Cyclopropylcarbinyl Radical Research Articles

Cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals as three-carbon insertion units: easy synthesis of C-15 macrocyclic ketones by three-carbon ring expansion

Thermal isomerization of cyclic 3-cyclopropyl ketones under FVP conditions at 620 °C provides a new and convenient route to δ,ε-unsaturated cycloalkanones. The synthetic potential of this novel three-carbon ring expansion has been demonstrated by the synthesis of (±)-muscone from inexpensive C-12 starting material.

Cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals as three-carbon insertion units: easy synthesis of C-15 macrocyclic ketones by three-carbon ring expansion*1

Cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals as three-carbon insertion units: easy synthesis of C-15 macrocyclic ketones by three-carbon ring expansion*1

Vicinal alkylation–carboxymethylation of electron-poor alkenes by radical-chain reactions with O-alkyl O-silyl ketene acetals and their [3+2] annulation by reaction with O-cyclopropylcarbinyl O-silyl ketene acetals

O-Silyl ketene acetals of the type H2CC(OR)OSiMe2But, in which R is a tertiary or secondary alkyl group, react with electron-poor alkenes to bring about vicinal alkylation–carboxymethylation of the latter. When R is a cyclopropyldimethylcarbinyl group such reactions take a more complex course involving ring opening of the cyclopropylcarbinyl radical and lead ultimately to [3+2] annulation of the alkene.

Molecular orbital calculations of ring opening of the isoelectronic cyclopropylcarbinyl radical, cyclopropoxy radical, and cyclopropylaminium radical cation series of radical clocks.

Detailed molecular orbital calculations were directed to the cyclopropylcarbinyl radical (1), the cyclopropoxy radical (2), and the cyclopropylaminium radical cation (3) as well as their ring-opened products. Since a considerable amount of data are published about cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals, calculations were made for this species and related ring-opened products as a reference for 2 and 3 and their reactions. Radicals 1-3 have practical utility as "radical clocks" that can be used to time other radical reactions. Radical 3 is of further interest in photoelectron-transfer processes where the back-electron-transfer process may be suppressed by rapid ring opening. Calculations have been carried out at the UHF/6-31G*, MP4//MP2/6-31G*, DFT B3LYP/6-31G*, and CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ//QCISD/cc-pVDZ levels. Energies are corrected to 298 K, and the barriers between species are reported in terms of Arrhenius E(a) and log A values along with differences in enthalpies, free energies, and entropies. The CCSD(T)-calculated energy barrier for ring opening of 1 is E(a) = 9.70, DeltaG* = 8.49 kcal/mol, which compares favorably to the previously calculated value of E(a) = 9.53 kcal/mol by the G2 method, but is higher than an experimental value of 7.05 kcal/mol. Our CCSD(T)-calculated E(a) value is also higher by 1.8 kcal/mol than a previously reported CBS-RAD//B3LYP/6-31G* calculation. The cyclopropoxy radical has a very small barrier to ring opening (CCSD(T), E(a) = 0.64 kcal/mol) and should be a very sensitive time clock. Of the three series studied, the cyclopropylaminium radical cation is most complex. In agreement with experimental data, bisected cyclopropylaminium radical cation is not found, but instead a ring-opened species is found. A perpendicular cyclopropylaminium radical cation (4) was found as a transition-state structure. Rotation of the 2p orbital in 4 to the bisected array results in ring opening. The minimum onset energy of photoionization of cyclopropylamine was calculated to be 201.5 kcal/mol (CCSD(T)) compared to experimental values of between about 201 and 204 kcal/mol. Calculations were made on the closely related cyclopropylcarbinyl and bicyclobutonium cations. Stabilization of the bisected cyclopropylcarbinyl conformer relative to the perpendicular species is much greater for the cations (29.1 kcal/ mol, QCISD) compared to the radicals (3.10 kcal/mol, QCISD). A search was made for analogues to the bicyclobutonium cation in the radical series 1 and 2 and the radical cation series 3. No comparable species were found. A rationale was made for some conflicting calculations involving the cyclopropylcarbinyl and bicyclobutonium cations. The order of stability of the cyclopropyl-X radicals was calculated to be X = CH2 >> X = O > X = NH2+, where the latter species has no barrier for ring opening. The relative rate of ring opening for cyclopropyl-X radicals X = CH2 to X = O was calculated to be 3.1 x 10(6) s(-1) at 298 K (QCISD).

