One-Electron Oxidation of Sterically Hindered Amines to Nitroxyl Radicals: Intermediate Amine Radical Cations, Aminyl, α-Aminoalkyl, and Aminylperoxyl Radicals

Abstract

Sterically hindered amines (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-substituted piperidines) are easily oxidized (i) by electron transfer to parent cations in n-butyl chloride solution, (ii) by the sulfate radical anion in aqueous solution, and (iii) by sensitized electron transfer to carbonyl triplets. In nonpolar surroundings in the nanosecond time range, the radical cations of the tertiary piperidines have been directly observed by optical spectroscopy to exhibit absorption maxima below λ = 300 nm and around 550 nm. Subsequently, they deprotonate to α-alkylamine radicals, which are also the first observable products of oxidation with sulfate radical anions in water. In the case of secondary piperidines, the amine radical cations deprotonate to aminyl radicals in times < 10 ns. The triplet-sensitized electron transfer to the benzophenone as well as cyclohexanone triplet results in amine-derived and ketyl-type radicals formed at a nearly diffusion-controlled rate, which suggests an electron- and subsequent proton-transfer m...