Directing Isomerization Reactions of Cumulenes with Electric Fields

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2019 Oct 4

PMID 31578333

Citations 32

Authors

Yaping Zang

Qi Zou

Tianren Fu

Fay Ng

Brandon Fowler

Jingjing Yang

Hexing Li

Michael L Steigerwald

Colin Nuckolls

Latha Venkataraman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Electric fields have been proposed as having a distinct ability to catalyze chemical reactions through the stabilization of polar or ionic intermediate transition states. Although field-assisted catalysis is being researched, the ability to catalyze reactions in solution using electric fields remains elusive and the understanding of mechanisms of such catalysis is sparse. Here we show that an electric field can catalyze the cis-to-trans isomerization of [3]cumulene derivatives in solution, in a scanning tunneling microscope. We further show that the external electric field can alter the thermodynamics inhibiting the trans-to-cis reverse reaction, endowing the selectivity toward trans isomer. Using density functional theory-based calculations, we find that the applied electric field promotes a zwitterionic resonance form, which ensures a lower energy transition state for the isomerization reaction. The field also stabilizes the trans form, relative to the cis, dictating the cis/trans thermodynamics, driving the equilibrium product exclusively toward the trans.

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