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The B12 derivative, heptamethyl cobyrinate, -mediated electrochemical synthesis of cyanoformamides has been developed. Aerobic oxygenation of the carbon-centered radical initiated in situ generation of the reactive acyl chloride intermediate, which led to cyanoformamides in the presence of an amine. This one-pot and scalable synthetic method has been demonstrated with 41 examples up to 94% yields with 21 new compounds. The mechanism of electrolysis mediated by the B12 derivative has been proposed based on the DFT calculations.

This work reports the synthesis, crystal structures, and electronic properties of structurally constrained S,C,C- and O,C,C-bridged triarylamine derivatives and their persistent radical cations. O,C,C-Bridged triphenylamines and a dinaphthylphenylamine were obtained through a straightforward synthetic protocol. Similar to a previously reported S,C,C-bridged triphenylamine, the O,C,C-bridged triarylamines were easily oxidized to afford the corresponding radical cations, which were obtained as hexachloroantimonate salts. X-ray crystallographic analyses showed almost planar structures for these O,C,C-bridged triarylamine radical cations, which represent new members of the family of planar triarylamine radical cations without substituents on the aryl rings. Detailed investigations of the electronic properties of the S,C,C- and O,C,C-bridged triarylamine radical cations demonstrated that the spin and positive charge are sufficiently delocalized over the planar triarylamine scaffolds. The results provide the following insights into the effects of the bridging unit (sulfur vs oxygen) and the dibenzo-annulation on the spin delocalization in the bridged triarylamine radical cations: (1) An effective decrease of the spin density on the nitrogen atom is observed for the sulfur bridge relative to the oxygen bridge; and (2) a moderate decrease of the spin density on the oxygen atom rather than the nitrogen atom is induced by the dibenzo-annulation.

The B

A convergent paired electrolysis catalyzed by a B12 complex for the one-pot synthesis of a tertiary amide from organic trichlorides (R-CCl3) has been developed. Various readily available organic trichlorides, such as benzotrichloride and its derivatives, chloroform, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), trichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane (CFC-113a), and trichloroacetonitrile (CNCCl3), were converted to amides in the presence of tertiary amines through oxygen incorporation from air at room temperature. The amide formation mechanism in the paired electrolysis, which was mediated by a cobalt complex, was proposed.

We report herein unique stepwise protonation at inner imino-nitrogen atoms of a freebase derivative of a quadruply fused porphyrin (H2QFP), which has been newly synthesized. H2QFP has been revealed to have the two inner NH protons on the two nonfused pyrroles by X-ray diffraction analysis and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The first protonation at one of the two imino-nitrogen atoms of the fused pyrroles smoothly proceeds with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in CH2Cl2 and the equilibrium constant (K1) of the protonation has been determined to be (1.3 ± 0.1) × 105 M–1. In contrast, the second protonation at the other imino-nitrogen atom is hard to occur unless a large excess amount of TFA is used, as reflected on a much smaller equilibrium constant, K2 = 7.3 ± 0.3 M–1. The stepwise protonation is ascribed to the structural rigidity caused by the ring fusion and the resultant steric repulsion among inner NH atoms of the diprotonated form. Electrochemical studies have revealed that protonation at the pyrrole nitrogen atoms...

The mechanisms associated with the hydrogenation of alkenes catalyzed by the iron complex Fe(cis-CO)2{o-(SiMe2)2C6H4}2(H)2 (1) were investigated by DFT calculations. The complex 1 has a structure in which the iron center is bonded to four silicon atoms and two hydrides. Secondary Si···H···Si interactions were also observed. The exchange of a 1,2-bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene ligand with ethylene and hydrogen gives a disilaferracycle bearing η2-(CH2═CH2) and η2-H2 ligands. The catalytic cycle initiated from the disilaferracycle involves cleavage of a H–H linkage assisted by an Fe–Si bond to form Fe–H and η1-(H–Si) moieties (step 1), hydrogen migration from the Fe–H group to the η2-(CH2═CH2) ligand which accomplishes the insertion of ethylene into the Fe–H bond (step 2), and reaction of the resulting β-agostic ethyl moiety with the η2-(H–Si) group to form ethane on the iron atom (step 3). The octahedral geometry of 1 as well as the presence of π-acidic CO ligands and Fe–Si σ-bonds contributes to all of the cata...

The conversion of methanol to formaldehyde mediated by ferrate (FeO(4)2-), monoprotonated ferrate (HFeO4-), and diprotonated ferrate (H2FeO4) is discussed with the hybrid B3LYP density functional theory (DFT) method. Diprotonated ferrate is the best mediator for the activation of the O-H and C-H bonds of methanol via two entrance reaction channels: (1) an addition-elimination mechanism that involves coordination of methanol to diprotonated ferrate; (2) a direct abstraction mechanism that involves H atom abstraction from the O-H or C-H bond of methanol. Within the framework of the polarizable continuum model (PCM), the energetic profiles of these reaction mechanisms in aqueous solution are calculated and investigated. In the addition-elimination mechanism, the O-H and C-H bonds of ligating methanol are cleaved by an oxo or hydroxo ligand, and therefore the way to the formation of formaldehyde is branched into four reaction pathways. The most favorable reaction pathway in the addition-elimination mechanism is initiated by an O-H cleavage via a four-centered transition state that leads to intermediate containing an Fe-O bond, followed by a C-H cleavage via a five-centered transition state to lead to formaldehyde complex. In the direct abstraction mechanism, the oxidation reaction can be initiated by a direct H atom abstraction from either the O-H or C-H bond, and it is branched into three pathways for the formation of formaldehyde. The most favorable reaction pathway in the direct abstraction mechanism is initiated by C-H activation that leads to organometallic intermediate containing an Fe-C bond, followed by a concerted H atom transfer from the OH group of methanol to an oxo ligand of ferrate. The first steps in both mechanisms are all competitive in energy, but due to the significant energetical stability of the organometallic intermediate, the most likely initial reaction in methanol oxidation by ferrate is the direct C-H bond cleavage.