Substituents Effect on Aziridine Chemistry: N-Inversion Energy, Reactivity and Regioselectivity of Nucleophilic Ring-opening

The N-inversion energies and nucleophilic ring-opening reactions of N-substituted aziridine compounds are investigated using B3LYP/6-31+$G^*$ methods, where substituents (R) on the nitrogen atom has been H (1), Me (2), Ph (3), Bn (4), CHMePh (5), $CO_2Me$ (6), COPh (7) and $SO_2Ph$ (8). The N-inversion energy with X group are decreased as the following order: R = CHMePh (17.06 kcal/mol) $\gt$ Me (16.97) $\gt$ Bn (16.70) $\gt$ H (16.64) $\gt$ $SO_2Ph$ (12.18) $\gt$ Ph (8.91) $\gt$ COPh (5.75) $\gt$ $CO_2Me$ (5.48). For reactivity of the ring opening toward cyanide ion, the aziridine 6 (R=$CO_2Me$) is shown to be the most reactive one. During the ring opening of aziridine 6 by CN$^{\ominus}$, the torsional OCNC angle becomes near to $180^{\circ}$, where the geometry allows for the effective incorporation of electrons of the nitrogen atom to the C=O bond. It would be a possible driving force for nucleophilic ring opening reaction as well as decreasing the N-inversion energy barrier. Regarding to the regioselectivity, the orientation of nucleophile in ring opening reaction appears to be different in the case of 9 and 10. The results are discussed in terms of steric/electronic effect of the $C_2$-substituents.