Nucleophilic (Radio)Fluorination of α-Diazocarbonyl Compounds Enabled by Copper-Catalyzed H-F Insertion.

The copper-catalyzed H-F insertion into α-diazocarbonyl compounds is described using potassium fluoride (KF) and hexafluoroisopropanol. Access to complex α-fluorocarbonyl derivatives is achieved under mild conditions, and the method is readily adapted to radiofluorination with [(18)F]KF. This late-stage strategy provides an attractive route to (18)F-labeled biomolecules.

Substrate-directable electron transfer reactions. Dramatic rate enhancement in the chemoselective reduction of cyclic esters using SmI2-H2O: mechanism, scope, and synthetic utility.

Substrate-directable reactions play a pivotal role in organic synthesis, but are uncommon in reactions proceeding via radical mechanisms. Herein, we provide experimental evidence showing dramatic rate acceleration in the Sm(II)-mediated reduction of cyclic esters that is enabled by transient chelation between a directing group and the lanthanide center. This process allows unprecedented chemoselectivity in the reduction of cyclic esters using SmI2-H2O and for the first time proceeds with a broad substrate scope. Initial studies on the origin of selectivity and synthetic application to form carbon-carbon bonds are also disclosed.

Preparation and use of samarium diiodide (SmI(2)) in organic synthesis: the mechanistic role of HMPA and Ni(II) salts in the samarium Barbier reaction.

Although initially considered an esoteric reagent, SmI(2) has become a common tool for synthetic organic chemists. SmI(2) is generated through the addition of molecular iodine to samarium metal in THF.(1,2-3) It is a mild and selective single electron reductant and its versatility is a result of its ability to initiate a wide range of reductions including C-C bond-forming and cascade or sequential reactions. SmI(2) can reduce a variety of functional groups including sulfoxides and sulfones, phosphine oxides, epoxides, alkyl and aryl halides, carbonyls, and conjugated double bonds.(2-12) One of the fascinating features of SmI-(2)-mediated reactions is the ability to manipulate the outcome of reactions through the selective use of cosolvents or additives. In most instances, additives are essential in controlling the rate of reduction and the chemo- or stereoselectivity of reactions.(13-14) Additives commonly utilized to fine tune the reactivity of SmI(2) can be classified into three major groups: (1) Lewis bases (HMPA, other electron-donor ligands, chelating ethers, etc.), (2) proton sources (alcohols, water etc.), and (3) inorganic additives (Ni(acac)(2), FeCl(3), etc).(3) Understanding the mechanism of SmI(2) reactions and the role of the additives enables utilization of the full potential of the reagent in organic synthesis. The Sm-Barbier reaction is chosen to illustrate the synthetic importance and mechanistic role of two common additives: HMPA and Ni(II) in this reaction. The Sm-Barbier reaction is similar to the traditional Grignard reaction with the only difference being that the alkyl halide, carbonyl, and Sm reductant are mixed simultaneously in one pot.(1,15) Examples of Sm-mediated Barbier reactions with a range of coupling partners have been reported,(1,3,7,10,12) and have been utilized in key steps of the synthesis of large natural products.(16,17) Previous studies on the effect of additives on SmI(2) reactions have shown that HMPA enhances the reduction potential of SmI(2) by coordinating to the samarium metal center, producing a more powerful,(13-14,18) sterically encumbered reductant(19-21) and in some cases playing an integral role in post electron-transfer steps facilitating subsequent bond-forming events.(22) In the Sm-Barbier reaction, HMPA has been shown to additionally activate the alkyl halide by forming a complex in a pre-equilibrium step.(23) Ni(II) salts are a catalytic additive used frequently in Sm-mediated transformations.(24-27) Though critical for success, the mechanistic role of Ni(II) was not known in these reactions. Recently it has been shown that SmI(2) reduces Ni(II) to Ni(0), and the reaction is then carried out through organometallic Ni(0) chemistry.(28) These mechanistic studies highlight that although the same Barbier product is obtained, the use of different additives in the SmI(2) reaction drastically alters the mechanistic pathway of the reaction. The protocol for running these SmI(2)-initiated reactions is described.

Study on the coupling of acyclic esters with alkenes--the synthesis of 2-(2-hydroxyalkyl)cyclopropanols via cascade cyclization using allylsamarium bromide.

The radical cyclization between aliphatic acyclic esters and alkenes was achieved unprecedentedly in the presence of allylsamarium bromide with HMPA and H(2)O as additives. The cascade radical cyclization-ring-opening-anionic cyclization allowed facile and efficient access to 2-(2-hydroxyalkyl)cyclopropanols from readily available materials.

Effect of crown ethers on the ground and excited state reactivity of samarium diiodide in acetonitrile.

Electron transfer from the ground and excited states of Sm[15-crown-5](2)I(2) complex to a series of electron acceptors (benzaldehyde, acetophenone, benzophenone, nitrobenzene, benzyl bromide, benzyl chloride, 1-iodohexane, and 1,4-dinitrobenzene) was investigated in acetonitrile. Electron transfer from the ground state of the Sm(II)-crown system to aldehydes and ketones has a significant inner sphere component indicating that the oxophilic nature of Sm(II) prevails in the system even in the presence of bulky ligands such as 15-crown-5 ether. Activation parameters for the ground state electron transfer were determined, and the values were consistent with the proposed mechanistic models. Since crown ethers stabilize the photoexcited states of Sm(II), the photochemistry of Sm[15-crown-5](2)I(2) system in solution state has been investigated in detail. The results suggest that photoinduced electron transfer from Sm(II)-crown systems to a wide variety of substrates is feasible with rate constant values as high as 10(7) M(-1) s(-1). The results described herein imply that the present difficulty of manipulating the extremely reactive excited state of Sm(II) in solution phase can be overcome through stabilizing the excited state of the divalent metal ion by careful design of the ligand systems.

Catalytic Ni(II) in reactions of SmI2: Sm(II)- or Ni(0)-based chemistry?

The addition of catalytic amounts of Ni(II) salts provide enhanced reactivity and selectivity in numerous reactions of SmI(2), but the mechanistic basis for their effect is unknown. We report spectroscopic and kinetic studies on the mechanistic role of catalytic Ni(II) in the samarium Barbier reaction. The mechanistic studies presented herein show that the samarium Barbier reaction containing catalytic amounts of Ni(II) salts is driven solely by the reduction of Ni(II) to Ni(0) in a rate-limiting step. Once formed, Ni(0) inserts into the alkyl halide bond through oxidative addition to produce an organonickel species. During the reaction, the formation of colloidal Ni(0) occurs concomitantly with Ni(0) oxidative addition as an unproductive process. Overall, this study shows that a reaction thought to be driven by the unique features of SmI(2) is in fact a result of known Ni(0) chemistry.

Uncovering the mechanistic role of HMPA in the samarium Barbier reaction.

The presence of HMPA is critical for the selective coupling of alkyl halides and ketones by SmI2. Although previous rate studies have shown that HMPA dramatically accelerates the reduction of alkyl halides over ketones, the basis of this rate acceleration is unknown. In this communication, we report experimental and computational evidence that demonstrate that the selectivity observed in the samarium Barbier reaction is in part a result of activation of the alkyl halide bond by HMPA.