Cyclization by radical reactions

Julia, M. Cyclization by Radical Reactions. Record chem. Prog. 25, 3 (1964). 

A more interesting series of alkaloids arises when benzyl isoquinoline alkaloids cyclize by radical reactions. Phenols easily form radicals when treated with oxidizing agents such as Fe(III), and benzyl isoquinoline alkaloids with free phenolic hydroxyl groups undergo radical reactions in an intramolecular fashion through a similar mechanism. Here are the details of some methylations of a class of alkaloids closely related to papaverine. 

Conducting radical cyclizations by fragmentation reactions offers a powerful alternative to the tin hydride method. Instead of. obtaining reduced products, one obtains products of substitution an alkene is regenerated in the fragmentation step. 

Other compounds prepared by halolactamization of alkenes (and preceding the above woik ) include (64),(65), (66),2 (67), (bS), (69) and (70). Note that related sulfeno-, seleno- and tellu-ro-cyclizations have been discussed earlier (Section 3.5.5). Finally, related products may be obtained by radical reactions of N-haloamides, giving the following (71-73) representative products in reactions promoted thermally (71),photochemically (72 and 73),279.2so dibenzoyl peroxide (73) ° or chro-mous chloride (73). ... 

A variety of indirect and direct methods are now available for ketone synthesis by radical reactions. Due to space limitations, this section will focus on selected topics, and only a few examples are shown for cases of frequently investigated approaches by acyl radical cyclizations. A recent review article on acyl radical chemistry provides a comprehensive survey of acyl radical cyclizations [la]. 

On the other hand, carbonylation via a one-electron reduction system by reducing metals can also lead to useful transformations [Scheme 4-33]. The first example in Scheme 4-34 shows that a zinc reduction system of pent-4-enyl iodide undergoes dual annulations, a [4-f1] radical annulation with CO and a [3-f2] anion annulation with alkenes, to give a bicyclo[3.3.0]octanol, in which four C-C bonds are produced [59]. An extension of the present strategy to the construction of bicyclo[3.2.1]octanol skeletons has also been successful with a system in which 6-endo cyclization is favored over 5-exo cyclization. In these two reactions three C-C bonds were created by radical reactions and one by anionic reaction. 

Sources of Radical Intermediates Introduction of Functionality by Radical Reactions Addition Reactions of Radicals with Substituted Alkenes Cyclization of Free-Radical Intermediates Fragmentation and Rearrangement Reactions... 

Dimethyl iodo(4-pentenyl)malonate (926) undergoes a Pd-catalyzed intramolecular radical-type reaction to form the alkyl iodides 927 and 928. rather than a Heck-type reaction product(775]. The same products are also obtained by a radical reaction promoted by tin hydride(776]. Although yield was low, a similar cyclization of the n-chloro ester 929 to form the seven-membered ring 930 was ob,served(777(. 

On the basis of the examples addressed thus far, it is clear that radical reactions can accomplish manifold transformations in organic synthesis. One of the outstanding achievements of synthetic radical chemistry is the development of synthetic strategies based on controlled, tandem radical cyclizations. The efficiency of such strategies is exemplified in the substantial and elegant synthetic work of D. P. Curran and his group.54 The remainder of this chapter will address the concise total syntheses of ( )-hirsutene [( )-1]55 and ( )-A9(12)-capnellene [( )-2]56 by the Curran group. 

A small library of highly functionalized pyrrolines 95 was synthesized by reaction of allylic and propargylic isocyanides 94 with thiols followed by radical cyclization (Scheme 33). The radical reaction was carried out using a radical initiator (AIBN) under flash heating microwave irradiation [67]. 

The (TMS)3Si radical addition to terminal alkenes or alkynes, followed by radical cyclization to oxime ethers, were also studied (Reaction 50). The radical reactions proceeded effectively by the use of triethylborane as a radical initiator to provide the functionalized pyrrolidines via a carbon-carbon bond-forming process. Yields of 79 and 63% are obtained for oxime ethers connected with an olefin or propargyl group, respectively. 

The N,0- and N,S-heterocyclic fused ring products 47 were also synthesized under radical chain conditions (Reaction 53). Ketene acetals 46 readily underwent stereocontrolled aryl radical cyclizations on treatment with (TMSlsSiH under standard conditions to afford the central six-membered rings.The tertiary N,0- and N,S-radicals formed on aryl radical reaction at the ketene-N,X(X = O, S)-acetal double bond appear to have reasonable stability. The stereoselectivity in hydrogen abstractions by these intermediate radicals from (TMSlsSiH was investigated and found to provide higher selectivities than BusSnH. 

