Investigation of UV Light-Promoted Synthesis of α-Sulfonyl Amides from N-Sulfonyl Ynamides.

UV light-promoted synthesis of α-sulfonyl amides from N-sulfonyl ynamides without any additives is reported. The reaction proceeds through a radical chain mechanism involving the photoinduced cleavage of the nitrogen-sulfur bond and addition of an electrophilic sulfonyl radical to the triple bond of the ynamide followed by ß-fragmentation of the sulfonyl group leading to a ketenimine hydrated upon workup. This highly efficient rearrangement leads, after acidic treatment, to a wide range of α-sulfonyl amides in high yields.

Enantioselective Radical Reactions Using Chiral Catalysts.

Benefiting from the impressive increase in fundamental knowledge, the last 20 years have shown a continuous burst of new ideas and consequently a plethora of new catalytic methods for enantioselective radical reactions. This review aims to provide a complete survey of progress achieved over this latter period. The first part of this review focuses on the use of chiral organocatalysts, and these include catalysts covalently linked to the substrate and those that interact with the substrate by weaker interactions like hydrogen bonds. The second part of the review is devoted to transition-metal redox catalysis which is organized according to increasing atomic number for the first-row transition metals (Ti, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu). Bioinspired manganese- and iron-mediated hydroxylations and oxidations are also discussed. A specific section is dedicated to the reactivity of Ru, Rh, and Ir complexes as Lewis acids with a special focus on complexes chiral at metal. Absorption of photons result in different events such as energy transfer, single-electron transfer, and hydrogen-atom transfer facilitating the formation of radicals. Organocatalysis has been successfully combined with photocatalysts, a reactivity which has opened new pathways enlarging the number of radical precursors available. The merger of photocatalysis with organo- or metalla-photocatalysis has brought novelty and allowed for the discovery of a large number of original transformations. The use of enzyme-catalyzed reactions involving radical intermediates which also largely benefit from visible-light irradiation are included in the review. This review provides a comprehensive inventory of progress in enantioselective radical reactions with a goal of detailing the reaction mechanisms involved in these transformations such that any nonspecialist could find their own creativity to invent yet unknown applications.

Ynamides in Radical Reactions: A Route to Original Persubstituted 2-Aminofurans.

Mn(OAc)3/Cu(OAc)2-mediated reaction between ynamides, derived from oxazolidone or 3-methylindole carboxylate, and cyclic α-dicarbonyl radicals led to the one-pot synthesis of 2-aminofurans. The transformation involves addition of the α-dicarbonyl radical to ynamide, oxidation to ketene-iminium, and polar cyclization steps to provide original persubstituted 2-aminofurans in good to excellent yields. This work represents the first radical route for the synthesis of furans from ynamides.

Intermolecular Addition of Carbon-Centered Radicals to Ynamides. A Regio- and Stereoselective Route to Persubstituted α-Iodo-enamides.

Rather surprisingly, C-C bond formation through "intermolecular" radical addition to internal ynamides has never been reported. Actually, ynamides are excellent acceptors for "electrophilic" carbon-centered radicals. These processes enable the introduction of functionalized alkyl chains at Cß, groups that have not yet been introduced via the addition of organometallics. Radical carboiodination affords persubstituted α-iodo-enamides in moderate to high yield. The addition is totally stereoselective. Theoretical support to the mechanism and the scope and limitation of the reaction are discussed.

Chiral Fidelity in the Diastereoselective and Enantiospecific Synthesis of Indenes from Axially Chiral Benzylidene Cyclanes.

Enantioenriched indenes were reached through a chirality conversion strategy using original axially chiral benzylidene cyclanes. Good to high remote diastereocontrol and excellent enantiocontrol were observed in this cascade involving copper-catalyzed homologation of terminal alkynes, in situ allenoate formation and Alder-ene cyclization.

1,n-Hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) reactions in which n≠5: an updated inventory.

Hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) counts amongst the most widely investigated routes to carbon-centered radicals. Intramolecular processes involving 1,5-HAT are widespread to promote regioselective radical "CH activation". The aim of this review is to draw up a comprehensive inventory of the less commonly encountered 1,n-radical translocations (n≠5) with the aim to update this topic with the most recent relevant data.

Theoretical study to explain how chirality is stored and evolves throughout the radical cascade rearrangement of enyne-allenes.

