Ab initio calculations with RHF/6-31G and MP2/6-31G have been used to study
the isomerization of 3-amino-2-pyridone in gas-phase and in water. The res
ults obtained show that 3-amino-2-pyridone is isomerized into 3-amino-2-hyd
roxy pyridine via a four-center cyclic transition state in the gas-phase, a
nd via a six-center cyclic transition state in water. The activation energi
es of this reaction are 226.3336(RHF/6-31G) and 171.2269(MP2/6-31G) in gas-
phase, and 81.6398(RHF/6-31G) and 59.8668(MP2/6-31G) kJ mol(-1) under the c
ondition of a single water molecule as the catalyst, respectively. (C) 2000
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