Free-Radical Rearrangements

A general alkyl-alkyl cross-coupling enabled by redox-active esters and alkylzinc reagents

Alkyl carboxylic acids are ubiquitous in all facets of chemical science, from natural products to polymers, and represent an ideal starting material with which to forge new connections. This study demonstrates how the same activating principles used for decades to make simple C-N (amide) bonds from carboxylic acids with loss of water can be used to make C-C bonds through coupling with dialkylzinc reagents and loss of carbon dioxide. This disconnection strategy benefits from the use of a simple, inexpensive nickel catalyst and exhibits a remarkably broad scope across a range of substrates (>70 examples).

The importance of chain conformational mobility during 5-exo-cyclizations of C-, N- and O-centred radicals

The reaction coordinates of an archetypical set of 5-exo cyclizations of C-, N- and O-centred radicals were investigated by computational methods. G4 theory, and DFT with the um062x functional, were able to rationalise counterintuitive factors such as the 'normal' order of rate constants being: N-centred < C-centred < O-centred radicals. The access angle between the radical centre and the double bond was identified as a key factor. Examination of its evolution during ring closure implied that rigidity at the N-ends of the chains, and the consequent extra energy needed to attain chair-like transition states, might be the reason for slow aminyl cyclizations. A novel linear correlation between cyclization activation energies and the access angles was discovered. The preference for cis-1,2-disubstituted product formation was also accounted for in terms of interaction between the hyperconjugatively delocalized SOMO and the alkene π* orbital.

Stereocontrolled syntheses of kainoid amino acids from 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadienes using tandem radical addition-homoallylic radical rearrangement

[reaction; see text] N-Boc syn-7-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-(alkyl or aryl)sulfonyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-enes serve as precursors in syntheses of the neuroexcitants 3-(carboxymethyl)pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid 43, alpha-kainic acid 12, alpha-isokainic acid 14, and alpha-dihydroallokainic acid 77. The key step in these syntheses is the intermolecular radical addition of 2-iodoethanol to a N-Boc 2-(alkyl or aryl)sulfonyl-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene 7 to induce nitrogen-directed homoallylic radical rearrangement. Oxidative cleavage of the resulting 2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-enes provide straightforward access to polysubstituted pyrrolidines and, in particular, an efficient entry to the kainoid amino acids.

Synthesis of alpha-kainic acid from a 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene by tandem radical addition-homoallylic radical rearrangement

Reductive radical addition of 2-iodoethanol to N-Boc 2-tosyl-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene gives N-Boc syn-7-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-tosyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene, which is converted into the neuroexcitants 3-(carboxymethyl)pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid and alpha-kainic acid. [structure: see text]

2-azabenzonorbornanes from 7-azabenzonorbornanols by a nitrogen-directed neophyl-type radical rearrangement

[reaction: see text] Barton deoxygenation of 7-azabenzonorbornanols leads to a synthetically useful neophyl-like rearrangement to give 2-azabenzonorbornane derivatives in 64-90% yields.

5-Endo-trig radical cyclizations: disfavored or favored processes?

Relative kinetic data were determined for the 5-endo-trig cyclization of radical 12 compared to hydrogen abstraction from (TMS)(3)SiH in the temperature range of 344-430 K, which allows for the estimation of a rate constant of 2 x 10(4) s(-)(1) at 298 K with an activation energy of ca. 9 kcal/mol for the cyclization process. The 5-endo-trig cyclization of a variety of radicals that afford five-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles was addressed computationally at the UB3LYP/6-31G level. The 5-endo vs 4-exo mode of cyclication and the effect of delocalization of the unpaired electron in the transition state were investigated. Because the ring formed during cyclization contains five sp(2) centers, electrocyclization via a pentadienyl-like resonance form was also considered. For comparison, similar calculations were performed for 4-penten-1-yl and related radicals. The factors that affect the activation energies of homolytic 5-endo-trig cyclization were determined. In the absence of steric or conformational effects, the endo cyclization to form the five-membered ring was strongly favored over exo cyclization to form the four-membered ring not only on thermodynamic grounds but also kinetically. When a substituent on the double bond was able to delocalize the unpaired electron in the transition state of the 4-exo path, the two modes of cyclization became kinetically comparable. These results have an important bearing on the generalization of the Baldwin-Beckwith rules, which classified the 5-endo-trig radical cyclization as a "disfavored" process.

Spirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidenes: straightforward preparation, physical properites, and chemical transformations

Perspirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidene (6) was prepared in three steps from 7-cyclopropylidenedispiro[2.0.2.1]heptane (4) (24% overall) or, more efficiently, through dehalogenative coupling of 7,7-dibromo[3]triangulane (15) (82%). This type of reductive dimerization turned out to be successful for the synthesis of (E)- and (Z)-bis(spiropentylidene) 14 (67%) and even of the "third-generation" spirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidene 17 (17% overall from 15). Whereas the parent bicyclopropylidene 1 dimerized at 180 degrees C to yield [4]rotane, dimerization of 6 at 130 degrees C under 10 kbar pressure occured only with opening of one three-membered ring to yield the polyspirocyclopropanated (cyclopropylidene)cyclopentane derivative 19 (34% yield), and at the elevated temperature the polyspirocyclopropanated 2-cyclopropylidene[3.2.2]propellane derivative 20 (25 % yield). Perspirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidene 6 and the "third-generation" bicyclopropylidene 17 gave addition of bromine, hydrogen bromide, and various dihalocarbenes without rearrangement. The functionally substituted branched [7]triangulane 28 and branched dichloro-C2v-[15]triangulane 32 were used to prepare the perspirocyclopropanated [3]rotane (D3h-[10]triangulane) 49 (six steps from 6, 1.4% overall yield) and the C2v-[15]triangulane 51 (two steps from 17, 41% overall). Upon catalytic hydrogenation, the perspirocyclopropanated bicyclopropylidene 6 yielded 7,7'-bis(dispiro[2.0.2.]-heptyl) (52) and, under more forcing conditions, 1,1'-bis(2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl) (53). The bromofluorocarbene adduct 33 of 17 reacted with butyllithium to give the unexpected polyspirocyclopropanated 1,4-di-n-butyl-2-cyclopropylidenebicyclo[2.2.0]hexane derivative 37 as the main product (55% yield) along with the expected "third-generation" perspirocyclopropanated dicyclopropylidenemethane 38 (21% yield). Mechanistic aspects of this and the other unusual reactions are discussed. The structures of all new unusual hydrocarbons were proven by X-ray crystal structure analyses, and the most interesting structural and crystal packing features are presented.

Characterization, via ESR spectroscopy, of radical intermediates in the photooxidation of arylcarbinols by ceric ammonium nitrate

The photooxidation by ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) of several aryl and naphthylcarbinols has been studied by means of ESR spectroscopy. For all the investigated arylcarbinols, but not for the naphthyl derivatives, it has been possible to detect radical intermediates deriving from the parent alkoxyl radicals. In particular, in the photooxidation of 1,1-diphenylethanol, a bridged-radical intermediate has been detected. The assignment has been validated through experiments with two different labeled compounds: the 1,1-[2', 3', 4', 5', 6', 2", 3", 4", 5", 6"-2H10]diphenylethanol and the 1,1-diphenyl[2, 2, 2-2H3]ethanol. A similar bridged radical has been found to be formed in the photooxidation of triphenylmethanol, while, for the 1,1-diphenylpropanol, the only detectable species has been the ethyl radical deriving from a competitive beta-scission process. Finally, for the 2-phenylpropan-2-ol (cumyl alcohol), two radical species have been identified: the methyl, deriving from the beta-scission process, and the cyanomethylene, deriving from H-abstraction of the cumyloxyl radical from the solvent. A kinetic study on the competition of the two processes has also been conducted and the parameters of the Arrhenius equation for the latter process have been estimated.

Cyclization of Hindered Fluorinated Dichloro(5- and 6-)alkenyl Radicals. Structural Effects of Olefins on the Selective Formation of 5-exo and 6-endo Cyclization Products

Reaction of 3-butenyl radicals generated by photolysis of variously substituted Barton esters (both open-chain 1a-d and cyclohexyl 1e-h) with CF(2)=CCl(2) gave a mixture of cyclized products (cyclopentanes 6 and 8 and cyclohexanes 7 and 9) as well as noncyclized products (4and 5) in various ratios depending on the substitution pattern at the olefinic moiety. The product ratios of [cyclization (6 + 7 + 8 + 9):noncyclization (5)] for 1 with more alkyl substituents on the CC double bond were greater than those for 1 with fewer substituents. The products ratio of [5-exo (6 + 8):6-endo (7 + 9)] was influenced by a steric effect. Photoreaction of Barton ester 2 with CF(2)=CCl(2) gave a mixture of cyclohexanes 16 and 17 as well as noncyclized 14 and 15. Dehydrochlorination of decalins 7g and 7h followed by oxidation of sulfide and [2,3]sigmatropic rearrangement of the allyl sulfoxide gave octahydronaphthalenones 23 and 27, respectively.