Nitrogen-centered Radicals Research Articles

Lewis Base-Boryl Radicals Enabled Borylation Reactions and Selective Activation of Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds.

ConspectusThe past decades have witnessed tremendous progress on radical reactions. However, in comparison with carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and other main group element centered radicals, the synthetic chemistry of boron centered radicals was less studied, mainly due to the high electron-deficiency and instability of such 3-center-5-electron species. In the 1980s, Roberts and co-workers found that the coordination of a Lewis base (amines or phosphines) with the boron center could form 4-center-7-electron boryl radicals (Lewis base-boryl radicals, LBRs) that are found to be more stable. However, only limited synthetic applications were developed. In 2008, Curran and co-workers achieved a breakthrough with the discovery of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) boryl radicals, which could enable a range of radical reduction and polymerization reactions. Despite these exciting findings, more powerful and valuable synthetic applications of LBRs would be expected, given that the structures and reactivities of LBRs could be easily modulated, which would provide ample opportunities to discover new reactions. In this Account, a summary of our key contributions in LBR-enabled radical borylation reactions and selective activation of inert carbon-heteroatom bonds will be presented.Organoboron compounds have shown versatile applications in chemical society, and their syntheses rely principally on ionic borylation reactions. The development of mechanistically different radical borylation reactions allows synthesizing products that are inaccessible by traditional methods. For this purpose, we progressively developed a series of NHC-boryl radical mediated chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective radical borylation reactions of alkenes and alkynes, by which a wide variety of structurally diverse organoboron molecules were successfully prepared. The synthetic utility of these borylated products was also demonstrated. Furthermore, we disclosed a photoredox protocol for oxidative generation of NHC-boryl radicals, which enabled useful defluoroborylation and arylboration reactions.Selective bond activation is an ideal way to convert simple starting materials to value-added products, while the cleavage of inert chemical bonds, in particular the chemoselectivity control when multiple identical bonds are present in similar chemical environments, remains a long-standing challenge. We envisaged that finely tuning the properties of LBRs might provide a new solution to address this challenge. Recently, we disclosed a 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)-boryl radical promoted sequential C-F bond functionalization of trifluoroacetic acid derivatives, in which the α-C-F bonds were selectively snipped via a spin-center shift mechanism. This strategy enables facile conversion of abundantly available trifluoroacetic acid to highly valuable mono- and difluorinated molecules. Encouraged by this finding, we further developed a boryl radical enabled three-step sequence to construct all-carbon quaternary centers from a range of trichloromethyl groups, where the three C-Cl bonds were selectively cleaved by the rational choice of suitable boryl radical precursors in each step. Furthermore, a boryl radical promoted dehydroxylative alkylation of α-hydroxy carboxylic acid derivatives was achieved, allowing for the efficient conversion of some biomass platform molecules to high value products.

Organophotoredox-Catalyzed Cross-Dehydrogenative Sulfonamidation of Indoles and Other Heterocycles.

The visible light-triggered regioselective synthesis of 2-sulfonamidoindoles and other 2-sulfonamido heteroarenes is accomplished by the oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling of indoles (heteroarenes) with di-p-toluenesulfonamide or N-aryl-p-toluenesulfonamides. The reaction was catalyzed by eosin-Y through a photoredox route. Detailed mechanistic studies based on control reactions, cyclic voltammetry, and fluorescence quenching have been reported for the elucidation of the mechanistic cycle and revealed that a nitrogen-centered radical is generated, followed by regioselective addition to the heteroarene. The operationally simple, straightforward methodology and easy availability of the starting materials allow for the synthesis of a wide range of 2-amidated indoles as well as other heterocyclic compounds.

Luminescent Crystalline Carbon- and Nitrogen-Centered Organic Radicals Based on N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Triphenylamine Hybrids.

