Anionic cyclization mechanism

To start the discussion, we will try to explain the experimental data on the basis of the anionic cyclization mechanism proposed in Scheme 28.1. First, we will consider the lithiation step. Following the proposed mechanism, lithiation of 7V-ben-zoyl oxazolidine 4 should take place at the a position to the amide nitrogen. However, the deuterium-labeling experiments indicate that lithiation of 4 occurs exclusively in the ortho position(s) of the aromatic ring. The first step of the reaction should be then the formation of lithiated compound 13 which must be transformed in some way, into a-lithiated compound 14 in order to cyclize (Scheme 28.6). 

Whitlock et al.14 discovered a reductive cyclization of enediynes promoted by lithium naphthalenide that provides substituted fulvenes and suggested a dianionic mechanism (Scheme 6). However, even now it is still unclear whether the enediyne dianion is indeed the cyclizing species or whether the initially formed acyclic radical-anion cyclizes first to give a fulvene radical-anion which is further reduced by lithium to give the cyclic dianion. 

The radical anion pathway (e-c-P-d-p Scheme 2) requires a rate-determining protonation after cyclization, i.e., a slow protonation of a hard oxyanion. However, such proton transfer rates are usually diffusion controlled, so this seems unlikely [32,33], On the other hand, the carbanion closure (e-P-d-c-p) portrayed in Scheme 4 requires a very reasonable suggestion that the ratedetermining step corresponds to protonation of the soft, weakly basic radical anion 42, prior to cyclization [32-35] this is the preferred mechanism. One must use caution, however, realizing that these conclusions are drawn for the particular set of substrates which were examined. In some cases, radical anion cyclization remains a viable option. 

This section is devoted to cyclizations and cycloadditions of ion-radicals. It is common knowledge that cyclization is an intramolecular reaction in which one new bond is generated. Cycloaddition consists of the generation of two new bonds and can proceed either intra- or intermolecularly. For instance, the transformation of 1,5-hexadiene cation-radical into 1,4-cyclohexadienyl cation-radical (Guo et al. 1988) is a cyclization reaction, whereas Diels-Alder reaction is a cycloaddition reaction. In line with the consideration within this book, ring closure reactions are divided according to their cation- or anion-radical mechanisms. 

The catalysis may not depend on the configuration of the oxime, since both syn and anti function with similar efficacy138. For this reason a mechanism involving the oxime anion acting as a general base catalyst for solvent attack has been favored. However, the observed large rate enhancement is more in accord with a cyclization mechanism, and, until an anti-syn interconversion prior to hydrolysis can be unequivocally eliminated, the direct attack of the oximate anion on phosphorus remains a strong possibility. 

These cyclizations both involve the reductive intramolecular addition of an electron deficient alkene function to an aldehyde carbonyl function, and both are effected in ca 90 % yields. The mechanism of this latter type of electrochemically induced cyclizations of carbon-carbon double bonds to carbonyl double bonds have been studied rather extensively, with especial attention to the fundamental mechanistic question of whether the cyclization step involves an anion radical, radical, or anionic mechanism [122]. The latter two mechanisms would involve the protonation of the initially formed anion radical intermediate to form a radical, which could then cyclize or, alternatively, be further reduced to an anion, which could then cyclize. Extensive and elegant electrochemical and chemical studies have led to the formulation of these reactions as involving anionic cyclization (Scheme 74). 

Free-radical and anionic polymerizations of TAD-DOL—MA (30) proceed exclusively via a cyclization mechanism, and the obtained polymer seems to have a helical conformation with an excess helicity.92-94 The main chain structure of poly(TADDOL—MA) with cyclized units (poly-30) is different from that of all other polymethacrylates discussed here. Similar monomers have been synthesized and polymerized.95... 

The proposed mechanism for the conversion of the furanone 118 to the spiro-cyclic lactones 119 and 120 involves electron transfer to the a -unsaturated methyl ester electrophore to generate an anion radical 118 which cyclizes on the /3-carbon of the furanone. The resulting radical anion 121 acquires a proton, giving rise to the neutral radical 122, which undergoes successive electron transfer and protonation to afford the lactones 119 and 120 (Scheme 38) (91T383). 

Many anodic oxidations involve an ECE pathway. For example, the neurotransmitter epinephrine can be oxidized to its quinone, which proceeds via cyclization to leukoadrenochrome. The latter can rapidly undergo electron transfer to form adrenochrome (5). The electrochemical oxidation of aniline is another classical example of an ECE pathway (6). The cation radical thus formed rapidly undergoes a dimerization reaction to yield an easily oxidized p-aminodiphenylamine product. Another example (of industrial relevance) is the reductive coupling of activated olefins to yield a radical anion, which reacts with the parent olefin to give a reducible dimer (7). If the chemical step is very fast (in comparison to the electron-transfer process), the system will behave as an EE mechanism (of two successive charge-transfer steps). Table 2-1 summarizes common electrochemical mechanisms involving coupled chemical reactions. Powerful cyclic voltammetric computational simulators, exploring the behavior of virtually any user-specific mechanism, have... 

Novi and coworkers124 have shown that the reaction of 2,3-bis(phenylsulfonyl)-l,4-dimethylbenzene with sodium benzenethiolate in dimethyl sulfoxide yields a mixture of substitution, cyclization and reduction products when subjected at room temperature to photostimulation by a sunlamp. These authors proposed a double chain mechanism (Scheme 17) to explain the observed products. This mechanism is supported by a set of carefully designed experiments125. The addition of PhSH, a good hydrogen atom donor, increases the percent of reduction products. When the substitution process can effectively compete with the two other processes, the increase in the relative yield of substitution (e.g., with five molar equivalents of benzenethiolate) parallels the decrease in those of both cyclization and reduction products. This suggests a common intermediate leading to the three different products. This intermediate could either be the radical anion formed by electron transfer to 2,3-bis(phenylsulfonyl)-l,4-dimethylbenzene or the a radical formed... 

The mechanism presumably involves initial oxidative addition of the alkenyl halide to the Cu(I) species and ensuing cyclization analogy for this type of process is provided by the Cu(I)-mediated reaction of phthalimide anions with alkenyl and aryl halides.40 The -isomer of 15 reacts in a different fashion to give an isothiazolidinone derivative, albeit in low yield. 

Rawal s group developed an intramolecular aryl Heck cyclization method to synthesize benzofurans, indoles, and benzopyrans [83], The rate of cyclization was significantly accelerated in the presence of bases, presumably because the phenolate anion formed under the reaction conditions was much more reactive as a soft nucleophile than phenol. In the presence of a catalytic amount of Herrmann s dimeric palladacyclic catalyst (101) [84], and 3 equivalents of CS2CO3 in DMA, vinyl iodide 100 was transformed into ortho and para benzofuran 102 and 103. In the mechanism proposed by Rawal, oxidative addition of phenolate 104 to Pd(0) is followed by nucleophilic attack of the ambident phenolate anion on o-palladium intermediate 105 to afford aryl-vinyl palladium species 106 after rearomatization of the presumed cyclohexadienone intermediate. Reductive elimination of palladium followed by isomerization of the exocyclic double bond furnishes 102. 

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