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Tetraazafulvalene 1 has found broad application in reduction and other related transformations and is conveniently generated from bis-propyl bis-imidazolium salt 4 with a strong base in a non-protic solvent. The proposed mechanism for the formation of 1 involves initial at C(2) to give a mono-carbene 9 followed by reaction at the second azolium centre. Herein, we report the second-order rate constants for deuteroxide-catalysed exchange in aqueous solution of the C(2)-hydrogens of bis-propyl bis-imidazolium di-iodide salt 4 and related monomeric dipropyl imidazolium iodide 10 of kDO = 1.37 × 104 and 1.79 × 102 M−1 s−1, respectively, and used these data to calculate p Ka values of 21.2 and 23.1. The greater C(2)-H acidity of the doubly bridged bis-propyl bis-imidazolium salt 4 relative to 10 may be attributed to the inductive or electrostatic destabilization of the conjugate acid dicationic azolium ion 4 relative to the monocationic carbene 9, which is enhanced by bis-tethering. Formation of tetraazafulvalene 1 was not observed under the aqueous conditions employed highlighting that carbene reprotonation significantly outcompetes under these conditions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies of the C(3)-hydrogen/deuterium of the triazolium ion conjugate acids of triazolyl N-heterocyclic carbenes revealed a change of mechanism under acidic conditions with N1-protonation to a dicationic salt. Interestingly, the data suggested an increase in p KaN1 in the presence of a N-pentafluorophenyl substituent relative to other N-aryl substituents with hydrogens or methyl substituents rather than fluorines at the ortho-positions. To probe the presence of an apparent donor effect of a N-pentafluorophenyl substituent, which differs from the more common electron withdrawing effect of this group, we have studied the analogous deuterium of four triazolium salts with heteroatoms or heteroatom substituents in the 2-position and/or 6-position of the N-aryl ring. These include triazolium salts with N-2,4,6-tribromophenyl 11, N-2,6-dichlorophenyl 12, N-2-pyridyl 13 and N-2-pyrimidinyl 14 substituents. The log kex - p D profiles for 11, 12 and 14 were found to show similar trends at lower p Ds as for the previously studied N-pentafluorophenyl triazolium salt, hence supporting the presence an apparent donor effect on p KaN1. Surprisingly, the log kex - p D profile for N-pyridyl salt 13 uniquely showed at lower p Ds. We propose herein that this data is best explained by invoking an general base role for the N-(2-pyridyl) substituent in conjunction with N1-protonation on the triazolium ring. Finally, the second order rate constants for deuteroxide ion catalysed C(3)-H/D exchange ( kDO, M−1 s−1), which could be obtained from data at p Ds >1.5, were used to provide estimates of C(3)-carbon acid p KaC3 values for the four triazolium salts 11, 12, 13, 14. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three reactions were studied in the diastereomers of 1-(benzenesulfonyl)-2-nitro-1-phenylpropane (1A and 1B) and briefly in related compounds: elimination of the benzenesulfonyl group, epimerization of one diastereomer to the other, and deuterium/hydrogen exchange at the methine group next to nitro in starting material. The two diastereomers showed quite different reactivity. The high melting diasteromer showed rapid elimination and some exchange. The low melting diastereomer (at approximately a half-life) showed extensive epimerization, and elimination to the alkene, but little exchange. There is little effect of aromatic substituents on reaction course. The situation is complicated by re-addition of benzenesulfinate to the alkene. The addition reaction was similar to elimination in agreement with the Principle of Microscopic Reversibility expectations. An electron transfer mechanism for addition is calculated to be comparatively favorable. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]