Browsing by Subject "Dynamic Effects"
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Item Aldol Reactions - Isotope Effects, Mechanism and Dynamic Effects(2011-02-22) Vetticatt, Mathew J.The mechanism of three important aldol reactions and a biomimetic transamination is investigated using a combination of experimental kinetic isotope effects (KIEs), standard theoretical calculations and dynamics trajectory simulations. This powerful mechanistic probe is found to be invaluable in understanding intricate details of the mechanism of these reactions. The successful application of variational transition state theory including multidimensional tunneling to theoretically predict isotope effects, described in this dissertation, represents a significant advance in our research methodology. The role of dynamic effects in aldol reactions is examined in great detail. The study of the proline catalyzed aldol reaction has revealed an intriguing new dynamic effect - quasiclassical corner cutting - where reactive trajectories cut the corner between reactant and product valleys and avoid the saddle point. This phenomenon affects the KIEs observed in this reaction in a way that is not predictable by transition state theory. The study of the Roush allylboration of aldehydes presents an example where recrossing affects experimental observations. The comparative study of the allylboration of two electronically different aldehydes, which are predicted to have different amounts of recrossing, suggests a complex interplay of tunneling and recrossing affecting the observed KIEs. The Mukaiyama aldol reaction has been investigated and the results unequivocally rule out the key carbon-carbon bond forming step as rate-limiting. This raises several interesting mechanistic scenarios - an electron transfer mechanism with two different rate-limiting steps for the two components, emerges as the most probable possibility. Finally, labeling studies of the base catalyzed 1,3- proton transfer reaction of fluorinated imines point to a stepwise process involving an azomethine ylide intermediate. It is found that dynamic effects play a role in determining the product ratio in this reaction.Item Mechanistic Investigation into the Sommelet-Hauser Rearrangement of an Allyl Ammonium Ylide Through Determination of 13C KIEs(2011-10-21) Collins, Sean ChristopherThe [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement is a pericyclic reaction of great synthetic utility to organic chemists. Within the scope of this reaction exist some cases in which the product corresponding to a [1,2] rearrangement is formed, despite the fact this is a forbidden process. Generally this is explained by a radical dissociation-recombination pathway; however, studies into the failure of transition state theory and the necessity to incorporate dynamic effects into mechanistic theory lead us to believe such products may arise from these phenomena. In particular, the possibility that many of these products result from an ?unsymmetrical bifurcating surface? in the potential energy landscape is intriguing. To investigate this possibility, the Sommelet-Hauser rearrangement of N-allyl-N,N-dimethylglycine methyl ester was explored. The combined use of experimental and theoretically predicted kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) has been previously shown to deliver great mechanistic insight into reactions. The combination of these techniques, however, has found little employ in studying [2,3] rearrangements. This combination was used to study this reaction, using the Singleton method for determining small heavy-atom isotope effects. Resulting experimental KIEs suggest the reaction proceeds by an asynchronous, concerted, early transition state, and is relatively exothermic. This agrees with previous studies and Hammond?s postulate. Predicted theoretical KIEs are in good agreement with experimental KIEs, and the associated transition structure confirms the results suggested by experiment. Interestingly, as calculations proceed from gas phase to solvent models, the activation barrier of the reaction increases, while its exothermicity decreases. The energy difference determined between the lowest and second lowest energy transition structures decreases to 0.81 kcal/mol in the PCM model, so we cannot exclude the contribution of this transition structure to the reaction. However, qualitative results from the associated KIEs and energetics are consistent with the lowest energy transition structure. This reaction does not seem to afford the [1,2] product, and most likely dynamic effects are insignificant in determining product distribution. However, the study has validated, with respect to this body of reactions, both the use of the Singleton method for KIE determination and the combination of these experimental and theoretical techniques.