Substituent effects on the ring opening of 2-aziridinylmethyl radicals

[reaction: see text] Substituent effects on the ring-opening reactions of 2-aziridinylmethyl radicals were studied systematically for the first time utilizing the ONIOM(QCISD(T)/6-311+G(2d,2p):B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p)) method. It was found that various substituents on the nitrogen atom had a relatively small effect on the ring opening of the 2-aziridinylmethyl radical. A pi-acceptor substituent at the C(1) position reduced the energy barrier for C-C cleavage dramatically, but it increased the energy barrier for C-N cleavage significantly at the same time. When the C(1) substituent is alkyl, the ring opening should always strongly favor the C-N cleavage pathway, regardless of whether the N substituent is alkyl, aryl, or COR. When the C(1) substituent is CHO (or CO-alkyl, CO-aryl, or CO-OR but not CO-NR(2)), the ring opening strongly favors the C-C cleavage pathway, regardless of whether the N substituent is alkyl, aryl, or COR. When the C(1) substituent is aryl (or alkenyl or alkynyl), the ring opening should favor the C-C cleavage pathway if the N substituent is alkyl or COR. If both the C(1) substituent and the N substituent are aryl, the ring opening should proceed via both the C-C and C-N cleavage pathways. The solvent effect on the regioselectivity of the ring opening of the 2-aziridinylmethyl radicals was found to be very small. The substituent effects on C-C cleavage could be explained successfully by the spin-delocalization mechanism. For the substituent effects on C-N cleavage, an extraordinary through-bond pi-acceptor effect must be taken into account. Furthermore, studies on bicyclic 2-aziridinylmethyl radicals showed that the ring strain could also affect the regiochemistry of the ring-opening reactions.     

Thiol-catalysed radical-chain redox rearrangement reactions of benzylidene acetals derived from terpenoid diols

The thiol-catalysed radical-chain redox rearrangement of cyclic benzylidene acetals derived from 1,2- and 1,3-diols of terpene origin has been investigated from both synthetic and mechanistic standpoints. The redox rearrangement was carried out either at ca. 70 degrees C (using Bu(t)ON=NOBu(t) as initiator) or at ca. 130 degrees C (using Bu(t)OOBu(t) as initiator) in the presence of triisopropylsilanethiol or methyl thioglycolate as catalyst; the silanethiol was usually more effective. This general reaction affords the benzoate ester of the monodeoxygenated diol, unless rearrangement of intermediate carbon-centred radicals takes place prior to final trapping by the thiol to give the product, in which case structurally rearranged esters are obtained. For the benzylidene acetals of 1,2-diols prepared by vicinal cis-dihydroxylation of 2-carene, alpha-pinene or beta-pinene, intermediate cyclopropylcarbinyl or cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals are involved and ring opening of these leads ultimately to unsaturated monocyclic benzoates. 1,2-Migration of the benzoate group in the intermediate beta-benzoyloxyalkyl radical sometimes also competes with thiol trapping during the redox rearrangement of benzylidene acetals derived from 1,2-diols. Redox rearrangement of the benzylidene acetal from carane-3,4-diol, obtained by cis-dihydroxylation of 3-carene, does not involve intermediate cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals and leads to benzoate ester in which the bicyclic carane skeleton is retained. The inefficient redox rearrangement of the relatively rigid benzylidene acetal from exo,exo-norbornane-2,3-diol is attributed to comparatively slow chain-propagating beta-scission of the intermediate 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl radical, probably caused by the development of adverse angle strain in the transition state for this cleavage. Similar angle strain effects are thought to influence the regioselectivities of redox rearrangement of bicyclic [4.4.0]benzylidene acetals resulting from selected 1,3-diols, themselves prepared by reduction of aldol adducts derived from reactions of aldehydes with the kinetic lithium enolates obtained from menthone and from isomenthone.     

