title: Heavier group 2 metals and intermolecular hydroamination: a computational and synthetic assessment.
abstract: A density functional theory assessment of the use of the group 2 elements Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba for the intermolecular hydroamination of ethene indicated that the efficiency of the catalysis is dependent upon both the polarity and the deformability of the electron density within the metal-substituent bonds of key intermediates and transition states. The validity of this analysis was supplemented by a preliminary study of the use of group 2 amides for the intermolecular hydroamination of vinyl arenes. Although strontium was found to provide the highest catalytic activity, in line with the expectation provided by the theoretical study, a preliminary kinetic analysis demonstrated that this is possibly a consequence of the increased radius and accessibility of this cation rather than a reflection of a reduced barrier for rate-determining alkene insertion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony G M
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Crimmin
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Panayiotis A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Procopiou
mesh_terms: D000586:Amination; D002384:Catalysis; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008673:Metals, Alkaline Earth / Q000737:chemistry*; D011789:Quantum Theory
chemical_list: D005030:Ethylenes; D008673:Metals, Alkaline Earth; C036216:ethylene