Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 25, 2025

Preparation of 6-aminocyclohepta-2,4-dien-1-one Derivatives via Tricarbonyltroponeiron
Published on: August 12, 2019
DFT Study on the Mechanism of Iron-Catalyzed Diazocarbonylation
Tímea R Kégl1, László Kollár1,2, Tamás Kégl1
1Department of Inorganic Chemistry and MTA-PTE Research Group for Selective Chemical Syntheses, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary.
Abstract:
The mechanism of the carbonylation of diazomethane in the presence of iron-carbonyl-phosphine catalysts has been investigated by means of DFT calculations at the M06/def-TZVP//B97D3/def2-TZVP level of theory, in combination with the SMD solvation method. The reaction rate is determined by the formation of the coordinatively unsaturated doublet-state Fe(CO)3(P) precursor followed by the diazoalkane coordination and the N2 extrusion. The free energy of activation is predicted to be 18.5 and 28.2 kcal/mol for the PF3 and PPh3 containing systems, respectively. Thus, in the presence of less basic P-donor ligands with stronger π-acceptor properties, a significant increase in the reaction rate can be expected. According to energy decomposition analysis combined with natural orbitals of chemical valence (EDA-NOCV) calculations, diazomethane in the Fe(CO)3(phosphine)(η1-CH2N2) adduct reveals a π-donor-π-acceptor type of coordination.
Related Concept Videos
Carboxylic Acids to Methylesters: Alkylation using Diazomethane
1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Mechanism
Diazonium Group Substitution with Halogens and Cyanide: Sandmeyer and Schiemann Reactions
Aryldiazonium Salts to Azo Dyes: Diazo Coupling
Nucleophilic Addition to the Carbonyl Group: General Mechanism
A stronger nucleophile can directly attack the electrophilic center, the carbonyl carbon. The HOMO orbital of the nucleophile interacts with the LUMO (π* antibonding) orbital present on the carbonyl carbon. This interaction breaks the π bond and shifts the π...
E1 Reaction: Kinetics and Mechanism