Rate constants for reactions of alkyl radicals with water and methanol complexes of triethylborane

Reactions of secondary alkyl radicals with triethylborane and several of its complexes were studied. The H-atom transfer reactions from Et3B-OH2 and Et3B-OD2 were suppressed by addition of pyridine to the reaction mixture. Rate constants for reactions of secondary alkyl radicals with triethylborane and its complexes with water, deuterium oxide, methanol, and THF at ambient temperature were determined by radical clock methods. Cyclization of the 1-undecyl-5-hexenyl radical and ring opening of the 1-cyclobutyldodecyl radical were evaluated as clock reactions. The cyclobutylcarbinyl radical ring opening had the appropriate velocity for relatively precise determinations of the ratios of rate constants for H-atom transfer trapping and rearrangement, and these ratios combined with an estimated rate constant for the cyclobutylcarbinyl radical ring opening gave absolute values for the rate constants for the H-atom transfer reactions. For example, the triethylborane-water complex reacts with a secondary alkyl radical in benzene at 20 degrees C with a rate constant of 2 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1). Variable temperature studies with the Et3B-CH3OH complex in toluene indicate that the hydrogen atom transfer reaction has unusually high entropic demand, which results in substantially more efficient hydrogen atom transfer trapping reactions in competition with radical ring opening and cyclization reactions at reduced temperatures.     

Regiochemistry in radical cyclization of allenes

The cyclization of allenic radicals was systematically studied for the first time by computational methods. It was found that the theoretical results at the ONIOM(QCISD(T)/6-311+G(2df,2p):UB3LYP/6-311+G(2df,2p)) level were in good agreement with all the available experimental data. For the cyclization of penta-3,4-dien-1-yl radicals the major product was penta-1,2-diene from direct reduction whereas a small amount of vinylcyclopropane may also be produced. For the cyclization of hexa-4,5-dien-1-yl radicals the major product is 1-methyl-cyclopentene. Furthermore, for the cyclization of hepta-5,6-dien-1-yl radicals both vinylcyclopentane and 1-methyl-cyclohexene are produced. Marcus theory analysis indicated that the formation of an olefinic radical product always had a lower intrinsic energy barrier than the formation of an allylic radical product. On the other hand, the formation of an olefinic radical product was always much less favorable than the formation of an allylic radical product in the thermodynamic term. For the cyclization of substituted hexa-4,5-dien-1-yl radicals, substitution at the allene moiety does not affect the regioselectivity where the allylic radical product is always favored. For the cyclization of hepta-5,6-dien-1-yl radicals, substitution at the allene moiety dramatically affects the regioselectivity, where some radical-stabilizing groups such as -CN and -COMe may even completely reserve the regioselectivity.     

The Dowd-Beckwith ring expansion: a theoretical study

UB3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and ROMP2/6-311++G(d,p)//UB3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) calculations including the effect of benzene solvent through the PCM-UAHF method render a concerted mechanism without fragmentation as the most favourable one for the Dowd-Beckwith radical ring expansion of the bromomethyl adduct of methyl cyclopentanone-2-carboxylate to yield methyl cyclohexanone-3-carboxylate. The corresponding concerted TS is a bicyclic alcoxy radical.     

Azidosulfonylation of alkenes, dienes, and enynes

The radical mediated azidosulfonylation of various alkenes and alkynes that are able to undergo a rapid radical rearrangement is reported. For instance, treatment of 1,6-dienes or 1-en-6-ynes with benzenesulfonyl azide affords cyclic azidosulfones. High yields are observed when tertiary alkyl radicals are azidated in the last step of the cascade process. The azidosulfonylation of β-pinene involving ring opening of the bicyclic skeleton is also reported.     

Controlling regioselectivity in cyclization of unsaturated amidyl radicals: 5-exo versus 6-endo

Intramolecular cyclization of an amidyl radical onto an olefin provides an appealing method for the synthesis of lactams and other nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Here we conducted the first, systematic theoretical study on the regioselectivity in the cyclization of various types of pent-4-enamidyl radicals that carried synthetically relevant substituents. It was found that the cyclization of most of the substituted pent-4-enamidyl radicals produced the 5-exo products (gamma-lactams) almost exclusively. Marcus theory analysis showed the involvement of both the thermodynamic (stabilization of the starting double bond or the resulting radical center) and intrinsic (mainly steric effects) contributions in determining the 5-exo selectivity. Nonetheless, in two types of systems we found that the delta-lactams became the favored products through the 6-endo cyclization. In one of the systems an aromatic substituent was placed at the C4-position, whereas in the other system an electron-rich aromatic ring was incorporated into the pent-4-enamidyl radical backbone at the C2- and C3-positions. This unprecedented 6-endo mode of amidyl radical cyclization provided an interesting route for the preparation of mono- and bicyclic delta-lactams (pyridinones).     