Cyclization of 5-hexenyl radicals from nitroxyl radical additions to 4-pentenylketenes and from the acyloin reaction

Photochemical Wolff rearrangements were used to form 5-substituted-4-pentenylketenes 1a–1d (RCH=CHCH2XCH2CH=C=O: 1a R = H, X = CH2; 1b R = Ph, X = CH2; 1c R = c-Pr, X = CH2; 1d R = H, X = O), which were observed by IR at 2121, 2120, 2119, and 2126 cm–1, respectively, as relatively long-lived species at room temperature in hydrocarbon solvents. These reacted with the nitroxyl radical tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl (TEMPO, TO·) forming carboxy-substituted 5-hexenyl radicals 3, which were trapped by a second nitroxyl radical forming 1,2 diaddition products 4a–4d. On thermolysis, 4a–4d underwent reversible reformation of the radicals 3, which underwent cyclization forming cyclopentanecarboxylic acid derivatives 6 or 11 as the major products. However, in the case of 1b, the cyclopentane derivative was formed reversibly and on prolonged reaction times the only product isolated was PhCH=CH-(CH2)4CO2H (8b) from hydrogen transfer to Cβ and cleavage of the TEMPO group. Cyclopropylcarbinyl radical ring opening in the cyclized radical 5c from 1c led to the 2-(4-N-tetramethylpiperidinyloxybut-1-enyl)cyclopentane derivative 11 as the major product. In a test for 5-hexenyl radical ring closure in the radical anion intermediate of the acyloin condensation, the ester CH2=CH(CH2)3CO2Et (12a) gave the acyloin 13a (76%) as the only observed product, while PhCH=CH(CH2)3CO2CH3 (12b) with Na in toluene gave 21% of the acyloin product 13b and 42% of 2-benzylcyclopentanol (15) from cyclization of the intermediate radical anion.Key words: ketenes, free radical cyclization, TEMPO, acyloin condensation.

Kinetic results implicating a polar radical reaction pathway in the rearrangement catalyzed by alpha-methyleneglutarate mutase.

alpha-Methyleneglutarate mutase (MGM) catalyzes the rearrangement of 2-methyleneglutarate to 3-methylitaconate (2-methylene-3-methylsuccinate). A putative mechanism for the MGM-catalyzed reaction involves 3-exo cyclization of the 2-methyleneglutaric acid-4-yl radical to a cyclopropylcarbinyl radical intermediate that ring opens to the 3-hydroxycarbonyl-2-methylenebutanoic acid-4-yl radical (3-methylitaconic acid radical). Model reactions for this mechanism were studied by laser flash photolysis kinetic methods. alpha-Ester radicals were produced by 266 nm photolysis of alpha-phenylselenyl ester derivatives. Rate constants for cyclizations of the (Z)-1-ethoxycarbonyl-4-(2,2-diphenylcyclopropyl)-3-buten-1-yl radical ((Z)-8a) and (E)- and (Z)-1,3-di(ethoxycarbonyl)-4-(2,2-diphenylcyclopropyl)-3-buten-1-yl radicals ((E)- and (Z)-8b) were determined. The ester group in (Z)-8a accelerates the 3-exo cyclization in comparison to the parent radical lacking an ester group by a factor of 3, an effect ascribed to a polarized transition state. The ester groups at C3 in radicals 8b slow the 3-exo cyclization reaction by a factor of 50. The rate constant for cyclization of the 2-methyleneglutaric acid-4-yl radical is estimated to be k approximately 2000 s(-1) at ambient temperature. When coupled with the estimated partitioning of the intermediate cyclopropylcarbinyl radical, the overall rate constant for the conversion is estimated to be k approximately equal to 1 x 10(-3) s(-1), which is much too small for any radical reaction and several orders of magnitude too small for kinetic competence for the MGM-catalyzed process. The possibility that the radical reaction in nature involves an unusual mechanism in which polar effects are important is discussed.

