IChO 2005 · Theory problem 3

Organic Photochemistry and Photophysics

Crown ethers show size-dependent binding capability to alkali metal ions. For example, the azacrowns A and B exhibit different binding constants for \(\ce{Na+}\), \(\ce{K+}\), and \(\ce{Cs+}\).

Figure 1
Binding constant (\(\log_{10} K\))
Metal ion Radius (pm) Compound A Compound B
\(\ce{Na+}\) 98 2.49 3.57
\(\ce{K+}\) 133 1.83 5.00
\(\ce{Cs+}\) 165 1.37 3.39

Anthracene exhibits strong fluorescence with emission wavelength centered at 325 nm. Combining the binding selectivity of azacrowns for alkali metal ions and the highly fluorescent anthracene, a metal ion selective fluorescent sensor E has been developed.

3.1 Provide the structural formula of C and D in the following synthesis.

Figure 2

For comparison studies, the anthracene derivatives F and G shown below were also synthesized. These compounds E, F, and G are almost non-fluorescent in neutral conditions due to the strong photoinduced electron transfer (PET) quenching process arising by donating nitrogen lone-pair electron to the anthracene excited-state.

Figure 3

3.2 Upon adding aqueous \(\ce{HCl}\), which compound will exhibit strong fluorescence? Select your answer from the following choices.

(a) none of them  (b) E and F only  (c) G only  (d) all of them

3.3 By adding one equivalent of potassium acetate into a dilute solution (\(1\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{M}\)) of E, F, and G in methanol, respectively, which compound will show the strongest fluorescence? Select your answer from the following choices.

(a) E  (b) F  (c) G

3.4 Upon adding one equivalent of metal acetate to a dilute solution of F, which metal acetate will cause the strongest fluorescence? Select your answer from the following choices.

(a) sodium acetate (b) potassium acetate (c) cesium acetate (d) doesn’t make any difference

Upon irradiation with ultraviolet light, trans-stilbene is transformed into an intermediate H, which undergoes a photocyclization to form dihydrophenanthrene I. Further oxidation of I gives phenanthrene.

Figure 4

3.5 Draw the structural formula of compound H?

3.6 What is the relative stereochemistry of the two H-atoms shown (cis or trans) in compound I?

Dihydroazulene derivative J exhibits interesting photochromic behavior. Upon irradiation, colorless dihydroazulene J undergoes photoinduced rearrangement to the corresponding vinylheptafulvene K. The vinylheptafulvene undergoes thermal reversion to dihydroazulene.

Figure 5

3.7 Which compound will absorb light with longer wavelength? Select your answer from the following choices: (a) J (b) K

3.8 Compound K can react with one equivalent of \(\ce{CF3CO2H}\) to generate a stable aromatic salt. Which position of K is most likely protonated? Select your answer from the following choices.

(a) C-2  (b) C-3  (c) C-4  (d) C-5

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 3.1: C is 9-(chloromethyl)anthracene; D is 1-aza-18-crown-6.
  • 3.2: (d) All of them: E, F, and G.
  • 3.3: (a) E.
  • 3.4: (a) Sodium acetate.
  • 3.5: H is cis-stilbene, or (Z)-1,2-diphenylethene.
  • 3.6: trans.
  • 3.7: (b) K.
  • 3.8: (b) C-3, giving a substituted tropylium salt.

Solution

3.1 — Identification of C and D

C is 9-(chloromethyl)anthracene, SMILES ClCc1c2ccccc2cc2ccccc12.

The starting aldehyde is anthracene-9-carbaldehyde, O=Cc1c2ccccc2cc2ccccc12. Sodium borohydride reduces its aldehyde group to a primary alcohol, giving (anthracen-9-yl)methanol, OCc1c2ccccc2cc2ccccc12. Phosphorus pentachloride then replaces the hydroxyl group with chlorine.

Let \(\ce{R}\) denote the anthracen-9-yl group. Including hydrolysis during work-up, a balanced net reduction is

\[ \ce{4 RCHO + NaBH4 + 4 H2O -> 4 RCH2OH + Na[B(OH)4]}. \]

The chlorination is

\[ \ce{RCH2OH + PCl5 -> RCH2Cl + POCl3 + HCl}. \]

Thus, the drawing of C should show three linearly fused aromatic rings, with a \(\ce{-CH2Cl}\) substituent at carbon 9 of anthracene.

D is 1-aza-18-crown-6, SMILES [NH]1CCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCC1.

The starting polyether is tetraethylene glycol, OCCOCCOCCOCCO. Its two terminal hydroxyl groups are converted into tosylates by p-toluenesulfonyl chloride, Cc1ccc(S(=O)(=O)Cl)cc1, in pyridine.

