Table of Contents

Abstract: n/a

Abstract: Since the late 1950s Marvin Charton, physical organic chemist, of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York has studied structure-property relationships through correlation analysis, and has become one of the leading authorities in this field.

Abstract: It is shown that the ¹³C-NMR chemical shifts of carbon atoms in substituted sixmembered heteroaromatic compounds correlate with the correponding "additivity parameters" for substituted benzene derivatives. Thus, for precalculation of chemical shifts in such compounds, just one set of parameters can be used. The differences between experimental chemical shifts and those calculated from correlation with the common set may provide insights into intramolecular interactions not reported in the literature.

Abstract: Statistical analysis employing the set of the steric constants Ω_j,k(R_c) is shown to be very effective in characterizing the substituent steric effect on organic reactions. Ω_j,k(R_c) contains several variable parameters which are useful for the diagnosis of the character of steric effect. The parameters controlling the angular, or directional, weight (j,k) and the size of reaction center atom X(R_c) are varied in order to elucidate the characteristics of several steric substituent constants.

Abstract: Nine α-alkylstyrenes carrying the following substituents have been synthesised: methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, isobutyl, isopropyl, sec-butyl and tert-butyl. Kinetics has been measured for the reaction of these compounds with mercuric acetate in anhydrous acetic acid at 25 °C. The rate constants are very sensitive to inductive effects (ρ_I = –49.5 in AISE theory) and steric effects (ψ = –1.59 according to Charton). These results support the presumed existence of an intermediate with an asymmetrically bound acetylmercuric cation to carbon atoms of the vinyl group of styrene. The kinetics of an acid-catalysed hydration of the above-mentioned α-alkylstyrenes were also measured in aqueous sulphuric acid at 25 °C. The derivatives exhibited kinetically a consecutive isomerisation reaction giving the more stable substituted styrenes. The values of the slope m^‡m* of the dependence upon the excess acidity function (X) were evaluated, and exceptionally low values were found for the butyl and pentyl substituents (1.02 and 0.73, respectively), while on the other hand tert-butyl showed an exceptionally high value (3.28). On the basis of the facts, a mechanism has been suggested for the acid-catalysed hydration, involving the reaction of a relatively stable and sterically hindered carbocation with water as the rate-limiting step of the reaction.

Abstract: Application of the geometry (HOMA, EN, GEO) and magnetism based (NICS, NICS(1)) indices of aromaticity to optimised geometry of the ring in 12 meta – and 12 para – substituted benzoic acids and their anions by use of DFT computations at B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level has shown a very low substituent effect on the π-electron delocalisation. This resembles (qualitatively) the resistance of benzene (and typical aromatic systems) against reactions leading to the change of π-electron delocalisation.

Abstract: Chemical shifts of the para carbon atoms, δ(^₁₃C-4), in a series of aromatic amines were used to calculate the σ_p, σ_R and σ^O_R substituent constants for different amino groups. 1-Pyrrolidino, N,N-di-n-butylamino and N,N-diethylamino groups were found to be the most strong electron-donors. ortho-Substitution decreases the donor properties of the amino group. The amino groups in 2,6-di-i-propylaniline and N,N-2,6-tetramethylaniline have very weak electron-donor properties. The nitrogen atom in benzoquinuclidine and N,N-dimethyl-2,6-di-i-propylaniline have an electron-acceptor character. The calculated substituent constants of the amino groups studied are consistent with the spectral and reactivity data available in literature. Values of δ(¹⁵N) cannot be used as a direct measure of electronic effects of the N atom in anilines.

Abstract: On the basis of the previous models of inductive and steric effects, ‘inductive’ electronegativity and molecular capacitance, a range of new ‘inductive’ QSAR descriptors has been derived. These molecular parameters are easily accessible from electronegativities and covalent radii of the constituent atoms and interatomic distances and can reflect a variety of aspects of intra- and intermolecular interactions. Using 34 ‘inductive’ QSAR descriptors alone we have been able to achieve 93% correct separation of compounds with- and without antibacterial activity (in the set of 657). The elaborated QSAR model based on the Artificial Neural Networks approach has been extensively validated and has confidently assigned antibacterial character to a number of trial antibiotics from the literature.

Abstract: Application of the extended Grunwald-Winstein equation to solvolyses of n-propyl chloroformate in a variety of pure and binary solvents indicates an addition-elimination pathway in the majority of the solvents but an ionization pathway in the solvents of highest ionizing power and lowest nucleophilicity. For methanolysis, a solvent deuterium isotope effect of 2.17 is compatible with the incorporation of general-base catalysis into the substitution process. Activation parameters are consistent with the duality of mechanism. Very modest positive salt effects are observed on adding chloride or bromide salts to the ethanolysis.

Abstract: The reaction of phenyllithium with E-cinnamaldehyde is extremely sensitive to the reaction conditions and surprising changes in the product distribution were observed upon changes in the solvent, concentrations, duration or temperature of the reaction. For these reasons the above mentioned reaction was considered an appropriate model to examine solvent and aggregation effects of PhLi. On the other hand, when two or trhee equiv of phenyllithium are used, instead of one, the reaction transforms into a surprising tandem addition-lithiation-β-alkylation sequence, that can be successfully applied to the synthesis of substituted dihydrochalcones. The observed effects upon changes in the reaction conditions, as well as the effects of additives that modify the PhLi dimer-monomer equilibrium are consistent with a reaction pathway in which dimeric phenyl lithium attacks to the E-cinnamaldehyde without previous deaggregation. Usually, monomers are found to be more reactive than dimers, but, in this reaction the opposite effect is observed, and the tandem reaction spectacularly decreases with the (PhLi)₂ concentration.

