A copper-catalyzed three-component reaction of alkenes,cycloketone oximes and DABCO·（SO2）2: Direct C（sp2）-H cyanoalkylsulfonylation

A copper-catalyzed three-component reaction of alkenes, cycloketone oximes and DABCO·（SO₂）₂ is developed, which provides a convenient route for the synthesis of diverse（E）-cyanoalkylsulfonyl alkenes in moderate to good yields with excellent regio-and stereoselectivity. A broad substrate scope with excellent functional group tolerance is observed. A plausible radical pathway is proposed, which involves copper-catalyzed ring-opening C–C bond cleavage of O-acyl oxime and inser...     

NMR and EPR studies of the reaction of nucleophilic addition of (bi)sulfite to the nitrone spin trap DMPO

The reaction of the nitrone spin trap 5,5‐dimethylpyrroline‐N‐oxide (DMPO) with sodium (bi)sulfite in aqueous solutions was investigated using NMR and EPR techniques. Reversible nucleophilic addition of (bi)sulfite anions to the double bond of DMPO was observed, resulting in the formation of the hydroxylamine derivative 1‐hydroxy‐5,5‐dimethylpyrrolidine‐2‐sulfonic acid, with characteristic ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. The reaction mechanism was suggested and corresponding equilibrium constants determined. The mild oxidation of the hydroxylamine results in the formation of an EPR‐detected spectrum identical with that for the DMPO adduct with sulfur trioxide anion radical. The latter demonstrates that a non‐radical addition reaction of (bi)sulfite with DMPO may contribute to the EPR detection of SO₃^?? radical. This possibility must be taken into account in spin trapping analysis of sulfite radical. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Propagation Mechanism of Radical Copolymerization of Sulfur Dioxide and Vinyl Chloride

Radical copolymerization of sulfur dioxide and vinyl chloride (VC) has been studied by the comparison of the composition of copolymers obtaining from different reaction conditions, i.e., reaction temperatures, feed compositions, and total monomer concentrations. The composition of VC in copolymer is independent of comonomer composition except at high concentration of VC in feed; it increases with increasing reaction temperature or decreasing total monomer concentration. At lower temperature, the composition of copolymer becomes independent of total monomer concentration. The overall rate of polymerization is proportional to [VC]^1,7 and [SO₂]^0.5. These results were compared with those obtained in our previous study on the SO₂-styrene copolymerization. A propagation mechanism for radical copolymerization of SO₂ and VC is also proposed.     

A tr esr study of the reactions of excited organic triplet molecules with inorganic sulfur oxoanions

The reactions of excited triplet ketones including benzophenone, 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone, and acetone with inorganic sulfur oxoanions: sulfite (SO₃ ⁼), metabisulfite (S₂O₅ ⁼), and dithionite (S₂O₄ ⁼) in solution were studied by TRESR. Observation of radical anion intermediates polarized by the Triplet Mechanism demonstrated the reactions of electron transfer from the sulfur dianions to the organic triplet states. Thus, electron transfer from SO₃ ⁼ to the triplet organic carbonyl compounds gave rise to the SO₃ ^? radical; reactions with metabisulfite and dithionite were more complex and may be interpreted as occurring via electron transfer to the carbonyl system followed by dissociation of the S-S bond in the resulting sulfur oxoanion radical. The initial radical ion pairs thus formed consist of pairs of anion radicals, one organic and one inorganic.     

Photoinduced reaction of potassium alkyltrifluoroborates,sulfur dioxide and para-quinone methides via radical 1,6-addition

A photoinduced reaction of potassium alkyltrifluoroborates, sulfur dioxide, and para-quinone methides under visible light irradiation at room temperature is developed, giving rise to diarylmethyl alkylsulfones in moderate to good yields. This reaction works well under photocatalysis with a broad substrate scope by using DABCO·(SO₂)₂ as the source of sulfur dioxide. Mechanistic study shows that this transformation is initiated by alkyl radicals generated in situ from potassium alkyltrifluoroborates in the presence of photocatalyst. The subsequent insertion of sulfur dioxide and radical 1,6-addition of para-quinone methides with alkylsulfonyl radical intermediates afford the corresponding diarylmethyl alkylsulfones.     

