Electron transfer reactivity patterns

The work summarized here demonstrates that electron transfer reactivity patterns are determined by the same parameters in the gas and solution phases and can be subjected to similar analyses, provided the obvious differences are taken into account. 

Because the breadth of chemical behavior can be bewildering in its complexity, chemists search for general ways to organize chemical reactivity patterns. Two familiar patterns are Br< )nsted acid-base (proton transfer) and oxidation-reduction (electron transfer) reactions. A related pattern of reactivity can be viewed as the donation of a pair of electrons to form a new bond. One example is the reaction between gaseous ammonia and trimethyl boron, in which the ammonia molecule uses its nonbonding pair of electrons to form a bond between nitrogen and boron ... 

When free radicals or other reactive organic species are generated in the electron transfer step, the pattern of surface coverage may have a dramatic impact on the yields of various possible organic oxidation products. Consider the oxidation of mercaptans (RSH) by a metal oxide surface. One-equivalent oxidation forms mercapto radicals (RS1) which quickly couple with neighboring radicals to form a disulfide product (36). 

Studies of the simple electron transfer properties of coordinated dioxygen are in a preliminary stage. The definition of reactivity patterns is obscured by inconsistencies and the lack of key pieces of information, as indicated by the comments above. Nevertheless, there is hope that some general features will emerge ... 

Temperature and pressure effects on rate constants for [Fe(phen)3] +/[Fe(phen)3] + electron transfer in water and in acetonitrile have yielded activation parameters AF was discussed in relation to possible nonadiabaticity and solvation contributions. Solvation effects on AF° for [Fe(diimine)3] " " " " half-cells, related diimine/cyanide ternary systems (diimine = phen, bipy), and also [Fe(CN)6] and Fe aq/Fe aq, have been assessed. Initial state-transition state analyses for base hydrolysis and for peroxodisulfate oxidation for [Fe(diimine)3] +, [Fe(tsb)2] ", [Fe(cage)] " " in DMSO-water mixtures suggest that base hydrolysis is generally controlled by hydroxide (de)hydration, but that in peroxodisulfate oxidation solvation changes for both reactants are significant in determining the overall reactivity pattern. ... 

The above model has been further explored to account for reaction efficiencies in terms of a scheme where nucleophilicities and leaving group abilities can be rationalized by a structure-reactivity pattern. Pellerite and Brau-man (1980, 1983) have proposed that the central energy barrier for an exothermic reaction (see Fig. 3) can be analysed in terms of a thermodynamic driving force, due to the exothermicity of the reaction, and an intrinsic energy barrier. The separation between these two components has been carried out by extending to SN2 reactions the theory developed by Marcus for electron transfer reactions in solutions (Marcus, 1964). While the validity of the Marcus theory to atom and group transfer is open to criticism, the basic assumption of the proposed model is that the intrinsic barrier of reaction (38)... 

An intriguing question then arises. Can evidence of the effects of pair-pair interactions be found in the solution chemistry of heterocyclic compounds in which electron transfer is not involved Although some unusual reactivity patterns have been observed in quaternization reactions, it is not obvious that the explanation lies with pair-pair interactions. 

In terms of the development of an understanding of the reactivity patterns of inorganic complexes, the two metals which have been pivotal are platinum and cobalt. This importance is to a large part a consequence of each metal having available one or more oxidation states which are kinetically inert. Platinum is a particularly useful element of this pair because it has two kinetically inert sets of complexes (divalent and tetravalent) in addition to the complexes of platinum(O), which is a kinetically labile center. The complexes of divalent and tetravalent platinum show significant differences. Divalent platinum forms four-coordinate planar complexes which have a coordinately unsaturated 16-electron d8 platinum center, whereas tetravalent platinum is an 18-electron d6 center which is coordinately saturated in its usual hexacoordination. In terms of mechanistic interpretation one must therefore consider both associative and dissociative substitution pathways, in addition to mechanisms involving electron transfer or inner-sphere atom transfer redox processes. A number of books and articles have been written about replacement reactions in platinum complexes, and a number of these are summarized in Table 13. 

