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How Alkali Cations Catalyze Aromatic Diels-Alder Reactions.


ABSTRACT: We have quantum chemically studied alkali cation-catalyzed aromatic Diels-Alder reactions between benzene and acetylene forming barrelene using relativistic, dispersion-corrected density functional theory. The alkali cation-catalyzed aromatic Diels-Alder reactions are accelerated by up to 5 orders of magnitude relative to the uncatalyzed reaction and the reaction barrier increases along the series Li+ < Na+ < K+ < Rb+ < Cs+ < none. Our detailed activation strain and molecular-orbital bonding analyses reveal that the alkali cations lower the aromatic Diels-Alder reaction barrier by reducing the Pauli repulsion between the closed-shell filled orbitals of the dienophile and the aromatic diene. We argue that such Pauli mechanism behind Lewis-acid catalysis is a more general phenomenon. Also, our results may be of direct importance for a more complete understanding of the network of competing mechanisms towards the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an astrochemical context.

SUBMITTER: Vermeeren P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7187256 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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How Alkali Cations Catalyze Aromatic Diels-Alder Reactions.

Vermeeren Pascal P   Brinkhuis Francine F   Hamlin Trevor A TA   Bickelhaupt F Matthias FM  

Chemistry, an Asian journal 20200309 7


We have quantum chemically studied alkali cation-catalyzed aromatic Diels-Alder reactions between benzene and acetylene forming barrelene using relativistic, dispersion-corrected density functional theory. The alkali cation-catalyzed aromatic Diels-Alder reactions are accelerated by up to 5 orders of magnitude relative to the uncatalyzed reaction and the reaction barrier increases along the series Li<sup>+</sup> < Na<sup>+</sup> < K<sup>+</sup> < Rb<sup>+</sup> < Cs<sup>+</sup> < none. Our detai  ...[more]

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