Developing luminescent radicals with tunable emission is a challenging task due to the limitation of alternative skeletons. Herein, a series of carbene-triphenylamine hybrids were prepared by the direct C2-arylation of N-heterocyclic carbenes with 4-bromo-N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)aniline. These hybrids showed multiple redox-active properties and could be converted to carbon-centered luminescent radicals with blue-to-cyan emissions (λmax : 436-486 nm) or nitrogen-centered luminescent radicals with orange emissions (λmax : 590-623 nm) through chemical reduction or oxidation, respectively. The radical species were characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffractometry analysis. Notably, the corresponding nitrogen-centered radicals exhibited good stability in atmospheric air, and their thermal decomposition temperatures were determined to be above 200 °C. In addition, spectral and theoretical calculations indicate that all radicals exhibit anti-Kasha emissions.

Studies on the Regioselective Rearrangement of Azanorbornanic Aminyl Radicals into 2,8-Diazabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-ene Systems.

Aminyl radicals are nitrogen-centered radicals of interest in synthetic strategies involving C-N bond formation due to their high reactivity. These intermediate radicals are generated by the reaction of an organic azide with tributyltin hydride (Bu3SnH) in the presence of substoichiometric amounts of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). In this work, we report the regioselective rearrangement of azanorbornanic ([2.2.1]azabicyclic) aminyl radicals into 2,8-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-ene systems. With the aim to establish the structural requirements for this ring expansion, we have studied the effect of different bridgehead atoms of the [2.2.1]bicyclic system and the presence of an alkyl substituent at C4. Attempts to perform this ring expansion on a monocyclic analogue have been also explored to evaluate the influence of the bicyclic skeleton on the rearrangement. A detailed mechanistic proposal supported by computational studies is reported.

Using enzymes to tame nitrogen-centred radicals for enantioselective hydroamination.

The formation of C-N bonds-of great importance to the pharmaceutical industry-can be facilitated enzymatically using nucleophilic and nitrene transfer mechanisms. However, neither natural nor engineered enzymes are known to generate and control nitrogen-centred radicals, which serve as valuable species for C-N bond formation. Here we use flavin-dependent 'ene'-reductases with an exogenous photoredox catalyst to selectively generate amidyl radicals within the protein active site. These enzymes are engineered through directed evolution to catalyse 5-exo, 6-endo, 7-endo, 8-endo, and intermolecular hydroamination reactions with high levels of enantioselectivity. Mechanistic studies suggest that radical initiation occurs via an enzyme-gated mechanism, where the protein thermodynamically activates the substrate for reduction by the photocatalyst. Molecular dynamics studies indicate that the enzymes bind substrates using non-canonical binding interactions, which may serve as a handle to further manipulate reactivity. This approach demonstrates the versatility of these enzymes for controlling the reactivity of high-energy radical intermediates and highlights the opportunity for synergistic catalyst strategies to unlock previously inaccessible enzymatic functions.

Photoinduced Chloroamination Cyclization Cascade with N-Chlorosuccinimide: From N-(Allenyl)sulfonylamides to 2-(1-Chlorovinyl)pyrrolidines.

Here, we present an intriguing photoinduced chloroamination cyclization of allenes bearing a tethered sulfonylamido group to afford 2-(1-chlorovinyl)pyrrolidines and related heterocycles in the presence of N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS) as the chlorine source. An in depth experimental and computational mechanistic study revealed the existence of multiple reaction pathways leading to a common nitrogen centered radical (NCR). This key NCR can be, in fact, originated from (a) the oxidation of the deprotonated allene by the photoexcited state of the Ru-catalyst and (b) the photodissociation of the in situ formed N-chloroallene. The NCR formation triggers an intramolecular cyclization to a highly reactive pyrrolidine vinyl radical, which upon chlorination delivers the final product. Thus, NCS plays a dual role, serving both as an activator of the sulfonamido functionality and as the chlorinating agent.

Photocatalytic Modular Cyanoalkylamination of Alkenes Involving Two Different Iminyl Radicals.

