Radical decarboxylative alkylation

The use of hypervalent iodine reagents in carbon-carbon bond forming reactions is summarized with particular emphasis on applications in organic synthesis. The most important recent methods involve the radical decarboxylative alkylation of organic substrates with [bis(acyloxy)iodo]arenes, spirocyclization of para- and ortho-substituted phenols, the intramolecular oxidative coupling of phenol ethers, and the reactions of iodonium salts and ylides. A significant recent research activity is centered in the area of the transition metal-mediated coupling reactions of the alkenyl-, aryl-, and alkynyliodonium salts. 

Radical Decarboxylative Alkylation with [Bis(acyloxy)iodo]arenes 101... 

Radical decarboxylative alkylation of heteroaromatic bases mediated by [bis(acyloxy)iodo]arenes... 

Togo, H., Aoki, M., and Yokoyama, M., Facile radical decarboxylative alkylation of heteroaromatic bases using carboxylic acids and trivalent iodine compounds, Tetrahedron Lett., 32, 6559, 1991. Togo, H., Aoki, M., and Yokoyama, M., Alkylation of aromatic heterocycles with oxalic acid monoalkyl esters in the presence of trivalent iodine compounds, Chem. Lett., 1691,1991. Vismara, E., Torri, G., Pastori, N., and Marchiandi, M., A new approach to the stereoselective synthesis of C-nucleosides via homolytic heteroaromatic substitution. Tetrahedron Lett., 33, 7575, 1992. 

Togo, H., Aoki, M., Kuramochi, T, and Yokoyama, M., Radical decarboxylative alkylation onto heteroaromatic bases with trivalent iodine compounds, /. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 2417,1993. 

The extent of decarboxylation primarily depends on temperature, pressure, and the stabihty of the incipient R- radical. The more stable the R- radical, the faster and more extensive the decarboxylation. With many diacyl peroxides, decarboxylation and oxygen—oxygen bond scission occur simultaneously in the transition state. Acyloxy radicals are known to form initially only from diacetyl peroxide and from dibenzoyl peroxides (because of the relative instabihties of the corresponding methyl and phenyl radicals formed upon decarboxylation). Diacyl peroxides derived from non-a-branched carboxyhc acids, eg, dilauroyl peroxide, may also initially form acyloxy radical pairs however, these acyloxy radicals decarboxylate very rapidly and the initiating radicals are expected to be alkyl radicals. Diacyl peroxides are also susceptible to induced decompositions ... 

The anodic oxidation of the carboxylate anion 1 of a carboxylate salt to yield an alkane 3 is known as the Kolbe electrolytic synthesis By decarboxylation alkyl radicals 2 are formed, which subsequently can dimerize to an alkane. The initial step is the transfer of an electron from the carboxylate anion 1 to the anode. The carboxyl radical species 4 thus formed decomposes by loss of carbon dioxide. The resulting alkyl radical 2 dimerizes to give the alkane 3 " ... 

Birch reduction-alkylation of 5 with 2-bromoethyl acetate was carried out with complete facial selectivity to give 57. This tetrafunctional intermediate was converted to the bicyclic iodolactone 58 ( > 99% ee) from which the radical cyclization substrate 59 was prepared. The key radical cyclization occurred with complete regio- and facial-selectivity and subsequent stereoselective reduction of the resulting tertiary radical gave 60 with the required trans BC ring fusion.The allylic alcohol rmit of (+)-lycorine was obtained by a photochemical radical decarboxylation, 62 63. 

V. V. Zhdankin, in his chapter, summarizes the use of hypervalent iodine reagents for carbon-carbon bond formations. The generation of radicals with hypervalent iodine compounds is used in decarboxylative alkylations of organic substrates, whereas phenols and phenol ethers seem to be ideal substrates for... 

Recent laser flash photolysis (LFP) studies have provided absolute rates of addition of perfluoro-n-alkyl radicals to a variety of alkenes in solution [ 114,115]. In these studies, C2Fj, C3F7, and n-C7F,5 were generated instantaneously by photolysis of the respective diacyl peroxides. The initially-formed perfluoroacyloxyl radicals decarboxylated rapidly to yield the perfluoroalkyl radicals, after which the additions of these radicals to styrene, a-methylstyrene, etc. were monitored directly via observation of the growth of UV absorption due to the transient benzylic radicals. 

The complex photochemistry of cysteine derivatives sensitized by 4-carboxy-benzophenone 15 has been unravelled by CIDNP. The initially formed sulphur-centred (see. Figure 19) radical decarboxylates rapidly to give an a-amino alkyl radical, which in turn cleaves into a thiyl radical R-S and a vinylamine in competition with being oxidized to an imine by surplus sensitizer all these resulting species are unstable themselves and undergo further reactions. The rates of the radical fragmentations and the radical oxidation were obtained from the CIDNP experiments. 

The first step of the Hunsdiecker reaction is quite straightforward. The reaction between silver carboxylate 1 and bromine gives rise to insoluble silver bromide along with acyl hypobromite 3. The unstable acyl hypobromite 3 undergoes a homolytic cleavage of the O-Br bond to provide carboxyl radical 4. Carboxyl radical 4 then decomposes via radical decarboxylation to release carbon dioxide and alkyl radical 5, which subsequently reacts with another molecule of acyl hypobromite 3 to deliver alkyl bromide 2, along with regeneration of carboxyl radical 4. Because of the radical pathway, chirality is often lost for the chiral carbon atom immediately adjacent to the carboxylic acid. 

