Reactions with carbenoids and radicals

There are several examples of intramolecular reactions of monocyclic /3-lactams with carbenes or carbenoids most of these involve formation of olivanic acid or clavulanic acid derivatives. Thus treatment of the diazo compound (106) with rhodium(II) acetate in benzene under reflux gives (107), an intermediate in the synthesis of thienamycin (80H(14)1305, 80TL2783). 

Cyclization of the diazo compound (108) with a copper catalyst affords the clavulanic acid derivatives (110) and (111), possibly via rearrangement of the sulfur ylide (109) (80H(14)1999). Similar reactions have been reported in the recent literature (80H(14)1967, 81H(16)1305, 80TL31). 

An intermolecular carbenoid reaction followed by intramolecular displacement of acetate gives the clavulanic acid derivative (112) in one step from 4-acetoxyazetidin-2-one (91) (80CC1257). Carbene-induced reactions of penicillins and cephalosporins have been reviewed (75S547, 78T1731). 

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Reactions with Radicals, Carbenoid, and Electron-Deficient Species... 

Based on this scheme, the kinetics of decomposition of diazodiphenylmethane and diazofluorene in acetonitrile by ZnCl, ZnBr or Znij has been explained Copper complexes of type 416 or 417 have been invoked to account for kinetics and products of the decomposition of diazodiphenylmethane by CuBr in acetonitrile Copper carbenoids of unspecified structure were assumed in analogous investigations with CuBr and CuClO [but not with CufClOJ which initiates a radical cation pathway, vide infra]. Carbenoids 416 (X = Hal) have been isolated from reactions... 

The carbenes or carbenoids can be generated in a variety of ways. It is not always clear whether the reaction is concerted or stepwise and whether the carbene behaves as an electrophilic, nucleophilic or radical species. For instance, a carbenoid generated from bismuthonium ylide (19) in the presence of copper(I) chloride would behave as a triplet and add as a radical to a terminal alkyne" (equation 17). The dicarbonyl structure and the absence of reaction with methyl propionate to a furane might well indicate electrophilic character of this carbene. 

The addition of aromatic and a,p-unsaturated ketones to solutions of 1 rapidly gives deep blue or purple solutions, the dark colour of which fades over several hours. This is suggestive of formation of ketyl radicals. This has given grounds to the authors to compare this reaction with the reductive coupling of the carbonyl compounds [22]. Unfortunately, they do not accept participation of carbenoid species in this case. 

C-H alkylation and amination reactions involving metal-carbenoid and metal-nitrenoid species have been developed for many years, most extensively with (chiral) dirhodium(ll) carboxylate and carboxamidate complexes as catalysts [45]. When performed in intramolecular settings, such reactions offer versatile methods for the (enantioselective) synthesis of hetero- and carbocy-cles. In the past decade, Zhang and coworkers had explored the catalysis of cobalt(II)-porphyrin complexes for carbene- and nitrene-transfer reactions [46] and revealed a radical nature of such processes as a distinct mechanistic feature compared with typical metal (e.g., rhodium)-catalyzed carbenoid and nitrenoid reactions [47]. Described below are examples of heterocycle synthesis via cobalt(II)-porphyrin-catalyzed intramolecular C-H amination or C-H alkylation. 

Saturated large rings may form nitrogen radicals by H abstraction from N, or abstraction may occur in the a- or /3-positions in nonnitrogen systems. Oxepane gives the radical in the 2-position, with subsequent cleavage and reclosure of the intermediate carbenoid to cyclohexanol (Section 5.17.2.1.5). In unsaturated large systems a variety of reactions, unexceptional in their nature, are found. Some azepines can be brominated by A -bromosuc-cinimide others decompose under similar conditions (Section 5.16.3.7). 

For the copper-induced decomposition of diazodiphenylmethane in acetonitrile, a fundamental difference in the catalytic action of Cu C104 and Cu ClO was detected. Whilst with CuC104, intermediary copper carbenoids are believed to be responsible for the mainly formed benzophenone azine402, CufClO initiates a chain reaction, promoted by radical cations and yielding mainly tetraphenylethene... 

It is known that the oxidation potentials of diazodiphenylmethane and Cu(I) in acetonitrile are very similar. With CuBr2 however, no radical-chain reaction takes place. Contrary to the copper perchlorates, CuBr2 and CuBr initiate identical reaction pathways involving copper carbenoids. No definite answer to this discrepancy is available 402). 

Hydantocidin, which bears a spiro skeleton, is a natural product and a herbicide. Eq. 3.113 shows the typical preparation method of spiro-diketone (277) from the reaction of a-diazoketone (276) with Rh2(OAc)4 via a carbenoide species. However, this spiro skeleton can be also constructed by radical reactions. Treatment of (3-keto ester (278) with Mn(OAc)3 in the presence of electron-rich olefin generates spiro-cyclic thioketal (279) through the formation of a (3-keto ester radical, intermolecular radical addition to... 

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