This article reports a theoretical study to explain how the intrinsic property of chirality is retained throughout the radical cascade rearrangement of an enantiopure chiral enyne-allene (bearing one stereogenic center) selected as a model for this family of reactions. Calculations at the MRPT2/6-31G(d)//CASSCF(10,10)/6-31G(d) level of theory were used to determine the entire reaction pathway which includes singlet state diradicals and closed-shell species. The cascade process involves three elementary steps, i.e., by chronological order: Myers-Saito cycloaromatization (M-S), intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), and recombination of the resulting biradical. The enantiospecificity of the reaction results from a double transmission of the stereochemical information, from the original center to an axis and eventually from this axis to the final center. The first two steps lead to a transient diradical intermediate which retains the chirality via the conversion of the original static chirogenic element into a dynamic one, i.e., a center into an axis. The only available routes to the final closed-shell tetracyclic product imply rotations around two σ bonds (σ(C-C) and σ(C-N), bonds ß and α respectively). The theoretical calculations confirmed that the formation of the enantiomerically pure product proceeds via the nonracemizing rotation around the σ(C-C) pivot. They ruled out any rotation around the second σ(C-N) pivot. The high level of configurational memory in this rearrangement relies on the steric impediment to the rotation around the C-N bond in the chiral native conformation of the diradical intermediate produced from tandem M-S/1,5-HAT.

Axial-to-central chirality transfer in cyclization processes.

Substrates, bearing axial chirality, can cyclize intra- or inter-molecularly with concomitant transfer of axial-to-central chirality to produce at least one stereocenter. In order to satisfy a strict definition of axial-to-central chirality transfer, the initial axial chirality must be lost during the cyclization process. Highly functionalized enantiopure carbocycles and heterocycles were prepared using this strategy. The transformations of configurationally stable substrates take place with high regio- and stereo-selectivity. Selected examples involving allenes, biaryls, arylamides and transient axially chiral short-lived species are discussed. Special attention is focused on the mechanistic rationale of the chirality transfer.

Double transfer of chirality in organocopper-mediated bis(alkylating) cycloisomerization of enediynes.

An original synthesis of chiral benzofulvenes triggered by organocopper reagents is reported. These enantiopure products are available through a highly chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective bis(alkylating) cycloisomerization process. A double chirality transfer (central-to-axial-to-central) is observed.

Intramolecular trapping of allenylzincs by carbonyl groups.

Allenylzinc formed via oxygen-promoted zinc/iodine exchange between propargyl iodides and diethylzinc can be trapped by intramolecular reaction with various electrophiles such as aldehydes, ketones, esters, carbamates, and imides. Potentially useful building blocks were obtained in high yields.

Theoretical support for the involvement of a radical pathway in the formation of allenylzincs from propargyl iodides and dialkylzincs: influence of zinc coordination.

Propargyl iodides are good precursors for allenylzincs via reaction with diethylzinc, even in nondegassed medium. These reactions proceed via zinc/iodine exchange. Owing to the previously reported detection of propargyl radical by ESR experiments, in this process a radical mechanism was suspected. Calculations of the C-Zn BDEs in allenyl- and propargylzinc species were performed with the CBS-QB3 method to demonstrate that propargyl radicals could undergo homolytic substitution at zinc. The stabilization of allenylzinc derivatives by chelation, made possible by the selection of appropriate ortho-substituted 3-phenylalkynyl iodides as precursors, was shown to influence the regioselectivity of their addition to aldehydes and ketones. The more stabilized the chelated allenylzinc intermediate, the higher the ratio of homopropargylic alcohols.

Cooperative use of VCD and XRD for the determination of tetrahydrobenzoisoquinolines absolute configuration: a reliable proof of memory of chirality and retention of configuration in enediyne rearrangements.

The absolute configurations (AC) of azaheterocylic compounds resulting from the cascade rearrangement of enediynes involving only light atoms were unambiguously assigned by the joint use of vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) and copper radiation single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). These AC determinations proved that the rearrangements of enediynes proceeded with memory of chirality and retention of configuration.

Aminomethylation of Michael acceptors: complementary radical and polar approaches mediated by dialkylzincs.

Phtalimidomethyl iodide and substituted maleimidomethyl iodide were used as radical precursors in dialkylzinc-mediated radical addition to diethyl fumarate. The reactions led stereoselectively to functionalized pyrrolizidines. The radical mechanism was supported by spin-trapping experiments and rationalized by theoretical calculations. Radical additions, on the one hand, and carbozincation followed by transmetalation with copper(I), on the other, were shown to be complementary methods to achieve the formal aminomethylation of activated unsaturated compounds.

Mechanistic investigation of enediyne-connected amino ester rearrangement. Theoretical rationale for the exclusive preference for 1,6- or 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer depending on the substrate. A potential route to chiral naphthoazepines.

