Energetically favored product

Evidence for the reverse process, donation of electron density from the nucleophilic dimer atom to an electron-deficient molecule, also exists. Konecny and Doren theoretically found that borane (BH3) will dissociatively adsorb on Si(100)-2x1 [293]. While much of the reaction is barrierless, they note an interaction between the boron atom and the nucleophilic atom of the Si dimer during the dissociation process. Cao and Hamers have demonstrated experimentally that the electron density of the nucleophilic dimer atom can be donated to the empty orbital of boron trifluoride (BF3) [278]. XPS on a clean Si(100)-2 x 1 surface at 190 indicates that BF3 dissociates into BF2(a) and F(a) species. However, when BF3 is exposed on a Si(100)-2 x 1 surface previously covered with a saturation dose of trimethylamine, little B-F dissociation occurs, as evidenced by the photoelectron spectrum. They conclude that BF3 molecularly adsorbs to the nucleophilic dimer atom and DFT calculations indicate that the most energetically favorable product is a surface-mediated donor-acceptor complex (trimethylamine-Si-Si-BF3) as shown in Figure 5.19. 

State correlation diagram for heteronuclear case in which both heterolytic bond cleavage products are energetically favored relative to homolytic cleavage. 

Two pathways were found for the chiral hydrogenation, and they give products with different stereochemistries (19). One pathway involves the preferred mode of initial binding of the reactant to the catalyst. The other pathway involves an isomer of the reactant—catalyst complex that is formed in only small amounts, but its conversion is energetically favorable and constitutes the kinetically predominant pathway to products (9) (Fig. 4). Thus the chirahty of the product is determined not by the preferred mode of the initial binding, but instead by the more favorable energetics of the pathway involving the minor isomer of the reactant—catalyst complex. 

The value of the equilibrium constant tells which side of the reaction arrow is energetically favored. If Keq is much larger than 1, then the product concentration term [C 4 [Dlrf is much larger than the reactant concentration term A " B, and the reaction proceeds as written from left to right. If Keq is near 1, appreciable amounts of both reactant and product are present at equilibrium. And if Koq is much smaller than l, the reaction does not take place as written but instead goes in the reverse direction, from right to left. 

Intramolecular C/H insertion by copper-catalyzed decomposition of a-diazoketones provides a convenient cyclization procedure which is limited, however, to diazo compounds which allow energetically favorable realization of the transition state leading to the cyclized product. 

Protons are in general indispensable for the dismutation of superoxide (Eq. (4)). Also in the case of its dismutation catalyzed by a metal center, two protons are needed for the dissociation of the product (H2O2) from the metal center (Scheme 9). Therefore, a complex which can accept two protons upon reduction and release them upon oxidation is an excellent candidate for SOD activity. The studies on proton-coupled electron transfer in Fe- and Mn-SODs 48), demonstrated that the active site of MnSOD consists of more than one proton acceptor (Scheme 10). Since the assignment of species involved in proton transfer is extremely difficult in the case of enzymatic systems, relevant investigations on adequate model complexes could be of vast importance. H2dapsox coordinates to Fe(II) in its neutral form, whereas in the case of Fe(III) it coordinates in the dapsox form. Thus, oxidation and reduction of its iron complex is a proton-coupled electron transfer process 46), which as an energetically favorable... 

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