Revealing Phenylium, Phenonium, Vinylenephenonium, and Benzenium Ions in Solution

Diradicals Photogeneration from Chloroaryl‐Substituted Carboxylic Acids

With the aim of generating new, thermally inaccessible diradicals, potentially able to induce a double‐strand DNA cleavage, the photochemistry of a set of chloroaryl‐substituted carboxylic acids in polar media was investigated. The photoheterolytic cleavage of the Ar−Cl bond occurred in each case to form the corresponding triplet phenyl cations. Under basic conditions, the photorelease of the chloride anion was accompanied by an intramolecular electron‐transfer from the carboxylate group to the aromatic radical cationic site to give a diradical species. This latter intermediate could then undergo CO₂ loss in a structure‐dependent fashion, according to the stability of the resulting diradical, or abstract a hydrogen atom from the medium. In aqueous environment at physiological pH (pH=7.3), both a phenyl cation and a diradical chemistry was observed. The mechanistic scenario and the role of the various intermediates (aryl cations and diradicals) involved in the process was supported by computational analysis.

Photohomolysis and Photoheterolysis in Aryl Sulfonates and Aryl Phosphates

The photochemical behaviour of selected aryl sulfonates and phosphates (ArOX) in polar and nonpolar media has been investigated by laser flash photolysis (LFP) experiments. Two main pathways have been identified, namely the photohomolysis of the ArO-X bond or the photoheterolysis of the Ar-OX bond depending on the nature of the leaving group (OX) and on the nature of the substituents on the aromatic ring. In nonpolar solvents the esters are quite photostable due to an efficient triplet deactivation. In polar solvents, the homolytic fragmentation of the ArO-S bond from the exited singlets was found in aryl sulfonates bearing moderately electron-donating groups as well as electron-withdrawing groups. In electron-rich aryl phosphates and sulfonates photoheterolysis of the Ar-OP/Ar-OS bond took place as the exclusive pathway.

Photoinduced Cross-Coupling of Aryl Iodides with Alkenes

A protocol for photoinduced cross-coupling of aryl iodides having polar π-functional groups or elongated π-conjugation with alkenes has been developed. The radical cascade mechanism involving generation of aryl radicals via C-I bond homolysis of photoexcited aryl iodides and their subsequent addition to alkenes is proposed. The method enables iodide-selective cross-coupling over other halogen leaving groups with functional group compatibility on both arene and alkene motifs.

Formation of synthetically relevant CF3-substituted phenonium ions in superacid media

Under superacidic conditions, CF₃-substituted phenonium ions can be generated to furnish original CF₃-substituted dihydrostilbenes of interest.

Sugar-Assisted Photogeneration of Didehydrotoluenes from Chlorobenzylphosphonic Acids

Irradiation of the three isomeric chlorobenzylphophonic acids in aqueous buffer led to a pH-dependent photochemistry. Under acidic conditions (pH = 2.5), photocleavage of the Ar-Cl bond occurred and a phenyl cation chemistry resulted. Under basic conditions (pH = 11), a photoinduced release of the chloride anion followed by the detachment of the metaphosphate anion gave α,n-didehydrotoluene diradicals (α,n-DHTs), potential DNA cleaving intermediates. At a physiological pH (pH = 7.2), both a cationic and a diradical reactivity took place depending on the phosphonic acid used. It is noteworthy that the complexation exerted by a monosaccharide (glucose or methylglucopyranoside) present in solution induced an exclusive formation of α,n-DHTs. The mechanistic scenario of the different photoreactivities occurring when changing the pH of the solution and the role of the various intermediates (phenyl cations, diradicals, etc.) in the process was studied by computational analysis.

Formation and Mechanism for Reactions of Ring-Substituted Phenonium Ions in Aqueous Solution

The results of studies on the structure and reactivity of spiro[5.2]oct-5,7-diene-4yl carbocation [phenonium ion] have had a significant impact on the course of discussion about the distinction between classical and nonclassical carbocations. This minireview will present a brief overview of the structure, bonding and reactivity of ring substituted phenonium ions (X-4+), with an emphasis on work completed since 2004. The discussion will focus on the development of new experimental protocol for determination of the selectivity for addition of nucleophilic anions to X-4+ in aqueous solution. The existing relationships between carbocation lifetime and nucleophilic selectivity, and the known lifetime of ca 140 sec for spiro[2.5]oct-4,7-diene-6-one provide rough estimates of the lifetimes for 4-Me-X-4+ and 4-MeO-X-4+ in aqueous solution. Evidence is presented that nucleophile addition to X-4+ proceeds through an "exploded" transition state, with relatively weak bonding the nucleophile and leaving group, and the development of significant positive charge at the reacting primary cyclopropyl carbon.

Unusual 1,2-aryl migration in Pd(ii)-catalyzed aza-Wacker-type cyclization of 2-alkenylanilines

The discovery of an unprecedented 1,2-aryl migratory process in Pd(ii)-catalyzed aza-Wacker-type cyclization of 2-alkenylanilines that led to a novel synthesis of C3-substituted indoles is demonstrated.

Substituent Effects on the Formation and Nucleophile Selectivity of Ring-Substituted Phenonium Ions in Aqueous Solution

The reaction of 2-(4-methyphenyl)ethyl tosylate (Me-1-OTs) in 50/50 (v/v) trifluoroethanol/water at 25 °C is first-order in the concentration of azide anion nucleophile. A carbon-13 NMR analysis of the products of the reactions of Me-1-[α-¹³C]OTs in 50/50 (v/v) trifluoroethanol/water at 25 °C shows the formation of Me-1-[β-¹³C]OH, Me-1-[β-¹³C]OCH₂CF₃ and Me-1-[β-¹³C]N₃ from the trapping of a symmetrical 4-methylphenonium ion reaction intermediate Me-2⁺. The formation of Me-1-[α-¹³C]N₃ by concerted bimolecular displacement of azide ion at Me-1-[α-¹³C]OTs (k_N = 3.8 × 10^-6 M^-1 s^-1) and of Me-1-[α-¹³C]OH and Me-1-[α-¹³C]OCH₂CF₃ by concerted bimolecular displacement of solvent (k_solv = 1.8 × 10^-8 s^-1) is also observed. An analysis of the rate and product data provides a value of k_az/k_s = 32 M^-1 for partitioning of Me-2⁺ between addition of azide ion and solvent that is nearly 3-fold smaller than k_az/k_s = 83 M^-1 reported in an earlier study on the partitioning of MeO-2⁺ [J. Org. Chem.2011, 76, 9568]. This change is attributed to a decrease in nucleophile selectivity with increasing electrophile reactivity for the activation-limited addition of solvent and azide anion to X-2⁺. These data set a limit of 1/k_s ≥ 10^-7 s for the lifetime of Me-2⁺ in aqueous solution.

Formation and stability of the 4-methoxyphenonium ion in aqueous solution

The reaction of 2-methoxyphenylethyl tosylate (MeO-1-Ts) is first-order in [N(3)(-)]. A carbon-13 NMR analysis of the products of the reactions of MeO-1-[α-(13)C]Ts shows the formation of MeO-1-[β-(13)C]OH and MeO-1-[β-(13)C]N(3) from the trapping of a symmetrical 4-methoxyphenonium ion reaction intermediate 2(+). An analysis of the rate and product data provides a value of k(az)/k(s) = 83 M(-1) for partitioning of 2(+) between addition of azide ion and solvent. These data set a limit for the lifetime of 2(+) in aqueous solution.