Hydrostannylation radical addition reactions

Et3B as a simple radical initiator was first discovered in hydrostannylation of alkynes [5], The reactions were performed at room temperature or below in the presence of a trace amount of oxygen (Scheme 2). Hydrostannylation was applied to the synthesis of dehydroiridodiol (1) and a-methylene-y-butyrolactone (2). Et3B-induced radical addition reactions of triphenylgermane [7], tris(trimethylsilyl)silane... 

There are several examples of the addition reactions of caibonyl-substituted radicals to alkenes by the tin hydride method. The first reaction cited in Scheme 32 is a clear-cut example of reversed electronic requirement an electrophilic radical pairing with a nucleophilic alkene.60 Because enol ethers are not easily hydrostannylated, the use of a chloride precursor (which is activated by the esters) is possible. Indeed, the use of a bromomalonate results in a completely different product (Section 4.1.6.1.4). The second example is more intriguing (especially in light of die recent proposals on the existence of ambiphilic radicals) because it appears to go against conventional wisdom in the pairing of radicals and acceptors.118,119... 

In fact, additions of tributylgermyl radical and tributyltin radical to activated alkenes occur at about the same rate (see refs, 38 and 101). This addition reaction is probably more readily reversible in the case of tin (because a weaker bond is formed) and therefore hydrostannylation is a less serious problem than hydrogermylation. Thus, very reactive precursors (preferably iodides) are required as precursors if germanium hydride is used with an electron deficient alkene but this is not because the germanium radical is less reactive towards halides than the tin radical. 

Each of the syntheses of seychellene summarized in Scheme 20 illustrates one of the two important methods for generating vinyl radicals. In the more common method, the cyclization of vinyl bromide (34) provides tricycle (35).93 Because of the strength of sjp- bonds to carbon, the only generally useful precursors of vinyl radicals in this standard tin hydride approach are bromides and iodides. Most vinyl radicals invert rapidly, and therefore the stereochemistry of the radical precursor is not important. The second method, illustrated by the conversion of (36) to (37),94 generates vinyl radicals by the addition of the tin radical to an alkyne.95-98 The overall transformation is a hydrostannylation, but a radical cyclization occurs between the addition of the stannyl radical and the hydrogen transfer. Concentration may be important in these reactions because direct hydrostannylation of die alkyne can compete with cyclization. Stork has demonstrated that the reversibility of the stannyl radical addition step confers great power on this method.93 For example, in the conversion of (38) to (39), the stannyl radical probably adds reversibly to all of the multiple bond sites. However, the radicals that are produced by additions to the alkene, or to the internal carbon of the alkyne, have no favorable cyclization pathways. Thus, all the product (39) derives from addition to the terminal alkyne carbon. Even when cyclic products might be derived from addition to the alkene, followed by cyclization to the alkyne, they often are not found because 0-stannyl alkyl radicals revert to alkenes so rapidly that they do not close. 

Hydrostannylations. Hydrostannanes add to alkynes in uncatalyzed reactions at 60 °C. Phenylacetylene, for instance gives a mixture of ( )- and (Z)-vinylstannanes, wherein the tin atom has added to the terminal carbons. In the presence of Wilkinson s catalyst, however, the hydrostannylation proceeds at 0 °C to give mostly the regioisomeric vinylstannanes (eq 23). Terminal stannanes in the latter process seem to result from competing free radical additions. This may not be a complication with some other catalysts the complexes PdCl2(PPh3)2 and Mo( j -allyl) (CO)2(NCMe)2 also mediate hydrostannylations of alkynes, and they are reported to be 100% cis selective. Hydrostannanes and thiols react in a similar way to silanes and alcohols (eq 24). ... 

As already demonstrated, stannane chemistry often involves the intermediacy of free radicals. There are some notable examples, however, of non-radical transformations involving trialkyltin hydrides. This (much smaller) subset of reactions is dominated by transition metal catalysed hydrostannylation chemistry551,808-860, chemistry that rivals the free-radical examples provided above. In addition, there are a few examples of ionic reduction chemistry involving these reagents861,862. 

They react with terminal alkynes by electrophilic addition of the empty p-orbital to the unsubstituted end of the triple bond 83. The intermediate would then be the more substituted vinyl cation 84. It is easier to draw this mechanism with R2BH than with the full structure for 9-BBN. The intermediate 84 is not fully formed before hydride transfer begins so that the reaction is semi-concerted and the transition state is something like 86. The result is a regioselective and stereospecific cis hydroboration of the triple bond to give the A-vinyl borane 85. The intermediate 84 is quite like the radical intermediate in hydrostannylation but the difference is that hydrogen transfer is intramolecular and stereospecific in hydroboration. 

Hydrostannylation of 3,3-disubstituted 1,6-dienes shows cix selectivity6. The reaction is initiated by addition of the trialkylstannyl radical to the diene affording the radical intermediate which undergoes 5-exo ring closure through a chairlike transition state with the trialkylstannyl-rnethyl substituent positioned equatorially. 

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