Photochemical cycloaddition stilbene

Phosphoryl-stabilized anions, 25, 2 Photochemical cycloadditions, 44, 2 Photocyclization of stilbenes, 30, 1 Photooxygenation of olefins, 20, 2 Photosensitizers, 20, 2 Pictet-Spengler reaction, 6, 3 Pig liver esterase, 37, 1 Polonovski reaction, 39, 2... 

All of the photochemical cycloaddition reactions of the stilbenes are presumed to occur via excited state ir-ir type complexes (excimers, exciplexes, or excited charge-transfer complexes). Both the ground state and excited state complexes of t-1 are more stable than expected on the basis of redox potentials and singlet energy. Exciplex formation helps overcome the entropic problems associated with a bimolecular cycloaddition process and predetermines the adduct stereochemistry. Formation of an excited state complex is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for cycloaddition. In fact, increased exciplex stability can result in decreased quantum yields for cycloaddition, due to an increased barrier for covalent bond formation (Fig. 2). The cycloaddition reactions of t-1 proceed with complete retention of stilbene and alkene photochemistry, indicative of either a concerted or short-lived singlet biradical mechanism. The observation of acyclic adduct formation in the reactions of It with nonconjugated dienes supports the biradical mechanism. 

Control of absolute asymmetry is a relatively untouched area for [2 + 2] photochemical cycloaddition reactions despite the recent advances in the field of asymmetric synthesis. The first example of the use of a removable chiral auxiliary was reported by Tolbert, who obtained impressive enantioselectivity in the photocycloaddition of bomyl fumarate to stilbenes (equation 37). More recently, Lange has shown that menthyl cyclohexenonecarboxylates are useful in control of absolute stereochemistry (equation 38). Baldwin and Meyers have also obtained excellent facial selectivity in systems where the stereogenic center which controls the diastereoselectivity can be excised to afford products of high enantiomeric purity (equations 39,40). 

An extensive review of 2 + 2-photocycloadditions of dienones and quinones has been published. The photocycloaddition of heterocyclic 2,3-diones (18) with electron-rich alkenes in the presence of the photosensitizer benzophenone yields 2-1-2-cycloadducts (19) and (20) with high regio- and stereo-selectivity (Scheme 1) Time-resolved spectroscopy has shown that in the photochemical cycloaddition between stilbenes and quinones, the (singlet) ion-radical pair [S ", Q+ ] is the primary reaction intermediate and therefore establishes the electron-transfer pathway for this typical Paterno-Biichi transformation. A kinetic study of the Paterno-Biichi cycloaddition of stilbene to chloranil shows that solvent polarity and donicity control the formation as well as the reaction path of the ion-radical. The photoirradiation of chloranil with... 

Very few detailed mechanistic studies of photochemical cycloadditions have been reported. In such instances the mechanism may be deduced from the conditions required for reaction. For example, the dimerization of stil-bene, Eq. (27), R = Ph, is detected only when high concentrations of stilbene arc used (e.g., saturated solution in benzene). Furthermore, the dimerization does not occur in experiments involving triplet excitation transfer even under conditions for which self-quenching of stilbene triplets, Eq. (24), is known to occur. The data require the intermediacy of a shortlived excited state other than the triplet state and thus the lowest excited singlet state is probably responsible for this dimerization (Saltiel, 1964). 

Other isocyanates undergo [2 + 2] cycloaddition, but only with very electron rich alkenes. Thus phenyl isocyanate gives /3-lactams with ketene acetals and tetramethoxyethylene. With enamines, unstable /3-lactams are formed if the enamine has a /3-H atom, ring opened amides are produced 2 1 adducts are also found. Photochemical addition of cis- and traH5-stilbene to phenyl isocyanate has also been reported (72CC362). 

