Synthesis of Enantiopure Tertiary Skipped Diynes via One-Pot Desymmetrizing TMS-Cleavage

Enantiopure tetrasubstituted skipped diynes were readily synthesized from N-protected amino esters upon addition of lithium TMS-acetylide which was found to be desymmetrizing through one-pot selective TMS-cleavage. The deprotection of the TMS group was realized through a one-pot silicon atom attack by the liberated methoxide, which was diastereoselective due to a conformational favorable chelate

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 β 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

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 <b>1a</b> and <b>1b</b> 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. <i>N</i>-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

Metal Acetylacetonate–Bidentate Ligand Interaction (MABLI) (Photo)activated Polymerization: Toward High Performance Amine-Free, Peroxide-Free Redox Radical (Photo)initiating Systems

Free radical polymerization (FRP) initiation from metal acetylacetonate–bidentate ligand interaction (MABLI) under mild conditions (room temperature, under air) is discussed here for different metal centers (Mn, V, and Cu). First, without light, in MABLI systems such as V­(acac)₃/2-diphenyl­phosphinobenzoic acid (2dppba), Mn­(acac)₃/2dppba, or Cu­(acac)₂/2dppba, electron-rich aryl (Ar^•) radicals were conveniently and efficiently produced by the reaction of electron-poor acac^• radicals with the iodonium salt (Iod), leading to an enhancement of pure redox (no light) polymerizations. Second, it was found that V­(III)*/Iod reaction is generating aryl (Ar^•) radicals at a high enough rate to initiate a photopolymerization process upon mild irradiation (LED@405 nm). This reaction can be implemented in redox photoactivated systems (e.g., using three-component V­(acac)₃/2dppba/Iod systems) in order to spectacularly enhance a slow redox process from 40 °C exothermicity in 800 s to 93 °C in less than 200 s. Third, an impressive chemical bleaching (without light) was reported for the Mn­(acac)₃/2dppba reaction. Photoactivation of the Mn­(acac)₃/2dppba/Iod system led to outstanding FRP initiation efficiencies (<20 s for more than 85% CC conversion of a low-viscosity methacrylate resin). Light enhancement of surface curing was confirmed for all the redox photoactivated polymerizations using Raman confocal microscopy. Overall, amine-free peroxide-free MABLI radical initiating systems were highly improved for safer and even more efficient redox (photoactivated) polymerizations. This original combination of redox polymerization and photopolymerization will be highly worthwhile to combine in one approach the advantages of both techniques

Polyaromatic Structures as Organo-Photoinitiator Catalysts for Efficient Visible Light Induced Dual Radical/Cationic Photopolymerization and Interpenetrated Polymer Networks Synthesis

Different polyaromatic structures (truxene derivatives and tris­(aza)­pentacene) are presented as new metal-free organic photocatalysts (OPC) to promote free radical polymerization FRP and ring-opening polymerization (ROP) under halogen lamp, household LED bulb, and laser diode (405 nm). These OPCs exhibit interesting light absorption properties and lead, through an oxidative catalytic cycle, to the formation of radicals and ions that can initiate both free radical polymerization FRP and ring-opening polymerization ROP. Interestingly, excellent polymerization profiles are obtained even upon visible light exposure. Using these very soft irradiation conditions, acrylate/epoxide blends are also easily polymerized under air and lead to the formation of interpenetrated polymer networks IPN exhibiting no phase separation