Thiol-catalysed radical-chain redox rearrangement reactions of benzylidene acetals derived from terpenoid diols.

The thiol-catalysed radical-chain redox rearrangement of cyclic benzylidene acetals derived from 1,2- and 1,3-diols of terpene origin has been investigated from both synthetic and mechanistic standpoints. The redox rearrangement was carried out either at ca. 70 degrees C (using Bu(t)ON=NOBu(t) as initiator) or at ca. 130 degrees C (using Bu(t)OOBu(t) as initiator) in the presence of triisopropylsilanethiol or methyl thioglycolate as catalyst; the silanethiol was usually more effective. This general reaction affords the benzoate ester of the monodeoxygenated diol, unless rearrangement of intermediate carbon-centred radicals takes place prior to final trapping by the thiol to give the product, in which case structurally rearranged esters are obtained. For the benzylidene acetals of 1,2-diols prepared by vicinal cis-dihydroxylation of 2-carene, alpha-pinene or beta-pinene, intermediate cyclopropylcarbinyl or cyclobutylcarbinyl radicals are involved and ring opening of these leads ultimately to unsaturated monocyclic benzoates. 1,2-Migration of the benzoate group in the intermediate beta-benzoyloxyalkyl radical sometimes also competes with thiol trapping during the redox rearrangement of benzylidene acetals derived from 1,2-diols. Redox rearrangement of the benzylidene acetal from carane-3,4-diol, obtained by cis-dihydroxylation of 3-carene, does not involve intermediate cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals and leads to benzoate ester in which the bicyclic carane skeleton is retained. The inefficient redox rearrangement of the relatively rigid benzylidene acetal from exo,exo-norbornane-2,3-diol is attributed to comparatively slow chain-propagating beta-scission of the intermediate 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl radical, probably caused by the development of adverse angle strain in the transition state for this cleavage. Similar angle strain effects are thought to influence the regioselectivities of redox rearrangement of bicyclic [4.4.0]benzylidene acetals resulting from selected 1,3-diols, themselves prepared by reduction of aldol adducts derived from reactions of aldehydes with the kinetic lithium enolates obtained from menthone and from isomenthone.

ChemInform Abstract: Fragmentation Reactions of Optically Active Trisubstituted Cyclopropylcarbinyl Radicals.

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The effect of fluorine substitution on the structure of oxiranes and on the energetics of the oxiranylcarbinyl radical ring opening

Fluorine substituent effects on the structure of oxirane and on the kinetic behavior of oxiranylcarbinyl radicals, as determined by DFT calculations, have been found to be similar to those observed for the analogous fluorinated cyclopropylcarbinyl radical systems. A structural and energetic analysis showed that a stereoelectronic effect involving preferential interaction of the semi-occupied atomic orbital of the radical with the weaker ring bond is the major factor that contributes to the regiochemistry of the ring opening of fluorinated oxiranylcarbinyl radicals. With low and potentially zero activation barriers, 3,3-difluorooxiranylcarbinyl radical and cation undergo ring opening with CO bond cleavage and CC cleavage, respectively.

Fragmentation reactions of optically active trisubstituted cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals.

