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The mechanism of the decomposition of ethyl and ethyl 3-phenyl glycidate in gas phase was studied by density functional theory (DFT) and MP2 methods. A proposed mechanism for the reaction indicates that the ethyl side of the ester is eliminated as ethylene through a concerted six-membered cyclic transition state, and the unstable intermediate glycidic acid decarboxylates rapidly to give the corresponding aldehyde. Two possible pathways for glycidic acid decarboxylation were studied: one via a five-membered cyclic transition state, and the other via a four-membered cyclic transition state. The results of the calculations indicate that the decarboxylation reaction occurs via a mechanism with five-membered cyclic transition state. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

comprehensive MP2/6-311 + G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311 + G(d,p) study of the aromatic character of phospholes, P(CH)PH with n = 0-4 was conducted. For this purpose, the structures for these compounds were optimized at both theoretical levels and different magnetic properties (magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, χ, and the nucleus-independent chemical shifts, NICS) were evaluated. For comparison, these magnetic properties were also calculated in the optimized structures with planarity constraints. We have also applied the ACID (anisotropy of the current-induced density) method in this analysis. The main conclusions are the aromatic character of these compounds, the relationship between aromaticity and planarity and the importance of other factors in this aromaticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]