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In this review, the concepts of quantum tunneling and parity violation are introduced in the context of chiral molecules. A particle moving in a double well potential provides a good model to study the behavior of chiral molecules, where the left well and right well represent the L and R enantiomers, respectively. If the model considers the quantum behavior of matter, the concept of quantum tunneling emerges, giving place to stereomutation dynamics between left- and right-handed chiral molecules. Parity-violating interactions, like the electroweak one, can be also considered, making possible the existence of an energy difference between the L and R enantiomers, the so-called parity-violating energy difference (PVED). Here we provide a brief account of some theoretical methods usually employed to calculate this PVED, also commenting on relevant experiments devoted to experimentally detect the aforementioned PVED in chiral molecules. Finally, we comment on some ways of solving the so-called Hund’s paradox, with emphasis on mean-field theory and decoherence. Full article

The quest for stabilizing planar forms of tetracoordinate carbon started five decades ago and intends to achieve interconversion between [R]- and [S]-stereoisomers without breaking covalent bonds. Several strategies are successful in making the planar tetracoordinate form a minimum on its potential energy surface. However, the first examples of systems where stereomutation is possible were reported only recently. In this study, the possibility of neutral and dications of simple hydrocarbons (cyclopentane, cyclopentene, spiropentane, and spiropentadiene) and their counterparts with the central carbon atom replaced by elements from groups 13, 14, and 15 are explored using ab initio MP2 calculations. The energy difference between the tetrahedral and planar forms decreases from row II to row III or IV substituents. Additionally, aromaticity involving the delocalization of the lone pair on the central atom appears to help in further stabilizing the planar form compared to the tetrahedral form, especially for the row II substituents. We identified 11 systems where the tetrahedral state is a minimum on the potential energy surface, and the planar form is a transition state corresponding to stereomutation. Interestingly, the planar structures of three systems were found to be minimum, and the corresponding tetrahedral states were transition states. The energy profiles corresponding to such transitions involving both planar and tetrahedral states without the breaking of covalent bonds were examined. The systems showcased in this study and research in this direction are expected to realize molecules that experimentally exhibit stereomutation. Full article

1-Phenylphosphol-2-ene 1-oxide is effectively resolved by L-menthyl bromoacetate to afford both S_P and R_P enantiomers of 1-phenylphosphol-2-ene 1-oxide on a multigram scale. The resolved 1-phenylphosphol-2-ene oxide has been found to undergo face-selective and endo-selective cycloadditions with a series of acyclic and cyclic dienes to produce enantiopure P-stereogenic C-P heterocycles of hexahydrophosphindole and hexahydrobenzophosphindole as well as phospha[5.2.1.0^2,6]decene and phospha[5.2.2.0^2,6]undecene structures. Conversions of these cycloadducts to the fully saturated heterocyclic systems as well as to their P (III), P = S, P = Se and P-BH₃ derivatives have been demonstrated to occur with retention of configuration and preservation of configurational homogeneity at P. A perplexing case of stereomutation at P during reduction of a tricyclic β-hydroxy phosphine oxide by PhSiH₃ at 80 °C has been recorded. Full article

The potential energy surface for internal rotation about the phosphorus–phosphorus bond was calculated at the PCM_DCM/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) computational level for a set of eight symmetrical, unsymmetrical and P-stereogenic diphosphines; H₄P₂, Me₄P₂, (CF₃)₄P₂, Ph₄P₂, Me₂P–P(CF₃)₂, Me₂P–PPh₂, and the meso- and dl-isomers of Me(CF₃)P–PMe(CF₃) and MePhP–PMePh. Certain trends in the data were elucidated and compared with conflicting data from the literature regarding the relative population of anti and gauche rotational isomers. The pyramidal inversion barriers (stereomutation barriers in P-stereogenic cases) for the same set of diphosphines was estimated through the inversion transition states and also compared to literature values. Finally, the Me₄P₂ + (CF₃)₄P₂ → 2Me₂(CF₃)₂P₂ metathesis reaction was also explored to evaluate its feasibility versus inversion. The finding of larger barriers in the metathesis than in the inversion rules in favour of an inversion mechanism for the stereomutation of P-stereogenic diphosphines. Full article