Benzene radical addition

Alkyl radical addition reactions to styrene chromium tricarbonyl can be accomplished using alkyl halides (10 equiv) and (TMSlsSiH (5 equiv) in the presence of AIBN in refluxing benzene, for 18 h (Reaction 66). " These reactions are believed to proceed through intermediates in which the unpaired electron is interacting with the adjacent arene chromium tricarbonyl moiety since the analogous reaction with styrene affords only traces of addition products. 

A radical carboxyarylation approach was introduced as the key step in the total synthesis of several biologically important natural products (Scheme 27). Treatment of thiocarbonate derivatives 112 (R = Me or TBS) with 1.1 equiv of (TMS)3SiH in refluxing benzene and in the presence of AIBN (0.4 equiv added over 6h) as radical initiator, produced compound 113 in 44% yield. This remarkable transformation resulted from a radical cascade, involving (TMSlsSi radical addition to a thiocarbonyl function (112 114), 5-era cyclization (114->115) and intramolecular 1,5-ipso substitution (115 116) with the final ejection of (TMSlsSiS radical. 

Radical addition to alkenes has been used in cyclizations in aqueous media. Oshima and co-worker studied triethylborane-induced atom-transfer radical cyclization of iodoacetals and iodoacetates in water.121 Radical cyclization of the iodoacetal proceeded smoothly both in aqueous methanol and in water. Atom-transfer radical cyclization of allyl iodoacetate is much more efficient in water than in benzene or hexane. For instance, treatment of allyl iodoacetate with triethylborane in benzene or hexane at room temperature did not yield the desired lactone. In contrast, the compound cyclized much more smoothly in water and yielded the corresponding y-lactone in high yield (Eq. 3.31). 

The unexpected formation of cyclopenta[b]indole 3-339 and cyclohepta[b]indole derivatives has been observed by Bennasar and coworkers when a mixture of 2-in-dolylselenoester 3-333 and different alkene acceptors (e. g., 3-335) was subjected to nonreductive radical conditions (hexabutylditin, benzene, irradiation or TTMSS, AIBN) [132]. The process can be explained by considering the initial formation of acyl radical 3-334, which carries out an intermolecular radical addition onto the alkene 3-335, generating intermediate 3-336 (Scheme 3.81). Subsequent 5-erafo-trig cyclization leads to the formation of indoline radical 3-337, which finally is oxidized via an unknown mechanism (the involvement of AIBN with 3-338 as intermediate is proposed) to give the indole derivative 3-339. 

A tandem radical addition/cyclization process has been described for the formation of benzindolizidine systems from l-(2-iodoethyl)indoles and methyl acrylate <00TL10181>. In this process, sun-lamp irradiation of a solution of the l-(2-iodoethyl)ethylindoles 149 in refluxing benzene containing hexamethylditin and methyl acrylate effects intermolecular radical addition to the activated double bond leading to the stabilized radical 150. Intramolecular cyclization to the C-2 position of the indole nucleus then affords the benzindolzidine derivatives 151 after rearomatization of the tricyclic radical. 

Friestad and co-workers recently demonstrated that N-acyl hydrazones were excellent radical acceptors in the presence of a chiral Lewis acid [84], Valerolactam-derived hydrazone 117 proved to be the optimal substrate for enantioselective radical additions. Upon further optimization it was found that Cu(OTf )i and f-bulyl bisoxazoline ligand 96 gave the best yields and ee s (Scheme 31). Interestingly, a mixed solvent system (benzene dichloromethane in a 2 1 ratio, respectively) in the presence of molecular sieves (4 A) were necessary to achieve high yields and selectivities. 

Many other ion-molecule reactions involving highly unsaturated hydrocarbon ions and neutral olefins or the equivalent strained cycloalkanes have been studied by mass spectrometry98. For example, we may mention here the addition of ionized cyclopropane and cyclobutane to benzene radical cations giving the respective n-alkylbenzene ions but also isomeric cyclodiene ions such as ionized 8,9-dihydroindane and 9,10-dihydrotetralin, respectively. Extensive studies have been performed on the dimerization product of charged and neutral styrene4. 

