Enolate ions, SRNI process

Photolysis of vinyl halides can induce both heterolysis of the C-X bond, thereby generating vinyl cations, and homolysis giving vinyl radicals. This competition between the two mechanisms was studied for 3-vinyl halides, 1,2,2-triphenylbromoethane (136) and 1-phenyl-2,2-bis(o-methoxyphenyl)-l-bromoethene and /3-styrene. Incursion of the photo-induced SrnI process, through the intermediate vinyl radical, is verified in the presence of reducing nucleophiles, such as the enolate ions of ketones and in part with (EtO)2PO . Incursion of the heterolytic pathway and the intermediacy of the radical cation, occurs in the presence of weak electron-donor anions, such as N02, Ns and Cl . The vinyl cation of /3-styrene gives phenylacetylene via an El-type elimination. 

Transformation of a substrate into its ion radical enhances the species reactivity. Sometimes, this can overcome steric encumbrance of the substituent to be removed. Thus, l,4-di-iodo-2,6-dimethybenzene expels only one, sterically congested, iodine from position 1 upon the action of the tributylstannyl radical. Upon the action of the enolate ion of pinacolone (Me3CCOCH2) in the photoinitiated SrnI process, both iodines (from positions 1 and 4) are substituted (Branchi and co-authors 2000). 

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