Synthesis of β‐Keto Sulfones by a Catalyst‐Free Reaction of Aryldiazonium Tetrafluoroborates,Sulfur Dioxide,and Silyl Enol Ethers

A green approach for the generation of β‐keto sulfones through a reaction of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates and sulfur dioxide with silyl enol ether under catalyst‐ and additive‐free conditions has been realized. This reaction proceeds efficiently at room temperature and goes to completion in half an hour. During the reaction process, aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborate is treated with DABCO ⋅ (SO₂)₂ (DABCO=1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) to provide a sulfonyl radical as the key intermediate, which then initiates the transformation. Oxidants or metal catalysts are avoided, and the presence of DABCO also plays an important role in the reaction.     

Initiation of Radical Chain Reactions of Thiol Compounds and Alkenes without any Added Initiator: Thiol‐Catalyzed cis/trans Isomerization of Methyl Oleate

A kinetic study of the dodecanethiol‐catalyzed cis/trans isomerization of methyl oleate (cis‐ 2 ) without added initiator was performed by focusing on the initiation of the radical chain reaction. The reaction orders of the rate of isomerization were 2 and 0.5 for 1 and cis‐ 2 , respectively, and an overall kinetic isotope effect k_H/k_D of 2.8 was found. The initiation was shown to be a complex reaction. The electron‐donor/‐acceptor (EDA) complex of dodecanethiol ( 1 ) and cis‐ 2 formed in a pre‐equilibrium reacts with thiol 1 to give a stearyl and a sulfuranyl radical through molecule‐assisted homolysis (MAH) of the sulfur–hydrogen bond. Fragmentation of the latter gives the thiyl radical, which catalyzes the cis/trans isomerization. A computational study of the EDA complex, MAH reaction, and the sulfuranyl radical calculated that the activation energy of the isomerization was in good agreement with the experimental result of E_A=82 kJ M ^?1. Overall, the results may explain that the thermal generation of thiyl radicals without any initiator is responsible for many well‐known thermally initiated addition reactions of thiol compounds to alkenes and their respective polymerizations and for the low shelf‐life stability of cis‐unsaturated thiol compounds and of mixtures of alkenes and thiol compounds.     

Enantioselective Radical‐Polar Crossover Reactions of Indanonecarboxamides with Alkenes

Highly efficient asymmetric intermolecular radical‐polar crossover reactions were realized by combining a chiral N,N′‐dioxide/Ni^II complex catalyst with Ag₂O under mild reaction conditions. Various terminal alkenes and indanonecarboxamides/esters underwent radical addition/cyclization reactions to afford spiro‐iminolactones and spirolactones with good to excellent yields (up to 99 %) and enantioselectivities (up to 97 % ee). Furthermore, a range of different radical‐mediated oxidation/elimination or epoxide ring‐opening products were obtained under mild reaction conditions. The Lewis acid catalysts exhibited excellent performance and precluded the strong background reaction.     

Cyclocopolymerization of diallyl ether with sulfur dioxide in acetone

The radical polymerization of diallyl ether (DAE) with sulfur dioxide produced soluble copolymers whose composition was between 1:1 and 2:1 in SO₂. The overall rate was maximum at a 2:1 feed composition in SO₂. A cyclocopolymerization scheme, which was based on cross propagations and the intramolecular cyclization of DAE radical, was applied. The energy of activation was larger for the uncyclized DAE radical in undergoing the cross propagation with SO₂ than in undergoing the intramolecular cyclization with the pendent allylic group by 40 kJ/mol. Formation of rings made of DAE and SO₂ and 3,4-disubstituted-tetrahydrofuran rings by the cyclized DAE units on the main chain was proposed on the basis of the ¹H-NMR spectra.     

Trifluoromethylfluorosulfonylation of Unactivated Alkenes Using Readily Available Ag(O2CCF2SO2F) and N‐Fluorobenzenesulfonimide

Presented is a novel intermolecular radical trifluoromethylfluorosulfonylation of unactivated alkenes under mild reaction conditions with good functional‐group tolerance in the most atom‐economic manner by using readily available Ag(O₂CCF₂SO₂F) and N ‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI). Both the trifluoromethyl and sulfonyl groups in the products originate from Ag(O₂CCF₂SO₂F).     

Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of thiourea by chlorine dioxide

The stoichiometry and kinetics of the oxidation of thiourea (SC(NH₂)₂) by chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) have been studied by uv-vis spectrophotometry using conventional and stopped-flow mixing techniques at 25.0 ± 0.1°C, pH 0.3–4.8. In high acid and initial 10:1 molar ratio of thiourea to chlorine dioxide, thiourea is oxidized relatively rapidly to dithiobisformamidine ion ((NH₂)₂CSSC(NH₂)₂²⁺), which slowly decomposes to thiourea, sulfur, and cyanamide (NCNH₂). In high acid and excess ClO₂, thiourea is oxidized to relatively stable formamidine sulfinic acid ((NH) (NH₂)CSO₂H). In high acid and molar ratios of ClO₂ to thiourea of 5:1 and higher, some oxidation to formamidine sulfonic acid ((NH) (NH₂)CSO₃H) occurs. At lower acidity, along with Cl^?, the major ClO₂ reduction product, byproduct sulfate is detected and, at pH < 3, ClO₂^?, also, appears. Kinetics data were collected for high excess thiourea with varying pH. The [ClO₂]-time curves are straight lines with negative slopes that increase in magnitude with increasing [thiourea]. The dependence on [thiourea] is first-order; the dependence on [ClO₂] is zero-order for 90% of reaction. With decreasing pH, the rate increases and the disappearance of ClO₂ becomes autocatalytic. Studies of the effects of reaction products on the rate of reaction lead to the conclusion that autocatalysis at low pH is due to the greater reactivity of HClO₂ compared with ClO₂^?. A 10-step mechanism incorporating a slow one-electron transfer from thiourea to ClO₂ to generate the (NH) (NH₂)CS · radical and subsequent more rapid reactions has been constructed and implemented in a computer simulation which provides a reasonably accurate fit to the observed kinetics curves. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Single‐electron‐transfer/degenerative‐chain‐transfer mediated living radical polymerization of vinyl chloride catalyzed by thiourea dioxide/octyl viologen in water/tetrahydrofuran at 25 °C

The single‐electron‐transfer/degenerative‐chain‐transfer mediated living radical polymerization (SET–DTLRP) of vinyl chloride (VC) in H₂O/tetrahydrofuran at 25 °C catalyzed by thiourea dioxide [(NH₂)₂C?SO₂] is reported. This polymerization occurs only in the presence of a basic sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) buffer and the electron‐transfer cocatalyst octyl viologen. The resulting poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) has a number‐average molecular weight of 1500–7000 and a weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight ratio of 1.5. This PVC does not contain detectable amounts of structural defects and has both active chloroiodomethyl and inactive chloromethyl chain ends. Because of possible side reactions caused by the primary sulfoxylate anion (SO), the catalytic activity of (NH₂)₂C?SO₂ in the SET–DTLRP of VC is lower than that of the single‐electron‐transfer agent sodium dithionite. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 287–295, 2005     

BCl3‐Mediated Ene Reaction of Sulfur Dioxide and Unfunctionalized Alkenes

The first ene reactions of SO₂ and unfunctionalized alkenes are reported. Calculations suggest that the endergonic ene reactions of SO₂ with alkenes can be used to generate β,γ‐unsaturated sulfinyl and sulfonyl compounds. Indeed, in the presence of one equivalent of BCl₃, the unstable sulfinic acid form stable sulfinic acid?BCl₃ complexes that can be reacted in situ with NCS to generate corresponding sulfonyl chlorides, or with a base to generate corresponding sulfinates. The latter can be reacted with electrophiles to generate sulfones, or with silyl chloride to form β,γ‐unsaturated silyl sulfinates. The sulfinic acid?BCl₃ complexes can be reacted with ethers that act as oxygen nucleophiles to produce corresponding sulfinic esters. Thus one‐pot, three‐component synthesis of β,γ‐unsaturated sulfonamides, sulfinyl esters and sulfones have been developed starting from alkenes and sulfur dioxide (reagent and solvent).     

Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of 4‐methyl‐3‐thiosemicarbazide by acidic bromate

The oxidation of 4‐methyl‐3‐thiosemicarbazide (MTSC) by bromate and bromine was studied in acidic medium. The stoichiometry of the reaction is extremely complex, and is dependent on the ratio of the initial concentrations of the oxidant to reductant. In excess MTSC and after prolonged standing, the stoichiometry was determined to be H₃CN(H)CSN(H)NH₂ + 3BrO₃^? → 2CO₂ + NH₄⁺ + SO₄^2? + N₂ + 3Br^? + H⁺ (A). An interim stoichiometry is also obtained in which one of the CO₂ molecules is replaced by HCOOH with an overall stoichiometry of 3H₃CN(H)CSN(H)NH₂ + 8BrO₃^? → CO₂ + NH₄⁺ + SO₄^2? + HCOOH + N₂ + 3Br^? + 3H⁺ (B). Stoichiometry A and B are not very different, and so mixtures of the two were obtained. Compared to other oxidations of thiourea‐based compounds, this reaction is moderately fast and is first order in both bromate and substrate. It is autocatalytic in HOBr. The reaction is characterized by an autocatalytic sigmoidal decay in the consumption of MTSC, while in excess bromate conditions the reaction shows an induction period before autocatalytic formation of bromine. In both cases, oxybromine chemistry, which involves the initial formation of the reactive species HOBr and Br₂, is dominant. The reactions of MTSC with both HOBr and Br₂ are fast, and so the overall rate of oxidation is dependent upon the rates of formation of these reactive species from bromate. Our proposed mechanism involves the initial cleavage of the C? N bond on the azo‐side of the molecule to release nitrogen and an activated sulfur species that quickly and rapidly rearranges to give a series of thiourea acids. These thiourea acids are then oxidized to the sulfonic acid before cleavage of the C? S bond to give SO₄^2?, CO₂, and NH₄⁺. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 237–247, 2002     

Heme Fe?SO2− intermediates in sulfite reduction: Contrasts with Fe?OO2− species from oxygen–oxygen bond activating systems

Sulfite reductase (SiR) catalyzes a six electron and six proton reduction of sulfite to sulfide. Similarly to the cytochrome P450 (cytP450) family, the active site in SiR contains a (partially reduced) heme bound axially to a cysteinate ligand—though with an extra Fe₄S₄ cluster. Fe(III) SO²⁻, Fe(III) SOH⁻, and Fe(III) SO(H₂) intermediates have been proposed for the catalytic cycle of SiR, leading to a formally Fe(V)S species—akin to the widely accepted reaction mechanism in cytP450. Here, density functional theory (DFT) data is reported for of such FeSO(H₂) intermediates. The Fe(III) SO²⁻ models display relatively high energies for homolytic bond breaking compared to their isomeric oxygen‐bound Fe(III) OS²⁻ models, and thus offer a better alternative in terms of avoiding radical side products able to induce enzyme suicide. This could be due to the fact that the (iron‐bound) sulfur is more active from a redox standpoint compared to oxygen, thus permitting the departing oxygen to maintain a redox‐inert state. Di‐protonation of the oxygen is computed to lead to a compound I type Fe(IV)S coupled to a porphyrin radical anion—consistent with an intermediate previously observed by x‐ray crystallography.     

The Reactivity of the Nitrate Radical (•NO3) in Aqueous and Organic Solutions

Rate constants for the nitrate (^•NO₃) radical reaction with alcohols, alkanes, alkenes, and several aromatic compounds were measured in aqueous and tert‐butanol solution for comparison to aqueous and acetonitrile values from the literature. The measured trends provide insight into the reactions of the ^•NO₃ radical in various media. The reaction with alcohols primarily consists of hydrogen‐atom abstraction from the alpha‐hydroxy position and is faster in solvents of lower polarity where the diffusivity of the radical is greater. Alkenes react faster than alkanes, and their rate constants are also faster in nonpolar solution. The situation is reversed for the nitrate radical reaction with the aromatic compounds, where the rate constants in tert‐butanol are slower. This is attributed to the need to solvate the NO₃⁻ anion and corresponding tropylium cation produced by the ^•NO₃ radical electron transfer reaction. A linear correlation was found between measured rate constants in water and acetonitrile, which can be used to estimate aqueous nitrate radical rate constants for compounds having low water solubility.     