Fragmentation reactions of optically active trisubstituted cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals and their application to the synthesis of natural products are described. Preparation of the optically pure substrates for radical fragmentation reactions was efficiently accomplished by lipase-mediated desymmetrization of sigma-symmetrical 3-substituted-1,2-cyclopropanedimethanols. In the presence of a radical stabilizing group, e.g., aryl, ester, or alpha,beta-unsaturated ester, the fragmentation occurs selectively to generate the radical on the alpha-carbon of the group and provide the optically pure alkene derivatives. These derivatives possess three chemically distinct functionalities, making them excellent chiral building blocks for the construction of biologically active molecules. The synthetic usefulness of the procedure developed here has been demonstrated by an application to the enantioselective synthesis of both enantiomers of the key intermediate, 4-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyl)dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one (54), for the total synthesis of biologically active lignans.

Stereoselective synthesis of polyoxygenated atisane-type diterpenoids

A new stereoselective approach to polyoxygenated atisane-type diterpenes starting from ( S)-(+)-carvone is described. The key steps involve an intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction, an unusual intramolecular diazo ketone cyclopropanation of an unsaturated ketone, and a regioselective endocyclic cleavage of a cyclopropyl carbinyl radical as key synthetic steps. The synthesis of the bioactive polyoxygenated atisanes atis-16(17)-en-3,14-dione ( 2 ) and 3 R-hydroxy-atis-16(17)-en-2,14-dione ( 3 ) following this approach is presented.

Substituent Effects in Pericyclic Reactions of Radical Cations: The Ring Opening of 3-Substituted Cyclobutene Radical Cations

The substituent effects on the ring-opening reaction of cyclobutene radical cations have been studied at the Becke3LYP/6-31G* level of theory. The effect on the reaction energies and activation energies of the concerted and stepwise pathways of electron-donating substituents such as methyl and methoxy as well as electron-withdrawing substituents such as nitrile and carboxaldehyde in the 3-position of the cyclobutene is discussed. The exothermicity of the reaction correlates well with the ability of the substituent to stabilize the 1,3-butadiene radical cation by electron donation or conjugation. The relative stability of the (E) and (Z) isomers of the resulting 1,3-butadiene radical cations depends largely on steric effects. Similarly, steric effects are responsible for the relative energies of the different diastereomeric transition structures. The cyclopropyl carbinyl intermediate of the stepwise pathway resembles the nonclassical carbocation and is stabilized by electron-donating substituents. In the case of electron-donating substituents, this species becomes a minimum on the potential energy hypersurface, whereas unstabilized or destabilized cyclopropyl carbinyl radical cations are not minima on the hypersurface. The stabilization of the cyclopropyl carbinyl radical cation by substituents correlates qualitatively with the Brown-Okamoto substituent parameter sigma+. However, in all cases studied here, the concerted mechanism is the lowest energy pathway.

Hypersensitive radical probes and the mechanisms of cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation reactions.

The title probes are precursors to kinetically calibrated, aryl-substituted cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals that rearrange with picosecond lifetimes. Applications in studies of cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation reactions are reviewed. Initially confusing results regarding lifetimes of radicals in the hydroxylation reactions were resolved when second-generation probes that distinguish between radicals and cations were employed. The results indicate that two electrophilic oxidizing species are involved in P450-catalyzed hydroxylations, an iron-oxo species that inserts oxygen and a hydroperoxo-iron species that inserts OH(+). The cationic rearrangement products are ascribed to reactions of the protonated alcohol products formed from the latter.

Kinetics and Equilibrium Constants for Reactions of α-Phenyl-Substituted Cyclopropylcarbinyl Radicals

Laser-flash photolysis methods were used to determine Arrhenius functions for cyclizations of the 4,4-diphenyl-3-butenyl (2) and trans-4-phenyl-3-butenyl (5) radicals to the 1,1-diphenylcyclopropylcarbinyl (1) and 1-phenylcyclopropylcarbinyl (4) radicals, respectively. At 20 °C, the cyclization rate constants are 1.7 × 107 and 5.4 × 106 s-1. Equilibrium constants for the two processes were estimated and evaluated with thermochemical data and via computational methods, and Arrhenius functions for the ring-opening reactions of the cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals were calculated. The cyclization reactions of 2 and 5 are strongly enthalpy controlled. Production of radicals 1 and 2 from the corresponding tert-butylperoxy esters in the presence of Et3SnH gave diphenylcyclopropylmethane and 1,1-diphenyl-1-butene from H-atom trapping of radicals 1 and 2 and 4-phenyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene which derives from the product radical formed by addition of the radical moiety in 2 to the cis-phenyl group. Rate constants for the latter cyclization of 2 and for reactions of radicals 1 and 2 with Et3SnH were obtained from the indirect kinetic studies.

