DFT Studies on the Palladium-Catalyzed Dearomatization
Reaction between Chloromethylnaphthalene and the Cyclic Amine Morpholine
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Abstract
Density
functional theory calculations have been performed to investigate
the mechanisms of the Pd-catalyzed dearomatization reaction between
chloromethylnaphthalene and the cyclic amine morpholine. The calculation
results indicate that the reductive elimination leading to the formation
of the dearomatic product takes place via an intramolecular C–N
bond coupling between the para carbon of an η<sup>3</sup>-exo-(naphthyl)methyl
ligand and the nitrogen atom of the amide ligand. The free energy
barrier is calculated to be only 13.1 kcal/mol, significantly lower
than that (37.8 kcal/mol) through the η<sup>3</sup>-endo-(naphthyl)methyl
intermediate originally thought. For comparison, various C–N
coupling reaction pathways leading to the formation of dearomatic
and aromatic products have also been examined