Tri-n-butyltin Hydride-Mediated radical reactions of ortho-and meta-Iodobenzamides to synthesize benzomacrolactams: surprising formation of biphenyl compounds from meta-regioisomers

Reactions of methyl 4-O-allyl-2,3-di-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-6-(3-iodobenzoylamino)-α-D-galactopyranoside, its gluco epimer, methyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-6-(3-iodobenzoylamino)-4-O-(1-pentenyl)-α-D-glucopyranoside and its ortho-regioisomer with tri-n-butyltin hydride were performed in different conditions. Depending on reaction conditions the three meta-iodo isomers gave a surprising amount of biphenyl compounds. The 2-iodo isomer led only to the undesired but expected hydrogenolysis product. No cyclized products were isolated in all the reactions. The structures of the new biphenyl products were elucidated by ¹H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, DEPT, COSY, HMQC and HMBC experiments and ESI-MS/MS. Mechanisms for the formation of these new biphenyl derivatives and hypotheses to explain the different outcomes for radical reactions of 3- or 2-iodobenzamides were presented