Solution-phase reactions rearrangement

It should be noted that application of the Marcus theory to these reactions is much more straightforward than application to reactions in solution. Since we are dealing with a single unimolecular step, namely, rearrangement of the reactant complex to the product complex, we need not be concerned with the work terms (2) which must be included in treatments of solution-phase reactions. These terms represent the work required to bring reactants or products to their mean separations in the activated complex, and include Coulombic and desolvation effects. 

Chorismate mutase provides an example of an enzyme where QM/MM calculations have identified an important catalytic principle at work [8], This enzyme catalyses the Claisen rearrangement of chorismate to prephenate. The reaction within the enzyme is not believed to involve chemical catalysis, and this pericylic reaction also occurs readily in solution. Lyne et al. [8] investigated the reaction in chorismate mutase in QM/MM calculations, at the AMI QM level (AMI was found to perform acceptably well for this reaction in comparisons with ab initio results for the reaction in the gas phase [8]). Different sizes of QM system were tested in the QM/MM studies (e.g. including the substrate and no, or up to three, protein side chains), and similar results found in all cases. The reaction was modelled by minimization along an approximate reaction coordinate, defined as the ratio of the forming C-C and breaking C-0 bonds. Values of the reaction coordinate were taken from the AMI intrinsic reaction coordinate for the gas-phase reaction. 

Finally, we note the reversible solution-phase rearrangement of a collection of 1,3,3-trialkylated derivatives of spiro[indoline-2,3 [3//]naphth[2,l-b][l,4]oxazines and the corresponding 2-[2-oxo-l-naphthylidenoiminomethylene]indolines for which the enthalpy of reaction is known38, but these studies unfortunately fail to provide us any useful thermochemical information, such as enthalpies of formation. 

The resin-supported carbodiimide 2 (R = Cy), related to the popular solution phase reagent dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), has been the most successfully employed polymeric carbodiimide of this series, especially in the presence of additives to accelerate the coupling reaction and avoid the acylisourea-unreactive acylurea rearrangement [2]. This carbodiimide has been used for esterification reactions, as exemplified in the reaction of dithiane-containing alcohol 3 with Fmoc-protected valine in the presence of a catalytic amount of N,N-dimethylami-nopyridine (DMAP) to give ester 4 [10] (Scheme 7.1). This polymer-supported reagent 2 (R = Cy) has also been used without any additive in the amidation reaction of 3,4-diaminocyclopentanol scaffolds with 2-(methylsulfanyl)acehc acid [11]. 

In our own work there have been two main strands - the determination of solution-phase structures of heteronuclear clusters and the study of cluster reactions in which the metal framework is assembled or rearranges. In this work we have sought to obtain enhanced structural data as a result of the presence of more than one X-ray absorbing element (metal) in the cluster framework. Furthermore the presence of platinum or palladium in many of these systems leads to much structural variability. 

Numerous rearrangement and isomerization reactions have been reported using MW irradiation. Some reactions are performed in the solution phase whereas others proceed on a graphite or mineral support surface often doped with Lewis... 

---