Lewis Acid and Substituent Effects on the Molecular Mechanism for the Nazarov Reaction of Penta-1,4-dien-3-one and Derivatives. A Topological Analysis Based on the Combined Use of Electron Localization Function and Catastrophe Theory.

The joint use of the topological analysis provided by the electron localization function (ELF) and catastrophe theory (CT), at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) calculation level, allows us to examine the Lewis acid (protonation H(+) and presence of BH3) and the role of an electron donor substituent (-OCH3) at α and β positions along the course of the molecular mechanism for the Nazarov rearrangement of penta-1,4-dien-3-one and eight derivatives. The progress of the reaction is monitored by the changes of the ELF structural stability domains (SSDs), each change being controlled by a turning point derived from CT. These SSDs and the corresponding turning points are associated with a sequence of elementary chemical steps. Along the cyclization path of penta-1,4-diene-3-one, four SSDs as well as three turning points (cusp1-fold1-cusp2) have been characterized. The first and second SSDs correspond to a polarization of the C-O bond and electronic redistribution among the C-C bonds, respectively, and they can be associated with the formation of an oxyallyl structure. The third and fourth SSDs can be assigned to the ring closure process. Protonation of the oxygen atom shifts the reactive directly into the second SSD, greatly reducing the activation and reaction energies. The electronic effects due to Lewis acids and electron donor substituents have been rationalized in terms of calculations of mesomeric structures from ELF basin populations. The combination of Lewis acids together with α and β -OCH3 substitutions renders a cooperative and competitive effect on activation and reaction free energies, respectively.