Synthetic Radical Halogenation

From alkanes free-radical halogenation (synthetically useful only in certain cases) (Sections 4-13 and 6-6)... 

The addition of halogenated aliphatics to carbon-carbon double bonds is the most useful type of carbon-carbon bond forming synthetic method for highly halogenated substrates Numerous synthetic procedures have been developed for these types of reactions, particularly for the addition of perfluoroalkyl iodides to alkenes using thermal or photolytic initiators of free radical reactions such as organic peroxides and azo compounds [/]... 

Reduction by hydrogen atom donors involves free radical intermediates and usually proceeds by chain mechanisms. Tri-n-butylstannane is the most prominent example of this type of reducing agent. Other synthetically useful hydrogen atom donors include hypophosphorous acid, dialkyl phosphites, and tris-(trimethylsilyl)silane. The processes that have found most synthetic application are reductive replacement of halogen and various types of thiono esters. 

There is a discussion of some of the sources of radicals for mechanistic studies in Section 11.1.4 of Part A. Some of the reactions discussed there, particularly the use of azo compounds and peroxides as initiators, are also important in synthetic chemistry. One of the most useful sources of free radicals in preparative chemistry is the reaction of halides with stannyl radicals. Stannanes undergo hydrogen abstraction reactions and the stannyl radical can then abstract halogen from the alkyl group. For example, net addition of an alkyl group to a reactive double bond can follow halogen abstraction by a stannyl radical. 

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerisation (ATRP) was discovered independently by Wang and Matyjaszewski, and Sawamoto s group in 1995. Since then, this field has become a hot topic in synthetic polymer chemistry, with over 1000 papers published worldwide and more than 100 patent applications filed to date. ATRP is based on Kharasch chemistry overall it involves the insertion of vinyl monomers between the R-X bond of an alkyl halide-based initiator. At any given time in the reaction, most of the polymer chains are capped with halogen atoms (Cl or Br), and are therefore dormant and do not propagate see Figure 1. 

Free radical acylation of pyridines generally results in predominant or exclusive formation of the 2- and 4-substituted isomers, and carbamoylation, carboxylation and halogenation show similar product distributions. In certain of these reactions, most notably carbamoylation, synthetically significant yields of substitution products can be realized, but in many cases while quoted yields can look impressive, actual conversions can be very low <74AHC(16)123>. 

With the exception of ring-synthetic procedures, an effort has been made to include all methods of introduction of halogen atoms into a heterocyclic ring. Thus electrophilic, nucleophilic, and radical processes are covered as well as some rearrangements. 

First aitcmpts on the part of Kozikowski to introduce halogen atoms stereoselcciivcly into the bispyran system was unsuccessful according to a synthetic study published in 1990, Ise successfully completed a stereoselective synthesis in 1995 by taking advantage of several radical reactions.4... 

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