Schmittel M,Ghorai MK(2001) Reactivity patterns of radical ions-a unifying picture of radical-anion and radical-cation transformations. In Balzani V (ed) Electron transfer in chemistry, vol 2. Organic molecules. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, pp 5-54... 

Schmittel M, Ghorai MK (2001) Reactivity patterns of radical ions - a unifying picture of radical-anion and radical-cation transformations. In Balzani V (ed) Electron transfer in chemistry, vol 2. Organic molecules. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, pp 5-54 Schoneich C, Bonifacic M, Dillinger U, Asmus K-D (1990) Hydrogen abstraction by thiyl radicals from activated C-H-bond of alcohols, ethers and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In Chatgilialoglu C, Asmus K-D (eds) Sulfur-centered reactive intermediates in chemistry and biology. Plenum, New York, pp 367-376... 

Among the electron transfer induced reactions of cyclobutane systems, cycloreversions are the most prominent. These reactions are the reverse of the cycloadditions discussed in Sect. 4.1. The reactivity of the corresponding radical cations depends on their substitution pattern. We have mentioned the fast two-bond cycloreversion of quadicyclane radical cation as well as the ready ring closure of a tetracyclic system (3, Sect. 4.1). A related fragmentation of cis-, trans-, cis-1,2,3,4-tetraphenylcyclobutane (84) can be induced by pulse radiolysis of 1,2-dichloro-ethane solutions. This reaction produces the known spectrum of trans-stilbene radical cation (85) without a detectable intermediate and with a high degree of... 

Shi and coworkers found that vinyl acetates 68 are viable acceptors in addition reactions of alkylarenes 67 catalyzed by 10 mol% FeCl2 in the presence of di-tert-butyl peroxide (Fig. 15) [124]. (S-Branched ketones 69 were isolated in 13-94% yield. The reaction proceeded with best yields when the vinyl acetate 68 was more electron deficient, but both donor- and acceptor-substituted 1-arylvinyl acetates underwent the addition reaction. These reactivity patterns and the observation of dibenzyls as side products support a radical mechanism, which starts with a Fenton process as described in Fig. 14. Hydrogen abstraction from 67 forms a benzylic radical, which stabilizes by addition to 68. SET oxidation of the resulting electron-rich a-acyloxy radical by the oxidized iron species leads to reduced iron catalyst and a carbocation, which stabilizes to 69 by acyl transfer to ferf-butanol. However, a second SET oxidation of the benzylic radical to a benzylic cation prior to addition followed by a polar addition to 68 cannot be excluded completely for the most electron-rich substrates. 

Ohashi et al. [86] in 1979 reported an unusual PET reaction of DCA in the presence of triethylamine in acetonitrile where the acetonitrile addition product to DCA (78) was observed and this unusual reaction was suggested as occurring via a longer-lived solvent separated ion pair (SSIP). This difference in the reactivity pattern encouraged us to explore True sensitized electron-proton-electron (E-P-E) transfer sequences [87] from the photoreactions of tertiary... 

Electron transfer catalyzed cycloadditions via radical cations show remarkable selectivity that could be exploited for expanded synthetic methodology. As a complement to the neutral Diels-Alder reaction, ET catalysis hlls the void of the electron-rich diene/electron-rich dienophile cyclizations. In attempt to understand the intricate details of the reaction, experimentalists and theorists have uncovered a range of novel factors to control and manipulate these high-energy reactive intermediates. As exemplihed by the cases discussed in this contribution, the charged character of the intermediates and the presence of back electron transfer leading to the biradical reaction manifold opens new pathways to control the chemo-, peri-, and stereochemical patterns in these dynamic species. 

C-C bond dissociation energies are not the only molecular properties affected by electron transfer. In addition, radical cations exhibit a number of unique characteristics flexible structures [23], a low sensitivity towards steric effects [24], low activation barriers for inter- and intramolecular reactions [25-28], high acidities [29-32] and the inversion of the thermochemical stability order for certain tautomeric systems. Examples in the recent literature demonstrate that it is worthwhile thinking about how the changed molecular properties can be used for the design of new reactions that complement the thermal and photochemical reactivity patterns [26,33-35]. 

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