Generation of alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals and development of a new route to highly functionalized vinylphosphonates and vinylphosphonate-incorporated carbocyclic or heterocyclic compounds via a radical trapping sequence

The first direct generation of synthetically useful alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals was achieved by treatment of alpha-phosphonovinyl halides with a tributyltin radical. The alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals 2a-d were trapped with electron-rich olefins and an electron-deficient olefin to produce alpha-functionalized vinylphosphonates 3a-f in 16-55% yields. The alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals 7e-g containing the YCH2CH=CH2 (Y = O, CH2, S) substituent at the beta-position afforded mixtures of 5-exo and 6-endo cyclization products, 5e-g and 6e-g, in good yields. The 5-exo/6-endo product ratios increase in the following order of the beta-substituent: OCH2CH=CH2 > CH2CH2CH=CH2 > SCH2CH=CH2. The effects of the beta-substituents upon the cyclization reaction were discussed. Radical cyclization of alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals bearing functional groups such as geranyloxy, geranylthio, and (2-cyclohexen-1-yl)thio groups at the beta-position afforded 5-exo, 5-exo and 6-endo, and cis-fused-5,6-ring cyclization products incorporating an alpha,beta-unsaturated phosphonate unit within the ring, respectively, in good yields. The alpha-phosphonovinyl radical 20 underwent tandem radical cyclization-radical cyclization to produce a mixture of two isomeric bicyclo[4.3.0]nonenes including a vinylphosphonate moiety in high yield.     

7-endo selective aryl radical cyclization onto enamides leading to 3-benzazepines: concise construction of a cephalotaxine skeleton

Bu3SnH-mediated radical cyclizations of 2-(2-bromophenyl)-N-ethenylacetamide gave 6-exo cyclization product 15 as the major product, whereas N-[2-(2-bromophenyl)ethyl]-N-ethenylamides gave almost exclusively 7-endo cyclization products. These results indicated that the position of the carbonyl group on enamide played an important role in deciding the course of the cyclization. The 7-endo selective cyclization was applied to concise construction of a cephalotaxine skeleton.     

Theoretical elucidation of kinetic and thermodynamic control of radical addition regioselectivity

The cyclizations of two structurally similar 2-oxo-5-hexenyl-type radicals have been investigated by ab initio and density functional (UB3LYP/6-31+G**//UHF/6-31G* and UB3LYP/6-31G*//UB3LYP/6-31G*) calculations. The origin of apparently contradictory reports of 6-endo and 5-exo cyclizations is determined. Kinetic control favors 6-endo cyclization, while thermodynamic control gives 5-exo cyclization, and the observation of different products from different research groups arises from the difference in experimental conditions used by the two groups. The outcome of a new cyclization reaction was predicted by using these theoretical techniques. Kinetic control is predicted to yield exclusively the products of 6-endo cyclization, while thermodynamic control would lead to an approximately equal mixture of one 6-endo and one 5-exo cyclized product. Experimental studies revealed that the reaction yields only the products of 6-endo cyclization through kinetic control.     

Mechanistic study of 7-endo selective radical cyclization of the aryl radical

Mechanistic studies on the novel 7-endo selective radical cyclization were carried out. The reaction afforded three products, 7-endo product, 6-exo product, and reduced product. The distribution of these products was estimated by GC analyses. The 7-endo/6-exo selectivity was almost constant against variation in the concentration of Bu₃SnH, while the reduction/cyclization ratio was sensitive to the concentration of Bu₃SnH. The reduction/cyclization ratio was mainly affected by the rotational isomeric ratio of the cyclization precursor. Kinetic analyses indicated that the cyclization process should be irreversible, and the rate constant of 7-endo/6-exo radical cyclization was estimated to be about 3.3 × 10⁸ s⁻¹ at 80 °C.     

