Polar diradical

Figure 3.3 Percentage orbital occupancy of lsA(cx) and lsB(a) spin-orbitals in the spin-polarized (diradical) portion of the potential-energy curve for HA—Hb covalent-bond formation.

Collapse of the polarized diradical/zwitterion would lead to the ortho cycloadduct. Stereospecificity in ortho addition by this route would then be governed not by concertedness in the usual sense, but rather by coulombic interaction between the charged centers [38],... 

A homolytic cyclopropane C-C bond rupture that would furnish in turn a 1,3-diradical is also conceivable. However, it is always difficult to establish whether a purely diradical or ionic mechanism is in operation. Between these two extremes there exists a graded continuum of polarized diradicals of which the zwitterion represents the end of the spectrum. In addition, the continuous development of radical character during the formation of the transition state of a homolytic bond scission, called the continuous diradical, has been postulated to explain the behavior of some reactions. Alternatively, the contribution of a truly concerted transformation cannot be overlooked. ... 

This is only found for reactions involving non-polar diradical intermediates and is not observed for polar zwitterionic intermediates. In the latter case the volume of activation of the zwitterionic intermediate can be more negative than that of a competing pericyclic reaction due to the solvent-dependent effect of electro-... 

Extensive mechanistic studies of this cyclization reaction were carried out by Myers et al. and extended with theoretical work by Squire s et al. It is known that, in contrast to the Bergman cyclization of the ene-diyne (Chapter 4.2), this transformation proceeds as an exothermic process determined by the increased stability of a benzyl radical versus a phenyl radical. The barrier for cyclization from substrate to a diradical product is low and can further be reduced by an appropriate substitution at the allenic terminus of the substrate. The dichotomous (polar and free radical) reactivity is observed on pyrolysis in the presence of polar reactants. Both radical and polar products arise from a common intermediate, which is described as a polar diradical, a linear combination of limiting structure 7 and zwitterion 11. According to Squires, polar diradical singlet species are involved. Based on computational studies supported by experimental product distribution studies, it has been proposed that both the diradical 7 and... 

With a change to non-polar solvent, the reaction of ylides 269 with alkynes and alkenes changed dramatically, as shown in Scheme 10. With DM AD in toluene the ylides give pyrazolopyridines 272 in good yield (91TL4977), and with methyl propiolate (MEP) give indolizines 273 (92H(33)203). The reaction with acrylates is much less clean, but the variety of products is said to be formed from a diazene intermediate, which splits to give a diradical (93H(35)851). 

Keywords Chemical orbital theory, Cw-stability, Cyclic conjugation. Disposition isomers. Diradicals, Donor-acceptor, Electron delocalization, Geminal bond participation, Inorganic heterocycles. Ring strain. Orbital phase. Orbital phase continuity. Polarization, Preferential branching. Reactivity, Selectivity, Stability, Tautomerism, Z-selectivity... 

Scheme 8 Electron configuration and polarization in the triplet diradicals...

Fig. 5a-c Through-bond interactions in the triplet state of 1,3-diradical, a Mechanism of electron delocalization and polarization of a-spin electrons, b Cyclic orbital interaction, c Orbital phase continuity... 

In cyclohexane the same two ketones (12) and (13) are obtained from the photolysis of (11) but in aqueous dioxane two phenols are isolated as well as the bicyclic ketone (12). Swenton(10) suggested that the gas-phase reaction involves diradical species, whereas in polar solvents zwitterionic intermediates are favored ... 

No similar meta substituent effect exists for ions since resonance between a singlet and triplet (diradical) state is prohibited. The dipolar ion theory would suggest that suitably disubstituted radicals should be especially stable, particularly in polar solvents, because of structures like III. 

In a similar fashion the bonding in H2 might be formally regarded as a complementary pair of one-electron donor-acceptor interactions, one in the ot (spin up ) and the other in the 3 (spin down ) spin set.8 In the long-range diradical or spin-polarized portion of the potential-energy curve, the electrons of ot and (3 spin are localized on opposite atoms (say, at on HA and 3 on HB), in accordance with the asymptotic dissociation into neutral atoms. However as R diminishes, the ot electron begins to delocalize into the vacant lsB(a) spin-orbital on HB, while (3 simultaneously delocalizes into Isa on HA, until the ot and (3 occupancies on each atom become equalized near R = 1.4 A, as shown in Fig. 3.3. These one-electron delocalizations are formally very similar to the two-electron ( dative ) delocalizations discussed in Chapter 2, and they culminate as before (cf. Fig. 2.9) in an ionic-covalent transition to a completely delocalized two-center spin distribution at... 

Full -polarization in diradicals can give rise to zwitterionic products. First examples were studied in detail by Carpenter and coworker who investigated solvent effects on rates and product distribution in Myers-Saito cyclizations.64 Polar solvents and substitution patterns that stabilize either positive or negative charges (or both) favor the zwitterionic products. For example, the presence of a dimethylamino group leads to stabilization of cations and isolation of pyrrolo-quinolines, rather than pyrido-indoles from eneyne-carbodiimides, as reported by Wang and coworkers (Scheme 14).65... 

Even though these products are not formed by a diradical mechanism, these polar species may still have relevance to DNA damage, because of the potential alkylating ability of their electrophilic (cationic) sites. 

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