Base Lewis

A Lewis base is a molecule with available electrons, e.g. ammonia. 

When carbon forms four covalent bonds with halogen atoms the second quantum level on the carbon is completely filled with electrons. Most of the reactions of the Group IV tetrahalides require initial donation by a Lewis base (p. 91) (e.g. water, ammonia) which attaches initially to the tetrahalide by donation of its electron pair. Hence, although the calculated free energy of a reaction may indicate that the reaction is energetically favourable, the reaction may still not proceed. Thus we find that the tetrahalides of carbon... 

Towards a simple Lewis base, for example the proton, phosphine is a poorer electron donor than ammonia, the larger phosphorus atom being less able to form a stable covalent bond with the acceptor atom or molecule. Phosphine is, therefore, a much weaker base than ammonia and there is no series of phosphonium salts corresponding to the ammonium salts but phosphonium halides. PH4X (X = Cl, Br, I) can be prepared by the direct combination of phosphine with the appropriate hydrogen halide. These compounds are much more easily dissociated than ammonium halides, the most stable being the iodide, but even this dissociates at 333 K PH4I = PH3 -t- HI... 

This chapter introduces the experimental work described in the following chapters. Some mechanistic aspects of the Diels-Alder reaction and Lewis-acid catalysis thereof are discussed. This chapter presents a critical survey of the literature on solvent ejfects on Diels-Alder reactions, with particular emphasis on the intriguing properties of water in connection with their effect on rate and selectivity. Similarly, the ejfects of water on Lewis acid - Lewis base interactions are discussed. Finally the aims of this thesis are outlined. 

Lewis acid - Lewis base coordination in water... 

The Hard-Soft-Add-Base (HSAB) theory was developed by Pearson in 1963. According to this theory, Lewis acids and Lewis bases are divided into two groups on one hand hard acids and bases, which are usually small, weakly polarizable species with highly localised charges, and on the other hand soft acids and bases which are large, polarizable species with delocalised charges. A selection of Lewis acids, ordered according to their hardness in aqueous solution is presented in Table 1.3. 

Several alternative attempts have been made to quantify Lewis-acid Lewis-base interaction. In view of the HSAB theory, the applicability of a scale which describes Lewis acidity with only one parameter will be unavoidably restricted to a narrow range of struchirally related Lewis bases. The use of more than one parameter results in relationships with a more general validity ". However, a quantitative prediction of the gas-phase stabilities of Lewis-acid Lewis-base complexes is still difficult. Hence the interpretation, not to mention the prediction, of solvent effects on Lewis-add Lewis-base interactions remains largely speculative. 

The second important influence of the solvent on Lewis acid - Lewis base equilibria concerns the interactions with the Lewis base. Consequently the Lewis addity and, for hard Lewis bases, especially the hydrogen bond donor capacity of tire solvent are important parameters. The electron pair acceptor capacities, quantified by the acceptor number AN, together with the hydrogen bond donor addities. O, of some selected solvents are listed in Table 1.5. Water is among the solvents with the highest AN and, accordingly, interacts strongly witli Lewis bases. This seriously hampers die efficiency of Lewis-acid catalysis in water. 

Finally, the solvent also interacts with sites of the Lewis acid and the Lewis base that are not directly involved in mutual coordination, thereby altering the electronic properties of the complex. For example, delocalisation of charges into the surrounding solvent molecules causes ions in solution to be softer than in the gas phase . Again, water is particularly effective since it can act as an efficient electron pair acceptor as well as a donor. 

In summary, water is clearly an extremely bad solvent for coordination of a hard Lewis acid to a hard Lewis base. Hence, catalysis of Diels-Alder reactions in water is expected to be difficult due to the relative inefficiency of the interactions between the Diels-Alder reactants and the Lewis-acid catalyst in this medium. 

