Computational studies of nucleophilic substitution at carbonyl carbon: the S(N)2 mechanism versus the tetrahedral intermediate in organic synthesis.
A theoretical study specifically addresses the question of whether nucleophilic addition to the carbonyl groups of acid chlorides, esters, and anhydrides involves an addition-elimination pathway or proceeds by a concerted S(N)2-like mechanism in the absence of the generally assumed tetrahedral intermediate. Density functional calculations [B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)] establish that chloride ion exchange reactions with both formyl and acetyl chloride proceed by a pi attack on the C=O bond. No discernible tetrahedral intermediate typical of an addition-elimination pathway was found in either case. While a tetrahedral intermediate does exist for the addition of fluoride ion to (Cl)(2)C=O, halide exchange of LiCl with both ClFC=O and (Cl)(2)C=O also proceeds by a concerted S(N)2-like pathway. The formation of a tetrahedral intermediate from the addition of methanol to acetyl chloride is slightly exothermic (4.4 kcal/mol). The ion-dipole complex of methanol weakly bonded to the carbonyl carbon of protonated acetyl chloride is stabilized by 13.8 kcal/mol but does not collapse to a tetrahedral intermediate. When four CH(3)OH molecules are H-bonded to protonated acetyl chloride, a tetrahedral intermediate is not completely formed and this solvated complex more closely resembles the precursor to an S(N)1-type ionization of Cl(-). With six H-bonding methanol molecules, a methanol adds to the carbonyl carbon and a proton relay occurs with formation of a tetrahedral-like structure that immediately loses chloride ion in an S(N)1-like solvolysis. These results corroborate earlier suggestions (Bentley et al. J. Org. Chem. 1996, 61, 7927) that the methanolysis of acetyl chloride does not proceed through the generally assumed addition-elimination pathway with a discrete tetrahedral intermediate but is consistent with ionization of Cl(-). The reaction of methoxide ion with methyl acetate proceeds via a multiple-well energy surface and involves the intermediacy of an asymmetrical species with differing C-OMe bond lengths. Models of synthetic applications of acyl transfer reactions involving anhydrides that form N-acyloxazolidinones also proceed by a concerted S(N)2-type pathway even with the carboxylate leaving group. Concerted transition states were observed for the reactions of each enantiomer of a 1,3-diphenylcycloprop-2-ene carboxylic anhydride by S-3-lithio-4-phenyloxazolidinone. Despite close structural similarities between the diastereomeric transition states, the relative energies correlated closely with the experimental results.
Brown Laboratories, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19803, USA.
Joseph M
JM
Fox
Olga
O
Dmitrenko
Lian-An
LA
Liao
Robert D
RD
Bach
D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000138:chemical synthesis
D003521:Cyclopropanes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D002244:Carbon