Radicals masquerading as electrophiles: a computational study of the intramolecular addition reactions of acyl radicals to imines

Ab initio calculations using 6-311G**, cc-pVDZ, and aug-cc-pVDZ, with (MP2, QCISD, CCSD(T)) and without (UHF) electron correlation, and density functional methods (BHandHLYP and B3LYP) predict that cyclization of the 5-aza-5-hexenoyl and (E)-6-aza-5-hexenoyl radicals proceed to afford the 5-exo products. At the CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//BHandHLYP/cc-pVDZ level of theory, energy barriers (deltaE(double dagger)) of 36.1 and 47.0 kJ mol(-1) were calculated for the 5-exo and 6-endo pathways for the cyclization of the 5-aza-5-hexenoyl radical. On the other hand, at the same level of theory, deltaE(double dagger) of 38.9 and 45.4 kJ mol(-1) were obtained for the 5-exo and 6-endo cyclization modes of (E)-6-aza-5-hexenoyl radical, with exothermicities of about 27 and 110 kJ mol(-1) calculated for the exo and endo modes, respectively. Under suitable experimental conditions, the 6-endo cyclization product is likely to dominate. Analysis of the molecular orbitals involved in these ring-closure reactions indicate that both reactions at nitrogen are assisted by dual orbital interactions involving simultaneous SOMO-pi* and LP-pi* overlap in the transitions states. Interestingly, the (Z)-6-aza-5-hexenoyl radical, that cannot benefit from these dual orbital effects is predicted to ring-close exclusively in the 5-exo fashion.     

Calculated effect of substitutions on the regioselectivity of cyclization of alpha-sulfenyl-, alpha-sulfinyl-, and alpha-sulfonyl-(5R)-5-hexenyl radicals

Calculations of the activation energy of cyclization of alpha-sulfenyl-, alpha-sulfinyl-, and alpha-sulfonyl-5-hexenyl radicals and their respective 5-methyl-5-hexenyl counterparts at the G3MP2B3 level agree quite well with experimental data. The alpha-sulfinyl-5-hexenyl radical exhibits unexpected regioselectivity (93.99:6.01) via the 5-exo mode, whereas the alpha-sulfenyl- and alpha-sulfonyl-5-hexenyl radicals show increasing branching ratios of the 6-endo product. In contrast, the cyclization of the alpha-sulfur-based 5-methyl-substituted counterparts yields essentially the 6-endo products in all cases; in particular, the alpha-SO2-5-CH3-5-hexenyl radical gives high regioselectivity (98.85:1.15) via the 6-endo mode. Several other 5-substituted moieties, including the electron-withdrawing (CN and NO2) or electron-donating substituents (NH2), also proceed preferentially to 6-endo closure. The alpha-sulfonyl-5-amine-5-hexenyl radical is calculated to proceed to exclusively the 6-endo product, a demonstration of the high synthetic value of this reactant.     

Control of the regioselectivity of sulfonamidyl radical cyclization by vinylic halogen substitution

The radical cyclization reactions of unsaturated sulfonamides were investigated. The photolysis of N-(4-halo-4-pentenyl)sulfonamides (X=I, Br, or Cl) with (diacetoxyiodo)benzene (DIB) and iodine at room temperature afforded exclusively the corresponding piperidines in 73-98% yield via 6-endo radical cyclization. On the other hand, the reactions of N-(5-halo-4-pentenyl)sulfonamides with DIB/I2 led to the only formation of the pyrrolidine products in 84-99% yield via 5-exo radical cyclization. The vinylic halogen substitution not only successfully inhibits the competing ionic iodocyclization process to allow the radical cyclization to proceed smoothly but also shows a remarkable effect in controlling the regioselectivity of cyclization.     

Regiochemistry of copper(I)-mediated cyclization reactions of halo-dienamides

Reaction of 2-substituted dienamides with catalytic amounts of copper halide/tripyridylamine (TPA) furnishes either 5-exo or 6-endo products with the outcome dependent upon the radical initiating unit. Reaction of 3-substituted dienamides produces beta-lactams via a 4-exo cyclization with termination of the reaction occurring via either halogen atom transfer, trapping with oxygen, elimination, or radical-radical coupling depending upon the diene.     

Quantitating the effect of an ortho substituent on cyclization and intramolecular hydrogen-transfer reactions of aryl radicals

Reduction of allyl 2-iodobenzyl malonates with triphenyltin hydrides generates aryl radicals that partition between 6-exo cyclization, 7-endo cyclization, and 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer. Rate constants for all of these processes are high (>10(8) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)), and the rates are only marginally reduced (<33%) by the introduction of methyl group ortho to the reacting radical.     