In the final chapter ofi this thesis, the work described in the preceding chapters is evaluated. Furthermore, two pivotal themes ofi this work, Lewis acid - Lewis base interactions in water and hydrophobic fiects, are reviewed. Finally, the prospects ofi Lewis-acid catalysis in aqueous solution are discussed. 

Analogously, water is extremely efficient in weakening hard Lewis add - hard Lewis base interactions. Consequently, when aiming at catalysis by hard Lewis adds, the inefficiency of the interaction between the catalyst and the substrate is a serious problem. Strangely enough, this characteristic of water is not recognised by many researchers working with hard Lewis acids in... 

In Chapter 1 mechanistic aspects of Are Diels-Alder reaction are discussed. The literature on the effects of solvents and Lewis-acid catalysts on this reaction is surveyed. The special properties of water are reviewed and the effects of water on the Diels-Alder reaction is discussed. Finally, the effect of water on Lewis acid - Lewis base interactions is described. 

In Chapter 6 we survey what has been accomplished and indicate directions for future research. Furthermore, we critically review the influence of water on Lewis acid - Lewis base interactions. This influence has severe implications for catalysis, in particular when hard Lewis acids and bases are involved. We conclude that claims of Lewis-acid catalysis should be accompanied by evidence for a direct interaction between catalyst and substrate. 

If we apply Lewis s definitions narrowly we can write an equation for the reac tion between a Lewis acid and a Lewis base as... 

An unshared pair of electrons from the Lewis base is used to form a covalent bond between the Lewis acid and the Lewis base The Lewis acid and the Lewis base are shown as ions m the equation but they need not be If both are neutral molecules the analogous equation becomes... 

Boron tnfluonde etherate (Lewis acid Lewis base complex)... 

The product of this reaction a Lewis acid Lewis base complex called informally boron tnfluonde etherate may look unusual but it is a stable species with properties different from those of the reactants Its boiling point (126°C) for example is much higher than that of boron tnfluonde—a gas with a boiling point of — 100°C—and diethyl ether a liquid that boils at 34°C... 

Write an equation for the Lewis acid Lewis base reaction... 

The Lewis acid Lewis base idea also includes certain substitution reactions m which one atom or group replaces another... 

Clearly the two reactions are analogous and demonstrate that the reaction between hydroxide ion and hydrogen bromide is simultaneously a Brpnsted acid-base reaction and a Lewis acid Lewis base reaction Br0nsted acid-base reactions constitute a sub category of Lewis acid Lewis base reactions... 

Many important biochemical reactions involve Lewis acid Lewis base chemistry Carbon dioxide is rapidly converted to hydrogen carbonate ion m the presence of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase... 

Recall that the carbon atom of carbon dioxide bears a partial positive charge because of the electron attracting power of its attached oxygens When hydroxide ion (the Lewis base) bonds to this positively polarized carbon a pair of electrons in the carbon-oxygen double bond leaves carbon to become an unshared pair of oxygen... 

Lewis bases use an unshared pair to form a bond to some other atom and are also referred to as nucleophiles ( nucleus seekers ) Conversely Lewis acids are elec trophiles ( electron seekers ) We will use these terms hundreds of times throughout the remaining chapters... 

The Lewis definitions of acids and bases provide for a more general view of acid-base reactions than either the Arrhenius or Br0nsted-Lowry pic ture A Lewis acid is an electron pair acceptor A Lewis base is an electron pair donor The Lewis approach incorporates the Br0nsted-Lowry approach as a subcategory m which the atom that accepts the electron pair m the Lewis acid is a proton... 

The positive charge on carbon and the vacant p orbital combine to make carbo cations strongly electrophilic ( electron loving or electron seeking ) Electrophiles are Lewis acids (Section 117) They are electron pair acceptors and react with Lewis bases (electron pair donors) Step 3 which follows and completes the mechanism is a Lewis... 

The Lewis bases that react with electrophiles are called nucleophiles ( nucleus seek ers ) They have an unshared electron pair that they can use m covalent bond formation The nucleophile m Step 3 of Figure 4 6 is chloride ion... 

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