Archive for September 21st, 2016

σ or π? The ambident nucleophilic reactivity of imines: crystallographic and computational reality checks.

Wednesday, September 21st, 2016

Nucleophiles are species that seek to react with an electron deficient centre by donating a lone or a π-bond pair of electrons. The ambident variety has two or more such possible sources in the same molecule, an example of which might be hydroxylamine or H2NOH. I previously discussed how for this example, the energetics allow the nitrogen lone pair (Lp) to win out over the O Lp. Here, I play a similar game, but this time setting an NLp up against a π-pair.

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