We emphasize that the critical ion pair stilbene+, CA in the two photoactivation methodologies (i.e., charge-transfer activation as well as chloranil activation) is the same, and the different multiplicities of the ion pairs control only the timescale of reaction sequences.14 Moreover, based on the detailed kinetic analysis of the time-resolved absorption spectra and the effect of solvent polarity (and added salt) on photochemical efficiencies for the oxetane formation, it is readily concluded that the initially formed ion pair undergoes a slow coupling (kc - 108 s-1). Thus competition to form solvent-separated ion pairs as well as back electron transfer limits the quantum yields of oxetane production. Such ion-pair dynamics are readily modulated by choosing a solvent of low polarity for the efficient production of oxetane. Also note that a similar electron-transfer mechanism was demonstrated for the cycloaddition of a variety of diarylacetylenes with a quinone via the [D, A] complex56 (Scheme 12). 

For instance, Kochi and co-workers [89,90] reported the photochemical coupling of various stilbenes and chloranil by specific charge-transfer activation of the precursor donor-acceptor complex (EDA) to form rrans-oxetanes selectively. The primary reaction intermediate is the singlet radical ion pair as revealed by time-resolved spectroscopy and thus establishing the electron-transfer pathway for this typical Paterno-Biichi reaction. This radical ion pair either collapses to a 1,4-biradical species or yields the original EDA complex after back-electron transfer. Because the alternative cycloaddition via specific activation of the carbonyl compound yields the same oxetane regioisomers in identical molar ratios, it can be concluded that a common electron-transfer mechanism is applicable (Scheme 53) [89,90]. 

Cyclobutane formation via light-induced [2 + 2] cycloaddition is probably one of the best studied photochemical reactions and has been reviewed thoroughly up to 1972 (Houben-Weyl, Vols. 4/5 a and 4/5 b). The most important types of C —C double-bond chromophores undergoing such reactions arc alkenes, 1,3-dienes, styrenes, stilbenes, arenes, hetarenes, cycloalk-2-enones, cyclohexa-2,4(and 2,5)-dienones, 1,4-benzoquinones, and heteroanalogs of these cyclic unsaturated carbonyl compounds. For p notocyciodimerizations see Houben-Weyl, Vol. 4/5 a, p 278 and for mixed [2 + 2] photocycloadditions of these same chromophores to alkenes see Section 1.3.2.3. 

The initial example of a photochemical cross [2+2] cycloaddition reaction of a stilbene was the reaction of t-1 and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene to yield the cyclobutane AO reported in... 

All the other cycloadditions, such as the [4+2] cycloadditions of allyl cations and anions, and the [8+2] and [6+4] cycloadditions of longer conjugated systems, have also been found to be suprafacial on both components, wherever it has been possible to test them. Thus the trans phenyl groups on the cyclopentene 2.65 show that the two new bonds were formed suprafacially on the rrans-stilbene. The tricyclic adducts 2.61, 2.77, 2.79, and 2.83, and the tetracyclic adduct 2.82, show that both components in each case have reacted suprafacially, although only suprafacial reactions are possible in cases like these, since the products from antarafacial attack on either component would have been prohibitively strained. Nevertheless, the fact that they have undergone cycloaddition is important, for it is the failure of thermal [2+2], [4+4] and [6+6], and photochemical [4+2], [8+2] and [6+4] pericyclic cycloadditions to take place, even when all-suprafacial options are open to them, that is significant. 

Photochemical [2+2] cycloaddition of alkenes in the crystalline state is synthetically very useful because it usually produces only one stereoisomer predicted ftom the crystal structure. On the other hand, this stereospeciflcity of the reaction can be a disadvantage because of inaccessibility to other stereoisomers. In order to circumvent such a problem, we explored compelled orientational control of the photodimerization of particular compounds like ranj-cinnamic acids and anthracenecarboxylic acids [74-78]. During our study, photochemistry of fluoro- and chloro-substituted ranj-stilbene-4-carboxylic acids and their methyl esters and alkaline and alkaline earth salts in the crystalline phase was likewise studied in order to synthesize specific stereoisomers selectively (Scheme 41) [79]. Most of these stilbene compounds dimerized to give exclusively or mainly syn head-to-head cyclobutane dimers. Some were photochemicaUy inert. 

Stilbene and its derivatives have often been used in photochemical [2-1-2] cycloadditions. The intermolecular dimerization presented by H. Meier of 2,3-fcij(2-phenylethenyl)-naphthalene directly leads to cyclophane via two [2-1-2] cycloadditions in one step. The yield is surprisingly very high and comparable with those of intramolecular reactions presented by W. H. Laarhoven. Various examples of vinylstilbenes are photolyzed to form cyclobutanes via a "crossed" addition. Even [2a-H2jt] cycloadditions and rearrangements involving H-transfer are utilized to construct unusual bicyclic or tricyclic compounds. 

