Tethered radical cyclization

J. C. Lopez, A. M. Gomez, and B. Fraser-Reid, Silicon-tethered radical cyclization and intramolecular Diels-Alder strategies are combined to provide a ready route to highly functionalized decalins, J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Comtmm. p. 762 (1993). 

The radical addition to 1-alkenyl or 1-alkynylboronic esters or amides took place extremely smoothly because the boron atom stabilizes the resulting ct-radical intermediates. Bu3SnH and PhSH predominated the trans-addition products 287 in the addition to 1-alkynylboronic amides at 90 °G, whereas Bu3SnH and Ph2Ph produced the m-addition products 288 at 0°C (>98% Equation (82)).455 Intramolecular addition to 1-alkenylboronic esters has been demonstrated in boron-tethered radical cyclization that provided 1,3- or 1,4-alkanediols 290 via oxidative workup (Equation (83)).456 Inter- and intramolecular additions of alkyl radical457 and sulfonyl radical458 have also been studied. 

A highly general procedure relies on the use of a silicon tethered radical cyclization process to provide for introduction of a hydroxymethyl substituent using the Tamao conditions.33 38 Pioneered by Nishiyama39 the synthesis of regioisomeric diols, as in 33, from readily available ally silyl ethers, such as 31, was achieved via radical cyclization and oxidization. The predominance of the 5-exo cyclization is further demonstrated by the formation of 36 by this same process. 

Controlled radical cyclization directly onto a ring junction is less easy. Lejeune and Lallemand envisaged that a tethered radical cyclization of a (bromomethyl)dimethylsilyl ether onto an allylic double bond could be used to incorporate a hydroxymethyl functionality into an angular position at the ring junction of a decalin system [53]. This would then provide an interesting entry into a variety of natural products containing this skeletal functionality, such as the insect antifeedant clerodin 132 (Scheme 10-45). 

Scheme 10-45 A silyl-tethered radical cyclization could be used to incorporate angular hydroxymethyl functionality at a ring junction.

In most cases the radical generated after cyclization is quenched by H-abstraction. However, another possibility is to utilize the cyclized radical in another C-C bond-forming event. Fraser-Reid and co-workers utilized a silyl-tethered radical cyclization of the (L)-rhamnal-derived silyl ether 142 to generate the anomerically. stabilized radical 143, which could be trapped in the presence of an excess of acrylonitrile to generate acetate 144 after tether cleavage and peracetylation (Scheme 10-48) [55a]. This reaction sequence occurred with complete regio- and stereoselectivity. The same group has also used an acetal tether (vide infra) to effect similar transformations [55 b, 56]. 

Scheme 10-47 Crimmins and O Mahony used a silicon-tethered radical cyclization in a synthesis of talaromycin A.

Previous examples of silyl-tethered radical cyclizations have involved the incorporation of the radical precursor during the formation of the silyl ether tether. An alternative would be to incorporate the radical acceptor. A number of suitable silyl chlorides are commercially available which facilitate the preparation of such cyclization precursors. 

Scheme 10-63 The stereochemical outcome in the silyl-tethered radical cyclization of nucleosides is dictated by the configuration of the silyl ether group.

In a related process, boron-tethered radical cyclizations are a useful alternative to the widely used silicon versions. In some cases, rearranged products were produced as a result of an intramolecular S i reaction of a carbon-centered radical at boron (Scheme 9.13) [31]. 

DAB= Me02C- N=N— COgMe Scheme9.13 Boron-tethered radical cyclizations. 

The stereoselective branching of L-rhamnal at C-1 and C-2 via a silicon tethered radical cyclization is illustrated in Scheme 7, and allyl alcohol groups which are protected as their (bromomethyl)dimethylsilyl ethers undergo a radical-induced cyclization to give branched-chain sugars as shown in Scheme ZP... 

A synthetic method for the introduction of an ethynyl group in cyclic structures is based on an intramolecular silicon-tethered radical cyclization with iodine transfer (Scheme 25.8). For example, starting from alkyne 10, a triethyl borane-initiated process allows a radical formation and cyclization to give the alkenyl radical 11. An iodine atom is abstracted from the starting material to give the alkenyl iodide 12, thus, propagating the chain. Treatment of 12 with tetra-/j-butylammonium fluoride (TBAF) results in elimination to furnish 13 in good yields. 

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