SrnI Substitution Processes

The cleavage of C—S bonds in C—SO2R anion radicals plays an important role in SrnI tyP processes ". Kornblum and coworkers described a photostimulated electron transfer chain substitution at a saturated carbon where the leaving group is PhSOj ... 

As shown in Section 2.2.7, chemical reactions may be triggered by electrons or holes from an electrode as illustrated by SrnI substitutions (Section 2.5.6). Instead of involving the electrode directly, the reaction may be induced indirectly by means of redox catalysis, as illustrated in Scheme 2.15 for an SrnI reaction. An example is given in Figure 2.30, in which cyclic voltammetry allows one to follow the succession of events involved in this redox catalysis of an electrocatalytic process. In the absence of substrate (RX) and of nucleophile (Nu-), the redox catalysis, P, gives rise to a reversible response. A typical catalytic transformation of this wave is observed upon addition of RX, as discussed in Sections 2.2.6 and 2.3.1. The direct reduction wave of RX appears at more negative potentials, followed by the reversible wave of RH, which is the reduction product of RX (see Scheme 2.21). Upon addition of the nucleophile, the radical R is transformed into the anion radical of the substituted product, RNu -. RNu -... 

More complicated reactions that combine competition between first- and second-order reactions with ECE-DISP processes are treated in detail in Section 6.2.8. The results of these theoretical treatments are used to analyze the mechanism of carbon dioxide reduction (Section 2.5.4) and the question of Fl-atom transfer vs. electron + proton transfer (Section 2.5.5). A treatment very similar to the latter case has also been used to treat the preparative-scale results in electrochemically triggered SrnI substitution reactions (Section 2.5.6). From this large range of treated reaction schemes and experimental illustrations, one may address with little adaptation any type of reaction scheme that associates electrode electron transfers and homogeneous reactions. 

Similarly, several examples of reactions of perliuoroalkyl halides have been demonstrated to follow an SrnI -type mechanism (Section 3, p. 75). Since, here too, dissociative electron transfer is likely under the conditions of the reactions [Section 2, pp. 54-56 (Andrieux et ai, 1990b)], the substitution process most probably also follows mechanism (134) rather than (103). The same is also likely to be true with alkyl mercurials (Russell, 1989). 

The reactivities of the substrate and the nucleophilic reagent change vyhen fluorine atoms are introduced into their structures This perturbation becomes more impor tant when the number of atoms of this element increases A striking example is the reactivity of alkyl halides S l and mechanisms operate when few fluorine atoms are incorporated in the aliphatic chain, but perfluoroalkyl halides are usually resistant to these classical processes However, formal substitution at carbon can arise from other mecharasms For example nucleophilic attack at chlorine, bromine, or iodine (halogenophilic reaction, occurring either by a direct electron-pair transfer or by two successive one-electron transfers) gives carbanions These intermediates can then decompose to carbenes or olefins, which react further (see equations 15 and 47) Single-electron transfer (SET) from the nucleophile to the halide can produce intermediate radicals that react by an SrnI process (see equation 57) When these chain mechanisms can occur, they allow reactions that were previously unknown Perfluoroalkylation, which used to be very rare, can now be accomplished by new methods (see for example equations 48-56, 65-70, 79, 107-108, 110, 113-135, 138-141, and 145-146)... 

This is called the SrnI mechanism," and many other examples are known (see 13-3, 13-4,13-6,13-12). The lUPAC designation is T+Dn+An." Note that the last step of the mechanism produces ArT radical ions, so the process is a chain mechanism (see p. 895)." An electron donor is required to initiate the reaction. In the case above it was solvated electrons from KNH2 in NH3. Evidence was that the addition of potassium metal (a good producer of solvated electrons in ammonia) completely suppressed the cine substitution. Further evidence for the SrnI mechanism was that addition of radical scavengers (which would suppress a free-radical mechanism) led to 8 9 ratios much closer to 1.46 1. Numerous other observations of SrnI mechanisms that were stimulated by solvated electrons and inhibited by radical scavengers have also been recorded." Further evidence for the SrnI mechanism in the case above was that some 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene was found among the products. This could easily be formed by abstraction by Ar- of Ft from the solvent NH3. Besides initiation by solvated electrons," " SrnI reactions have been initiated photochemically," electrochemically," and even thermally." ... 

