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A series of hydrogen-bonding catalysts have been designed for the aromatic Claisen rearrangement of a 1,1-dimethylallyl coumarin. These catalysts were designed as mimics of the two-point hydrogen-bonding interaction present in ketosteroid isomerase that has been proposed to stabilize a developing negative charge on the ether oxygen in the migration of the double bond.1 Two hydrogen bond donating groups, a phenol alcohol and a carboxylic acid, were grafted onto a conformationally restrained spirocyclic scaffold, and together they enhance the rate of the Claisen rearrangement by a factor of 58 over the background reaction. Theoretical calculations correctly predict the most active catalyst and suggest that both preorganization and favorable interactions with the transition state of the reaction are responsible for the observed rate enhancement.

N-Butyl-2,3-bis(dicyclohexylamino)cyclopropenimine (1) crystallizes from benzene and hexanes in the presence of HCl as a monobenzene solvate of the hydrochloride salt, [1H]Cl⋅C6H6 or C31H54N3 +⋅Cl⋅C6H6, in the P21/n space group. The protonation of 1 results in the generation of an aromatic structure based upon the delocalization of the cyclopropene double bond around the cyclopropene ring, giving three intermediate C--C bond lengths of 1.41 A °, and the delocalization of the imine-type C--N double bond, giving three intermediate C--N bond lengths of 1.32 A °. Ion-ion and ion-benzene packing interactions are described and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of solid‐phase, inexpensive transition‐metal‐based water oxidation catalysts is a central goal for renewable energy, and has led to a general consensus that a partially populated metal eg d‐electronic state is desirable, leading to favorable catalysis for certain elements in specific oxidation states. In manganese systems, the key species is manganese(III), whose high‐spin d4 electronic configuration places an unpaired electron in the eg orbital, which is postulated to contribute to electronic and structural features that support catalysis. Based on density functional theory calculations, it is predicted that electron transfer would be facilitated by a catalyst with alternating low‐ and high‐MnIII‐content sheets, which positions neighboring band edges in closer energetic proximity. The preparation of such catalysts is demonstrated for the first time and it is shown that the catalytic activity is maximized in these systems over more uniform, but more MnIII‐rich systems. The best catalyst possesses alternating high‐and low‐average oxidation state sheets with interlayer Cs+ ions, and has an overpotential of 450 mV at 10 mA, which represents an improvement of 250 mV over the best unmodified synthetic potassium birnessites. Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, bandgap modulations consistent with the theoretically predicted band edge shifts are detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of catenated nitrogen molecules, molecules containing internal chains of bonded nitrogen atoms, is of fundamental scientific interest in chemical structure and bonding, as nitrogen is uniquely situated in the periodic table to form kinetically stable compounds often with chemically stable N-N bonds but which are thermodynamically unstable in that the formation of stable multiply bonded N2 is usually thermodynamically preferable. This unique placement in the periodic table makes catenated nitrogen compounds of interest for development of high-energy-density materials, including explosives for defense and construction purposes, as well as propellants for missile propulsion and for space exploration. This review, designed for a chemical audience, describes foundational subjects, methods, and metrics relevant to the energetic materials community and provides an overview of important classes of catenated nitrogen compounds ranging from theoretical investigation of hypothetical molecules to the practical application of real-world energetic materials. The review is intended to provide detailed chemical insight into the synthesis and decomposition of such materials as well as foundational knowledge of energetic science new to most chemists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions of an imidomanganese(V) corrole complex are described. The initial rate-determining HAT reaction has occurred via a concerted proton-electron transfer or a proton transfer followed by electron transfer (PR-ET).