COMPUTER-ASSISTED MECHANISTIC EVALUATION OF ORGANIC-REACTIONS .24. CARBENE CHEMISTRY

A module that simulates carbene chemistry has been incorporated into t he CAMEO program. It is mechanistically and thermodynamically based, a llowing it to correctly predict the behavior of a wide range of compou nds it has never encountered before. As with CAMEO generally, the Carb ene Module not only predicts the major course of reaction but also the likely side products and gives insight into the mechanistic processes occurring in the system through messages issued when mechanistic deci sions are made. The module encompasses five stages: (1) Optional carbe ne formation, incorporating all major preparative routes. (2) Percepti on of carbene philicity, selectivity, and spin multiplicity, as well a s the steric and electronic activation of other atoms and bonds. (3) M echanistic analysis, incorporating a simple kinetic model to address c ompeting reactions. (4) Product evaluation and generation. (5) Product display.