Elimination computational studies

Palladium(II) complexes provide convenient access into this class of catalysts. Some examples of complexes which have been found to be successful catalysts are shown in Scheme 11. They were able to get reasonable turnover numbers in the Heck reaction of aryl bromides and even aryl chlorides [22,190-195]. Mechanistic studies concentrated on the Heck reaction [195] or separated steps like the oxidative addition and reductive elimination [196-199]. Computational studies by DFT calculations indicated that the mechanism for NHC complexes is most likely the same as that for phosphine ligands [169], but also in this case there is a need for more data before a definitive answer can be given on the mechanism. 

Let us consider the general trends of the reactivity of C-C, C-S, and C-Q (Q = Cl, Br, I) bonds towards oxidative addition and reductive elimination (Scheme 7-25). In many cases, either C-C bond-forming reductive elimination from a metal center (a) or the oxidative addition of a C-Q bond to a low-valent metal center is a thermodynamically favorable process (c). On the other hand, the thermodynamics of the C-S bond oxidative addition and reductive elimination (b) lies in between these two cases. In other words, one could more easily control the reaction course by the modulation of metal, ligand, and reactant Further progress for better understanding of S-X bond activation will be achieved by thorough stoichiometric investigations and computational studies. 

Olefination Reactions Involving Phosphonium Ylides. The synthetic potential of phosphonium ylides was developed initially by G. Wittig and his associates at the University of Heidelberg. The reaction of a phosphonium ylide with an aldehyde or ketone introduces a carbon-carbon double bond in place of the carbonyl bond. The mechanism originally proposed involves an addition of the nucleophilic ylide carbon to the carbonyl group to form a dipolar intermediate (a betaine), followed by elimination of a phosphine oxide. The elimination is presumed to occur after formation of a four-membered oxaphosphetane intermediate. An alternative mechanism proposes direct formation of the oxaphosphetane by a cycloaddition reaction.236 There have been several computational studies that find the oxaphosphetane structure to be an intermediate.237 Oxaphosphetane intermediates have been observed by NMR studies at low temperature.238 Betaine intermediates have been observed only under special conditions that retard the cyclization and elimination steps.239... 

Even with powerful computer programs at hand, the solution of estimation problems is usually far from simple. A convenient way to eliminate computational errors and to study the effects of statistical assumptions is to solve first a problem with known true parameter values, involving data generated at some nominal parameter vector. Initially it is advisable to investigate with error-free data, then to add errors of the assumed structure. The simulation usually requires normally distributed random variables. Random numbers R that approximately are from a normal distribution with zero mean and unit variance can be obtained by... 

A. A-dimethylthiocarbamoy I) substituents (Z) is to reduce the rate of solvent trapping by 80-fold and > 30 000-fold, respectively. This, combined with the much smaller effect on kg, accounts for the unusually large proportion of elimination product obtained from the 7-ami do- and a-thioamido-benzyl derivatives. Computational studies have established that the relative magnitude of the rate constants ks and kg, is strongly controlled by the relative thermodynamic stabilities of the respective neutral products. 

A computational study has probed the origin of the diastereoselectivity in aziridine formation from sulfur ylides, Me2S+-CH -R, and imines.62 For semi-stabilized cases (R = Ph), betaine formation is non-reversible, so that selectivity is determined in the (g) initial addition step. In contrast, for stabilized ylides (R = C02Me), betaine formation is endothermic, and the elimination step becomes rate and selectivity determining. 

Computational studies on the hypothetical 16-electron ruthenacyclohexane CpRuCl(C5H10) suggest that (1-hydride elimination is feasible, as for the analogous ruthenacyclopentane.65... 

A similar borderline system, fran -bis[2-(2-chloroethyl)pyridine]palladium chloride (1), has been prepared and structurally characterized by X-ray spectroscopy and computational study.2 A study on the elimination reaction of (1) induced by quinuclidine in acetonitrile has been performed (Scheme 1). The results suggest that the initial product of elimination is a palladium complex of vinylpyridine and that displacement from this complex is partially rate determining in the formation of the uncoordinated product. Despite experimental efforts, it was not possible to distinguish between two possible mechanisms, E2 concerted or ElcB. 

Computational studies performed on model complexes in collaboration with Hall and coworkers suggest that alkane borylation may occur by a ej-bond metathesis pathway (Scheme 3) [48]. The proposed mechanism for the borylation of alkanes by 1 begins with elimination of HBpin to generate the 16-electron complex Cp Rh(Bpin)2. This complex then forms a <7-complex (3) with the alkane. The vacant p-orbital on boron then enables cr-bond metathesis to generate a o-borane complex (4). Reductive elimination of the alkylboronate ester product and oxidative addition of B2pin2 then regenerate 1. 

Computational studies concerning theoretical approaches to the intrinsic basicity of neutral nitrogen bases have been reported, including those of phos-phoranimines. The non-ionic phosphazene bases BEMP (112), BTPP (113) and (114, R = Ph) appear to be excellent catalysts for the Michael addition reactions. Thus the yield of the coupling reaction of ethyl isocyanoacetate with l,2-bis(4-bromomethylphenyl)ethane is increased by the addition of the phosphazene base BEMP. Polymer-supported BEMP (P-BEMP) has been applied for the allylation of 2H-benzo[d]l,3-dioxolan-5-ol by allyl bromide. " Cyclodehydration of 1,2 diacylhydrazines by tosyl chloride in the presence of P-BEMP leads to excellent yields of 1,3,4,-oxadiazoles. Addition of P-BEMP also improves the yield of the Hofmann elimination step in the synthesis of tertiary mines using REM resin (polymer-bound acrylate ester). ... 

These facts obviously raise the question of what constitutes the best computational model of a small catalytic particle. As catalysis is often a local phenomenon, a cluster model of the reactive or chemisorption site may give quite a reasonable description of what happens at the real surface [1,3,30]. However, the cluster should still be large enough to eliminate cluster edge effects, and even then one must bear in mind that the cluster sizes employed in many computational studies are still much smaller than real catalytic particles (say 10-50 versus 50-1000 atoms, respectively). Hence, a slab model of a stepped surface may provide a much more realistic model of the active site of a catalytic nanoparticle. Hammer [31,32] has carried out quite extensive DFT-GGA slab calculations of N2 and NO dissociation at stepped Ru and Pd surfaces, showing how the dissociation energy is significantly lower at the low-coordination step sites compared to terrace sites. The special reactivity of step sites for the dissociation of NO and N2 has been demonstrated in several recent surface-science studies [33,34]. Also, the preferential adsorption of CO on step sites has been demonstrated in UHV [35], under electrochemical conditions [36], as well as by means of DFT-GGA slab calculations [37]. 

This chapter will examine structure correlations pertinent to carbonyl substitution-elimination reactions as well as results of computational studies of potential energy surfaces and transition-state structures for such reactions. We shall then assess the current standing of the original postulates as well as that of the derivative models employed in the discussion of stereoselection and regioselectivity. 

---