The modular cyanoalkylamination of alkenes using bench-stable and easy-to-handle α-imino-oxy acid oxime esters as difunctional reagents creates new synthetic avenues. A metal-free photosensitization protocol for the installation of both amino and cyanoalkyl functionalities onto alkene feedstocks in a single step via two differently reactive nitrogen-centered radicals was developed via energy-transfer catalysis. Excellent functional group tolerance and mild reaction conditions also render this protocol suitable for the cyanoalkylamination of pharmaceutically relevant molecule-derived alkenes.

Photocatalytic cyclization of nitrogen-centered radicals with carbon nitride through promoting substrate/catalyst interaction

The use of metal-free carbon nitride and light to drive catalytic transformations constitutes a sustainable strategy for organic synthesis. At the moment, enhancing the intrinsic activity of CN catalysts by tuning the interfacial coupling between catalyst and substrate remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrate that urea-derived carbon nitride catalysts with the abundant −NH2 groups and the relative positive charged surface could effectively complex with the deprotonated anionic intermediate to improve the adsorption of organic reactants on the catalyst surface. The decreased oxidation potential and upshift in its highest occupied molecular orbital position make the electron abstraction kinetics by the catalyst more energetically favorable. The prepared catalyst is thus utilized for the photocatalytic cyclization of nitrogen-centered radicals for the synthesis of diverse pharmaceutical-related compounds (33 examples) with high activity and reusability, which shows competent performance to the homogeneous catalysts.

Efficient Routes for the Preparation of Urazole Radical Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold Surfaces

The functionalization of substrates with radical species has been shown to be a promising strategy to confer novel physical and chemical properties to a surface. Urazole radicals are persistent nitrogen-centered radicals that are insensitive to oxygen, making them desirable targets for the functionalization of surfaces. Here, we succeed in the preparation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of a 1-arylurazole radical on Au surfaces using two different approaches. In the first approach, a SAM of a radical precursor on the gold surface is prepared followed by its chemical oxidation to generate the active urazole radical. In the second route, the radical is generated in solution and subsequently grafted on the Au surface. In both cases, the SAMs exhibit active radical behavior, but the SAM prepared by the first approach demonstrates greater surface coverage of the electroactive urazole radical species.

On the Selectivity of Radical Scavengers Used To Probe Hydroxyl Radical Formation in Heterogeneous Systems

Tris and methanol have been used quite extensively as probes for surface-bound hydroxyl radicals in heterogeneous systems, such as TiO2 photocatalysis and catalytic decomposition of H2O2. Recent studies have indicated that the selectivity for surface-bound hydroxyl radicals is questionable and that the yield of the stable detectable product, formaldehyde, may be different for different reactive species. In this work, we have explored the selectivity as well as the formaldehyde yield of these two probes by experimentally studying formaldehyde formation in homogeneous (gamma radiolysis) and heterogeneous (TiO2 photocatalysis) systems, where hydroxyl radicals and Br2·– can be formed. The latter is formed in the reaction between hydroxyl radicals and Br– at relatively high concentrations of Br–. The experiments clearly show that the formaldehyde yield is reduced by 85% when comparing hydroxyl radicals and Br2·– in a homogeneous methanol system and increased by 50% when making the same comparison for the homogeneous Tris system. The increased yield is attributed to a change in the reaction mechanism as Br2·– is mainly expected to produce a nitrogen-centered radical cation, while the hydroxyl radical mainly produces carbon-centered radicals. The radical cation appears to produce formaldehyde with a higher yield. In the photocatalysis system, the trends are similar but even more emphasized. The rationale for this is discussed, as well as the suitability of methanol and Tris as probes for surface-bound hydroxyl radicals in heterogeneous systems.

Highly selective single and multiple deuteration of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds

Selective deuteration of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds is a highly attractive but challenging subject of research in pharmaceutical chemistry, material science and synthetic chemistry. Reported herein is a practical, highly selective and economical efficient hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds by synergistic photocatalysis and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalysis. With the easily prepared PMP-substituted amides as nitrogen-centered radical precursors, a wide range of structurally diverse amides can undergo predictable radical H/D exchange smoothly with inexpensive D2O as the sole deuterium source, giving rise to the distal tertiary, secondary and primary C(sp3)-H bonds selectively deuterated products in yields of up to 99% and excellent D-incorporations. In addition to precise monodeuteration, this strategy can also achieve multideuteration of the substrates contain more than one remote C(sp3)-H bond, which opens a method to address multi-functionalization of distal unactivated C(sp3)–H bonds.