Studies on the charge transfer complex and polymerization. XIV. Spontaneous copolymerization of 1-methylcyclopropene and sulfur dioxide

Copolymerization between 1-methylcyclopropene (MCP) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) was studied. It took place spontaneously even at a low temperature, and was found to be consistent with polymerization by a “living” radical, as suggested by the increase of reduced viscosity with conversion and by the formation of block polymers in the presence of acrylates. The rate of copolymerization was proportional to [MCP]³ and [SO₂]², and the overall activation energy of copolymerization was about 15.1 kcal/mole. A tentative mechanism to explain the experimental results is discussed.     

Highly Selective Phosphinylphosphination of Alkenes with Tetraphenyldiphosphine Monoxide

In sharp contrast to tetraphenyldiphosphine, which does not add to carbon–carbon double bonds efficiently, its monoxide, [Ph₂P(O)PPh₂] can engage in a radical addition to various alkenes, thus affording the corresponding 1‐phosphinyl‐2‐phosphinoalkanes regioselectively, and they can be converted into their sulfides by treatment with elemental sulfur. The phosphinylphosphination proceeds by the homolytic cleavage of the P^V(O)?P^III single bond of Ph₂P(O)PPh₂, followed by selective attack of the phosphinyl radical at the terminal position of the alkenes, and selective trapping of the resulting carbon radical by the phosphino group. Furthermore, the phosphinylphosphination product could be converted directly into its platinum complex with a hemilabile P,O chelation.     

Type I Photosensitized Oxidation of Methionine†

Methionine (Met) is an essential sulfur‐containing amino acid, sensitive to oxidation. The oxidation of Met can occur by numerous pathways, including enzymatic modifications and oxidative stress, being able to cause relevant alterations in protein functionality. Under UV radiation, Met may be oxidized by direct absorption (below 250 nm) or by photosensitized reactions. Herein, kinetics of the reaction and identification of products during photosensitized oxidation were analyzed to elucidate the mechanism for the degradation of Met under UV‐A irradiation using pterins, pterin (Ptr) and 6‐methylpterin (Mep), as sensitizers. The process begins with an electron transfer from Met to the triplet‐excited state of the photosensitizer (Ptr or Mep), to yield the corresponding pair of radicals, Met radical cation (Met^?+) and the radical anion of the sensitizer (Sens^??). In air‐equilibrated solutions, Met^?+ incorporates one or two atoms of oxygen to yield methionine sulfoxide (MetO) and methionine sulfone (MetO₂), whereas Sens^?? reacts with O₂ to recover the photosensitizer and generate superoxide anion (O₂^??). In anaerobic conditions, further free‐radical reactions lead to the formation of the corresponding dihydropterin derivatives (H₂Ptr or H₂Mep).     

Study on Apparent Kinetics of the Reaction between Sulfuric and Hydriodic Acids in the Iodine–Sulfur Process

The iodine–sulfur (IS) thermochemical process for hydrogen production is one of the most promising approaches in using high‐temperature process heat supplied by a nuclear reactor. This process includes three reactions that form a closed cycle: the Bunsen reaction, in which iodine, water, and sulfur dioxide react to form sulfuric acid and hydriodic acid (HI); HI decomposition; and sulfuric acid decomposition. However, the side reactions between H₂SO₄ and HI may disturb the operation of the IS closed cycle. For optimal process conditions, the reaction kinetics between H₂SO₄ and HI should be examined. In this work, a preliminary kinetic study was conducted. Using the initial reaction rate method, the kinetic parameters of the reaction between sulfuric acid and HI, such as the apparent reaction orders and rate constant were determined. For I^?, the apparent reaction order was approximately 1.77, whereas the orders for H⁺ and SO₄^2? were 7.78 and 1.29, respectively. The apparent rate constant at 85 ± 1°C was approximately 2.949 × 10^?11 min^?1 (mol/L)^?9.84. The H⁺ concentration had more significant influence on the reaction rate than those of SO₄^2? and I^?. Such basic data provide useful information for related process design and further kinetics study.