Radical stereoselectivity ketyl reactions

The electroreductive cyclization reaction of 6-heptene-2-one 166, producing CIS-1,2-dimethylcyclopentanol 169, was discovered more than twenty years ago [166]. In agreement with Baldwin s rules, the 5-exo product is obtained in a good yield. Since that time, the mechanism of this remarkable regio- and stereoselective reaction has been elucidated by Kariv-Miller et al. [167-169]. Reversible cyclization of the initially formed ketyl radical anion 167 provides either the cis or the trans distonic radical anion. Subsequent electron transfer and protonation from the kinetically preferred 168 leads to the major cis product 169. The thermodynamically preferred 170 is considered as a source of the trace amounts of the trans by-product 171 (Scheme 32). 

Molander and co-workers have studied the stereoselective intramolecular addition of ketyl radicals to olefins [95JOC872]. The ketyl radicals are generated from ketone by treatment with samarium(II) diiodide. A similar reaction sequence using 61 gave only elimination products. 

First attempts to induce chirality in the photoinduced addition of ketyl radicals (e.g., U) involved a,p-usaturated carbonyl compounds such as 208 derived from carbohydrates (Scheme 56) [126]. With benzophenone as sensitizer, these radicals could be added stereoselectively, and similar reactions were carried out with dioxolane and a,p-usaturated nitropyranones [127]. 

Since samarium diiodide is only a one electron donor, two equivalents of the metal are required in order for the reaction to proceed. The first electron donated from the samarium produces a chiral ketyl radical 30 which undergoes enantioselective addition to the acrylate according to the chelated transition state shown in 32. The second electron donation then provides a chiral samarium enolate intermediate 33 that can potentially undergo stereoselective proton transfer in the formation of a second chiral center. 

Chiral samarium (II) complexes have also been applied towards the hydrodimerization of acrylic acid amides [16]. Such reactions involve the ligand-controlled dimerization of conjugated ketyl radicals in the enantioselective formation of 3,4-tra .y-disubstituted adipamides (Eq. 11). Yields were mainly low, often under 40% and enantiocontrol was modest with selectivities ranging from around 50-85% ee. A nine-membered chelated transition state 37 is used to rationalize the stereoselectivity of the dimerization where the ligand-bound conjugated ketyl radicals are oriented cis to each other on the metal assuming an octahedral geometry. 

Previously, tin-ketyl radicals have been added to alkenes only in an intramolecular fashion. [9] In recent publications, however, pinacols and amino alcohols have been prepared by cyclisation of dicarbonyl compounds [10] or keto-oximes [11] with tributyltin hydride. Cyclisation of 1,5-ketoaldehydes 1 and 1,5-dialdehydes with tributyltin hydride yields cw-diols 2 with excellent stereoselectivities, whereas the keto-oxime 4 with four benzyloxy-substituents affords a 58 42 cis trans) mixture. The tran -product was transformed in two more steps to the potent glycosidase inhibitor 1-deoxynojirimycin (6). [lib] The reversibility of both the addition of the tributyltin-radical to the carbonyl group and the intramolecular radical C-C bond formation is believed to be responsible for the high selectivity in the formation of 2. In the cyclisation of 1,5-pentanedial the unhydrolyzed coupling product 3 could be isolated, therefore providing evidence for a new mechanistic variant of the pinacol reaction, in which only 1.2 equivalent of the reducing agent are necessary. 

---