Polar Effects in Halogen Abstraction Reactions of Alkyl Radicals

Applications of Halogen-Atom Transfer (XAT) for the Generation of Carbon Radicals in Synthetic Photochemistry and Photocatalysis

The halogen-atom transfer (XAT) is one of the most important and applied processes for the generation of carbon radicals in synthetic chemistry. In this review, we summarize and highlight the most important aspects associated with XAT and the impact it has had on photochemistry and photocatalysis. The organization of the material starts with the analysis of the most important mechanistic aspects and then follows a subdivision based on the nature of the reagents used in the halogen abstraction. This review aims to provide a general overview of the fundamental concepts and main agents involved in XAT processes with the objective of offering a tool to understand and facilitate the development of new synthetic radical strategies.

Precise Introduction of the -CHnX3-n (X = F, Cl, Br, I) Moiety to Target Molecules by a Radical Strategy: A Theoretical and Experimental Study

Addition of halomethyl radicals to form bioactive molecules has recently become an efficient strategy. The reaction has a bottleneck, however, which is the effective and selective generation of the proper halomethyl ^•CH_nX_3-n radical by combining CH_nX_4-n with a carbon radical. Understanding the reactivity and selectivity of carbon radicals in the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and halogen atom transfer (XAT) reactions of CH_nX_4-n is key to the development of such an attractive method. With the help of the emerging data-driven strategy, DFT calculations were used to explore various correlations. For selectivity, the relative energy barriers between HAT and XAT reactions (ΔG^⧧_H - ΔG^⧧_X) correlate reasonably well with the three parameters ΔG_H, ΔG_X, and IP, and the correlation studies reveal that the calculated IP_inver and the experimental ΔBDE can be used to conveniently predict the selectivity. Predicted selectivities are consistent with experimental determinations. This work not only provides a possibility for selecting carbon radicals with the known or easily obtained physicochemical data but also demonstrates that the informatic workflow such as generating data and identifying correlations has potential applications in mining reaction rules.

Halogenation of cubane under phase-transfer conditions: single and double C-H-bond substitution with conservation of the cage structure

The first highly selective C-H chlorination, bromination, and iodination of cubane (1) utilizing polyhalomethanes as halogen sources under phase-transfer (PT) conditions is described. Isomeric dihalocubanes with all possible combinations of chlorine, bromine, and iodine in ortho, meta, and para positions were also prepared by this method; m-dihalo products form preferentially. Ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) computations were used to rationalize the pronounced differences in the reactions of 1 with halogen (Hal(*)) vs carbon-centered trihalomethyl (Hal(3)C(*)) radicals (Hal = Cl, Br). For Hal(3)C radicals the C-H abstraction pathway is less unfavorable (DeltaG(double dagger)(298) = 21.6 kcal/mol for Cl(3)C(*) and 19.4 kcal/mol for Br(3)C(*) at B3LYP/6-311+G//B3LYP/6-31G) than the fragmentation of the cubane skeleton via S(H)2-attack on one of the carbon atoms of 1 (DeltaG(double dagger)(298) = 33.8 and 35.1 kcal/mol, respectively). In stark contrast, the reaction of 1 with halogen atoms preferentially follows the fragmentation pathway (DeltaG(double dagger)(298) = 2.1 and 7.5 kcal/mol) and C-H abstraction is more unfavorable (DeltaG(double dagger)(298) = 4.6 and 12.0 kcal/mol). Our computational results nicely agree with the behavior of 1 under PT halogenation conditions (where Hal(3)C(*) is involved in the activation step) and under free-radical photohalogenation with Hal(2) (Della, E. W., et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 10730). The incorporation of a second halogen atom preferentially in the meta position of halocubanes demonstrates the control of the regioselectivity by molecular orbital symmetry.

Radical Formation in the Oxidation of 2,2'-Azo-2-methyl-6-heptene by Thianthrene Cation Radical

Reaction of 2,2'-azo-2-methyl-6-heptene (1) with thianthrene cation radical perchlorate (Th(*)(+)ClO(4)(-)) in CH(2)Cl(2) solution containing 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylpyridine (DTBMP) gave a mixture of nine C(8) hydrocarbons, namely, 1,1,2-trimethylcyclopentane (4, 2.2%), 6-methyl-1-heptene (5, 2.2%), 2-methyl-1,6-heptadiene (6, 9.8%), 2,2-dimethyl-1-methylenecyclopentane (7, 2.9%), 6-methyl-1,5-heptadiene (8, 39%), 3,3-dimethyl- (9, 7.6%), 4,4-dimethyl- (10, 11%), 1,2-dimethyl- (11, 5.4%), and 1,6-dimethylcyclohexene (12, 1.5%). The amounts of acyclic dienes (6, 8) fell and of cyclohexenes (9, 10) rose when DTBMP was omitted from or diminished in the solution. The results provide firm evidence (products 4, 5, and 7) for the formation of the 2-methyl-6-hepten-2-yl radical (2), although the major fate of 2 is its oxidation to the corresponding cation 13, the origin of the bulk of the other products.