Entry 10 shows the occurrence of 5-exo cyclization. The radical in this case is generated from an amino sulfide. This reaction requires a specific, somewhat disfavored conformation of the reactant in order for cyclization to occur. When the unsubstituted vinyl substituent was used, no cyclization occurred. However, increasing the reactivity of the double bond by adding the ester substituent led to successful cyclization. 

The following molecules have been synthesized by radical cyclization and tandem radical cyclizations. Identify the bond or bonds that could be formed by radical cyclizations and suggest an appropriate reactant and reaction conditions that would lead to the specified products. 

Clerici and Porta reported that phenyl, acetyl and methyl radicals add to the Ca atom of the iminium ion, PhN+Me=CHMe, formed in situ by the titanium-catalyzed condensation of /V-methylanilinc with acetaldehyde to give PhNMeCHMePh, PhNMeCHMeAc, and PhNMeCHMe2 in 80% overall yield.83 Recently, Miyabe and co-workers studied the addition of various alkyl radicals to imine derivatives. Alkyl radicals generated from alkyl iodide and triethylborane were added to imine derivatives such as oxime ethers, hydrazones, and nitrones in an aqueous medium.84 The reaction also proceeds on solid support.85 A-sulfonylimines are also effective under such reaction conditions.86 Indium is also effective as the mediator (Eq. 11.49).87 A tandem radical addition-cyclization reaction of oxime ether and hydrazone was also developed (Eq. 11.50).88 Li and co-workers reported the synthesis of a-amino acid derivatives and amines via the addition of simple alkyl halides to imines and enamides mediated by zinc in water (Eq. 11.51).89 The zinc-mediated radical reaction of the hydrazone bearing a chiral camphorsultam provided the corresponding alkylated products with good diastereoselectivities that can be converted into enantiomerically pure a-amino acids (Eq. 11.52).90... 

Barrero, Oltra and coworkers reported on the use of epoxygeranyl acetate in titanocene-mediated cyclizations and found that the termination of the reaction took place via a /i-hydride elimination after trapping of the radical by the second equivalent of Cp2TiCr [94,95]. This finding together with Takahashi s tandem cyclization [96] (see below) marks the first example of extremely interesting developments in epoxypolyene cyclizations via radicals that are discussed separately in the following section. 

There are also some rare domino sequences where two anionic and two radical reactions are combined (Scheme 2.152) [347]. According to a report of the Wang group, thionyl chloride is able to promote a succession of reactions by an initial formation of a chlorosulfite 2-673 of the tertiary alcohol 2-672, followed by an SN-type reaction to produce the chloroallene 2-674. A Schmittel cyclization reaction [348] then generates... 

The parent compound, 69, has been synthesized and characterised <2003ZFA1475>. 4-Chloro-hepta-l,6-diene was reacted with Mg. No Grignard rearrangement was noticed but instead the Grignard reagent was converted into l-allyl-3-butenylphosphonous dichloride by reaction with PC13. Reduction with LiAlH. produced l-allyl-3-butenyl-phosphane. Radical-initiated cyclization led to the product, l-phosphabicyclo[3.3.0]octane. Four derivatives were similarly prepared and characterized (70-73). Compound 74 was similarly prepared via a radical reaction < 1997PS(123)141 >. 

Sometimes acylium ions lose carbon monoxide to generate an ordinary carbonium ion. It will be recalled that free acyl radicals exhibit similar behavior at high temperatures. Whether or not the loss of carbon monoxide takes place seems to depend on the stability of the resulting carbonium ion and on the speed with which the acylium ion is removed by competing reactions. Thus no decarbonylation is observed in Friedel-Crafts reactions of benzoyl chloride, the phenyl cation being rather unstable. But attempts to make pivaloyl benzene by the Friedel-Crafts reaction produce tert-butyl benzene instead. With compound XLIV cyclization competes with decarbonylation, but this competition is not successful in the case of compound XLV in which the ring is deactivated.263... 

The reactivity of allyl radicals does, however, appear to be sufficient for intramolecular radical reactions. In a systematic study, Stork and Reynolds investigated the feasibility of allyl radical 5-exo cyclizations41. It was found that cyclization proceeds readily for a variety of systems, especially for those with geminal 3,3-diester substitution. Mixtures of c/s/fraws-cyclopentanes are formed as the major products, while 6-enclo cyclization is hardly observed42. Allyl radicals behave in this respect much like alkyl radicals43. Cyclization is not even hindered by the presence of substituents at the attacked carbon... 

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