Cyclopropyl alkynes as mechanistic probes to distinguish between vinyl radical and ionic intermediates

[reaction: see text] The reactions of (trans-2-phenylcyclopropyl)ethyne, 1a, (trans,trans-2-methoxy-3-phenylcyclopropyl)ethyne, 1b, and (trans,trans-2-methoxy-1-methyl-3-phenylcyclopropyl)ethyne, 1c, with either aqueous sulfuric acid or tris(trimethylsilyl)silane (or tributyltin hydride) and AIBN have been investigated. Protonation and addition of the silyl (or stannyl) radical occurred at the terminal position of the alkyne giving an alpha-cyclopropyl-substituted vinyl cation or radical, respectively. Under both reaction conditions, 1a yielded products derived from ring opening toward the phenyl substituent. Alkynes 1b and 1c, however, gave different products depending on whether radical or cationic conditions were used. When radical conditions were employed, products derived from regioselective ring opening toward the phenyl substituent were obtained. In contrast, when cationic conditions were employed, products derived from selective ring opening toward the methoxy substituent were isolated. The corresponding alpha-cyclopropyl-substituted vinyllithium derivatives were also synthesized and were found to be stable toward rearrangement. An estimate of the rate constants for ring opening of the alpha-cyclopropylvinyl cations was also made: values of 10(10)-10(12) s(-1) were found for the vinyl cations derived from protonation of the terminal carbon of alkynes 1a-c. Based on these results, cyclopropyl alkynes 1a-c can be classified as hypersensitive mechanistic probes for the detection of vinyl radical or cationic intermediates generated adjacent to the cyclopropyl ring and, in the case of 1b and 1c, the distinction between a radical or cationic intermediate is possible.     

The effect of fluorine substitution on the structure of oxiranes and on the energetics of the oxiranylcarbinyl radical ring opening

Fluorine substituent effects on the structure of oxirane and on the kinetic behavior of oxiranylcarbinyl radicals, as determined by DFT calculations, have been found to be similar to those observed for the analogous fluorinated cyclopropylcarbinyl radical systems. A structural and energetic analysis showed that a stereoelectronic effect involving preferential interaction of the semi-occupied atomic orbital of the radical with the weaker ring bond is the major factor that contributes to the regiochemistry of the ring opening of fluorinated oxiranylcarbinyl radicals. With low and potentially zero activation barriers, 3,3-difluorooxiranylcarbinyl radical and cation undergo ring opening with CO bond cleavage and CC cleavage, respectively.     

Three-carbon Dowd-Beckwith ring expansion reaction versus intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen transfer reaction: a theoretical study

[Reaction: see text]. The evolution of the primary radicals formed by addition of AIBN/HSnBu3 to methyl 1-(3-iodopropyl)-5-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate, methyl (1R,2R)-1-(3-iodopropyl)-2-methyl-5-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate, and methyl (1R,2S)-1-(3-iodopropyl)-2-methyl-5-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate in benzene has been theoretically investigated by ROMP2/6-311++G(2d,2p)//UB3LYP/6-31G(d,p) calculations taking into account the effect of solvent through a PCM-UAHF model. According to the theoretical results, for methyl 1-(3-iodopropyl)-5-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate and methyl (1R,2S)-1-(3-iodopropyl)-2-methyl-5-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate the major product is the cyclooctane derivative from the three-carbon ring expansion, whereas for methyl (1R,2R)-1-(3-iodopropyl)-2-methyl-5-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate the major product is that corresponding to the 1,5-H transposition in agreement with the experimental findings. This different behavior is a consequence of several factors determining the relative energy barriers. The methyl substituent destabilizes the ring expansion process for methyl (1R,2R)-1-(3-iodopropyl)-2-methyl-5-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate because of steric repulsion but favors it in the case of the beta-trans-substituted substrate because it makes possible the evolution of the system along more favorable conformations. The methyl group also favors the 1,5-H transposition rendering the transposed product a tertiary radical. The second stage of the ring expansion process is stabilized by resonance.     

The effect of ring substitution on the O-neophyl rearrangement of 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals. A product and time-resolved kinetic study

[reaction: see text] A product and time-resolved kinetic study of the effect of ring substitution on the reactivity of 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals has been carried out. The radicals undergo an O-neophyl shift to give the isomeric 1-aryl-1-aryloxyalkyl radicals from which the corresponding aromatic ketones are formed. The rearrangement rate constants are influenced by ring substitution, increasing in the presence of electron-withdrawing substituents and decreasing in the presence of electron-donating ones. From the results of product and kinetic studies, the following migratory aptitudes have been obtained: 4-trifluoromethylphenyl > phenyl approximately = 4-methylphenyl > 4-methoxyphenyl. Excellent Hammett-type correlations between the sigma+ substituent constants and both the visible absorption band maxima and the rearrangement rate constants have been obtained. The experimental results indicate that the rearrangement is governed by electronic effects in the starting 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals, whereas the stability of the rearranged carbon-centered radical plays a minor role, in line with a reactant-like transition state, strongly supporting the hypothesis that the O-neophyl rearrangement of 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals proceeds through a concerted mechanism.     

