H. Goossens

In this study, the effect of Lewis acid coordination (ScCl3) in controlling the stereoregularity during the free radical polymerization of N,N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMAM) has been investigated by Density Functional Theory (DFT). Experimentally, ScCl3, Sc(OTf)3 and Yb(OTf)3 have been used to increase the isotactic percentage in the polymerization of another acrylamide derivative, N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) (Habaue et al., 2002). The relative orientation of the terminal and penultimate side chains is expected to determine the stereoregularity in free radical polymerization reactions (Noble et al., 2014). We have analyzed the mechanistic details of the propagation reaction by considering all coordination types of the Lewis acid to the propagating species. Calculations have shown the bridging of the Lewis acid between the terminal side chain and the monomer to be the most probable pathway, which is in favor of the pro-meso propagation during the free radical polymerization of DMAM. In this case, it is the bridging capacity of the catalyst along the less crowded direction that dictates the preference for isotacticity. Overall, the strategy suggested in this study can be easily used by experimentalists in their endeavour of choosing the catalysts in order to end-up with the desired stereoregulation of the polymer chain.

The thermal equilibration of the methyl esters of endiandric acids D and E was subject to a computational study. An electrocyclic pathway via an electrocyclic ring opening followed by a ring flip and a subsequent electrocyclization proposed by Nicolaou [Chem. Soc. Rev. 2009], was computationally explored. The free energy barrier for this electrocyclic route was shown to be very close to the bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-2,4-diene reported by Huisgen [Tet. Lett. 1968]. Furthermore, the possibility of a [1,5] sigmatropic alkyl group shift of bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-2,4-diene systems at high temperatures was explored in a combined computational and experimental study. Calculated reaction barriers for a biradical-mediated stepwise [1,5] sigmatropic alkyl group shift were shown to be comparable with the reaction barriers for the bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4-diene (norcaradiene) walk rearrangement, whereas calculated reaction barriers for a concerted [1,5] sigmatropic alkyl group shift were found to be higher in energy. However, the stepwise pathway is suggested to only be feasible for appropriately substituted compounds. Experiments conducted on a deuterated analogous diol derivative confirmed the calculated (large) differences in barriers between electrocyclic and sigmatropic pathways.

1-[(1R)-(1-Phenylethyl)]-1-azoniabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane tosylate was generated as a stable bicyclic aziridinium salt from the corresponding 2-(3-hydroxypropyl)aziridine upon reaction with p-toluenesulfonyl anhydride. This bicyclic aziridinium ion was then treated with various nucleophiles including halides, azide, acetate, and cyanide in CH3CN to afford either piperidines or pyrrolidines through regio- and stereoselective ring opening, mediated by the characteristics of the applied nucleophile. On the basis of DFT calculations, ring-opening reactions under thermodynamic control yield piperidines, whereas reactions under kinetic control can yield both piperidines and pyrrolidines depending on the activation energies for both pathways.