CYCLIZATION, free radical 2+2 Cycloaddition reactions, with

Besides such free radical induced reactions, cyclization reactions involving carbonyl derivatives may of course have partial or complete radical character (such as some [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions ), but will be dealt with in Section 4.2.4 for reasons of lucidity and simplicity. 

The strong preference for cyclization in the indicated manner in both sensitized reactions lends support to the view that cycloaddition reactions of triplets involve two steps with the intermediate formation of biradicals. It has recently been shown290 that cyclization of free radicals forms five-membered rings in preference to six-membered rings. 

In intermolecular PET processes, radical ions are formed either as close pairs or as free species from neutral molecules (Sch. 1) [2,6]. Most commonly, carbonyl compounds or related derivatives as for example enol ethers, cyclopropyl ketones, and siloxycyclopropanes are used for intramolecular cyclization reactions. With the exception of cycloadditions the ring-building key step is always an intramolecular bond formation. In PET... 

The second problem in the addition of 1,1-dichlorodifluoroethylene to 1,3-butadiene is regiospecificity. Carbon 1 of 1,3-butadiene may become attached either to the carbon holding two chlorines or to the carbon with two fluorines. The cycloaddition of fluorinated alkenes is usually not a concerted four-center reaction in which the bonds are formed simultaneously or nearly so. Instead, the reaction is a stepwise biradical process in which the first step is formation of a free-radical intermediate with a single electron at that end of the double bond that can better accomodate it. That happens at the carbon linked to two chlorine atoms. Thus, a biradical is formed that cyclizes to form 2,2-dichloro-l,l-difluoro-3-vinylcyclobutane M [118, 119, 720]. 

These results provide the first detailed calibration for a series of intramolecular radical cation probes based on cycloaddition chemistry. The cyclization rate constants cover several orders of magnitude in timescale, an ideal case for using 1—3 as probes for radical cations of different lifetimes. However, the time-resolved experiments demonstrate that the application of radical cation probes, at least those based on aryl alkene cycloaddition chemistry, may be considerably less straightforward than similar experiments with free radical probes or clocks. Some of the problems that need to be addressed include the variation of products with the reaction conditions and method of radical cation generation, and the possibility of reversibility of the initial adduct formation. Furthermore, at least some radical cation reactions are quite sensitive to solvent and this may mean that calibrations for radical cation cycloadditions will have to be done in a variety of solvents. 

It is also worthwhile comparing the intramolecular photochemical cycloaddition reactions of ethylenic aldehydes and ketones with free radical intramolecular additions. For instance, irradiation of 5-hexen-2-one (470) (Scheme 161) in the gas phase gives the oxetane 471 as only cyclized product, as expected from the known photochemical intermolecular reaction between olefins and ketones. If the irradiation is conducted in solution 470 gives 471 (26%) and 472 (18%). With other y,< -unsaturated ketones, the bicyclic compound analogous to 472 may become the major product. With 2-allylcyclanones such as 473 (Scheme 161) bicyclic compounds are obtained (80% yield) as a mixture of 474 and 475, with 475 being the major product, but such compounds are difficult to isolate. " In the same manner, selective irradiation of the carbonyl group of 2-acyl-2,3-dihydro-4/f-pyrans (476) leads exclusively (23% yield) to exo-brevicomin (477) (a sex attractant), neither oxetane formation nor Norrish type II reaction being observed. The formation of the compounds 472, 475, and 477 which was considered as unexpected... 

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