Substituent effect on the energy barrier for σ-bond formation from π-single-bonded species, singlet 2,2-dialkoxycyclopentane-1,3-diyls

Abstract

Background: Localized singlet diradicals are in general quite short-lived intermediates in processes involving homolytic bondcleavage and formation reactions. In the past decade, long-lived singlet diradicals have been reported in cyclic systems such as cyclobutane-1,3-diyls and cyclopentane-1,3-diyls. Experimental investigation of the chemistry of singlet diradicals has become possible. The present study explores the substituents and the effect of their substitution pattern at the C(1)-C(3) positions on the lifetime of singlet octahydropentalene-1,3-diyls to understand the role of the substituents on the reactivity of the localized singlet diradicals. Results: A series of singlet 2,2-dialkoxy-1,3-diaryloctahydropentalene-1,3-diyls DR were generated in the photochemical denitrogenation of the corresponding azoalkanes AZ. The ring-closed products CP, i.e., 3,3-dialkoxy-2,4-diphenyltricyclo[ 3.3.0.0 2,4]octanes, were quantitatively obtained in the denitrogenation reaction. The first-order decay process (k = 1/τ) was observed for the fate of the singlet diradicals DR (λmax ≈ 580-590 nm). The activation parameters, ΔH‡ and ΔS ‡, for the ringclosing reaction (σ-bond formation process) were determined by the temperature-dependent change of the lifetime. The energy barrier was found to be largely dependent upon the substituents Ar and Ar'. The singlet diradical DRf (Ar = 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl, OCH2Ar' = OCH2(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)) was the longest-lived, τ293 = 5394 ± 59 ns, among the diradicals studied here. The lifetime of the parent diradical DR (Ar = Ph, OCH2Ar' = OCH 3) was 299 ± 2 ns at 293 K. Conclusion: The lifetimes of the singlet 1,3-diyls are found to be largely dependent on the substituent pattern of Ar and Ar' at the C(1)-C(3) positions. Both the enthalpy and entropy effect were found to play crucial roles in increasing the lifetime. © 2013 Ye et al; licensee Beilstein-Institut.