Intramolecular reactions of benzylic azides with ketones: competition between Schmidt and Mannich pathways.

The Lewis acid-promoted reactions of benzylic azides with ketones can proceed by two major pathways. The azido-Schmidt reaction involves simple addition of azide to the ketone followed by rearrangement and ring expansion. In addition, benzylic azides can undergo prior rearrangement to afford iminium ions that can subsequently participate in a Mannich reaction. A series of ketones containing an alpha CH2(CH2)nCH(N3)Ph substituent (n = 1-3) was prepared to investigate the dependence of products on ketone ring size and tether length. For all ketones examined, good yields of bicyclic lactams arising from intramolecular Schmidt reaction were obtained when a four-carbon linker was used (n = 1 in the above formulation), but Mannich products predominated for the longer tethers examined (n = 2, 3).     

Photolysis of 1-alkylcycloalkanols in the presence of (diacetoxyiodo)benzene and I2. Intramolecular selectivity in the beta-scission reactions of the intermediate 1-alkylcycloalkoxyl radicals

The C-C beta-scission reactions of 1-alkylcycloalkoxyl radicals, generated photochemically by visible light irradiation of CH2Cl2 solutions containing the parent 1-alkylcycloalkanols, (diacetoxy)iodobenzene (DIB), and I2, have been investigated through the analysis of the reaction products. The 1-alkylcycloalkoxyl radicals undergo competition between ring opening and C-alkyl bond cleavage as a function of ring size and of the nature of the alkyl substituent. With the 1-propylcycloheptoxyl, 1-propylcyclooctoxyl,and 1-phenylcyclooctoxyl radicals, formation of products deriving from an intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen atom abstraction reaction from the cycloalkane ring has also been observed. The results are discussed in terms of release of ring strain associated to ring opening, stability of the alkyl radical formed by C-alkyl cleavage, and with cycloheptoxyl and cyclooctoxyl radicals, also in terms of the possibility of achieving a favorable geometry for intramolecular hydrogen atom abstraction.     

Selective tandem enyne metathesis for the synthesis of functionalized cycloheptadienes

The regio- and site-selective ring expansion of dienes and the regioselective ring expansion of substituted cyclopentenes provide 1,3-cycloheptadienes by enyne metathesis under methylene-free conditions. Site-selectivity results from differential ring strain among two different cycloalkenes in diene reactants. The high regioselectivity found in the ring expansion of tetrahydroindene (THI) is explained on the basis of a selective ring opening by the second generation Grubbs' ruthenium carbene complex. The ring opening of substituted cyclopentenes and cyclopentene contained in a bicyclic ring system was also achieved. The ring expansion of bicyclic dienes provided seven-membered dienes contained in the bicyclo[5.2.0]nonane ring system. Details of the structural analysis are also discussed. A mechanistic analysis is provided to account for the data presented herein.     

Ring-opening radical clock reactions: many density functionals have difficulty keeping time

The ability of several density-functional theory methods to describe the kinetics and energetics of a series of ring-opening reactions of cyclopropyl and cyclobutyl-type radicals was explored. PBE, B971 and B3LYP perform quite well in their ability to replicate experiment, based upon the ring opening of cyclopropylcarbinyl, two α-trialkylsilyloxycyclopropylmethyl radicals, pentamethylcyclopropylcarbinyl, cyclobutylcarbinyl and 1-cyclobutylethylcarbinyl. The other functionals tested, which includes BLYP, CAM-B3LYP, BHandHLYP, B2PLYP and B2PLYP-D, as well as functionals designed for kinetics applications, namely MPW1K, BMK and M06-2X, all perform poorly. The latter of these functionals display some integration grid dependencies.     