Abstract: The effects of n-decanol and cetyl alcohol incorporated into cationic di-n-hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DHAB) bilayers on the packing and the resistance against solubilisation by Triton X-100 have been investigated. Solubilisation experiments revealed that the mismatch between the C₁₀-tail of n-decanol with the DHAB-tails does not affect the structural integrity of the vesicles. On the contrary, upon increasing amounts of cetyl alcohol, of which the tail matches in size with the DHAB-tails, breakdown of the vesicles is promoted, whereas complete solubilisation is strongly hampered. The system is further investigated by DSC and cryo-EM experiments. In addition, the effects of n-decanol and cetyl alcohol embedded into DHAB bilayers on the vesicular rate constants for the decarboxylation of 6-nitrobenzisoxazole-3-carboxylate (6-NBIC) suggest that both alcohols affect the structure of the Stern region in an equal manner, leading to a decrease in the catalysis. Therefore, it is concluded that addition of the alcohols leads to changes in properties of the interior of the bilayer, rather than the polar-apolar interface.

Abstract: The Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy of partitioning of 45 simple aromatic compounds (phenols, benzoic acids and acetanilides) from water to octanol and from water to cyclohexane have been determined using the filter-probe method. This involved the measurement of partition coefficients over the temperature range 20-45oC. The aim of the work was to explore the effects of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and steric factors on the partitioning process. It was found that the intramolecular hydrogen bond is intact in 2-nitrophenol and salicylic acid, and possibly in 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, in all three solvents, but 2-chlorophenol is intramolecularly hydrogen bonded only in inert solution. The evidence indicates that 2-nitroresorcinol and 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid possess only one intramolecular hydrogen bond, although they are theoretically capable of possessing two. There is evidence of steric shielding in 2,6-dimethylphenol, whilst 2,6-dimethylbenzoic acid and ortho-substituted acetanilides show evidence of steric twisting of the carboxyl and acetamido groups respectively out of the plane of the aromatic ring. Unusual steric effects are displayed in the methyl-2-nitrophenols whereby, depending upon the position of the methyl group, the intramolecular hydrogen bond is either weakened or strengthened.

Abstract: The reduction of SO₂ on different carbons in the presence of the nitrates and sulfides of sodium, potassium and calcium and potassium polysulfides was studied. The presence of salts increased the initial rate 2-5 fold for all of them and did not change the product distribution. The catalysis was not determined by the cation and there was no difference in the catalytic reactivity between nitrates and sulfides. The sulfur content of the activated carbon increased during the reaction on account of the stable reactive intermediates in the reduction of SO₂. In the presence of NaNO₃ or Na₂S, the amount of sulfur incorporated was in the molar ratio Na:S = 3 ± 0.3, and the XPS spectra of the residual carbon showed an increase of ca. 9% of the non-oxidized form of sulfur in the intermediates. In the absence of salt, it is proposed that after the adsorption of SO₂ on the carbon, a 1,3,2-dioxathiolane or 1,2-oxathietene 2-oxide are formed and that decompose to produce CO₂ and atomic sulfur. The non-oxidized sulfur intermediate would be an episulfide 3, formed from the reaction of the atomic sulfur with the nearest double bond and followed by consecutive reactions of insertion of atomic sulfur to form a trisulfide. Extrusion of S₂ from the trisulfide would regenerate the episulfide, establishing a sulfidedisulfide-trisulfide equilibrium that worked as a capture-release cycle of sulfur. In the presence of salt, the results are consistent with the assumption that the episulfide 3 reacts with the corresponding sulfide anion to form a disulfide anion, which upon reaction with atomic sulfur forms a trisulfide anion that decomposes releasing diatomic sulfur S₂, transporting the sulfur and generating a thiolate that is part of the catalytic cycle.

Abstract: Ab initio calculations (HF, MP2, DFT for isolated and PCM for solvated molecules) were performed for cytisine (1) and its model compounds: N-methyl-2-pyridone (2) and piperidine (3). Among three heteroatomic functions (carbonyl oxygen, pyridone and piperidine nitrogens) considered as the possible sites of protonation in 1, surprisingly the carbonyl oxygen takes preferentially the proton in the gas phase whereas in water the piperidine nitrogen is firstly protonated. For model compounds, the piperidine nitrogen in 3 is more basic than the carbonyl oxygen in 2 in both, the gas phase and water.

Abstract: Stationary points for four geometrically different states of methylene: bent and linear triplet methylene, bent and linear singlet methylene were investigated using the highly reliable post-HF CCSD(T) method. Extrapolations to the CCSD(T) basis set (CBS) limit from Dunning triple to quintuple correlation consistent polarized basis sets were performed for total energies, for the equilibrium CH distances r_e(CH), for singlettriplet separation energies, for energy barriers to linearity and for correlation energies. Post-HF calculations with Dunning basis sets of the literature are presented for comparisons.