An unequivocal1H NMR structural assignment of TOX8 and TOX9, the two most abundant toxaphene congeners in marine mammals

The structure of the two most abundant toxaphene congeners has unequivocally been established by 500 MHz¹H NMR spectroscopy as 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo, 6-exo,8,8,9,10,10-nonachlorobornane (TOX9) and as 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo,8,8,10,10-octachlorobornane (TOX8). Semiempirical calculations (AM1 and PM3-MNDO) were carried out for both structures. The distance information found by nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) for the protons is in agreement with the energy minimized AM1 and PM3-MNDO structures. For these definitively established NMR data for TOX8 and TOX9, together with literature data for other toxaphene isolates, a set of rules has been derived for¹H chemical shifts in polychlorinated bornane structures. A set of rules is also proposed for assigning systematical nomenclature to NMR-derived polychloro bornane structures.     

An unequivocal1H NMR structural assignment of TOX8 and TOX9, the two most abundant toxaphene congeners in marine mammals

The structure of the two most abundant toxaphene congeners has unequivocally been established by 500 MHz¹H NMR spectroscopy as 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo, 6-exo,8,8,9,10,10-nonachlorobornane (TOX9) and as 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo,8,8,10,10-octachlorobornane (TOX8). Semiempirical calculations (AM1 and PM3-MNDO) were carried out for both structures. The distance information found by nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) for the protons is in agreement with the energy minimized AM1 and PM3-MNDO structures. For these definitively established NMR data for TOX8 and TOX9, together with literature data for other toxaphene isolates, a set of rules has been derived for¹H chemical shifts in polychlorinated bornane structures. A set of rules is also proposed for assigning systematical nomenclature to NMR-derived polychloro bornane structures.     

5-Exo versus 6-endo cyclization of primary aminyl radicals: an experimental and theoretical investigation

The cyclization of neutral primary pent-4-enylaminyl radicals was investigated experimentally and theoretically. Unlike the corresponding secondary aminyl radicals, primary pent-4-enylaminyl radicals underwent efficient cyclization to afford the pyrrolidine and/or piperidine products in good to high yields. While the simple pent-4-enylaminyl radical gave predominately the 5-exo cyclization product, 4-chloropent-4-enylaminyl radicals led to the formation of the corresponding 6-endo cyclization products in excellent regioselectivity. Theoretical calculations revealed that the 5-exo cyclization rate of primary aminyl radicals is about 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than that of secondary aminyl radicals.     

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).     

Iodocyclization reactions for the desymmetrization of cyclohexa-1,4-dienes

Fifteen examples are presented showing that various modes of cyclization (5-endo, 5-exo, 6-endo, 6-exo, and 7-endo) can be used for the desymmetrization of cyclohexa-1,4-dienes. All take place with complete diastereocontrol and good yield.     

Controlling the regiochemistry of radical cyclizations

This review describes the results of our recent studies on the control of the regiochemistry of radical cyclizations. N-vinylic alpha-chloroacetamides generally cyclized in a 5-endo-trig manner to give five-membered lactams, whereas 4-exo-trig cyclization occurred when the cyclized radical intermediates were highly stabilized by an adjacent phenyl or phenylthio group to afford beta-lactams. The 5-exo or 6-exo cyclization of aryl radicals onto the alkenic bond of enamides could be shifted to the corresponding 6-endo or 7-endo mode of cyclization by a positional change of the carbonyl group of enamides. The 6-endo- and 7-endo-selective aryl radical cyclizations were applied to radical cascades for the synthesis of alkaloids such as phenanthroindolizidine, cephalotaxine skeleton, and lennoxamine. The 5-exo-trig cyclization of an alkyl radical onto the alkenyl bond of enamides could also be shifted to the 6-endo mode by a positional change of the carbonyl group of enamides. The 6-endo- selective cyclization was applied to the radical cascade to afford a cylindricine skeleton. Other examples of controlling the regiochemistry of radical cyclizations and their applications to the synthesis of natural products are also discussed.     

Investigation of bis(tributyltin)-initiated free radical cyclization reactions of 4-pentenyl iodoacetates

Bis(tributyltin)-initiated atom transfer cyclization reactions of 4-pentenyl iodoacetates (1) at 80 degrees C led to the formations of 5-(3-iodopropyl)-substituted dihydro-2(3H)-furanones (3) in high yield. With BF3*Et2O as the catalyst, the reactions were run at room temperature to afford the corresponding gamma-iodoheptanolactones (2), which could be further transformed into 3-(tetrahydro-2-furyl)propanoic acids (6) upon treatment with aqueous NaHCO3. The reaction mechanism was postulated to be the 8-endo free radical cyclization to generate gamma-iodoheptanolactones which easily underwent intramolecular nucleophilic substitution to form bicyclic acylium species (7) as the key intermediate. Subsequent attack by iodide ion furnished gamma-lactones while attack by hydroxide ion gave the tetrahydrofuran derivatives.     

