A QUANTUM CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF PYROLYSIS REACTIONS OF GLYOXYLIC-ACID ETHYLESTER

Two possible reaction paths for the pyrolysis of the ethylester of glyoxylic acid have been studied by ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The basis sets 3-21G and 6-31G* have been used, and electron correlation has been included by Moller-Plesset calculations up to fourth order. Our calculations indicate that the reaction leading to acid and ethylene through a 6-membered ring transition state is favored relative to a process involving a formyl hydrogen transfer via a 5-membered ring to the alkyl unit leading to ethane, CO, and CO2. The predicted activation energies for these two reactions obtained at the highest level of calculation, MP4(SDTQ)/6-31G*, are 50.4 and 71.7 kcal/mol, respectively. The transition states have RHF wave functions that are stable relative to UHF solutions using the 3-21G basis. The geometry of the transition states and IRC following indicate that both reactions are strongly asynchronous: The C - O bond rupture is virtually completed before hydrogen transfer occurs. For comparative purposes, analogous calculations have been performed for the ethylester of formic acid, where it is confirmed that a 6-membered ring transition state is preferred relative to a 4-membered one by around 42 kcal/mol at the highest level of calculation.