ABSTRACT
Phenoxyl radical was generally suggested as the intermediate during copper-catalyzed aerobic oxygenation of phenols. However, the substrate-dependent selectivity has not been well interpreted, due to insufficient characterization of the radical intermediate under reaction conditions. When studying the CuCl-LiCl-catalyzed aerobic phenol oxidation, we obtained EPR spectra of phenoxyl radicals generated by oxidizing phenols with the preactivated catalyst. Upon correlation to the selectivity of benzoquinone, the hyperfine coupling constant of para-site proton (aH, para) was found to be better than the Hammett constant. The catalysis mechanism was studied based on EPR detection and the reaction results of phenoxyl radicals under N2 or O2 atmosphere. It appeared that the chemoselectivity depended on the attack of activated dioxygen on phenoxyl radicals, and the activation of dioxygen by [CunCln+1]- (n = 1, 2, 3) was suggested as the rate-determining step. Understanding of the substrate-dependent selectivity contributed to predicting the chemoselectivity in the aerobic oxidation of phenols.
ABSTRACT
By using click chemistry, a hexacationic cage was synthesized. The cage contains two triscationic π-electron-deficient trispyridiniumtriazine (TPZ3+) platforms that are bridged in a face-to-face manner by three ethylene-triazole-ethylene linkers. A diversity of π-electron-rich guests can be recognized within the pocket of the cage, driven by host-guest π-π interactions. The cage cavity acts as a protecting group, preventing an anthracene guest from undergoing Diels-Alder reaction. Under ultraviolet (UV) light, the pyridinium CâN bonds in TPZ3+ platforms are polarized and weakened, resulting in the occurrence of cage decomposition via ß-elimination. Guest recognition could help to prevent this UV-stimulated cage decomposition by suppressing the excitation of the TPZ3+ units.
ABSTRACT
Spin-spin interactions between two identical aromatic radicals have been studied extensively and utilized to establish supramolecular recognition. Here we report that spin-pairing interactions could also take place between two different π-electron radicals, namely a bipyridinium radical cation (BPY+â¢) and a naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) radical anion (NDIââ¢). The occurrence of this type of previously unreported hetero radical-pairing interactions is attributed to enhancement effect of Coulombic attraction between these two radicals bearing opposite charges. The Coulombic-enhanced hetero radical pairing interactions are employed to drive host-guest recognition, as well as the reversible switching of a bistable [2]rotaxane.
