphorylation stabilizes the activation loop in a conformation that facilitates catalysis. Furthermore, the structure revealed how... 

A few additional Pd-catalyzed schemes have been employed for Ilac type cyclization chemistry. Palladium-phenanthroline complexes were used by the Ragaini group to prepare indoles via the intermolecular cyclization of nitroarenes and alkynes in the presence of carbon monoxide <06JOC3748>. Jia and Zhu employed Pd-catalysis for the annulation of o-haloanilines with aldehydes <06JOC7826>. A one-pot Ugi/Heck reaction was employed in the preparation of polysubstituted indoles from a four-component reaction system of acrylic aldehydes, bromoanilines, acids, and isocyanides <06TL4683>. 

The use of mesitoate esters in the elucidation of reaction mechanisms has been pioneered by Burrows and Topping (1969,1970). This system has been used to suppress the competitive intermolecular reaction by steric bulk effects and to detect participation by the identification of the products formed. Under identical conditions (pH 11.28 at 30°C in 9.5% ethanol-water), 2-acetylphenyl mesitoate [41]is hydrolysed 130 times more readily than 4-acetylphenyl mesitoate, clearly indicating intramolecular catalysis. However, the products of hydrolysis provided no clue to the mechanism of... 

Scheme 12. Adopted mechanism of catalysis. The rate constant kd describes the proton-induced demetalation of 1 (13,27) characterizes the buffer ion-induced demetalation of 1 as described above (27) / , and 2i refer to catalysticidal intra- or intermolecular inactivation (52). The catalysis is commonly run using very low concentrations of 1 and under these circumstances the / 2i-driven pathway can be negligible (52).

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