Copper-catalyzed cascade reaction of indole and benzimidazole radicals to synthesize 3-haloindole-benzimidazole compounds

A one-pot multi-component cascade reaction strategy between benzimidazole, indole, and N-halosuccinimides was developed through the combination of the Cu(II) catalyst and (bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo)benzene, mediated by initiating the formation of benzimidazole nitrogen-centered radicals. This strategy realizes the formation of nitrogen radicals centered on the aromatic nitrogen atoms in the ring. On this basis, the radical-level combined synthesis of substituted 3-haloindole-benzimidazole compounds was achieved. Furthermore, this study provides a reference direction for subsequent work utilizing nitrogen radicals.

Photocatalytic Methane Conversion: Insight into the Mechanism of C(sp 3 )–H Bond Activation

Photocatalytic Methane Conversion: Insight into the Mechanism of C(sp ³ )–H Bond Activation

δ-C-H Halogenation Reactions Enabled by a Nitrogen-Centered Radical Precursor.

Nitrogen-centered radicals are versatile synthetic intermediates with the ability to undergo diverse reactions such as hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), β-scission, and addition across unsaturated systems. A long-standing impediment to the wider adoption of these intermediates in synthesis has been the difficulty of their generation. Herein we disclose a new hydrazonyl carboxylic acid precursor to nitrogen-centered radicals and its application toward remote C-H fluorination and chlorination reactions of sulfonyl-protected alkyl amines via 1,5-HAT.

Total Synthesis of Sarpagine Alkaloid (-)-Normacusine B.

An asymmetric total synthesis of the sarpagine alkaloid (-)-normacusine B is presented. Salient features of this synthesis include a photocatalytic nitrogen-centered radical cascade reaction to assemble the tetrahydrocarbolinone skeleton, a titanium-mediated intramolecular amide-alkene coupling to construct the bridged azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane moiety, and a nickel-catalyzed reductive Heck coupling to assemble the azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane ring system.

Hollow multi-shelled In2S3 hierarchical nanotubes for enhanced photocatalytic oxidative coupling of benzylamine

The unique structural features of the hollow and hierarchical structures give light to the developing categories of photocatalysts as a promising way to deal with the challenges involved in the process of heterogeneous photocatalysis. Herein, hollow multi-shelled In2S3 hierarchical nanotubes have been fabricated using NH2-MIL-68 (In) as template and TAA. The results demonstrated that hollow multi-shelled In2S3 hierarchical nanotubes has been used as an efficient photocatalyst for the coupling of benzylamines under visible light irradiation and aerobic or anaerobic conditions, which burst out of the shackles of the reported reaction conditions. And the conversion and selectivity reached 74% and 99%, respectively. The hierarchical structure with nanosheet on the surface of hollow multi-shelled nanotube have effectively promote the mass transfer and photogenerated carrier separation, increasing the number of reactive points. Then, it also has proved that the hole (h+), the nitrogen-centered radical cations as well as the carbon-centered radicals were most important in the reaction. This work provides a novel concept for further design of unique structural photocatalyst for boosting the catalytic activity.

Removal of ammonia and phenol from saline chemical wastewater by ionizing radiation: Performance, mechanism and toxicity

