An unusual radical Smiles rearrangement

Radicals derived from N-(alpha-xanthyl)acetanilides or N-(alpha-xanthyl)acetylaminopyridines possessing a substituent next to the nitrogen undergo a hitherto undocumented Smiles rearrangement proceeding through a four-membered ring. It was also found that under certain conditions the amidyl radical produced by cleavage of the four-membered ring intermediate can undergo fragmentation to give an isocyanate. Such fragmentations are unprecedented at temperatures corresponding to refluxing benzene or chlorobenzene. [reaction: see text]