Cyclized radicals, intermolecular

As with carbocation-initiated polyene cyclizations, radical cyclizations can proceed through several successive steps if the steric and electronic properties of the reactant provide potential reaction sites. Cyclization may be followed by a second intramolecular step or by an intermolecular addition or alkylation. Intermediate radicals can be constructed so that hydrogen atom transfer can occur as part of the overall process. For example, 2-bromohexenes having radical stabilizing substituents at C(6) can undergo cyclization after a hydrogen atom transfer step.348... 

The electronic nature of a nitrogen centered radical, dictated by reaction conditions and/or the radical precursor employed, is crucial to the mode of reaction, to the ability to undergo efficient intramolecular cyclizations or intermolecular additions, and to the products isolated from the radical reaction. The types of radicals discussed in this review include neutral aminyl radicals, protonated aminyl radicals (aminium cation radicals), metal complexed aminyl radicals, and amidyl radicals. Sulfonamidyl and urethanyl radicals are known (71S1 78T3241), but they are not within the scope of this chapter. 

In contrast to intramolecular cyclizations, the intermolecular addition of O-centered radicals to ti systems as initiating step in complex radical cyclization cascades has only recently attracted considerable attention. The reason for the low number of papers published on O radical addition to alkenes and alkynes could originate from the perception that O-centered radicals, such as alkoxyl radicals, RO, or acyloxyl radicals, RC(0)0", may not react with 7t systems through addition at rates that are competitive to other pathways, for example, allylic hydrogen abstraction and p-fragmentation in the case of RO" or decarboxylation in the case of RC(0)0" (Scheme 2.9). 

Additions of alkyl radicals onto carbonyl groups are reversible and energetically unfavorable because of strong n bond strengths of carbonyl bonds. Fragmentation reactions of oxy radicals are faster than additions to carbonyl groups. Thus, it is anticipated that carbonyl derivatives cannot be used as elficient radical traps. Only several carbonyl derivatives are effective to some extent in radical cyclizations. The intermolecular addition of alkyl radicals to carboxylic acid derivatives represents a radical acylation reaction in which carboxylic acid derivatives are required to be... 

The key features of Curran s productive and elegant tandem radical cyclization strategy are illustrated in a retrosynthetic analysis for hirsutene (1) (see Scheme 27). The final synthetic event was projected to be an intermolecular transfer of a hydrogen atom from tri-rc-butyltin hydride to the transitory tricyclic vinyl radical 131. The latter can then be traced to bicyclic tertiary radical 132 and thence to monocyclic primary radical 133 through successive hex-5-enyl-like radical cyclizations. It was anticipated that the initial radical 133 could be generated through the abstraction of the iodine atom from... 

Examples of the intermolecular C-P bond formation by means of radical phosphonation and phosphination have been achieved by reaction of aryl halides with trialkyl phosphites and chlorodiphenylphosphine, respectively, in the presence of (TMSlsSiH under standard radical conditions. The phosphonation reaction (Reaction 71) worked well either under UV irradiation at room temperature or in refluxing toluene. The radical phosphina-tion (Reaction 72) required pyridine in boiling benzene for 20 h. Phosphinated products were handled as phosphine sulfides. Scheme 15 shows the reaction mechanism for the phosphination procedure that involves in situ formation of tetraphenylbiphosphine. This approach has also been extended to the phosphination of alkyl halides and sequential radical cyclization/phosphination reaction. ... 

Chapter 10 considers the role of reactive intermediates—carbocations, carbenes, and radicals—in synthesis. The carbocation reactions covered include the carbonyl-ene reaction, polyolefin cyclization, and carbocation rearrangements. In the carbene section, addition (cyclopropanation) and insertion reactions are emphasized. Recent development of catalysts that provide both selectivity and enantioselectivity are discussed, and both intermolecular and intramolecular (cyclization) addition reactions of radicals are dealt with. The use of atom transfer steps and tandem sequences in synthesis is also illustrated. 

Another possibility here is to use entropic acceleration. In this way, it is possible to use a substrate that first reacts in an intramolecular mode to give an intermediate, which then undergoes an intermolecular reaction with a second molecule. An impressive older example is a radical cyclization/trapping in the synthesis of prostaglandin F2a, as described by the Stork group [20]. A key step here is the radical transformation of the iodo compound 0-32 using uliu3Sril I formed in situ from... 

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. 

In a combination of photochemical cyclization and a radical reaction Yoshimatsu et al synthesized 2-azabicyclo[33.0locta-3,7-diene 169 from the trienal hydrazone 166.1891 The domino process was initiated by irradiation of 166 at 400-500 nm in benzene. The transformation may include an intermolecular [2+2]-cyclization, followed by ring opening to give... 

Curran2 has reviewed recent applications of the tin hydride method for initiation of radical chain reactions in organic synthesis (191 references). The review covers intermolecular additions of radicals to alkenes (Giese reaction) as well as intramolecular radical cyclizations, including use of vinyl radical cyclization. 

Table 6.23 presents calculated barriers for the cyclization of the but-3-enyl radical [i.e. the reverse of reaction (7.2)]. This reaction is an example of an intramolecular radical addition. A number of the features observed in the barriers for the intermolecular radical additions (e.g. methyl radical addition to ethylene, Table 6.14) are also seen here. 

The present volume contains 13 chapters written by experts from 11 countries, and treats topics that were not covered, or that are complementary to topics covered in Volume 1. They include chapters on mass spectra and NMR, two chapters on photochemistry complementing an earlier chapter on synthetic application of the photochemistry of dienes and polyenes. Two chapters deal with intermolecular cyclization and with cycloadditions, and complement a chapter in Volume 1 on intramolecular cyclization, while the chapter on reactions of dienes in water and hydrogen-bonding environments deals partially with cycloaddition in unusual media and complements the earlier chapter on reactions under pressure. The chapters on nucleophiliic and electrophilic additions complements the earlier chapter on radical addition. The chapter on reduction complements the earlier ones on oxidation. Chapters on organometallic complexes, synthetic applications and rearrangement of dienes and polyenes are additional topics discussed. 

This has been applied to the cyclization of dihalides [45, 46], nonconjugated, unsaturated ketones [47] and esters [48], oxoalkylpyridinium salts [49], aldehydes and unsaturated nitriles [50], halides, and unsaturated esters [51], The umpoled acceptors, mostly radical anions or carban-ions (see Scheme 1), can also be used in intermolecular reactions such as acylation, alkylation, or carboxylation (Eq. 5). 

Another illustration of the utility of this chemistry is provided by its use as the key step in a synthesis of prostaglandin PGF2Q [24]. In this case, the radical formed from bromoacetal (35) undergoes an intramolecular S-exo-trig cyclization onto the olefin of the cyclopentene ring, thereby generating a new radical capable of undergoing another reaction. When it was intercepted intermolecularly by ynone (36), enone (37) was produced in a 55% yield (Scheme 10). 

---