Radical anions carboxylic acids, esters

Periasamy et at. obtained aldehydes in good yield from poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon radical anions prepared by the addition of sodium to the aromatic hydrocarbon in THF, followed by formylation with carboxylic acid esters or N,N-dialkyformamides. Reactions of sodium naphthalenide, -anthracenide and -phenan-threnide with ethyl formate yielded the corresponding aldehydes. Substituted naphthalenes e.g. acenaphthene and 2-methylnaphthalene are also formylated using A/,A/-dialkylformamides, but in low yields (20% and 26% respectively). 

Formally related reactions are observed when anthracene [210] or arylole-fines [211-213] are reduced in the presence of carboxylic acid derivatives such as anhydrides, esters, amides, or nitriles. Under these conditions, mono- or diacylated compounds are obtained. It is interesting to note that the yield of acylated products largely depends on the counterion of the reduced hydrocarbon species. It is especially high when lithium is used, which is supposed to prevent hydrodimerization of the carboxylic acid by ion-pair formation. In contrast to alkylation, acylation is assumed to prefer an Sn2 mechanism. However, it is not clear if the radical anion or the dianion are the reactive species. The addition of nitriles is usually followed by hydrolysis of the resulting ketimines [211-213]. 

If these anions are oxidized at carbon anodes instead of Pt anodes, the main product is not the Kolbe dimer but an ester of the original carboxylic acid. This reaction (Hofer-Moest) is explained by the inherent instability of C radicals at highly anodic potentials, which are necessary for the anodic oxidation of carboxylate anions. At these potentials, the C radicals are oxidized to carbonium ions that react with carboxylate anions forming esters ... 

Following the study of the simple coupling of radicals derived from the salt of a single carboxylic acid, it was found that the electrolysis of a mixture of carboxylate anions or of the salts of half esters of dicarboxylic acids increased the synthetic value of the method. This arises from the possibility of the formation of symmetrical and unsymmetrical coupled products of the derived radicals. These anodic syntheses are illustrated in the synthesis of hexacosane (Expt 5.11), sebacic acid (decanedioic acid), octadecanedioic acid and myristic acid (tetra-decanoic acid), in Expt 5.131. 

The secondary reduction of the terminal radical by Sml2 generates samarium alkyl species which are suitable for classical organometallic reactions, e.g. protonation, acylation, reactions with carbon dioxide, disulfides, diselenides, or the Eschenmoser salt. A broad variety of products is available (hydroxy-substituted alkanes, esters, carboxylic acids, thioethers, selenoethers, tertiary amines) by use of the double-redox four-step (reduction-radical reaction-reduction-anion reaction) route (Scheme 20) [73]. 

Voltammetric data for ester reductions are available for several aromatic esters [51-54], and in particular cyclic voltammetry shows clearly that in the absence of proton donors reversible formation of anion radical occurs [51]. In dimethylfonnamide (DMF) solution the peak potential for reduction of methyl benzoate is —2.29 V (versus SCE) for comparison dimethyl terephthalate reduces at —1.68 V and phthalic anhydride at —1.25 V [4]. Half-wave potentials for reduction of aromatic carboxylate esters in an unbuffered solution of pH 7.2 are linearly correlated with cr values [51] electron-withdrawing substituents in the ring or alkoxy group shift Ei/o toward less negative potentials. Generally, esters seem to be more easily reducible than the parent carboxylic acids. Anion radicals of methyl, ethyl, and isopropyl benzoate have been detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (epr) spectroscopy upon cathodic reduction of these esters in acetonitrile-tetrapro-pylammonium perchlorate [52]. The anion radicals of several anhydrides, including phthalic anhydride, have similarly been studied [55]. 

As shown in Table 3.2, 5% BTCA in the presence of 10% SHP and 0.1% TiO (as a cocatalyst) was nsed, and the addition of TiO as a cocatalyst further increased WRA by 58.5%. This was becanse both TiO and SHP accelerated the catalytic reaction throngh the formation of ester bonds between the cyclic anhydride ring and the hydroxyl gronp of cellulose. The improvement of WRA by the addition of TiO in the BTCA treatment was probably dne to the nniqne photocatalytic properties of TiO, which is a kind of N-type semicondnctor. The hydroxyl radical (-OH) and snperoxide anion (-0 -) formed may have acted as catalysts to accelerate the formation of anhydrides from poly (carboxylic) acids. Fnrthermore, the effect of hydroxyl radical (-OH) and superoxide anion (-O -) on the increase of charge localization of the sohd cellulose medium in which esterfication and cross linking occur may also have been significant. Therefore, WRAs of cotton fiber treated with 5% BTCA, 10% SHP, and 0.2% TiO further increased to 61.3% compared with those of the untreated cotton fabric. The increment was proportional to the increase of TiOj from 0.1 to 0.2% in the BTCA treatment bath (Lam et al., 2011). 

Carboxylic AcidPerivatives. Detailed investigations into the electrolytic reduction of carboxylic acid derivatives (esters, anhydrides, amides) in nonaqueous solutions and the procedures for producing the respective radical anions have been described in the report by iDyasov and his co-workers f39]. They obtained radical anions from esters of aromatic carboxylic acids (benzoates, phtha-lates, isophthalates) and from phthalic anhydride and analyzed their EPR spectra. The production of radical anions of acrylates and methacrylates by electrochemical generation and the effect of proton donors on their stability was also described [11]. 

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