Potential-sweep voltammetry: Theoretical analysis of monomerization and dimerization mechanisms

Interfacial Tuning of Electrocatalytic Ag Surfaces for Fragment-Based Electrophile Coupling

Construction of C‒C bonds in medicinal chemistry frequently draws on the reductive coupling of organic halides with ketones or aldehydes. Catalytic C(sp3)‒C(sp3) bond formation, however, is constrained by the competitive side reactivity of radical intermediates following sp3 organic halide activation. Here, an alternative paradigm deploys catalytic Ag surfaces for reductive fragment-based electrophile coupling compatible with sp3 organic halides. We use in-situ spectroscopy, electrochemical analyses, and simulation to uncover the catalytic interfacial structure and guide reaction development. Specifically, Mg(OAc)2 outcompetes the interaction between Ag and the aldehyde, thereby tuning the Ag surface for selective product formation. Data are consistent with an increased population of Mg-bound aldehyde facilitating the addition of a carbon-centered radical (product of Ag-electrocatalyzed organic halide reduction) to the carbonyl. Electron transfer from Ag to the resultant alkoxy radical yields the desired alcohol. Molecular interfacial tuning at reusable catalytic electrodes will accelerate development of sustainable organic synthetic methods.

Thienylene vinylene dimerization: from solution to self-assembled monolayer on gold

The electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical studies of thienylene vinylene (TV) derivatives in the immobilized state are compared with the ones obtained in solution. The results highlight the exaltation of the dimerization process onto TV-based self-assembled monolayers, in which the π interaction is maintained even after 75% dilution.

The electrochemical approach to concerted proton--electron transfers in the oxidation of phenols in water

Establishing mechanisms and intrinsic reactivity in the oxidation of phenol with water as the proton acceptor is a fundamental task relevant to many reactions occurring in natural systems. Thanks to the easy measure of the reaction kinetics by the current and the setting of the driving force by the electrode potential, the electrochemical approach is particularly suited to this endeavor. Despite challenging difficulties related to self-inhibition blocking the electrode surface, experimental conditions were established that allowed a reliable analysis of the thermodynamics and mechanisms of the proton-coupled electron-transfer oxidation of phenol to be carried out by means of cyclic voltammetry. The thermodynamic characterization was conducted in buffer media whereas the mechanisms were revealed in unbuffered water. Unambiguous evidence of a concerted proton-electron transfer mechanism, with water as proton acceptor, was thus gathered by simulation of the experimental data with appropriately derived theoretical relationships, leading to the determination of a remarkably large intrinsic rate constant. The same strategy also allowed the quantitative analysis of the competition between the concerted proton-electron transfer pathway and an OH(-)-triggered stepwise pathway (proton transfer followed by electron transfer) at high pHs. Investigation of the passage between unbuffered and buffered media with the example of the PO(4)H(2)(-)/PO(4)H(2-) couple revealed the prevalence of a mechanism involving a proton transfer preceding an electron transfer over a PO(4)H(2-)-triggered concerted process.

Elucidation of the Thermochemical Properties of Triphenyl- or Tributyl-Substituted Si-, Ge-, and Sn-Centered Radicals by Means of Electrochemical Approaches and Computations

Redox potentials of a number of triphenyl- or tributyl-substituted Si-, Ge-, or Sn-centered radicals, R(3)M(*), have been measured in acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, or dimethyl sulfoxide by photomodulated voltammetry or through a study of the oxidation process of the corresponding anions in linear sweep voltammetry. For the results pertaining to the Ph(3)M(*) series (including literature data for M = C), the order of reduction potentials follows Sn > Ge > C > Si, while for the two oxidation potentials, it is C > Si. The effect of the R group on the redox properties of R(3)Sn(*) is pronounced in that the reduction potential is more negative by 490 mV in tetrahydrofuran (390 mV in dimethyl sulfoxide) when R is a butyl rather than a phenyl group. The experimental trends have been substantiated through quantum chemical calculations, and they can be explained qualitatively by considering a combination of effects, such as charge capacity being most pronounced for the heavier elements, resonance stabilization present for the planar Ph(3)C(*) and all R(3)M(+)(), and finally a contribution from solvation. The solvation of R(3)M(-) is observed to be relatively strong because of a rather localized negative charge in the pyramidal geometry. However, there is no evidence in the calculations to support the existence of covalent interactions between solvent and anions. The solvation of R(3)M(+)() is relatively weak, which may be attributed to the planar geometry around the center atom, leading to more spread out charge than that for a pyramidal geometry. Although the calculated solvation energies based on the polarizable continuum model approach exhibit the expected trends, they are not able to reproduce the experimentally derived values on a detailed level for these types of ions. An evaluation of the general performance of the continuum model is provided on the basis of present and previous studies.