ChemInform Abstract: Selective Cleavage of Trisubstituted Cyclopropanes via Cyclopropylcarbinyl Radical Fragmentation.

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Selective cleavage of the trisubstituted cyclopropanes via cyclopropylcarbinyl radical fragmentation

The fragmentation reaction of the optically pure 2-aryl-3-alkylcyclopropylcarbinyl radicals 1 proceeded selectively to generate a benzyl radical and produce the optically pure 4-aryl-3-alkyl-1-butenes 2, which can serve as synthetically useful chiral building blocks.

ChemInform Abstract: Ring Expansion Reactions via Endocyclic Cleavage of Cyclopropylcarbinyl Radicals.

AbstractChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Picosecond radical kinetics. Rate constants for ring openings of 2-aryl-substituted cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals

The kinetics of ring openings of a series of eight (trans-2-arylcyclopropyl)methyl radicals (1) were studied by indirect kinetic methods using Barton's PTOC esters as radical precursors and reaction with PhSeH as the competition reaction. The substituents were CF3, F, Me, and OMe located on both the para and meta positions of the aromatic ring. Syntheses of the radical precursors and the products of the radical reactions are described. Kinetics were determined between -43 and 25°C in four cases (CF3 and OMe substituents) and at 0 and 25°C in the other four cases. The rate constants at 25°C ranged from 1.0 × 1011 s-1 (p-CH3) to 4.1 × 1011 s-1 (p-CF3). The relatively large acceleration of the p-CF3 group, ca. 2.5 times as fast as the parent system with Ar = Ph, correlates well with Adam's ΔD substituent parameters but not with other radical substituent parameters. These calibrated radical rearrangements provide a new set of ultrafast reactions that can be applied in mechanistic probe studies.Key words: cyclopropylcarbinyl radical, kinetics, PTOC esters, benzeneselenol.

Ring expansion reactions via endocyclic cleavage of cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals

Ring expansion reactions via endocyclic cleavage of cyclopropyl-carbinyl radicals are described. Free radical ring expansion reactions are described that proceed via endocyclic cleavage of cyclopropycarbinyl radicals. [Display omitted]

Upper Excited State Photochemistry: Solution and Gas Phase Photochemistry and Photophysics of 2- and 3-Cyclopropylindene1

The cyclopropylcarbinyl radical rearrangement has been used to probe the photochemistry and photophysics of S2 and S1 in 2-cyclopropylindene (2CPI) and 3-cyclopropylindene (3CPI). Studies in solution and the gas phase are described. Population of S2 with 254 nm light excitation in the gas phase produces the anticipated ring expansion products 2,3,3a,8-tetrahydrocyclopenta[a]indene (1, Φ1 = 0.1) and 1,3,3a,8-tetrahydrocyclopenta[a]indene (2, Φ2 = 0.06) from 2CPI and 3CPI, respectively (Scheme 3). Direct excitation into the S2 state (254 nm) of 2CPI in solution also produces compound 1. The efficiency of the solution phase chemistry is a function of excitation wavelength (Φ1 = 0.022 and 0.006 for 254 and 280 nm, respectively). The solution phase excitation spectrum of 2CPI shows an anomalous dependency on monitoring wavelength which is attributed to a conformational equilibrium. The S1 singlet lifetimes of the cyclopropylindenes are quite short (0.39 and 1.0 ns for 2CPI and 3CPI, respectively) relative to t...