Barbier additions mechanism

Evidence for a radical coupling mechanism (as opposed to a carbanionic carbonyl addition mechanism) in the intramolecular Smh-promoted Barbier reactions has come from studies on appropriately functionalized substrates in the 3-keto ester series. It is well known that heterosubstituents are rapidly eliminated when they are adjacent to a carbanionic center. Indeed, treatment of a 3-methoxy organic halide (suitably functionalized for cyclization ) with an organolithium reagent leads only to alkene (equation 48). No cyclized material can be detected. On the other hand, treatment of the same substrate with Sml2 provides cyclized product and a small amount of reduced alcohol, with none of the alkene detected by gas chromatographic analysis (equation 49). ... 

Recently, the iron-promoted Barbier-type addition of alkyl halides to aromatic aldehydes has been reported (Equation (26)).326 According to the proposed mechanism, the initial step is the formation of an alkyl radical, which can be reduced to the corresponding carbanion. This carbanion nucleophile can react, while coordinated to the iron pentacarbonyl complex, with the corresponding aldehyde. This stoichiometric method is limited with respect to substrate scope and yield. The same authors have also developed the Reformatsky-type addition of cr-halosub-stituted carbonitriles to aldehydes and ketones in the presence of iron pentacarbonyl.3... 

Cementation consists in the formation of a surface alloy with a less reactive metal. For zinc, alloying can be effected with mercury (amalgamation), copper, silver, nickel.12 The reactivity of a cemented metal can be explained considering that the supporting metal plays only the role of an electron reservoir, the true chemistry is effected by the superficial additional metal. Zinc can also be activated by washing with aqueous ammonium chloride,13 or by reacting the powder with trimethyl-chlorosilane.14 In this latter case, Barbier reactions were effected even at 0°C in short times. The activation mechanism was not determined. 

The mechanisms of reactions of benzylmagnesium halides can be either homolytic or concerted. As with allylic Grignard reagents, also reversible addition reactions with benzylic Grignard reagents and carbonyl compounds have been reported. In general, yields of normal alcohols are low, and such alcohols are obtained in much better yields by use of dibenzylcadmium [66] or benzyllithium [67]. However, in 1980, it was demonstrated that, by far, the best and quickest results for the synthesis of these normal addition reaction products are obtained by applying benzylic halides in the one-step Li-Barbier reaction under ultrasonic irradiation [68,69]. 

Magnesio-ene reaction, 46 47, 356 357 Mechanism of Barbier reaction, 406 407 Mechanism of Grignard reagents addition reactions. 219 248 concerted (polar), 221, 237 242 cyclic transition state see Mechanism of Grignard reagents, addition reactions, concerted [polar]) development of reactivity spectrum. 225-235, 246... 

Another plausible mechanism fa- the Sml2-mediated Barbier reaction involves coupling of ketyl and alkyl radictds in a diradical coupling mechanism. Alternatively, addition of an alkyl radical to a Sm -activated ketone carbonyl may be invoked. ... 

These examples again have some mechanistic implications in that they appear to rule out cyclization via 5n2 displacement of the halide by a samarium ketyl. However, one cannot distinguish between a mechanism based on allylsamarium addition to the carbonyl versus an electron transfer mechanism as outlined for the alkyl hdide substrates above. Both mechanisms allow for isomerization of the double bond (via 1,3-allylic transposition in the case of an allylmetallic, or configurational instability in an allylic radical in a diradical coupling mechanism) and also provide reasonable routes for generation of butadiene. Further mechanistic work is clearly required in order to provide a more detailed understanding of all of these intramolecular Barbier-type reactions. 

Samarium diiodide is a one electron reductant that is capable of reducing both alkyl halides and carbonyl compounds. The rate of the reduction depends on the nature of the substrate and the reaction conditions. The mechanism of the addition of alkyl halides to carbonyls was extensively studied. In case of the samarium Grignard processes, it was concluded that the reaction proceeds through an organosamarium intermediate. However, the mechanism of the samarium Barbier processes is not fully understood and there is no unambiguous evidence in favor of any of the possible pathways. 

Curran, D. P., Fevig, T. L., Totleben, M. J. Sequential radical cyclization-organometallic addition. The mechanism of the samarium(ll) mediated Barbier reaction in the presence of hexamethylphosphoric triamide. Syn/ett 1990, 773-774. 

It is clear at first sight that this simultaneous addition of two reactants to a metal will lead to a sequence of steps in the reaction mechanism. The one-step character of the Barbier procedure, as mentioned in the subtitle of this monograph, is therefore not to be found in its mechanistic aspects but in its simple technical performance. It is essentially this elegant procedure that has made the Barbier reaction so attractive for many applications. 

A Lewis acid push-pull mechanism proposed for the magnesium bromide promoted Barbier-type intramolecular cyclization of Grignard reagents derived from halo-substituted acetals, ketals, and orthoesters as depicted in (Scheme 9). Stereoselective addition of chiral a-aminoorganometallics to aldehydes has been reviewed. Chiral 1,4-dihydropyridines have been synthesized with good regio- and... 

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