Thermochemistry of arylselanyl radicals and the pertinent ions in acetonitrile

Reduction and oxidation potentials of a series of parasubstituted phenylselanyl radicals, XC(6)H(4)Se(*), have been measured using photomodulated voltammetry in acetonitrile. The thermodynamic significance of these data was substantiated through a study of the oxidation process of the pertinent selenolates in linear sweep voltammetry. Both the reduction and the oxidation potentials correlate linearly with the Hammett substituent coefficients sigma and sigma(+) leading in the latter case to slopes, rho(+), of 2.5 and 3.8, respectively. Through comparison of these slopes with those published previously for the O- and S-centered analogues, it is revealed that the pi-interaction becomes progressively smaller as the size of the radical center increases in the order O, S, and Se. Solvation energies of the pertinent selenolates and selanylium ions have been extracted from thermochemical cycles incorporating the measured electrode potentials for XC(6)H(4)Se(*) as well as electron affinities and ionization potentials obtained from theoretical calculations at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d) level. The extracted data show the expected overall substituent dependency for both kinds of ions; that is, the absolute value of the solvation energy decreases as the charge becomes more delocalized. The data have also been compared with solvation energies computed using the polarizable continuum model (PCM). Interestingly, we find that, while the model seems to work well for selenolates, it underestimates the solvation of selanylium ions in acetonitrile by as much as 25 kcal mol(-)(1). These large deviations are ascribed to the fact that the PCM method does not take specific solvent effects into account as it treats the solvent as a continuum described solely by its dielectric constant. Gas-phase calculations show that the arylselanylium ions can coordinate covalently to one or two molecules of acetonitrile in strong Ritter-type adducts. When this strong interaction is included in the solvation energy calculations by means of a combined supermolecule and PCM approach, the experimental data are reproduced within a few kcal mol(-)(1). Although the energy difference of the singlet and triplet spin states of the arylselanylium ions is small for the gas-phase structures, the singlet cation is undoubtedly the dominating species in solution because the triplet cation lacks the ability to form covalent bonds.

Electrochemical oxidation of 6-propionyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene (prodan) in acetonitrile on Pt electrodes: Reversible dimerization of prodan radical cations

The electrooxidation of 6-propionyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene (prodan) has been investigated for the first time. It has been performed on both conventional size platinum electrodes and platinum ultramicroelectrodes in acetonitrile by cyclic voltammetry with convolution analysis and controlled-potential electrolysis. The voltammetric responses at room temperature are similar to those corresponding to a kinetically controlled anodic electron-transfer process. Cyclic voltammetry measurements were also carried out at different concentrations of prodan and at different temperatures. Chemical transformation of the radical monocation formed after the electrochemical oxidation of prodan, as deduced from reverse controlled potential bulk electrolysis and cyclic voltammetry measurements, gives evidence for the reversible dimerization of prodan radical cations. Both diagnostic criteria and digital simulation confirm that radical–radical coupling is the reversible chemical reaction coupled to the initial electron transfer step, to give the corresponding dimeric dication. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for the first electron transfer reaction and the dimerization process were estimated from digital simulation at 293 K. Values of 8.0 × 106 M–1 and 3.2 × 105 M–1 s–1 were determined for the dimerization reaction equilibrium constant and the dimer formation rate constant, respectively. The diffusion coefficient of prodan was determined from both limiting currents from convoluted cyclic voltammograms as well as limiting currents on ultramicroelectrodes. For such cases where the electron number exchanged in the electrode process is unknown, a method derived from the combination of data previously indicated is also proposed to obtain the diffusion coefficient of the electroactive species.Key words: prodan, cyclic voltammetry, reaction mechanism, reversible dimerization, electron transfer reactions, radical cation.

Structural, CV and IR spectroscopic evidences for preorientation in PET-active phthalimido carboxylic acids

Hydrogen bond and potassium cation mediated preorientation were detected for phthalimido acetic acid and the corresponding acetate. Evidence for these phenomena came from X-ray structure analysis as well as cyclic voltammetric and IR spectroscopic measurements. These interactions rationalize the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactivity of the substrates in photodecarboxylation reactions.

Thermodynamic characteristics of NADH/NAD+ analogues in acetonitrile: 2-methyl, 4-methyl and 2,4-dimethyl 1-benzyl-dihydronicotinamides and the corresponding pyridinium species

Procedures were elaborated for the syntheses of the title compounds. The thermodynamic changes brought about by each methyl substitution were then determined quantitatively. In acetonitrile, the respective one-electron oxidation and one-electron reduction potentials of the NADH and NAD+ analogues were obtained by means of direct and indirect (using ferrocene mediators) cyclic voltammetry. The redox potentials of formal hydride transfers were deduced from the studies of equilibrated reactions occurring between the analogues. The pKa's of the cation radicals ensued. Keywords: NADH/NAD+ methylated analogues, one-electron transfers, hydride transfer, thermodynamics.