Free radical carbonylation. Efficient trapping of carbon monoxide by carbon radicals

Abstract

The authors examined the AIBN-induced radical reaction of n-octyl bromide (1) (Scheme 1) with Bu{sub 3}SnH under CO pressure in hope of trapping of carbon monoxide by octyl radical followed by hydrogen abstraction from tin hydride. When the reaction on a 0.5-mmol scale was conducted under CO pressure, using an autoclave with an inserted glass tube (5 mol % of AIBN, benzene (10 mL), 80{degree}C, 3 h), the desired aldehyde 2 was obtained together with n-octane (3), formed via simple reduction of 1. Surprisingly, this radical/CO trapping sequence proceeds even at 15 atm of CO pressure to give 2 in 38% yield (run 2). Generally, higher pressures of CO resulted in the increase of 2. These results demonstrate that the control of the relative concentrations of CO to tin hydride is an important factor to effect the CO trapping leading to aldehyde 2.