Radical Reactions of Alkenes

Aubele et al. studied the aqueous Prins cyclization using cycMc unsaturated acetals as oxocarbenium ion progenitors and allylsilanes are used as nucleophiles. Cyclizations proceed efficiently inside Lewis acidic micelles (of cerium salt) in water. A variety of vinyl- and aryl-substituted tetrahydropyrans with excellent stereocontrol was obtained (Eq. 3.26).  

A reaction related to alkene-aldehyde coupMng is the alkene-imine coupling. A one-pot cycMzation involving such a reaction (Eq. 3.27) proceeds smoothly in a mixture of water-THF. The reaction has been used in the asymmetric synthesis of pipecoMc acid derivatives. 

---

Free radical reaction of alkenes with tetrahalomethanes [19] ... 

Organoboranes participate in either ionic or radical reactions [1]. However, there are a few reports on the apphcations of organoboranes as initiators for radical reactions [2, 3]. It is reported [4] that in the presence of a catalytic amount of 9-BBN or B-hexyl-9-BBN, or to some extent B-methoxy-9-BBN, initiates the radical addition of alkanethiols to alkenes under very mild conditions to provide the corresponding dialkylsulfides almost in quantitative yields (Scheme 14.1). On the other hand, the radical reactions of alkenes with thiols are generally initiated by thermal decomposition of peroxides or azo compounds, by UV radiations, or by radiolysis [5]. The reaction initiated by 9-BBN is completely inhibited in the presence of galvinoxyl, a radical trapping agent. This confirms that 9-BBN participates in the initiation of radical addition (Table 14.1) [4]. 

Under CO pressure in alcohol, the reaction of alkenes and CCI4 proceeds to give branched esters. No carbonylation of CCI4 itself to give triichloroacetate under similar conditions is observed. The ester formation is e.xplained by a free radical mechanism. The carbonylation of l-octene and CCI4 in ethanol affords ethyl 2-(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)decanoate (924) as a main product and the simple addition product 925(774]. ... 

Reactions of alkenes with H-Si(l 0 0)-2 x 1 surfaces have been shown to yield films with one-dimensional (ID) molecular lines through Si-C linkages, contrary to formation of the islands observed on H-Si(l 11). The reaction can be initiated from isolated surface silyl radicals created using the tip of the STM. The STM images showed molecular lines running along and across the dimer rows depending on the chemical constituent of R in the CH2 = CH-R molecules. 

Several other types of addition reactions of alkenes are also of importance and these are discussed elsewhere. Nucleophilic additions to electrophilic alkenes are covered in Section 2.6 and cycloadditions involving concerted mechanisms are encountered in Sections 6.1 to 6.3. Free radical addition reaction are considered in Chapter 11. 

Relatively few kinetic data are available for the carbon-carbon bond forming reactions of alkene radical cations. Nevertheless, rate constants for the cyclization illustrated in Scheme 9, with generation of the alkene radical cation by the fragmentation method, have been measured. These cyclization rate constants are significantly faster than those of the corresponding neutral radicals [89]. 

The radical carboazidation of alkenes has been achieved in water using triethylborane as initiator [118]. This efficient process is complete in one hour at room temperature in an open to air reaction vessel (Scheme 54, Eq. 54a). These new tin-free carboazidation conditions are environmentally friendly and allow to run reactions with an excess of either the alkene or the radical precursor. They are also suitable for simple radical azidation of alkyl iodides as well as for more complex cascade reactions involving annulation processes (Eq. 54b). In both reactions (Eq. 54a and 54b), an excess of triethylborane (3 equivalents) is required to obtain a good yield. This may be an indication that the chain process, more precisely the reaction between the phenylsul-fonyl radical and Et3B, is not efficient. 

Another group of bicyclic aliphatic phosphines has been introduced by Sasol [15], Their ligands are based on addition of PH3 to limonene (the R-enantiomer). A mixture of two diastereomeric compounds is obtained due to the two configurations of the methyl group at the C-4 position (Figure 7.9). The Lim-H compounds obtained can be functionalised at the phosphorus atom with the usual radical reactions with alkenes or substitution reactions of their conjugate bases formed after treatment with BuLi with electrophiles. 

The kinetics of the catalytic oxidation of cyclopentene to glutaraldehyde by aqueous hydrogen peroxide and tungstic acid have been studied and a compatible mechanism was proposed, which proceeds via cyclopentene oxide and /3-hydroxycyclopentenyl hydroperoxide. " Monosubstituted heteropolytungstate-catalysed oxidation of alkenes by t-butyl hydroperoxide, iodosobenzene, and dioxygen have been studied a radical mechanism was proved for the reaction of alkenes with t-BuOOH and O2, but alkene epoxidation by iodosobenzene proceeds via oxidant coordination to the catalyst and has a heterolytic mechanism. ... 

Meldrum s acid, like other 1,3-dicarboxyl compounds, was amenable to radical reactions at C-5. The radical reaction between Meldrum s acid benzyl alkyl ethers mediated by InCl3/Cu(OTf)2 has been reported to proceed regioselectively at the benzylic position of the ether moiety (Scheme 35) <2006AGE1949>. Radical reaction of Meldrum s acid and alkenes was carried out with 2equiv of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) to give the a-carboxy-lactones which were subsequently subjected to decarboxylative methylenation affording the a-methylene lactones in 35-50% yield (Scheme 35) <2006SL1523>. 

The results of laboratory studies of the mechanism of N03 radical reactions with alkenes tend to be slanted toward observing polyfunctional organics containing more than one nitro group. The reason for this is that the thermal decomposition of N205,... 

The principles of radical addition reactions of alkenes appear to apply equally to alkynes, although there are fewer documented examples of radical additions to triple bonds. Two molecules of hydrogen bromide can add to propyne first to give cis-1 -bromopropene (by antarafacial addition) and then 1,2-dibromopropane ... 

The reactions of 1,3-butadiene are reasonably typical of conjugated dienes. The compound undergoes the usual reactions of alkenes, such as catalytic hydrogenation or radical and polar additions, but it does so more readily than most alkenes or dienes that have isolated double bonds. Furthermore, the products frequently are those of 1,2 and 1,4 addition ... 

Fig. 3. Some examples of postulated concerted [2 + 2] and [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of alkenes with silicon double bonds, as well as alternate descriptions in terms of a [1 + 2 + 1] reaction with silicon free radicals that would be expected to proceed in a non-concerted fashion through the intermediate [1 + 1] adduct shown.

Treatment of arenesulfinate salts with Cu2+, Mn3+, or Ce4+ generates arenesulfonyl radicals, via single electron oxidation. Thus, reaction of alkene (50) with p-TsNa in the presence of Cu(OAc)2 in AcOH gives p-tolyl allyl sulfone (51) through the addition of a toluenesulfonyl radical onto alkene, oxidation of the formed carbon-centered radical with Cu2+, and then deprotonation (eq. 4.20a). This reaction requires acidic conditions for effective oxidation with Cu2+ or Mn3+ [53-58]. Eq. 4.20b is the same addition... 

---