The last and the seventh synthesis of chaetomellic acid A was reported in 1997 by the Samadi group from CNRS, France [81]. This one step synthesis involves a Barton radical decarboxylation and gave 77% overall yield (Scheme 8). The method requires preparation of a thiohydroxamic ester of the corresponding alkyl acid followed by in-situ irradiation in the presence of citraconic anhydride and silica gel chromatography. The last intermediate in this synthesis is similar to the synthesis reported by Branchaud and Slate [75,76]. 

One particular radical decarboxylation reaction, which is used in the synthesis of alkyl or aryl bromide (Hunsdiecker reaction), involves reaction of the silver salt of a carboxylic acid with bromine, and results overall in loss of CO2 to form the corresponding alkyl or aryl bromide (Scheme 4.47). When silver carboxylate is treated with I2 ester formation occurs (Simonini reaction). 

In the case of aryl analogs, products may be derived either from the carboxyl radical or the radical formed by decarboxylation. Alkyl hydroperoxides give alkoxy radicals and the hydroxyl radical. t-Butyl hydroperoxide is easily available, and has often been used as a radical source. Detailed studies have been reported on the mechanism of the decomposition, which is somewhat more complicated than simple unimolecular decomposition." Dialkyl peroxides give two alkoxy radicals ... 

The reaction described below is an easy preparation of alkyl halides by a sequential radical decarboxylation-halogenation of carboxylic acid derivatives. In supplement to the example described here, other compoimds prepared by this method are shown in the table (yield in parentheses). In this work, ultrasonic waves were produced by a 250-W-high-intensity ultrasonic processor Vibracell from Sonics Materials Inc. 

This ladical-geneiating reaction has been used in synthetic apphcations, eg, aioyloxylation of olefins and aromatics, oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes, etc (52,187). Only alkyl radicals, R-, are produced from aliphatic diacyl peroxides, since decarboxylation occurs during or very shortiy after oxygen—oxygen bond scission in the transition state (187,188,199). For example, diacetyl peroxide is well known as a source of methyl radicals (206). 

Alkyl Isoquinolines. Coal tar contains small amounts of l-methylisoquinoline [1721-93-3] 3-methylisoquinoline [1125-80-0] and 1,3-dimetliylisoquinoline [1721-94-4J. The 1- and 3-methyl groups are more reactive than others in the isoquinoline nucleus and readily oxidize with selenium dioxide to form the corresponding isoquinoline aldehydes (174). These compounds can also be obtained by the hydrolysis of the dihalomethyl group. The 1- and 3-methyhsoquinolines condense with benzaldehyde in the presence of zinc chloride or acetic anhydride to produce 1- and 3-styryhsoquinolines. Radicals formed by decarboxylation of carboxyUc acids react to produce 1-aIkyhsoquinolines. 

Alkyl radicals produced by oxidative decarboxylation of carboxylic acids are nucleophilic and attack protonated azoles at the most electron-deficient sites. Thus imidazole and 1-alkylimidazoles are alkylated exclusively at the 2-position (80AHC(27)241). Similarly, thiazoles are attacked in acidic media by methyl and propyl radicals to give 2-substituted derivatives in moderate yields, with smaller amounts of 5-substitution. These reactions have been reviewed (74AHC(i6)123) the mechanism involves an intermediate cr-complex. 

One-electron oxidation of carboxylate ions generates acyloxy radicals, which undergo decarboxylation. Such electron-transfer reactions can be effected by strong one-electron oxidants, such as Mn(HI), Ag(II), Ce(IV), and Pb(IV) These metal ions are also capable of oxidizing the radical intermediate, so the products are those expected from carbocations. The oxidative decarboxylation by Pb(IV) in the presence of halide salts leads to alkyl halides. For example, oxidation of pentanoic acid with lead tetraacetate in the presence of lithium chloride gives 1-chlorobutane in 71% yield ... 

The reaction is a free-radical alkylation in which radicals are derived from a carboxylic acid by decarboxylation with Ag+/S20a-. If has the advantage that the reaction medium can be adjusted so that the monoalkylatcd product precipitates as it is formed, whereby di- or polyalkylation5 is suppressed. 

The reaction fails if the decarboxylation produces a radical that is easily oxidized, such as an a-hydroxyalkyl radical.2 In intermediate cases, such as tert-alkyl or a-alkoxyalkyl radicals,2 the yield based on the parent quinono is usually improved by using an excess of persulfate and carboxylic acid to compensate for the loss of radicals due to oxidation (footnote b, Table I). 

The current-potential relationship indicates that the rate determining step for the Kolbe reaction in aqueous solution is most probably an irreversible 1 e-transfer to the carboxylate with simultaneous bond breaking leading to the alkyl radical and carbon dioxide [8]. However, also other rate determining steps have been proposed [10]. When the acyloxy radical is assumed as intermediate it would be very shortlived and decompose with a half life of t 10" to carbon dioxide and an alkyl radical [89]. From the thermochemical data it has been concluded that the rate of carbon dioxide elimination effects the product distribution. Olefin formation is assumed to be due to reaction of the carboxylate radical with the alkyl radical and the higher olefin ratio for propionate and butyrate is argued to be the result of the slower decarboxylation of these carboxylates [90]. 

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