Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling is a well-known method for making biaryls. With bifunctional monomers, Suzuki polycondensation (SPC) can be used to make polyaryls. Given the complexity of the reacting solution, studying the mechanism of SPC is extremely tough. To solve this problem, we used tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) methods to observe the dynamic behaviour of catalytically relevant species in real time. Catalysis involves a complex soup of reactants, intermediates and products. We used an ESI-MS with a triple quadrupole mass analyzer to monitor the SPC in positive ion mode using pressurized sample infusion (PSI) in real time. Full scan, selected ion recording (SIR), product ion scan, neutral loss scan (NLS) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) MS/MS methods were applied. Tetrakistriphenylphosphine palladium(0) was the catalyst of this reaction and a positively charged phosphonium aryl iodide tag (m/z 478) was implemented into the first catalytic cycle, enabling us to track all the intermediate oligomers up to the 4th addition. Product ion scan revealed all the intermediate oligomers lose a triphenylphosphine fragment (m/z 262) which would either come from the complex or the charged tag. Three significant intermediate types were observed in each stage of the catalysis, oxidative addition, transmetallation and reductive elimination and their behavior was studied in a chronogram, normalized to the total ion current. As expected, the use of selected ion recording, and neutral loss scan dramatically improved the signal-to-noise ratio. Ultimately, multiple reaction monitoring showed the best chronogram data due to the fact that this scan acts as a “double filter” in a soup of reactive species and contaminants. Real time reaction monitoring has proven to provide detailed insights regarding a reaction. MS/MS methods are promising for improving data quality, selectivity and sensitivity in reaction monitoring. The principle is broadly applicable to other systems, from an intricate catalytic reaction with short-lived ionic intermediates to a reaction with only a single product generated. Reaction dynamics for an exceptionally complex reaction can be made simple and easy by utilizing tandem mass spectrometry methods in time resolved reaction monitoring. / Graduate

Bis(dimethylamino)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)naphthalene (3) and 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)-4-diphenylphosphonaphthalene (5b) were synthesized as ESI-active analogues of the common organometallic ligands η6-anisole and triphenylphosphine. The water-soluble phosphine, sodium triphenylphosphine monosulfonate, was re-purposed as an ESI-active ligand. Its solubility in organic solvents and amenability to electrospray ionization was improved by replacing Na+ with the non-coordinating bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium cation. A new sample introduction method named PSI (pressurized sample infusion) was developed for the continuous infusion of air/moisture-sensitive samples into the mass spectrometer. The flow rate can be determined using a modified version of the Hagen-Poiseuille equation, and the ability of PSI (coupled with an ESI tag) to give quantitative kinetic data is demonstrated. A method for maintaining a dry, air-free ESI source is described for the analysis of highly reactive samples. The above developments were applied to the study of the copper-free Sonogashira (Heck alkynylation) reaction. The proposed active catalyst (Pd(0)L2, where L = PPh3 or 7) was observed, and its reactivity with iodomethane in the gas phase was determined to be less than that of Pd(0)L. Nevertheless, Pd(0)L2 is extremely reactive and even oxidatively adds dichloromethane (t1/2 = 10.7 min at 40 °C). Under standard reaction conditions intermediates corresponding to oxidative addition and transmetallation were detected, and coordination of base to palladium was observed for secondary amines but not triethylamine. Reductive elimination was achieved in the gas phase for a series of para-substituted aryl iodides with phenylacetylene, and the slope of the resulting Hammett plot (ρ) was -0.5. No evidence for the previously hypothesized anionic mechanism was observed. Simultaneous kinetic analysis of charged substrate, products and intermediates in the copper-free Sonogashira reaction was conducted using PSI-ESI-MS and high quality, information rich data for each species over time was obtained. In the absence of protons, reductive elimination is rate-limiting and the rate of reaction is relatively high. In the presence of protons (a byproduct of the reaction), transmetallation is rate-limiting and the rate of reaction is much slower. The use of a strong base was shown to improve the efficiency of the reaction, and an experimentally-derived catalytic cycle for the copper-free Sonogashira reaction is proposed. / Graduate

Mass spectrometry was used to study two disparate transformations: in an applied project, the supposed degradation of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS); and in a fundamental study, the Suzuki-Miyaura (SM) reaction was investigated in detail. The first investigation revealed that published methods to degrade PFOS were ineffectual, with apparent decreases being associated with adsorption onto available surfaces. In the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction, a dynamic series of equilibria were observed, and there is no direct evidence of a single pathway. Instead, there appear to be two mechanisms which are active in different conditions (one fluoride, one aqueous). Studies were initiated into the related SM polycondensation reaction and the hydrolysis of aryltrifluoroborates, the former indicating a step-growth mechanism, and the latter indicating a dynamic series of equilibria which are very sensitive to experimental conditions. Processing and interpretation of mass spectrometric data was a significant part of all of these projects, so a python framework was developed to assist in these tasks and its features are also documented herein. / Graduate / 0488 / 0486 / larsy@uvic.ca