Computational rationalization for the observed ground-state multiplicities of fluorinated acylnitrenes

Computational methods are used to investigate the mechanism by which fluorination of acetylnitrene reduces the stabilization of the singlet configuration. ΔEST is made more positive (favoring the triplet state) by 1.9, 1.3, and 0.7 kcal/mol by the addition of the first, second, and third fluorine, respectively, at the CR-CC(2,3)/6-311(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. Smaller effects observed with substitution of β-fluorines in propanoylnitrene derivatives and examination of molecular geometries and orbitals demonstrate that the effect is due to inductive electron withdrawal by the fluorines, rather than hyperconjugation.