Radical carboxylation

Each initiator molecule yields two primary radicals which can be sulfate ion or hydroxyl radicals. Carboxylate soaps and other ingredients of the reaction mixture may accelerate the rate of decomposition of persulfates. Their useful temperature range is generally between 40 and 90 C. 

Esters. Radical carboxylation without a catalyst is achieved by irradiation of a hexane solution of a secondary alkyl iodide, an alcohol, and a base under CO (>20 atm). Primary chlorides and phenylthio groups are not affected. 

Up until the end of the 1980s, radical carbonylation chemistry was rarely considered to be a viable synthetic method for the preparation of carbonyl compounds. In recent years, however, a dramatic change has occurred in this picture [3]. Nowadays, carbon monoxide has gained widespread acceptance in free radical chemistry as a valuable Cl synthon [4]. Indeed, many radical methods can allow for the incorporation of carbon monoxide directly into the carbonyl portion of aldehydes, ketones, esters, amides, etc. Radical carboxylation chemistry which relies on iodine atom transfer carbonylation is an even more recent development. In terms of indirect methods, the recent emergence of a series of sulfonyl oxime ethers has provided a new and powerful radical acylation methodology and clearly demonstrates the ongoing vitality of modem free radical methods for the synthesis of carbonyl compounds. 

To our knowledge, only one report exists in which the formation of carboxylic acid by radical carboxylation with carbon dioxide has been documented. Curran and co-workers observed the formation of 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid in 10% yield, together with 71% yield of anthracene, when the radical reduction of 9-io-doanthracene with the ethylene-spaced fluorous tin hydride was run using supercritical CO2 (90°C, 280 atm) as the reaction media (Scheme 4-41) [69], As demonstrated in this example, the CO2 trapping reaction by radicals is not an efficient process and therefore is of limited synthetic utility. The rate constant for the addition is yet to be determined, but kinetic studies to date indicate that generally the decarboxylation of acyloxyl radicals is a rapid process [70]. 

Radical Carboxylation with Methyl Oxalyl Chloride... 

Fig. 8. Hydroxycyclohexadienyl radicals carboxylated at the positions 2 (full circles), 3 (triangles) and 4 (open circles). Fig. 9. Dicarboxylated radicals prepared from isophthalic H(l) coupling constants vs. basicity [85Tan2]. acid. H(l) coupling constants vs. basicity [85Tan2].

Acyl Halides. Acyl halides, in which the hydroxyl portion of a carboxyl group is replaced by a halogen, are named by placing the name of the corresponding halide after that of the acyl radical. When another group is present that has priority for citation as principal group or when the acyl halide is attached to a side chain, the prefix haloformyl- is used as, for example, in fiuoro-formyl-. 

Many trivial names exist for acids these are listed in Table 1.11. Generally, radicals are formed by replacing -ic acid by -oyL When a trivial name is given to an acyclic monoacid or diacid, the numeral 1 is always given as locant to the carbon atom of a carboxyl group in the acid or to the carbon atom with a free valence in the radical RCO—. 

Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide. HPAM (6) can be prepared by a free-radical process ia which acrylamide is copolymerized with incremental amounts of acryUc acid or through homopolymerization of acrylamide followed by hydrolysis of some of the amide groups to carboxylate units. 

Replacement of Labile Chlorines. When PVC is manufactured, competing reactions to the normal head-to-tail free-radical polymerization can sometimes take place. These side reactions are few ia number yet their presence ia the finished resin can be devastating. These abnormal stmctures have weakened carbon—chlorine bonds and are more susceptible to certain displacement reactions than are the normal PVC carbon—chlorine bonds. Carboxylate and mercaptide salts of certain metals, particularly organotin, zinc, cadmium, and antimony, attack these labile chlorine sites and replace them with a more thermally stable C—O or C—S bound ligand. These electrophilic metal centers can readily coordinate with the electronegative polarized chlorine atoms found at sites similar to stmctures (3—6). 

The carboxyl group of acids appears to deactivate the hydrogens on the alpha carbon atom toward attack by the free-radical flux in oxidation reactions. Acetic acid, therefore, is particularly inert toward further oxidation (hydrogens are both primary and deactivated) (48). For this reason, it is feasible to produce acetic acid by the oxidation of butane (in the Hquid phase), even under rather severe oxidation conditions under which most other products are further oxidized to a significant extent (22). 

All laromatics. The aromatic ring is fairly inert toward attack by oxygen-centered radicals. Aromatic acids consisting of carboxyl groups substituted on aromatic rings are good candidates for production by LPO of alkylaromatics since thek k /k ratios are low. TerephthaUc acid [100-21 -0]... 

The biochemical basis for the toxicity of mercury and mercury compounds results from its ability to form covalent bonds readily with sulfur. Prior to reaction with sulfur, however, the mercury must be metabolized to the divalent cation. When the sulfur is in the form of a sulfhydryl (— SH) group, divalent mercury replaces the hydrogen atom to form mercaptides, X—Hg— SR and Hg(SR)2, where X is an electronegative radical and R is protein (36). Sulfhydryl compounds are called mercaptans because of their ability to capture mercury. Even in low concentrations divalent mercury is capable of inactivating sulfhydryl enzymes and thus causes interference with cellular metaboHsm and function (31—34). Mercury also combines with other ligands of physiological importance such as phosphoryl, carboxyl, amide, and amine groups. It is unclear whether these latter interactions contribute to its toxicity (31,36). 

Interest in synthetic naphthenic acid has grown as the supply of natural product has fluctuated. Oxidation of naphthene-based hydrocarbons has been studied extensively (35—37), but no commercially viable processes are known. Extensive purification schemes must be employed to maximize naphthene content in the feedstock and remove hydroxy acids and nonacidic by-products from the oxidation product. Free-radical addition of carboxylic acids to olefins (38,39) and addition of unsaturated fatty acids to cycloparaffins (40) have also been studied but have not been commercialized. 

Oxidation of LLDPE starts at temperatures above 150°C. This reaction produces hydroxyl and carboxyl groups in polymer molecules as well as low molecular weight compounds such as water, aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols. Oxidation reactions can occur during LLDPE pelletization and processing to protect molten resins from oxygen attack during these operations, antioxidants (radical inhibitors) must be used. These antioxidants (qv) are added to LLDPE resins in concentrations of 0.1—0.5 wt %, and maybe naphthyl amines or phenylenediamines, substituted phenols, quinones, and alkyl phosphites (4), although inhibitors based on hindered phenols are preferred. 

Apparently the alkoxy radical, R O , abstracts a hydrogen from the substrate, H, and the resulting radical, R" , is oxidized by Cu " (one-electron transfer) to form a carbonium ion that reacts with the carboxylate ion, RCO - The overall process is a chain reaction in which copper ion cycles between + 1 and +2 oxidation states. Suitable substrates include olefins, alcohols, mercaptans, ethers, dienes, sulfides, amines, amides, and various active methylene compounds (44). This reaction can also be used with tert-huty peroxycarbamates to introduce carbamoyloxy groups to these substrates (243). 

---