Phenolic oxidative coupling radical mechanism

In the non-phenolic oxidative coupling reaction the electron-rich arene 19 undergoes electron transfer yielding the radical cation 20, which is preferably treated in chlorinated solvents or strongly acidic media. Attack of 20 on the electron-rich reaction partner 21 will proceed in the same way as an electrophilic aromatic substitution involving adduct 22 which extrudes a proton. The intermediate radical 23 is subsequently oxidized to the cationic species 24 which forms the biaryl 25 by rearomatization. In contrast with the mechanism outlined in Scheme 5, two different oxidation steps are required. 

Polymerization Mechanism. The mechanism that accounts for the experimental observations of oxidative coupling of 2,6-disubstituted phenols involves an initial formation of aryloxy radicals from oxidation of the phenol with the oxidized form of the copper—amine complex or other catalytic agent. The aryloxy radicals couple to form cyclohexadienones, which undergo enolization and redistribution steps (32). The initial steps of the polymerization scheme for 2,6-dimethylphenol are as in equation 6. 

Under different reaction conditions, phenols can be oxidized to p-quinones (equations 272600-602 and 273603), but in the case of phenol itself, insufficient selectivity has prevented, as yet, the commercial application of this potentially important synthesis of p-benzoquinone and hydroquin-one. The selectivity of p-benzoquinone, or p-quinol formation can be increased at the expense of oxidative coupling products by using a large excess of the copper reagent [Cu4Cl402(MeCN)3 or CuCl + 02 in MeCN] with respect to the phenolic substrate.604 The suggested mechanism involves the oxidation of the phenoxide radical (189) by a copper(II)-hydroxo species to p-quinol (190) which can rearrange (for R2 = H) to hydroquinone (191 Scheme 14), which is readily oxidizable to p-quinone.6... 

The oxidative coupling of phenols has been known since the 19 th century, but seminal studies carried out by Pummerer [1-8], who identified a phenolic radical as an intermediate of the reaction, initiated the modern age of mechanistic understanding in this area. It was then demonstrated that this radical mechanism also occurs in Nature, to produce complex biaryl-containing phenolics [9, 10]. 

The telechelica,(i -bis(2,6-dimethylphenol)-poly(2,6-dimethylphenyl-ene oxide) (PP0-20H) [174-182] is of interest as a precursor in the synthesis of block copolymers [175] and thermally reactive oligomers [179]. The synthesis has been accomplished by five methods. The first synthetic method was the reaction of a low molecular weight PPO with one phenol chain end with 3,3, 5,5 -tetramethyl-l,4-diphenoquinone. This reaction occurred by a radical mechanism [174]. The second method was the electrophilic condensation of the phenyl chain ends of two PPO-OH molecules with formaldehyde [177,178], The third method consists of the oxidative copolymerization of 2,6-dimethylphenol with 2,2 -di(4-hydroxy-3,5-di-methylphenyl)propane [176-178]. This reaction proceeds by a radical mechanism. A fourth method was the phase transfer-catalyzed polymerization of 4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenol in the presence of 2,2-di(4-hy-droxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)propane [181]. This reaction proceeded by a radical-anion mechanism. The fifth method developed was the oxidative coupling polymerization of 2,6-dimethylphenol (DMP) in the presence of tetramethyl bisphenol-A (TMBPA) [Eq. (57)] [182],... 

Scheme 1 illustrates this mechanism, which is the most generally accepted and widely discussed, for the para-para self-coupling of a simple phenol. Oxidation to the radical (3) may proceed from the phenol or phenolate anion according to pH, etc. The formation of such radicals is well attested, for example... 

Lunarine (26), one of the typical neolignans, is biosynthesized by the ortho-para radical coupling between two molecules of p-hydroxycinnamic acid. In this connection, oxidative coupling reactions of 4-substituted phenols have been extensively stndied using thallium trifluoroacetate (TTFA), potassium ferricyanide (K3[Fe(CN)g]) and other reagents. p-Cresol (27) was also electrolyzed at a controlled potential (+0.25 V vi. SCE) in a basic medium to afford Pummerer s ketone 28 in 74% yield. The snggested mechanism is given in Scheme 4. 

From the viewpoints of biological activities and structural architectures, a variety of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids have been chosen as synthetic target molecules. These alkaloids are well known to be biosynthesized by oxidative phenol coupling via a radical mechanism. However, White and coworkers demonstrated that hypervalent iodobenzenes are effective oxidants for syntheses of morphinane-type alkaloids such as (—)-codeine °. 

In so-called thermooxidative degradation, primary radicals are produced in the presence of oxygen due to the effects of heat, possibly coupled with mechanical stressing of the plastic. Certain substances like sterically inhibited phenols or amines can trap (scavenge) these radicals. For example, di-tert-butylphenols act as radical scavengers (antioxidants). The reaction scheme described below makes it clear that the oxidation inhibitor is consumed in the process. Thermooxidation can therefore be delayed until the radical scavenger is completely used up. 

The oxidative coupling reactions of certain electron-rich arenes under suitable reaction conditions proceed, at least partially, via free-radical mechanism. Scheme 3. The phenolate anion is oxidized by suitable one-electron oxidant to the phenoxyl-radical whose tautomeric form is aryl-radical on the adjacent carbon atom. The symmetrical biaryl is formed by coupling of the latter, whereas the unsymmetrical one is produced by free-radical arylation of the second arene molecule, usually in an intramolecular... 

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