Saline chemical wastewater containing ammonia and toxic organic pollutants has been a challenge for conventional wastewater treatment technology. Advanced treatment is thus required. In this study, the removal of ammonia and phenol in saline chemical wastewater by radiation was investigated in detail. The results showed that chloridion in saline chemical wastewater could be transferred to •Cl and •ClO by radiation, which promoted ammonia oxidation, but inhibited phenol degradation. Solution pH affected the types of reactive species, which further affected the removal of ammonia and phenol. When ammonia and phenol co-existed in saline chemical wastewater, the removal efficiency of ammonia was depressed compared to that in the absence of phenol. Similarly, the phenol removal efficiency was also depressed in the presence of ammonia when the solution pH was lower than 7.0. Interestingly, the phenol removal efficiency was improved with increase of either chloridion concentration (2–8 g/L) or dose (2–5 kGy), which was attributed to the formation of intermediate nitrogen-centered radicals that can react with phenol. In addition, the intermediate products of phenol degradation under different conditions were identified. The acute toxicity of saline chemical wastewater after radiation treatment was evaluated. The results of this study could provide an insight into the removal of ammonia and phenol from saline chemical wastewater by radiation technology.

Nitrogen-Centered Radicals in Functionalization of sp2 Systems: Generation, Reactivity, and Applications in Synthesis

The chemistry of nitrogen-centered radicals (NCRs) has plentiful applications in organic synthesis, and they continue to expand as our understanding of these reactive species increases. The utility of these reactive intermediates is demonstrated in the recent advances in C-H amination and the (di)amination of alkenes. Synthesis of previously challenging structures can be achieved by efficient functionalization of sp2 moieties without prefunctionalization, allowing for faster and more streamlined synthesis. This Review addresses the generation, reactivity, and application of NCRs, including, but not limited to, iminyl, aminyl, amidyl, and aminium species. Contributions from early discovery up to the most recent examples have been highlighted, covering radical initiation, thermolysis, photolysis, and, more recently, photoredox catalysis. Radical-mediated intermolecular amination of (hetero)arenes can occur with a variety of complex amine precursors, generating aniline derivatives, an important class of structures for drug discovery and development. Functionalization of olefins is achievable in high anti-Markovnikov regioselectivity and allows access to difunctionalized structures when the intermediate carbon radicals are trapped. Additionally, the reactivity of NCRs can be harnessed for the rapid construction of N-heterocycles such as pyrrolidines, phenanthridines, quinoxalines, and quinazolinones.

Visible-Light-Induced Dual Acylation of Alkenes for the Construction of 3-Substituted Chroman-4-ones.

Heterocyclic compounds, especially oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds, are crucial moieties in bioactive compounds and drug leads. Substituted chroman-4-ones are a kind of the most significant structural skeletons. Herein, we report a visible-light-induced dual acylation of alkenes for constructing 3-substituted chroman-4-ones, which undergoes a radical tandem cyclization reaction through carbon-carbon bond cleavage of oxime esters by a nitrogen-centered radical strategy. A series of 3-substituted chroman-4-ones were prepared with up to 86% yield.

An innovative kinetic model allowing insight in the moderate temperature chemical vapor deposition of silicon oxynitride films from tris(dimethylsilyl)amine

An apparent kinetic model is developed for a novel chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process of silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) films from tris(dimethylsilyl)amine (TDMSA) and O2, operating at moderate temperature (600–650 °C) and at atmospheric pressure. The definition of reaction pathways and the extraction of kinetic information is based on recently reported results of the gas phase composition, complemented by solid phase characteristics obtained by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and ion beam analyses (IBA). Incorporation of carbon (up to 20 at.%) is considered alongside nitrogen (up to 25 at.%) for variable O2 flow rates (0.3–1.2 sccm). This combined gas- and solid-phase analysis is utilized to identify the main gaseous species and provide insight into the deposition mechanism. A silicon- and a nitrogen-centered radical intermediates are considered as the primary species of the mechanism, based on evidence from gas phase characterizations. A third, fictitious, nitrogen- and carbon-containing molecule is also conceptualized to account for carbon incorporation. Eight chemical reactions are defined alongside their respective kinetic parameters and are implemented in the ANSYS® FLUENT® computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. Upon validation, the model allows for the successful prediction of local deposition rates and SiOxNy film composition containing non-negligible carbon, marking it as the first kinetic model able to represent the main chemical mechanisms involved in the CVD of a four-component material. The reported combined approach could be applied to other existing or new CVD chemistries forming multi-component thin films, favoring their implementation in original applications.