The ability of a nitro group in the substrate to bring about electron-transfer free radical chain nucleophilic substitution (SrnI) at a saturated carbon atom is well documented.39 Such electron transfer reactions are one of the characteristic features of nitro compounds. Komblum and Russell have established the SrnI reaction independently the details of the early history have been well reviewed by them.39 The reaction of p-nitrobenzyl chloride with a salt of nitroalkane is in sharp contrast to the general behavior of the alkylation of the carbanions derived from nitroalkanes here, carbon alkylation is predominant. The carbon alkylation process proceeds via a chain reaction involving anion radicals and free radicals, as shown in Eq. 5.24 and Scheme... 

From the foregoing it can be seen that the nitro group can be activated for C C bond formation in various ways. Classically the nitro group facilitates the Henry reaction, Michael addition, and Diels-Alder reaction. Kornblum and Russell have introduced a new substitution reaction, which proceeds via a one electron-transfer process (SrnI). The SrnI reactions have recently been recognized as useful tools in organic synthesis. All these reactions can be used for the preparation of alkenes as described in this chapter. 

The SrnI reaction thus appears as a reaction in which single electron transfer plays a pre-eminent role but is by no means a single elementary step. A different problem is that of the possible involvement of single electron transfer in reactions that are not catalysed by electron injection (or removal). A typical example of such processes is another substitution reaction, namely. 

The question we address now is that of the possible role of single electron transfer in substitution reactions that, unlike SrnI reactions, are not catalysed by electron injection. The problem is twofold. One side of it consists in answering the questions do bond breaking and bond formation belong to two different and successive processes, i.e. (135) followedhy (136), or, more... 

A mechanism for heteroaromatic nucleophilic substitution which is under considerable active study at the present time is the SRN process, which often competes with the addition-elimination pathway. Srn reactions are radical chain processes, and are usually photochemi-cally promoted. An example is shown in Scheme 22, where (60) is formed by the SrnI pathway and (61) via an initial addition reaction (82JOC1036). 

I. Additions. Radicals can react with anionic species to give radical anion adducts as shown for radical 11. Such addition reactions are steps in chain reaction processes described as SrnI (unimolecular radical nucleophilic substitution) reac-... 

In a clear demonstration of such advantage, 2-fluoropyridine (11) has been converted into the 3-substituted derivative 190 (Scheme 55) (88JOC2740). Thus, metalation of 11 followed by iodination gave the 3-iodopyridine 189 which, upon the application of standard SRNi reaction conditions, furnished 190 in almost quantitative yield. This reaction adds an umpolung dimension to substition chemistry of halopyridines formed by DoM processes. 

A more intriguing type of competition is due to radical processes, which usually involve the substrate radical anion. These can fragment, if they carry a suitable substituent, via anion expulsion.56 The resulting aryl radical, Ar, can form the reduced product, ArH, by hydrogen abstraction57 or the product of substitution via reaction with the nucleophile according to the SrnI mechanism, discussed in Chapter 2.2 of this volume. Examples of competition between SnAt and radical processes of this type have been reported.57-59... 

Transformation of a substrate into its ion radical enhances the species reactivity. Sometimes, this can overcome steric encumbrance of the substituent to be removed. Thus, l,4-di-iodo-2,6-dimethybenzene expels only one, sterically congested, iodine from position 1 upon the action of the tributylstannyl radical. Upon the action of the enolate ion of pinacolone (Me3CCOCH2) in the photoinitiated SrnI process, both iodines (from positions 1 and 4) are substituted (Branchi and co-authors 2000). 

A practical access to 2-biphenyl alcohols 95 has been discovered by Petrillo (Scheme 36) [152]. Azo sulfides 96, which are employed as masked diazonium salts, do not undergo azo coupling reactions. In combination with 4-substituted phenolates 97, photochemically initiated arylations can even be conducted as chain processes according to the SrnI mechanism. Given their high reductive potential, the cyclohexadienyl intermediates 98 are able to rearomatize by a single electron... 

Just as in aryl halides, the halogen can be replaced by hydrogen and by a metal, or be involved in transition metal-catalyzed processes (covered in Section 3.2.3.11.2). Three of the mechanisms of such nucleophilic substitutions are familiar from benzene chemistry via arynes, SrnI processes, and Pd(0)-catalyzed sequences. However, of the two further mechanisms of nucleophilic replacement, the ANRORC (Addition of Micleophile, Ring Opening, Ring Closure) is unique to heterocycles, and Sae reactions occur only with strongly activated benzenoid systems. 

Unactivated aryl halides will undergo nucleophilic displacement via electron transfer in the initial step the so-called SrnI mechanism. It is now clear that in the case of heteroaromatic compounds, nucleophilic substitution by the SRN process often competes with the additionelimination pathway. SRN reactions are radical chain processes and are usually photochemically promoted. For example, ketone 913 is formed by the SRN1 pathway from 2-chloroquinoxaline 912. 

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