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ABSTRACT The pursuit of sustainable organic synthesis has renewed interest in photochemistry, as sunlight‐driven reactions provide eco‐friendly alternative methods. Although the relationships among structure, properties, and reactivity are well established for ground‐state molecules, the understanding of excited states and reactive intermediates, such as triplet and singlet arylnitrenes, remains limited. Herein, we investigated the properties of triplet and singlet 4‐nitrenopyridine‐1‐pyridine oxide (1N), 3‐nitrenopyridine‐1‐pyridine oxide (2N), and phenylnitrene (PhN) using density functional theory (DFT), complete active space self‐consistent field (CASSCF(10,9)), and complete active space second‐order perturbation theory (CASPT2(10,9)) calculations. Bond length analysis demonstrated that³1Nand¹1N, as well as¹2Nand¹PhN, exhibit significant imine biradical character, whereas the structures of³2Nand³PhNare better described as benzene‐like. Nucleus‐independent chemical shift (NICS(0), NICS(1.7)_ZZ) and anisotropy of induced current density (ACID) calculations were performed to compare the induced magnetic currents in these molecules. These analyses demonstrated that³1Nis weakly aromatic, whereas³2Nand³PhNare best described as having Baird aromaticity. In contrast, singlet nitrenes¹1N,¹2N, and¹PhNare nonaromatic. In addition, irradiation of1in argon matrices verified that³1Nreacts photochemically to form corresponding ketenimine1K. Finally, the absorption difference spectrum of³1Nin a frozen 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran (mTHF) matrix exhibited resolved vibrational structure, suggesting the vibrational coupling to another electronic state. These insights into the structure and aromaticity of heterocyclic nitrenes could provide new avenues for modulating the reactivity of triplet ground state and triplet excited molecules. 

ABSTRACT Triplet arylnitrenes may provide direct access to aryl azo‐dimers, which have broad commercial applicability. Herein, the photolysis ofp‐azidostilbene (1) in argon‐saturated methanol yielded stilbene azo‐dimer (2) through the dimerization of tripletp‐nitrenostilbene (³1N). The formation of³1Nwas verified by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and absorption spectroscopy (λ_max ~ 375 nm) in cryogenic 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran matrices. At ambient temperature, laser flash photolysis of1in methanol formed³1N(λ_max ~ 370 nm, 2.85 × 10⁷ s⁻¹). On shorter timescales, a transient absorption (λ_max ~ 390 nm) that decayed with a similar rate constant (3.11 × 10⁷ s⁻¹) was assigned to a triplet excited state (T) of1. Density functional theory calculations yielded three configurations for T of1, with the unpaired electrons on the azido (T_A) or stilbene moiety (T_Tw, twisted and T_Fl, flat). The transient was assigned to T_Twbased on its calculated spectrum. CASPT2 calculations gave a singlet–triplet energy gap of 16.6 kcal mol⁻¹for1 N; thus, intersystem crossing of¹1Nto³1Nis unlikely at ambient temperature, supporting the formation of³1Nfrom T of1. Thus, sustainable synthetic methods for aryl azo‐dimers can be developed using the visible‐light irradiation of aryl azides to form triplet arylnitrenes. 

Understanding the kinetics of reactions in biosynthetic pathways requires accounting for the contribution of quantum mechanical tunneling to the rates. Whereas hydrogen tunneling in biology is well established, the extent of heavy-atom tunneling in biochemical reactions has been very little studied. We report computational results (M06-2X/cc-pVDZ) on rate constants for electrocyclic ring closures and [3,3] sigmatropic shifts––processes dominated by heavy-atom motions––that are proposed steps in the biosynthesis of four representative natural products. Using direct dynamics, and canonical variational transition state theory with and without the small curvature tunneling approximation, predicted rate constants suggest that heavy-atom tunneling contributes 21% to the electrocyclization step leading to (+)-occidentalol (3), and 28% to the Cope rearrangement leading to a close analogue of dictyoxepin (4), at 298 K. Key structural factors that lead to faster rates at a given temperature and higher tunneling percentages include tethers between the carbons forming a new sigma bond and the release of ring strain from opening of a small ring. Computed 12C/13C kinetic isotope effects for cyclization to 3 provide a possible experimental test of the predictions. 

Geminal hyperconjugation is a key electronic effect that modulates bond distances, barrier widths, and thermochemical driving forces in heavy-atom tunneling reactions involving opening and closing three-membered rings. 

Substituted 5-hydroxy γ-pyrones have shown promise as covalent inhibitor leads against cysteine proteases and transcription factors, but their hydrolytic instability has hindered optimization efforts. Previous mechanistic proposals have suggested that these molecules function as Michael acceptor prodrugs, releasing a leaving group to generate an ortho quinone methide–like structure. Addition to this electrophile by either water or an active site cysteine was purported to lead to inhibitor hydrolysis or enzyme inhibition, respectively. Through the use of kinetic NMR experiments, Hammett analysis, kinetic isotope effect studies, and density functional theory calculations, our findings suggest that enzyme inhibition and hydrolysis proceed by distinct pathways and are differentially influenced by substituent electronics. This mechanistic revision helps enable a more rational optimization for this class of promising compounds