On the 6-exo atom transfer radical cyclization reactions of 3-butenyl 2-iodoalkanoates

Bis(tributyltin)-initiated atom transfer cyclization reactions of 3-butenyl iodoalkanoates in the presence of BF3.OEt2 as the catalyst afforded the 6-exo cyclization products as a mixture of 3,4-cis- and trans-substituted tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-ones in 53-71% yield with the major isomers being the cis ones. Ab initio calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G level on the transition states of the radical cyclization and on the cyclized products revealed that the reactions are kinetically controlled and the transition states for the 6-exo radical cyclization are in boat conformations. Moreover, the cis-oriented transition states are of lower energy than the corresponding trans-oriented ones, which are in excellent agreement with experimental results.     

Kinetic results implicating a polar radical reaction pathway in the rearrangement catalyzed by alpha-methyleneglutarate mutase

alpha-Methyleneglutarate mutase (MGM) catalyzes the rearrangement of 2-methyleneglutarate to 3-methylitaconate (2-methylene-3-methylsuccinate). A putative mechanism for the MGM-catalyzed reaction involves 3-exo cyclization of the 2-methyleneglutaric acid-4-yl radical to a cyclopropylcarbinyl radical intermediate that ring opens to the 3-hydroxycarbonyl-2-methylenebutanoic acid-4-yl radical (3-methylitaconic acid radical). Model reactions for this mechanism were studied by laser flash photolysis kinetic methods. alpha-Ester radicals were produced by 266 nm photolysis of alpha-phenylselenyl ester derivatives. Rate constants for cyclizations of the (Z)-1-ethoxycarbonyl-4-(2,2-diphenylcyclopropyl)-3-buten-1-yl radical ((Z)-8a) and (E)- and (Z)-1,3-di(ethoxycarbonyl)-4-(2,2-diphenylcyclopropyl)-3-buten-1-yl radicals ((E)- and (Z)-8b) were determined. The ester group in (Z)-8a accelerates the 3-exo cyclization in comparison to the parent radical lacking an ester group by a factor of 3, an effect ascribed to a polarized transition state. The ester groups at C3 in radicals 8b slow the 3-exo cyclization reaction by a factor of 50. The rate constant for cyclization of the 2-methyleneglutaric acid-4-yl radical is estimated to be k approximately 2000 s(-1) at ambient temperature. When coupled with the estimated partitioning of the intermediate cyclopropylcarbinyl radical, the overall rate constant for the conversion is estimated to be k approximately equal to 1 x 10(-3) s(-1), which is much too small for any radical reaction and several orders of magnitude too small for kinetic competence for the MGM-catalyzed process. The possibility that the radical reaction in nature involves an unusual mechanism in which polar effects are important is discussed.     

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.     

The regiochemistry of cyclization of alpha-sulfenyl-, alpha-sulfinyl-, and alpha-sulfonyl-5-hexenyl radicals: procedures leading to regioselective syntheses of cyclic sulfones and sulfoxides

A study of the cyclization of alpha-sulfenyl-, alpha-sulfinyl-, and alpha-sulfonyl-5-hexenyl and 5-methyl-5-hexenyl radicals reveals a unique contrast in the mode of ring closure of the radicals. In the case of the 5-hexenyl radicals, the sulfinyl-substituted species displays unexpected regioselectivity relative to its analogues. Thus, while the alpha-S- and alpha-SO(2)-5-hexenyl radicals give measurable and increasing quantities of 6-endo product, the alpha-sulfinyl species cyclizes with high selectivity (95.5:4.5) via a 5-exo mode. By contrast, ring closure of the 5-methyl-5-hexenyl radicals is found to give substantially the 6-endo product in all cases. It is the alpha-sulfonyl-5-methyl-5-hexenyl radical that now exhibits high regioselectivity (97.5:2.5) for 6-endo closure: an illustration of the synthetic value of this observation is the independent synthesis of the model cyclohexyl sulfone 61 in high yield. It is found that ring closure under the conditions employed occurs irreversibly in all cases.