Besides photochemical cis z trans isomerization and physical quenching not involving a photoreaction, several processes may occur that do not lead to cis- and trans-stilbenes, for example, dimerization, rearrangement and subsequent cleavage, addition to some other molecule, and cyclization. Under suitable conditions (e.g., at low concentrations) several side routes may be hindered. On the other hand, in the presence of appropriate additives new reactions may be favored, such as photoinduced electron transfer, cycloaddition, dehydrogenation, oxetane formation, and oxygenation. 

Another interesting photochemical reaction that occurs with the monolayers is dimerization. This is exempUfled by the photochemical behaviour of the SAM of 7-(10-thiodecoxy)coumarin (52) on polycrystaUine gold. Irradiation at 350 nm results in the (2 -f 2)-cycloaddition of the coumarin moieties. The photodimerization is a reversible process by irradiating at 254 nm. Better regioselectivity in the cycloaddition is obtained when the solid monolayer is irradiated rather than when it is in contact with benzene. The dimer formed is the yn-head-to-head dimer identified as 53 . Self-assembled monolayers of cis- and frani-4-cyano-4 -(10-thiodecoxy)stilbene (54) are also photochemically reactive. Irradiation of a thin film in benzene solution using A, > 350 nm results in the formation of a photostationary state with 80% of the cis-isomer present. Irradiation in the solid shows that cis.trans isomerism occurs but that trans.cis-isomerism fails. Prolonged irradiation brings about (2 - - 2)-cycloaddition of the stilbene units to afford cyclobutane adducts. Such dimerization is a well established process . The influence of irradiation at 254 nm or 350 nm of self-assembled monolayers of 10-thiodecyl 2-anthryl ether on polycrystaUine... 

The photochemical coupling of various stilbenes (S) and chloranil (Q) was effected by the specific charge transfer activation of the precursor electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex [S, Q] [110]. The [2 + 2] cycloaddition was established by X-ray structure elucidation of the crystalline trans-oxetanes formed selectively in high yields. 

Scheme 10.8 Photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition of tetra-stilbene calixarene to give distal...

A stilbene-cored poly(glutamate) dendrimer in benzene underwent intermolecular photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition. The bisignate circular dichroism signal of the resulting cycloadduct indicated the formation of chiral aggregates with through-space electronic interactions between the two stilbene cores. 

Since then, several phanes have been prepared by photoirradiation as a key step for CC bond formation (Table 19.1)." " Until the mid-1980s, stilbene, vinyl ether, and cinnamic acid moieties were used for the [2 + 2] cycloaddition, avoiding the use of labile vinylarenes. Thus, the phanes formed had some additional substituents at the tethers. This sometimes made their characterization complex. Other techniques were developed for the photochemical transformation of the simplest starting materials with vinyl groups directly attached to arene nuclei. 

Kochi and co-workers reported the photochemical addition of various stilbenes to chloroanil 53, which is controlled by the charge-transfer (CT) activation of the precursor electron-donor/acceptor (EDA) complex. The [2-1-2]-cycloaddition products 54 were established by an x-ray structure of the trans-oxetane formed selectively in high yields. Time-resolved (fs/ps) spectroscopy revealed that the (singlet) ion-radical pair is the primary reaction intermediate and established the electron-transfer pathway for this Patern6-BUchi transformation. The alternative pathway via direct electronic activation of the carbonyl component led to the same oxetane regioisomers in identical ratios. Thus, a common electron-transfer mechanism applies that involves quenching of the excited quinone acceptor by the stilbene donor to afford a triplet ion-radical intermediate, which appears on a nanosecond/microsecond time scale. The spin multiplicities of the critical ion-pair intermediates in the two photoactivation paths determine the time scale of the reaction sequences and also the efficiency of the relatively slow ion-pair collapse k = 10 s ) to the 1,4-biradical that ultimately leads to the oxetane product 54. 

---