Secondary radicals mechanisms

Metal Catalysis. Aqueous solutions of amine oxides are unstable in the presence of mild steel and thermal decomposition to secondary amines and aldehydes under acidic conditions occurs (24,25). The reaction proceeds by a free-radical mechanism (26). The decomposition is also cataly2ed by V(III) and Cu(I). 

The alkyl group R of certain carboxylic esters can be reduced to RH by treatment with lithium in ethylamine. The reaction is successful when R is a tertiary or a sterically hindered secondary alkyl group. A free-radical mechanism is likely. Similar reduction, also by a free-radical mechanism, has been reported with sodium in HMPA-r-BuOH. In the latter case, tertiary R groups give high yields of RH, but primary and secondary R are converted to a mixture of RH and ROH. Both of these methods provide an indirect method of accomplishing 10-81 for tertiary R. 

H NMR data has been reported for the ethylzinc complex, Zn(TPP—NMe)Et, formed from the reaction of free-base N-methyl porphyrin H(TPP—NMe) with ZnEti. The ethyl proton chemical shifts are observed upheld, evidence that the ethyl group is coordinated to zinc near the center of the porphyrin. The complex is stable under N2 in the dark, but decomposed by a radical mechanism in visible light.The complex reacted with hindered phenols (HOAr) when irradiated with visible light to give ethane and the aryloxo complexes Zn(TPP—NMe)OAr. The reaction of Zn(TPP—NMe)Et, a secondary amine (HNEt2) and CO2 gave zinc carbamate complexes, for example Zn(TPP—NMclOiCNEti."" ... 

In both mechanisms, the regiochemistry is determined by a preference for forming the most stable intermediate possible. For example, in the ionic mechanism, adds to produce a tertiary carbocation, rather than a secondary carbocation. Similarly, in the radical mechanism, Br adds to produce a tertiary radical, rather than a secondary radical, hi this respect, the two reactions are very similar. But take special notice of the fundamental difference. In the ionic mechanism, the proton comes on first. However, in the radical mechanism, the bromine comes on first. This critical difference explains why an ionic mechanism gives a Markovnikov addition while a radical mechanism gives an anti-Markovnikov addition. 

A moderate diastereoselectivity was observed in these reactions where a mixture of diastereomers could be generated.58 The reactivity of the halides followed the order of tertiary > secondary primary and iodide> bromide (chlorides did not react). The preferred solvent system was aqueous ethanol. The process was suggested to proceed by a free radical mechanism occurring on the metal surface under sonochemical conditions. Efforts to trap the intermediate [A] intramolecularly gave only a very low yield of the cyclization product (Scheme 10.4).59... 

In addition to nitric oxide, superoxide, and peroxynitrite, NO synthases are able to generate secondary free radicals because similar to cytochrome P-450 reductase, the reductase domain can transfer an electron from the heme to a xenobiotic. Thus it has been found [158,159] that neuronal NO synthase NOS I catalyzed the formation of CH3CH(OH) radical from ethanol. It was suggested that the perferryl complex of NOS I is responsible for the formation of such secondary radicals. Miller [160] also demonstrated that 1,3-dinitrobenzene mediated the formation of superoxide by nNOS. It was proposed that the enhancement of superoxide production in the presence of 1,3-dinitrobenzene converted nNOS into peroxynitrite-produced synthase and may be a mechanism of neurotoxicity of certain nitro compounds. 

The Mo(CO)6-TBHP system promoted autoxidation of 5-alkylidenene-4,5-dihydrofurans (168) under mild conditions, allowing the preparation of primary, secondary and tertiary furyl hydroperoxides. A radical mechanism has been proposed and was supported by the experimental data. 

Hence, analyzing the structure of the final products, we can tell whether the reaction has chosen the ion-radical mechanism. To this end, not only the main reaction products but also side or secondary ones should be subjected to analysis. The reaction, however, may yield a single product only. And though the reaction may take the ion-radical pathway, the final product may not differ from the product anticipated from the ordinary reaction. Fortunately, there are also other ways to discern the ion-radical mechanism if the reaction has really chosen it. 

A choice between the conventional (or classical) and ion-radical mechanism is a very important issue. The ion-radical pathway leads to products of the desired structure, makes the conversion conditions milder, or changes the reactivity of the secondary intermediate particles. If ion-radicals form and react in a solvent cage, reaction proceeds rapidly, product... 

The vapour phase nitration of hydrocarbons proceeds via a radical mechanism and so it is found that tertiary carbon centres are nitrated most readily, followed by secondary and primary... 

Now, just the same sort of rationalization can be applied to the radical addition, in that the more favourable secondary radical is predominantly produced. This, in turn, leads to addition of HBr in what is the anti-Markovnikov orientation. The apparent difference is because the electrophile in the ionic mechanism is a proton, and bromide then quenches the resultant cation. In the radical reaction, the attacking species is a bromine atom, and a hydrogen atom is then used to quench the radical. This is effectively a reverse sequence for the addition process but, nevertheless, the stability of the intermediate carbocation or radical is the defining feature. The terminologies Markovnikov or anti-Markovnikov orientation may be confusing and difficult to remember consider the mechanism and it all makes sense. 

As anticipated, Sheldon and coworkers attempted to revise the Cu/TEMPO system, and suggested that a piperidinyloxycopper(II) adduct, rather than the oxoammonium ion, is instead formed as an intermediate species that adduct would be responsible for turning the alcohol into the carbonyl product. Sheldon and coworkers proposed the radical mechanism outlined in Scheme 17, and supported it with a Hammett p value of —0.16 (vs. a) and with a KIE of 5.4 . They also suggested that steric hindrance arising from interaction of secondary alcohols with the active-TEiMPO species, whatever it can be, are possibly responsible for the lower, or lack of, reactivity displayed by these substrates . Accordingly, a novel TEMPO-like system has been recently developed in order to specifically bypass this steric interference , as we are going to see below. 

Iodosobenzene diacetate and iodine convert pentanol to 2-methyltetrahydrofuran by a similar mechanism. The secondary radical is most likely captured by iodine or oxidized to the carbocation prior to cyclization.271... 

In support of the above mechanism, (lS,2S,57 )-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1. l]heptan-3-one [(-)-isopinocamphone, 22] does not yield a hydrogen transfer product because its carbonyl group is unable to provide -stabilization to the corresponding secondary radical.106... 

Alkyl fluorides have been generated from the reaction of carboxylic acids with one equivalent of xenon difluoride in dichloromethane or chloroform solution. The process has been named fluorodecarboxylation", the fluorine analog of the Hunsdieckerand Kochi reaction.8384 Both primary and tertiary acids react very well, but secondary acids react less readily. A possible scheme involves a free-radical mechanism including an unstable fluoroxenon ester of an appropriate acid.84... 

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