Development of Catalytic Carbon Radical Generation and Its Application to Organic Synthesis

Abstract

Innovative carbon radical generation from hydrocarbons through a catalytic process under mild conditions has been achieved by the use of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) as a catalyst. This method can be successfully applied to a wide variety of functionalizations of hydrocarbons. Thus, alkanes are converted into alcohols, ketones, carboxylic acids, nitro alkanes and alkyl sulfonic acids through alkyl radicals generated by the action of NHPI. Hydroxysilylation was first performed by the addition of hydrosilanes and oxygen to alkenes bearing electron-withdrawing substituents. A new approach to oxyalkylation based on the concomitant addition of carbon radicals derived from alkanes or alcohols and molecular oxygen to alkenes or alkynes has been described.