Donor atom effects

The order of donor atom effects, S- > O-, C- > N-, appears to be general for SN2 reactions with alkyl halides inasmuch as this order holds for... 

Figure 5. Donor atom effects in reactions of anions with n-butyl chloride in (CH3)2SO at 25 °C (24).

Iron(III) chloride forms numerous addition compounds, especially with organic molecules which contain donor atoms, for example ethers, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and amines. Anhydrous iron(III) chloride is soluble in, for example, ether, and can be extracted into this solvent from water the extraction is more effective in presence of chloride ion. Of other iron(III) halides, iron(III) bromide and iron(III) iodide decompose rather readily into the +2 halide and halogen. 

The reversed polarity of the double bond is induced by a n electron-accepting substituent A (A = C=0, C=N, NO2) the carbon and proton in the p-position are deshielded (-A/effect, larger shifts). These substituents have analogous effects on the C atoms of aromatic and heteroaromatic rings. An electron donor D (see above) attached to the benzene ring deshields the (substituted) a-C atom (-/ effect). In contrast, in the ortho and para positions (or comparable positions in heteroaromatic rings) it causes a shielding +M effect, smaller H and C shifts), whereas the meta positions remain almost unaffected. 

Because in this case the complex is formed between two neutral species, it too is neutral, but a formal positive charge develops on the donor atom and a formal negative charge develops on the aeceptor atom. The result is to increase the effective electronegativity of the donor atom and increase the electrophilicity of the complexed fimctional group. 

Introduction of an additional methyl group on the donor atom of TMM moiety gives a low 33% yield of the perhydroindans (49, X=H2) and (50, X=H2) with substantial production of the diene by-products [24]. However, it is still remarkable that the reaction works at all since the corresponding intermolecular cycloaddition failed. Incorporation of a carbonyl moiety adjacent to the donor carbon atom doubles the yield of the cycloadducts to 66% (Scheme 2.15). This so-called acyl effect works by making the donor carbon of the TMM unit "softer," thus facilitating the initial step of the conjugate addition, as well as inhibiting base-induced side reactions [22]. 

The most common steric effect is that of inhibition of complex formation owing to the presence of a large group either attached to, or in close proximity to, the donor atom. 

In aqueous solutions at pH 7, there is little evidence of complex formation between [MesSnflV)] and Gly. Potentiometric determination of the formation constants for L-Cys, DL-Ala, and L-His with the same cation indicates that L-Cys binds more strongly than other two amino acids (pKi ca. 10,6, or 5, respectively). Equilibrium and spectroscopic studies on L-Cys and its derivatives (S-methyl-cystein (S-Me-Cys), N-Ac-Cys) and the [Et2Sn(IV)] system showed that these ligands coordinate the metal ion via carboxylic O and the thiolic 5 donor atoms in acidic media. In the case of S-Me-Cys, the formation of a protonated complex MLH was also detected, due to the stabilizing effect of additional thioether coordination. ... 

The fact that the coordination of a hard N donor atom is preferred in a trans position to the soft C donor atom and reciprocally, constitutes a good illustration of the antisymblotic effect which seems here to occur in presence of the soft Pd(II) metal. Similar observations have also been made in Pt(II) complexes. 

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