Limonene radical cations

Limonene, one of the most prominent natural monoterpenes (cf Section VII), represents a particular derivative of 4-vinylcyclohexene since it has been studied with respect to the pronounced energy dependence of its fragmentation behaviour (Scheme 7). Counterintuitively, and in contrast to 4-vinylcyclohexene, the radical cations of limonene (27) do not undergo the retro-Diels-Alder reaction if the internal energy of the ions is low. As... 

Formation of dihydrotropylium ions is a key feature of the C H9+ hypersurface. Currently, efforts in our laboratory276 have concentrated on the presence of different C H9+ isomers by probing their bimolecular reactivity. Thus, gas-phase titration in the FT-ICR mass spectrometer has revealed that mixtures of C7H9+ ions are formed by protonation of 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene, 6-methylfulvene and norbomadiene as the neutral precursors but that, in contrast to the results obtained by CS mass spectrometry, fragmentation of the radical cations of limonene yields almost exclusively toluenium ions275. 

As can be seen from the few examples cited above SET processes are now fairly common in organic photochemistry. One of the areas where considerable study has taken place is the process referred to as a photo-NOCAS. Within this framework Albini and coworkers have shown that the products formed from the reaction of 2,3-dimethylbut-2-ene with 1,4-dicyanobenzene are compounds (22)- 25). The reaction was brought about using phenanthrene as the initial light absorber. This technique leads to cleaner reactions than those where the 1,4-dicyanobenzene is irradiated directly. The solvent system used is methanol/ acetonitrile and products (24) and (25) are the result of solvent incorporation. A further example of photo-NOCAS chemistry has been reported by Arnold and coworkers.Typical of the examples studied is the reaction illustrated in Scheme 2. The cyclization of the dienes (26) was also examined. This specific example deals with the generation of radical cations from (/ )-(+)-a-terpineol and (/ )-(+)-limonene with 1,4-dicyanobenzene as the electron accepting sensitizer. In another detailed study on reactions of this type the factors that control the regiochemistry in photo-NOCAS processes have been assessed. ... 

There are many examples of such reactivity and some of these have been reviewed by Roth and coworkers, a research group that is extremely active in this area. An example that is typical of the processes encountered involves the cyclization of the diene geraniol (1). In this case the sensitizer is 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (DCA) and the reactions are carried out in methylene chloride. The authors state that a contact radical-ion parr is involved, i.e. the radical cation of the diene is in close proximity to the radical anion of the DCA. Reaction within this yields the cyclopentane derivatives 2 and 3 in the yields shown. The ring formation is the result of a five centre CC cyclization within the radical cation of 1. When a more powerful oxidant such as p-dicyanobenzene is used as the sensitizer in acetonitrile as solvent, separated radical-ion pairs are involved. This leads to intramolecular trapping and the formation of the bicyclic ethers 4 and 5 . The bicyclic ether incorporates an aryl group by reaction of the radical cation of the diene with the radical anion of the sensitizer (DCB). This type of reactivity is referred to later. Other naturally occurring compounds such as (/fj-f-bj-a-terpineol (6) and (R)-(- -)-limonene (7)... 

In route A, one electron is removed fiom cme double bond to generate a cation radical, and subsequent transannular reaction of the cation radical with the other double bond forms a new carbon-carbon tend. On the other hand, in route B, allylic substitution or oxidative addition at one double bond takes place without intramolecular interaction between the double bonds. As exemplified by the anodic oxidation of 4-vinylcyclohexene (11) in methanol (equation 16), such dienes as 4-vinylcyclohexene, limonene and 1,5-cyclooctadiene yield only products via route B. 

Limonene can also be copolymerized with acrylonitrile (in DMF at 70°C, initiator AIBN) [69], MMA (xylene, 80°C, BPO) [70], styrene (xylene, 80°C, AIBN) [71], A(-vinylpyrrolidone (dioxane, 80°C, AIBN) [72], and (V-vinyl acetate (dioxane, 65°C, AIBN) [73], always producing alternating copolymers. Radical addition of limonene occurs via the exocyclic isopropenyl group (in contrast to the cationic system, see above). Also, a terpolymer of limonene, MMA, and styrene has been prepared by free-radical copolymerization (xylene, 80°C, BPO) [74]. Poly (limonene-co-MMA) can be converted into a LC polymer (cf. Scheme 2) [75]. 

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