Low lowest unoccupied molecular orbital

Nucleophilic Attacks on Low Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital Compounds... 

The nature of the transition state of nucleophilic reactions with LL [low lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO)] substrates is analyzed and reviewed. In cation-anion combination reactions, a partial radical character is developed on both the nucleophile and the substrate. Examination of a simple state diagram shows that this diradicaloid character is increased as the LUMO of the substrate is lowered. The model is further extended to other LL substrates such as carbonyl functions and activated olefins. Three empirical manifestations of the diradicaloid character of the transition state are discussed (1) the correlation between the ionization potentials of the nucleophiles and their nucleophilicity toward LL substrates (2) the a-effect phenomenon and (3) the variations in the positional selectivity of 9-nitromethylenefluorene in nucleophilic reactions as a function of the solvent. 

Referring to Fig. 19.6, compound Y, with a low lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) value, is a good electron acceptor and should decompose more easily at the anode than compounds X or Z. Compound Z, with a high highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) value, is a good electron donor and should react easily at the positive electrode compared to either X or Y. 

Paradoxically, although they are electron-rich, S-N compounds are good electron acceptors because the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs) are low-lying relative to those in the analogous carbon systems. For example, the ten r-electron [SsNs] anion undergoes a two-electron electrochemical reduction to form the trianion [SsNs] whereas benzene, the aromatic hydrocarbon analogue of [SsNs], forms the monoanion radical [CeHg] upon reduction. ... 

An unusual observation was noted when ethanolic solutions of 2-alkyl-4(5)-aminoimidazoles (25 R = alkyl) were allowed to react with diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate (62 R = H) [92JCS(P1)2789]. In addition to anticipated products (70), which were obtained in low yield ( 10%), the diimidazole derivatives (33 R = alkyl) were formed in ca.30% yield. The mechanism of formation of the diimidazole products (33) has been interpreted in terms of a reaction between the aminoimidazole (25) and its nitroimidazole precursor (27) during the reduction process. In particular, a soft-soft interaction between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the aminoimidazole (25) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the nitroimidazole (27) is favorable and probably leads to an intermediate, which on tautomerism, elimination of water, and further reduction, gives the observed products (33). The reactions of amino-imidazoles with hard and soft electrophiles is further discussed in Section VI,C. 

Figure 1 shows the electron attachment energies (AE) and ionization potentials (IP) of silyl substituted 7t-systems and related compounds [4], AE can be correlated with the energy level of the LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) and IP can be correlated with the energy level of the HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital). For a-substituted 7t-systems, the introduction of a silyl group produces a decrease in the tc -(LUMO) level. This effect is attributed to the interaction between a low-lying silicon-based unoccupied orbital such as the empty d orbital of silicon and the it orbital (d -p interaction) as shown in Fig. 2. Recent investigations on these systems, however, indicate that d orbitals on silicon are not necessarily required for interpreting this effect a-effects of SiR3 can also be explained by the interaction between Si-R a orbitals and the 7r-system.

In the four-orbital model (1 ), low-lying ir-ir states of free-base porphyrins (symmetry D2h) are considered as resulting from single electron excitation from a pair of nondegenerate highest occupied molecular orbitals (bi, bo) to a pair of nondegenerate lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (ci, cg). In the case of symmetry D2h mutually perpendicular electric transition dipoles X and Y are not equivalent and, therefore, in the visible absorption spectra of free-base porphyrins two different electronic bands Qx(0>0) and Qy(0,0) are observed (Table 1 and Fig. 10). 

In spite of the absence of a typical chromophore, 1,2-dithiin is a bright reddish-orange color. Absorption maxima were found at 451 (2.75 eV), 279 (4.36 eV), and 248 nm (5.00 eV), and the colored band was assigned to a A excitation <1991JST(230)287>. The main reason for the colored absorption of 1,2-dithiin is the low HOMO-LUMO gap of the KS orbitals which amounts to only 3.6 eV (HOMO = highest occupied molecular orbital LUMO = lowest unoccupied molecular orbital KS = Kohn-Sham) <2000JMM177>. By comparison, saturated 1,2-dithiane is colorless (290 nm). 

The fact that the electrochemical oxidation of ds-[M2(cp)2(/r-SR)2(CO)4] and of [M2(/r-SR)2(CO)8] is reversible despite the amount of structural reorganization involved suggests that these changes require low activation energy. Extended Htlckel Molecular Orbital (EHMO) calculations on the model complex ds-13 (R = H) indicated that the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) was the level [47]. Weakening of the... 

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