Cyclopropylcarbinyl radical reactivity

The general idea of this concept was first outlined by Nugent and Rajan-Babu [17-20] as shown in Scheme 3, and constitutes an analogue of the well-established opening of a cyclopropylcarbinyl radical [21,22]. Titanocenes have emerged as the most powerful reagents in these transformations. However, it is clearly attractive to find other metal complexes in order to develop novel reactivity patterns. 

The cyclopropylcarbinyl radical (4), the cyclopropylcarbinyl cation (5) and the cyclopropylcarbinyl anion (6) all dominate the expected reactivity of vinylcyclopropanes since one of these forms will be expected to be a major contributor to either a radical or a polar transition state. It is important to consider the various reactive subunits in some detail in order to understand the big picture reactivity of a vinylcyclopropane system, especially as perturbed by additional substituents. 

The dominant contributor to the reactivity of vinylcyclopropanes in any radical reaction is the form (4a), the cyclopropylcarbinyl radical system. The opening of a cyclopropylcarbinyl radical to a butenyl radical is among the fastest radical processes known, with a rate constant of 1.3 x 10 sec". - The various stereoelectronic effects of this rearrangement have been reviewed. The structure of (4a), deduced from its ESR spectrum - and in agreement with calculations (STO-36 basis set), is in the bisected conformation shown, predicted to be 1.4 kcal mol more stable than its perpendicularly oriented counterpart. Above -KX) T only the butenyl radical (4b) can be detected. Substituent efiects do not seem to operate here when the substituents are on the cyclopropane (i.e. product stabilization). The cy-clopropylcaibinyl cation and anion have structures similar to (4a), bisect conformations (5) and (6), respectively. A concise summary of solvolytic and mechanistic data for system (5) has recently appeai Reviews of cyclopropylcarbinyl anions and carbenes are also available. - ... 

The rate of the ring-opening reaction of 5, " and other substrates have been determined using an indirect method for the calibration of fast radical reactions, applicable for radicals with lifetimes as short as 1 ps/ This radical clock method is based on the use of Barton s use of pyridine-2-thione-Al-oxycarbonyl esters as radical precursors and radical trapping by the highly reactive thiophenol and benzeneselenol/ A number of radical clock substrates are known/ Other radical clock processes include racemization of radicals with chiral conformations, one-carbon ring expansion in cyclopentanones, norcarane and sprro[2,5]octane, a-and p-thujone radical rearrangements, and cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals or... 

VI. CYCLOPROPYL-SUBSTITUTED REACTIVE INTERMEDIATES A. Cyclopropylcarbinyl Radicals... 

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