The resulting tetraethylene glycol ditosylate has SMILES
Cc1ccc(S(=O)(=O)OCCOCCOCCOCCOS(=O)(=O)c2ccc(C)cc2)cc1.

With pyridine trapping the hydrogen chloride, the balanced reaction is

\[ \ce{C8H18O5 + 2 C7H7SO2Cl + 2 C5H5N -> C22H30O9S2 + 2 [C5H6N]+ + 2 Cl-}. \]

Potassium tert-butoxide generates alkoxide groups from the two hydroxyl groups of diethanolamine, OCCNCCO. These displace the two terminal tosylate groups, forming two new carbon–oxygen bonds and closing the macrocycle:

\[ \ce{C22H30O9S2 + C4H11NO2 + 2 KOC(CH3)3 -> C12H25NO5 + 2 KC7H7SO3 + 2 HOC(CH3)3}. \]

The product \(\ce{C12H25NO5}\) is D. Draw an 18-membered ring containing five oxygen atoms and one \(\ce{NH}\) group, with every successive pair of heteroatoms separated by two methylene groups. The nitrogen retains its hydrogen during this cyclization.

Finally, the secondary amine D attacks the chloromethyl carbon of C. Carbonate removes the nitrogen proton, producing the tertiary amine E, N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)-1-aza-18-crown-6:

N1(Cc2c3ccccc3cc3ccccc23)CCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCC1

A balanced overall equation, including carbonate neutralization, is

\[ \ce{2 C15H11Cl + 2 C12H25NO5 + K2CO3 -> 2 C27H35NO5 + 2 KCl + CO2 + H2O}. \]

Here the organic reactants are C and D, and the organic product is E.

3.2 — Fluorescence after adding hydrochloric acid

The answer is (d), all three compounds.

Besides E, the compounds are:

  • F: N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)-1-aza-15-crown-5,
    N1(Cc2c3ccccc3cc3ccccc23)CCOCCOCCOCCOCC1
  • G: N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)diethanolamine,
    OCCN(Cc1c2ccccc2cc2ccccc12)CCO

In each neutral compound, the tertiary-amine nitrogen has a lone pair that can donate an electron to excited anthracene. This PET process competes with fluorescence and quenches it.

Hydrochloric acid protonates the nitrogen:

\[ \ce{R3N + HCl -> R3NH+ + Cl-}. \]

The nitrogen-protonated products are:

Ion Name SMILES
\(\ce{EH+}\) N-protonated E [NH+]1(Cc2c3ccccc3cc3ccccc23)CCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCC1
\(\ce{FH+}\) N-protonated F [NH+]1(Cc2c3ccccc3cc3ccccc23)CCOCCOCCOCCOCC1
\(\ce{GH+}\) N-protonated G OCC[NH+](Cc1c2ccccc2cc2ccccc12)CCO

Protonation uses the nitrogen lone pair to form the new nitrogen–hydrogen bond. Nitrogen can therefore no longer act as the same electron donor, PET is suppressed, and strong anthracene fluorescence is restored in E, F, and G.

3.3 — Fluorescence after adding potassium acetate

The answer is (a), E.

The reference hosts are:

  • A: N-benzyl-1-aza-15-crown-5, N1(Cc2ccccc2)CCOCCOCCOCCOCC1
  • B: N-benzyl-1-aza-18-crown-6, N1(Cc2ccccc2)CCOCCOCCOCCOCCOCC1

E contains the same aza-18-crown-6 binding unit as B, whereas F contains the smaller aza-15-crown-5 unit of A. For potassium binding to these reference hosts,

\[ \log_{10}K_B=5.00,\qquad \log_{10}K_A=1.83, \]

so

\[ \frac{K_B}{K_A}=10^{5.00-1.83} \approx 1.5\times10^3. \]

Thus, the larger crown provides a much more favourable binding site for potassium(I), [K+]. G lacks the preorganized macrocyclic cavity.

Potassium binding engages the crown’s nitrogen and oxygen donors and reduces the nitrogen lone pair’s ability to participate in PET. Consequently, E shows the strongest fluorescence enhancement. The coordination contacts and folded crown conformation are described here in words; they are not encoded by the neutral ligand’s SMILES.

The numerical ratio above applies to A and B as tabulated. It supports the receptor comparison without assuming exact binding constants for E and F.

3.4 — Metal-ion selectivity of F

The answer is (a), sodium acetate, SMILES CC(=O)[O-].[Na+].

