Electron radical-based arylation

Another useful approach to styrenes via sp -sp -coupling reactions, which is beyond the scope of this section, is Meerwein-type arylations in which aryldiazonium salts undergo usually copper(I)- or palladium-catalyzed couplings with electron deficient alkenes, indicating a radical-based mechanism.The method is so useful for the synthesis of stilbenes from unsubstituted styrenes 92 or p>silylstyrenes. 93... 

Direct arylations of arenes are, however, not restricted to palladium-catalyzed transformations, but were also accomplished with, inter alia, iridium complexes. Thus, the direct coupling of various aryl iodides with an excess of benzene in the presence of [Cp IrHCl]2 afforded the corresponding biaryl products, but usually in moderate yields only (Scheme 9.30) [69]. The reaction is believed to proceed via a radical-based mechanism with initial base-mediated reduction of iridium(III) followed by electron transfer from iridium(II) to the aryl iodide. Rather high catalyst loadings were required and the phenylation of toluene (90) under these reaction conditions provided a mixture of regioisomers 91, 92, and 93 in an overall low yield (Scheme 9.30) [69]. 

The mechanism is believed to begin by SET from the base to the aryl iodide to form a radical anion. Inter-molecular reaction can occnr through a HAS, the radical variant of the more commonly known EAS reaction. For intermolecular reaction, addition of the radical to the coupling partner resnlts in a resonance-stabilized radical. Deprotonation with base forms a biaryl radical anion which propagates the mechanism by donating an electron to another aryl haUde. For intra-molecular reaction, the aryl radical likely adds to the ipso position of the tether. Subsequent ring expansion and re-aromatization yields the prodnct. ... 

If the provoked or spontaneous acid-base reactions overcome the radical reactions of the primary radical, the secondary radical is easier to reduce, or to oxidize, than the substrate in most cases. Exceptions to this rule are scarce, but exist. They involve substrates that are particularly easy to reduce thanks to the presence of a strongly electron-withdrawing substituent (for reductions, electron-donating for oxidation), which is expelled upon electron transfer, thus producing a radical that lacks the same activation. Alkyl iodides and aryl diazonium cations are typical examples of such systems. 

By single electron transfer from an electron donor, e.g. a transition metal ion, a trivalent phosphorous derivative or a base, followed by dissociation of the intermediate diazenyl radical in an aryl radical and dinitrogen. The aryl radical reacts with the solvent or with added reagents in various ways, as shown by the relatively large number of classical named reactions (Sandmeyer, Pschorr, Gomberg-Bachmann, Meerwein reactions). 

The number of solvents that have been used in SrnI reactions is somewhat limited in scope, but this causes no practical difficulties. Characteristics that are required of a solvent for use in SrnI reactions are that it should dissolve both the organic substrate and the ionic alkali metal salt (M+Nu ), not have hydrogen atoms that can be readily abstracted by aryl radicals (c/. equation 13), not have protons which can be ionized by the bases (e.g. Nth- or Bu O" ions), or the basic nucleophiles (Nu ) and radical ions (RX -or RNu- ) involved in the reaction, and not undergo electron transfer reactions with the various intermediates in the reaction. In addition to these characteristics, the solvent should not absorb significantly in the wavelength range normally used in photostimulated processes (300-400 nm), should not react with solvated electrons and/or alkali metals in reactions stimulated by these species, and should not undergo reduction at the potentials employed in electrochemically promoted reactions, but should be sufficiently polar to facilitate electron transfer processes. 

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