Cycloaddition hole catalyzed

Unlike thermal [2 + 2] cycloadditions which normally do not proceed readily unless certain structural features are present (see Section 1.3.1.1.), metal-catalyzed [2 + 2] cycloadditions should be allowed according to orbital symmetry conservation rules. There is now evidence that most metal-catalyzed [2 + 2] cycloadditions proceed stepwise via metallacycloalkanes as intermediates and both their formation and transformation are believed to occur by concerted processes. In many instances such reactions occur with high regioselectivity. Another mode for [2 + 2] cyclodimerization and cycloadditions involves radical cation intermediates (hole-catalyzed) obtained from oxidation of alkcnes by strong electron acceptors such as triarylammini-um radical cation salts.1 These reactions are similar to photochemical electron transfer (PET) initiated [2 + 2] cyclodimerization and cycloadditions in which an electron acceptor is used in the irradiation process.2 Because of the reversibility of these processes there is very little stereoselectivity observed in the cyclobutanes formed. 

Although hole-catalyzed (cycloaddilions involving radical cation intermediates) and PET (photochemical electron transfer) mixed [2 -I- 2] cycloadditions have been reported from electron-rich alkenes, the only report of a cyclodimerization is that of (E)-4-(prop-l-enyl)anisole which gives stereoisomeric mixtures of the head-to-head dimers 1 and 2.12... 

Keteneimines will also undergo electrochemical hole-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions, producing dimers and even trimers as shown below (Scheme 78)181. Adventitious water or the replacement of aryl a-hydrogens leads to somewhat different products (Scheme 79)182. 

For pagodane-related carbon skeletons 4C/3e radical cations with tight and extended geometries could be established by spectroscopy (predominately EPR) and quantum chemical calculations at the DFT level of theory. Such structures resemble frozen stages of cycloadditions/cycloreversions on the hyper energy surface of the hole-catalyzed cyclobutane formation. 

Thus the first electron transfer to Pb relates to the reaction (a) in Section 7.4.3.1.1, and the second involves the oxidation of the cyclobutyl radicals either by electron transfer/deprotonation with Cu" in equation (17) or by ligand transfer of chlorine with PlAci in equation (18). When the product of a generic reaction is itself a radical cation (such as in Sections 7.4.3.1.8 and 7.4.3.1.9), an electron-transfer chain or ETC process can ensue, as in the hole-catalyzed cycloadditions and autoxidations of dienes,The electron-transfer propagation sequence for the latter is simply given as in equations (19) and (20). 

Cycloadditions only proceeding after electron transfer activation via the radical cation of one partner are illustrated by the final examples. According to K. Mizono various bis-enolethers tethered by long chains (polyether or alkyl) can be cyclisized to bicyclic cyclobutanes using electron transfer sensitizer like dicyanonaphthalene or dicyano-anthracene. Note that this type of dimerization starting from enol ethers are not possible under triplet sensitization or by direct irradiation. Only the intramolecular cyclization ci the silane-bridged 2>. s-styrene can be carried out under direct photolysis. E. Steckhan made use of this procedure to perform an intermolecular [4+2] cycloaddition of indole to a chiral 1,3-cyclohexadiene. He has used successfully the sensitizer triphenylpyrylium salt in many examples. Here, the reaction follows a general course which has been developed Bauld and which may be called "hole catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction". 

Whereas a [2 + 2] pericyclic reaction is essentially forbidden in the ground state, a [2+1] open-shell reaction is feasible. In this respect, the radical cations detected in this context represent distinct stages of pericyclic, radical-cation catalyzed cycloaddi-tions/cycloreversions. In Fig. 7.11, three distinct stages, a tight (cyclobutane-like), an extended (bis ethene), and a trapezoid, of a hole- (or radical-cation) catalyzed cycloaddition/cycloreversion are presented in a schematic way. °... 

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