Memory of chirality (MOC) and deuterium-labeling studies were used to demonstrate that the cascade rearrangement of enediyne-connected amino esters 1a and 1b evolved through exclusive 1,5- or 1,6-hydrogen atom transfer, subsequent to 1,3-proton shift and Saito-Myers cyclization, depending on the structure of the starting material. These results were independently confirmed by DFT theoretical calculations performed on model monoradicals. These calculations clearly demonstrate that in the alanine series, 1,5-hydrogen shift is kinetically favored over 1,6-hydrogen shift because of its greater exergonicity. In the valine series, the bulk of the substituent at the nitrogen atom has a major influence on the fate of the reaction. N-Tosylation increases the barrier to 1,5-hydrogen shift to the benefit of 1,6-hydrogen shift. The ready availability of 1,6-hydrogen atom transfer was explored as a potential route for the enantioselective synthesis of naphthoazepines.

Kinetic studies on the formation of sulfonyl radicals and their addition to carbon-carbon multiple bonds.

The reactions of α-hydroxyl and α-alkoxyl alkyl radicals with methanesulfonyl chloride (MeSO(2)Cl) have been studied by pulse radiolysis at room temperature. The alkyl radicals were produced by ionizing radiation of N(2)O-saturated aqueous solution containing methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, or tetrahydrofuran. The transient optical absorption spectrum consisted of a broad band in the region 280-380 nm with a maximum at 320 nm typical of the MeSO(2)(•) radical. The rate constants in the interval of 1.7 × 10(7)-2.2 × 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) were assigned to an electron-transfer process that leads to MeSO(2)Cl(•-), subsequently decaying into MeSO(2)(•) radical and Cl(-). The rate constants for the addition of CH(3)SO(2)(•) to acrolein and propiolic acid were found to be 4.9 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) and 5.9 × 10(7) M(-1) s(-1), respectively, in aqueous solutions and reversible. The reactivity of tosyl radical (p-CH(3)C(6)H(4)SO(2)(•)) toward a series of alkenes bearing various functional groups was also determined by competition kinetics in benzene. The rate constants for the addition of tosyl radical to alkenes vary in a much narrower range than the rate constants for the reverse reaction. The stabilization of the adduct radical substantially contributes to the increase of the rate constant for the addition of tosyl radical to alkenes and, conversely, retards the ß-elimination of tosyl radical.

Enzyme-triggered radical reactions: another approach for tin-free radical chemistry.

The system laccase/mediator/dioxygen is able to trigger radical reactions with radical precursors which are not natural substrates of this enzyme. The radical generation has been accomplished by single electron transfer oxidation of a 1,3-dicarbonyl precursor. The process is exemplified with a radical cascade.

Spin-trapping evidence for the formation of alkyl, alkoxyl, and alkylperoxyl radicals in the reactions of dialkylzincs with oxygen.

The reactions of dialkylzincs (Me(2)Zn, Et(2)Zn, and nBu(2)Zn) with oxygen have been investigated by EPR spectroscopy using spin-trapping techniques. The use of 5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrrroline N-oxide (DEPMPO) as a spin-trap has allowed the involvement of alkyl, alkylperoxyl, and alkoxyl radicals in this process to be probed for the first time. The relative ratio of the corresponding spin-adducts depends strongly on the nature of the R group, which controls the C-Zn bond dissociation enthalpy, and on the experimental conditions (excess of spin-trap compared with R(2)Zn and vice versa). The results have demonstrated that Et(2)Zn and, to a lesser extent, nBu(2)Zn are much better traps for oxygen-centered species than Me(2)Zn. When the dialkylzincs were used in excess with respect to the spin-trap, the concentration of the oxygen-centered radical adducts of DEPMPO was much lower for Et(2)Zn and nBu(2)Zn than for Me(2)Zn. A detailed reaction mechanism is discussed and C-Zn, O-Zn, and O-O bond dissociation enthalpies for the proposed reaction intermediates were calculated at the UB3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3pd)//UB3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory to support the rationale.

Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of primary amines catalyzed by CAL-B at 38-40 °C.

The (R)-selective chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of primary amines was performed at 38-40 °C in MTBE, in good to high yields and with high enantiomeric excesses. These reactions associating CAL-B to octanethiol as radical racemizing agent were carried out in the presence of methyl ß-methoxy propanoate as acyl donor, under photochemical irradiation at 350 nm in glassware.

Memory of chirality in cascade rearrangements of enediynes.

The cascade rearrangement of chiral enediynes 1c-e, involving successively 1,3-proton shift, Saito-Myers cyclization, 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer, and intramolecular coupling of the resulting biradical, proceeded at 80 °C to form tri- and tetracyclic heterocycles possessing a quaternary stereogenic center with a very high level of memory of chirality.

Switching from (R)- to (S)-selective chemoenzymatic DKR of amines involving sulfanyl radical-mediated racemization.

Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of amines involving sulfanyl radical-induced racemization happened to be the very first switchable DKR process allowing the synthesis of either (R)- or (S)-amides, in good yield and high enantiomeric excess, depending on the nature of the enzyme; the different steps of the development of (S)-selective DKR are discussed.