1,4-Diradicaloids

Occasionally, equilibria between a quinoid and a diradicaloid form of tetraazafulvaleiies of type 77 have been discussed (66AG303 72NKK100 79JOC1241). Based on ESR measurements, only traces of radicals (0.1% at 200°C) could be observed and therefore 77 (Ar = Ph) exists at room temperature predominately in the quinoid structure. Other authors stated that the thermochromism of 77 mainly results from a change in intermolecular interaction, not from biradical formation (84MI1030). 

Recent DFT calculations by Sarzi-Amade and his collaboratorsmay well have resolved this mechanistic difference between a biradicaloid TS (Scheme 7, path b) and a mechanism involving discrete long-lived free radicals (Scheme 8). Oxygen insertion into the C—H bond of isobutane by DMDO was studied computationally at the unrestricted B3LYP level. Transition structures that were diradicaloid in nature were found to lead to... 

Use Ovchinnikov s rule to predict the preferred multiplicities for the ground states of the hydrocarbon diradicaloids displayed in Scheme 8.Ex.l... 

One of the most common photochemical reaction pathways of carbonyl compounds is the formation of a diradicaloid excited state which is able to abstract a hydrogen atom at the y (or, more rarely, e) position, followed by either fragmentation or recombination. This process, which is known as the Norrish type II reaction, has a parallel in the photochemistry of nitro groups the intramolecular hydrogen abstraction of excited ortho-nitrotoluene is actually one of the very early synthetic photochemical transformations [9]. It has been exploited in a family of photolabile protecting groups, most prominent among which are derivatives of ortho-nitrobcnzyl alcohol, as introduced in 1966 by Barltrop et al. (Scheme 13.1) [10, 11],... 

Recently Liu and coworkers used (porphyrin)iron(III) chloride complex 96 to promote 1,5-hydrogen transfer/SHi reactions of aryl azides 95, which provided indolines or tetrahydroquinolines 97 in 72-82% yield (Fig. 24) [148]. The reaction starts probably with the formation of iron nitrenoids 95A from 95. These diradicaloids undergo a 1,5- or 1,6-hydrogen transfer from the benzylic position of the ortho-side chain. The resulting benzylic radicals 95B react subsequently with the iron(IV) amide unit in an Sni reaction, which liberates the products 97 and regenerates the catalyst. /V,/V-Dialkyl-w// o-azidobenzamides reacted similarly in 63-83% yield. For hydroxy- or methoxy-substituted indolines 97 (R2=OH or OMe) elimination of water or methanol occurred from the initial products 97 under the reaction conditions giving indoles 98 in 74—78% yield. 

Since the theoretical SKIE calculated for the ring closure transition structure reproduces the experimental SKIE accurately, it can be deduced that the vinylcyelopropane-cyclopentene rearrangement proceeds via a diradicaloid stepwise mechanism. 

In contrast to the great number of calculations concerning the all-carbon Diels-Alder reaction [39], there are only a few theoretical studies on the hetero Diels-Alder reaction [41,42,45 - 53 ]. The general mechanism of the Diels-Alder reaction is still in discussion however, in most cases a concerted reaction is assumed,but there is also evidence for a two-step path. The ab initio calculations carried out for the butadiene/ethene system by Houk, Ortega, Bernardi und Gajewski gave a symmetrical transition structure only using the semiempirical AM1/CI method (half electron approximation) an unsymmetrical diradicaloid intermediate was found [40]. 

The novel diradicaloid hydrocarbon 23, which may be prepared50 in a similar manner as 21, may exist as two triply bridged but electronically independent tri-phenylmethyl radicals (23a). Alternatively, interaction between the radical centers... 

Various other [3 + 2] cycloadditions, affording chiral, anellated C6o derivatives with stereogenic centers in the addends are reported in literature. The products were generally obtained as racemates and resulted from reaction of buckminsterfullerene with species like 2,3-disubstituted 2//-azirincs (via nitrile ylides [under direct irradiation] or via 2-azaallenyl radical cations [sensitization by photoinduced electron transfer]),365 1-substituted 5-diazopentane-1,4-diones (via cyclic carbonyl ylides),366 7-alkylidene-2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.1] hept-2-ene (via a diradicaloid trimethylenemethane derivative),367 1-benzylpy-razolidine-3-ones in the presence of aldehydes (via pyrazolidinium ylides),368 2-trifluoromethyl-2,5-dihydro-l,3-oxazol-5-ones (via nitrile ylides),369 nitro-alkanes in the presence of triethylamine and trimethylsilyl chloride (via N-silyloxynitrones),370 or dv-HOCH2 CH=C H C H 2 OCO 2 H( in the presence of... 

More recent stndies have snggested that a more appropriate formulation of the (ArPb)2 componnds may be envisaged in terms of a diradicaloid species " (Fignre 6)... 

The reactions of a variety of cyclopropyl-substituted 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-enes such as 153-155 have been studied and compiled " . It was proposed that these all underwent photochemical loss of nitrogen with formation of singlet 1,4-diradicaloid species, which gave mixtures of ring-closed and ring-opened products (equation 30). 

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