F has the smaller aza-15-crown-5 receptor of A. The given binding constants for A follow

\[ \log_{10}K(\ce{Na+})=2.49 > \log_{10}K(\ce{K+})=1.83 > \log_{10}K(\ce{Cs+})=1.37. \]

The smaller sodium ion, with radius \(98\ \mathrm{pm}\), fits this receptor most favourably. Sodium binding therefore produces the greatest suppression of PET, and hence the strongest fluorescence, among the three salts.

3.5 — Structure of H

H is cis-stilbene, also called (Z)-1,2-diphenylethene:

c1ccccc1/C=C\c1ccccc1

The starting trans-stilbene, or (E)-1,2-diphenylethene, has SMILES

c1ccccc1/C=C/c1ccccc1.

Light permits isomerization about the central alkene:

\[ \ce{\text{trans-}C6H5CH=CHC6H5 <=>[h\nu] \text{cis-}C6H5CH=CHC6H5}. \]

Draw H with the two phenyl groups on the same side of the carbon–carbon double bond. This configuration allows the two ortho positions that will form the new bond to approach one another in the reactive conformation.

3.6 — Relative stereochemistry in I

The two indicated hydrogens are trans.

The ring closure uses a conjugated six-\(\pi\)-electron system. A photochemical \(6\pi\) electrocyclization is conrotatory: the two terminal orbital systems rotate in the same sense. Applied to the reactive conformation of cis-stilbene, this places the two ring-junction hydrogens on opposite faces.

The product is trans-4a,4b-dihydrophenanthrene. A stereochemical SMILES for one enantiomer is

C1=CC=C[C@H]2C1=CC=C1C=CC=C[C@@H]12.

Opposite conrotation gives its mirror image. In the requested drawing, show one indicated hydrogen on a solid wedge and the other on a hashed wedge.

The photocyclization conserves the molecular formula \(\ce{C14H12}\). Subsequent oxidation removes the two ring-junction hydrogens and gives phenanthrene, c1ccc2c(c1)ccc1ccccc12. Because no oxidant is specified, its balanced oxidation half-reaction is

\[ \ce{C14H12 -> C14H10 + 2 H+ + 2 e-}. \]

3.7 — Longer-wavelength absorption

The answer is (b), K.

The structures are:

  • J: 1,1-dicyano-2-methyl-1,8a-dihydroazulene,
    CC1=CC2=CC=CC=CC2C1(C#N)C#N
  • K: the vinylheptafulvene, systematically 2-[1-(cyclohepta-2,4,6-trien-1-ylidene)propan-2-ylidene]propanedinitrile,
    N#CC(C#N)=C(C)C=C1C=CC=CC=C1

The absolute configuration of J is not specified in the drawing and is therefore left unspecified in its SMILES.

In J, the tetrahedral dicyano-substituted carbon and the saturated ring-junction carbon interrupt conjugation. Ring opening gives K, with a more extensive conjugated system that includes the dicyano-substituted end of the molecule.

This lowers the relevant electronic excitation energy. Since

\[ \Delta E=\frac{hc}{\lambda}, \]

the smaller excitation energy corresponds to a longer absorption wavelength:

\[ \boxed{\lambda_{\max,K}>\lambda_{\max,J}}. \]

3.8 — Protonation of K

The answer is (b), C-3.

The relevant connectivity in K is

\[ \ce{(NC)2C=C(CH3)-CH=C_{\text{ring}}}, \]

where the chain \(\ce{CH}\) is C-3 and the attached ring carbon is C-4.

The electrons of the \(\ce{C3=C4}\) bond form a bond between C-3 and the proton. Consequently:

  • C-3 becomes \(\ce{CH2}\).
  • The C-3–C-4 bond becomes a single bond.
  • A positive charge is initially placed at C-4.

The seven-membered ring now has three double bonds and an empty \(p\) orbital at C-4. All seven ring atoms participate in a continuous cyclic conjugated system containing six \(\pi\) electrons:

\[ 6=4n+2,\qquad n=1. \]

The product is therefore an aromatic substituted tropylium ion.

With trifluoroacetic acid, O=C(O)C(F)(F)F, the balanced reaction is

\[ \ce{C13H10N2 + CF3CO2H -> [C13H11N2]+ + CF3CO2-}. \]

The resulting C-3-protonated K trifluoroacetate, a substituted tropylium salt, has SMILES

N#CC(C#N)=C(C)C[C+]1C=CC=CC=C1.O=C([O-])C(F)(F)F.

This SMILES depicts one localized resonance contributor. In the actual aromatic cation, the positive charge is delocalized around the seven-membered ring. The drawing should show the side chain attached through a single bond to that ring, with C-3 now bearing two hydrogens.

The solution was checked against the official solution.