The solute benzene radical cation was formed on pulse radiolysis of an acidic aqueous solution of benzene. The transient optical absorption bands (A-max = 310, 350-500 nm) were assigned to the solute benzene radical cation which is formed on acid-catalysed dehydration of the OH adduct. The radical cation is able to undergo an electron-transfer reaction with Br and was found to be a strong electron oxidant. Pulse radiolysis has been used to study the complex reaction that follows electron addition to hydroxybenzophenones (HOBPs). The various radical species involved have been characterized spectrally and their p/fa values evaluated. The differences... 

Scheme 5.2 Prove of the reversibility of the Me,Si radical addition to substituted benzenes...

Reaction of the radical derived from substituted 2-bromo indole 78 leads in moderate (37%) yield to benzo[d]pyrrolo[l,2- ]azepinone 79 along with 32% of the reduction product 80. The process occurs via radical addition to the benzene ring followed by rearomatization (Equation (9) (2000TL4209)). 

As Schaffer has found 2.4.6-triphenyl-X -phosphorin 22 and other 2.4.6-tri-substituted X -phosphorins react smoothly with aryl diazonium salts in benzene. Nitrogen develops and the aryl residue bonds with the phosphorus. In presence of alcohols as nucleophiles, l-alkoxy-l-aryl-2.4.6-triphenyl-X -phosphorins 100 can be isolated. The aryl diazonium-tetrafluoroborate without any nucleophile in DMOE yields l-aiyl-l-fluoro-2.4.6-triphenyl-X -phosphorin 70i. As with other oxidants like halogen or mercury-Il-acetate, we suppose that in the first step triphenyl-X -phosphorin radical cation is formed. This could be shown by ESR spectroscopy. The next step may be a radical-radical addition to the X -phosphorin cation or a nucleophileradical addition respectively ... 

There are, in addition to the compounds mentioned, small quantities of other volatile products such as benzene, but this cannot be taken as indicating the existence of phenyl radicals in the system, since no trace of other radical addition products such as benzophenone, diphenyl, or bcnzotrifluoride, was observed. 

Aromatic C-H bonds are not broken in radical halogenation, because they are a little stronger than aliphatic C-H bonds. When benzene reacts photochemically with chlorine, a radical addition process takes place, and the mixture of stereoisomerir hexachloro-cydohexanes (S.78) includes one isomer which has powerful insecticidal properties but which, unlike some chlorinated insecticides, is readily biodegradable. 

This process competes favorably with benzylic hydrogen abstraction in toluene, less in ethylbenzene, and least in cumene (31). Such reactions do not seem significant in the oxidation of benzene derivatives. However, naphthalene reacts about 20 times as rapidly with phenyl radical as does benzene (16), and radical addition to the naphthalene nucleus may at least partly account for the slow oxidation rate in the methylnapthalenes. Among the minor products from both methylnaphthalene oxidations were compounds of molecular weight 296 ... 

Photo-stimulated reactions of neopentyl iodide with several carbanionic nucleophiles have been studied in which inhibition experiments with the TEMPO radical trap suggest the reaction occurs via an SrnI mechanism.76 Comparison of 22 nucleophiles in then. Srn 1 reactions with iodobenzene by Fe(II)- and photo-induction has revealed that both are enhanced by high electron-donation ability of the nucleophile. The radical anion Phl is a key intermediate.77 The SET reactions of perfluoroalkyl iodides have been reviewed.78 Flash photolysis of H2O2 was used to generate HO and 0 radicals which were reacted with a, a. z-trifluorotolucnc (TFT) and 4-fluorotoluene (4FT) and the rate constants calculated.79 The diminished reactivity of TFT towards HO or O with respect to toluene or benzene was consistent with radical addition to the aromatic ring, whilst the reactivity of 4FT was of the same order as electron-deficient toluenes, which favour H abstraction from the aliphatic side-chain. 

The rate constant for OH radical addition cannot be calculated because the effect of the -OP(=S)(OCH2CH3)2 substituent is not known. However, because the rate constant for OH radical addition to pyridine is -3.7 x 10-13 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 (Atkinson, 1989) and the three Cl atom sustituents will markedly deactivate the ring (Brown and Okamoto, 1958) [as observed, for example, for the OH radical reactions with chlorobenzene, 1,2-, 1,3- and 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and for 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene relative to that for benzene (Atkinson, 1989)], OH radical addition to the pyridine ring is expected to be minor, and its neglect will lead to an estimated lower limit to the total reaction rate constant. 

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