A different polynorbornene backbone by combination of two polymer growth pathways: vinylic addition and ring opening via β-C elimination

A new polynorbornene skeleton has been found that contains bicyclic norbornane units and cyclohexenyl methyl linkages. The polymers have been synthesized using a nickel catalyst in the presence of a controlled amount of ligands with low or moderate coordination ability. The backbone structure is the result of a vinylic addition polymerization, via sequential insertions of norbornene into a Ni–C bond (bicyclic units) combined with an unusual ring opening of the norbornene structure by a β-C elimination (cyclohexenyl methyl units) to give a new Ni–C(alkyl) bond that continues the polymerization. The ring opening events are favored when the rate of propagation of the vinylic addition polymerization decreases, and this can be modulated by making the coordination of norbornene to the metal center less favorable using additional ligands.

A new polynorbornene skeleton that contains a mixture of bicyclic norbornane units and cyclohexenylmethyl moieties can be obtained using a nickel catalyst.     

A dual sensor spin trap for use with EPR spectroscopy

Redox active metal ions, carbon-centered radicals, and oxygen-centered radicals are important to oxidative stress. A radical detector combining a nitrone spin trap, a phenol, and a cyclopropane radical clocklike unit was prepared and used with EPR spectroscopy to detect and distinguish between hydroxyl radicals, methyl radicals, and iron(III) ions. Iron(III) reacts with the phenol unit inducing opening of the cyclopropane ring and cyclization to generate a stable nitroxyl radical.     

Alpha- and beta-thujone radical rearrangements and isomerizations. A new radical clock

Radical clocks have been extensively used in chemical and biochemical mechanistic studies. The C4 radicals of alpha- and beta-thujone can undergo two distinct rearrangement reactions that could, in principle, serve as simultaneous but independent radical clocks. We have therefore generated these C4 radicals by photolysis of the corresponding N-hydroxypyridine-2-thione ester precursors and have investigated their fates and lifetimes. Photolysis of either alpha- or beta-thujone generates the same 6:100 mixture of alpha- and beta-thujone when the radicals are quenched by thiophenol. Hydrogen atom transfer from thiophenol to the radical thus occurs preferentially from the less sterically hindered alpha-face to give beta-thujone. The third product formed in the photolysis via opening of the cyclopropyl ring is 2-methyl-5-isopropylcyclopent-2-enone. The ratio of ring opened to unopened products gives very similar values of kralpha = 4.4 x 10(7) s(-1) and krbeta = 1.0 x 10(8) s(-1) for ring opening of the radicals generated from alpha- and beta-thujone, respectively. If the C4 cation rather than radical is generated, it is converted to carvacrol, a phenol that is not obtained in the radical reactions. Thujone therefore differentiates between radical and cation pathways and provides a measure of the radical lifetime.     

Electrocyclic ring opening of cis-bicyclo[m.n.0]alkenes: the anti-Woodward-Hoffmann quest

The dubbed anti-Woodward-Hoffmann ring-opening reaction of cis-bicyclo[4.2.0]oct-7-ene to yield cis,cis-cycloocta-1,3-diene has been intensively studied with robust, high-level computational methods. This reaction has been found to proceed through a conrotatory allowed pathway to afford cis,trans-cycloocta-1,3-diene followed by E to Z isomerization, instead of a disrotatory forbidden pathway, as suggested. Computational calculations of kinetic isotope effects are consistent with this interpretation and the experimental values. The study of lower bicyclic homologues with [3.2.0], [2.2.0] and [2.1.0] skeletons indicates the feasibility of a mechanistic change towards the anti-Woodward-Hoffmann disrotatory path. This is clearly favored for the ring opening of the highly strained cis-bicyclo[2.1.0]pent-2-ene and is highly competitive with the conrotatory path for cis-bicyclo[2.2.0]hex-2-ene. Therefore, the rearrangement of the smallest bicyclic cyclobutene is predicted computationally to be an anti-Woodward-Hoffmann disrotatory electrocyclic ring-opening reaction.     

Density functional theory calculations of the effect of fluorine substitution on the cyclobutylcarbinyl to 4-pentenyl radical rearrangement

The effects of fluorine substitution on the cyclobutylcarbinyl to 4-pentenyl radical rearrangement and on the strain of cyclobutane have being studied using density functional theory, the ring-opening being modestly inhibited and the strain generally not greatly affected. Perfluorocyclobutane is predicted to have 6 kcal/mol less strain than cyclobutane. Cyclizations of 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro- and 1,1,2,2,3,3-hexafluoro-4-pentenyl radicals should be significantly enhanced ( approximately 2400 times faster) relative to the parent system. The calculations are consistent with the few experimental data available.