• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.1349-1354
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• 2010

The geometries and isomerization of the alkylidene silylenoid $H_2C$ = SiLiF as well as its insertion reactions with R-H (R = F, OH, $NH_2$) have been systematically investigated at the B3LYP/6-311+$G^*$ level of theory. The potential barriers of the three insertion reactions are 97.5, 103.3, and 126.1 kJ/mol, respectively. Here, all the mechanisms of the three reactions are identical to each other, i.e., an intermediate has been formed first during the insertion reaction. Then, the intermediate could dissociate into the substituted silylene ($H_2C$ = SiHR) and LiF with a barrier corresponding to their respective dissociation energies. Correspondingly, the reaction energies for the three reactions are -36.4, -24.3, and 3.7 kJ/mol, respectively. Compared with the insertion reaction of $H_2C$ = Si: and R-H (R = F, OH and $NH_2$), the introduction of LiF makes the insertion reaction occur more easily. Furthermore, the effects of halogen (F, Cl, Br) substitution and inorganic salts employed on the reaction activity have also been discussed. As a result, the relative reactivity among the three insertion reactions should be as follows: H-F > H-OH > H-$NH_2$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1339-1343
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• 2005

The N-inversion energies and nucleophilic ring-opening reactions of N-substituted aziridine compounds are investigated using B3LYP/6-31+$G^*$ methods, where substituents (R) on the nitrogen atom has been H (1), Me (2), Ph (3), Bn (4), CHMePh (5), $CO_2Me$ (6), COPh (7) and $SO_2Ph$ (8). The N-inversion energy with X group are decreased as the following order: R = CHMePh (17.06 kcal/mol) $\gt$ Me (16.97) $\gt$ Bn (16.70) $\gt$ H (16.64) $\gt$ $SO_2Ph$ (12.18) $\gt$ Ph (8.91) $\gt$ COPh (5.75) $\gt$ $CO_2Me$ (5.48). For reactivity of the ring opening toward cyanide ion, the aziridine 6 (R=$CO_2Me$) is shown to be the most reactive one. During the ring opening of aziridine 6 by CN$^{\ominus}$, the torsional OCNC angle becomes near to $180^{\circ}$, where the geometry allows for the effective incorporation of electrons of the nitrogen atom to the C=O bond. It would be a possible driving force for nucleophilic ring opening reaction as well as decreasing the N-inversion energy barrier. Regarding to the regioselectivity, the orientation of nucleophile in ring opening reaction appears to be different in the case of 9 and 10. The results are discussed in terms of steric/electronic effect of the $C_2$-substituents.