Tuning the Reactivity of Alkoxyl Radicals from 1,5-Hydrogen Atom Transfer To
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ARTICLE https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22382-y OPEN Tuning the reactivity of alkoxyl radicals from 1,5- hydrogen atom transfer to 1,2-silyl transfer Zhaoliang Yang1,4, Yunhong Niu1,4, Xiaoqian He2, Suo Chen1, Shanshan Liu 1, Zhengyu Li1, Xiang Chen1, ✉ ✉ Yunxiao Zhang1, Yu Lan 2,3 & Xiao Shen 1 Controlling the reactivity of reactive intermediates is essential to achieve selective trans- formations. Due to the facile 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), alkoxyl radicals have been 1234567890():,; proven to be important synthetic intermediates for the δ-functionalization of alcohols. Herein, we disclose a strategy to inhibit 1,5-HAT by introducing a silyl group into the α-position of alkoxyl radicals. The efficient radical 1,2-silyl transfer (SiT) allows us to make various α- functionalized products from alcohol substrates. Compared with the direct generation of α- carbon radicals from oxidation of α-C-H bond of alcohols, the 1,2-SiT strategy distinguishes itself by the generation of alkoxyl radicals, the tolerance of many functional groups, such as intramolecular hydroxyl groups and C-H bonds next to oxygen atoms, and the use of silyl alcohols as limiting reagents. 1 The Institute for Advanced Studies, Engineering Research Center of Organosilicon Compounds and Materials, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China. 2 School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China. 3 College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Zhengzhou University, ✉ Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China. 4These authors contributed equally: Zhaoliang Yang, Yunhong Niu. email: [email protected];[email protected] NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | (2021) 12:2131 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22382-y | www.nature.com/naturecommunications 1 ARTICLE NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22382-y adicals, anions, cations, carbenes, and others are key reac- and the tolerance of various C–H bonds and benzyl alcohols tive intermediates in synthesis1. These intermediates demonstrate the synthetic potential of our methodology R 30,31 usually show different reactivity, facilitating the develop- (Fig. 1c) . ment of complementary methodologies for the synthesis of molecules that are important in material and/or life-related Results field2–4. Among various radicals, alkoxyl radicals have gained – Radical 1,2-SiT in the synthesis of α-hydroxyl oxime ethers. increasing attention (Fig. 1a)5 9. Although the previous studies to Oximes and oxime ethers are important synthetic building blocks, generate alkoxyl radicals usually need pre-activated alcohols or – and they have also been found to be core structural motifs of corresponding precursors10 21, recent work on the direct activa- multiple bioactive molecules28,39–41. In 2018, Jiao and co-workers tion of alcohols with photocatalysis and/or transition-metal cat- – reported the synthesis of δ-alkoxylimino alcohols through 1,5- alysis largely broaden their synthetic utility22 29. When δ-C–H HAT of alkoxyl radicals, but no α-alkoxylimino alcohols were bonds are present, the intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer isolated28. Previous methods to prepare α-hydroxyl oxime ethers (HAT) from the δ-position via a low-energy six-membered ring mainly rely on the reduction of alkoxyliminyl substituted ketones, transition state is usually favored over the transfer of hydrogen which themselves need multistep synthesis41. To the best of our atoms at other positions, thus alkoxyl radical-mediated δ-C–H knowledge, there is no report on radical-mediated synthesis of α- functionalization is widely studied (Fig. 1b)6. For example, the alkoxylimino alcohols. Therefore, we choose to investigate the synthesis of δ-alkoxylimino alcohols and intermolecular δ- reaction between α-silyl alcohol 1a and sulfonyl oxime ether 2 to heteroarylation of alcohols through 1,5-HAT of alkoxyl radicals – check whether α-functionalization product or δ-functionalization have been achieved (Fig. 1b)27 29. However, alkoxyl radical- product can be obtained. mediated α-functionalization of alcohols have not been reported30,31. It is also known that excess amount of alcohols are usually required in oxidative C–H functionalization reactions, Optimization of the reaction conditions for the synthesis of α- and it is challenging to control the selectivity when multiple hydroxyl oxime ethers. Previously, we found the Mn(II)/Mn oxidizable C–H bonds are present in the substrate30,31. Silicon (III)-catalyzed metal alkoxide (M-OR) homo-cleavage strategy possesses empty d orbitals and C–Si bond is longer than C–H was an efficient way to generate alkoxyl radicals for the direct bond. We envisioned that 1,2-silyl transfer (SiT) of alkoxyl radical transfer of trifluoroethanol and difluoroethanol units38. There- via three-membered ring transition state (also known as radical fore, we focused on the investigation of various transition-metal Brook rearrangement, RBR) might be easier than the corre- salts for M-OR homo-cleavage. After extensive investigations, we sponding 1,2-HAT and might be favored over 1,5-HAT process found that AgNO3 was a better pre-catalyst than CuCl2, FeCl3, – (Fig. 1c). NiBr2, Mn(OAc)3, and AgI (Fig. 2, entries 1 6). When the = RBR was initially proposed to explain the cyclopropanation reaction was carried out in MeCN/H2O (v/v 1:1) at 80 °C for product of the photoreaction between acylsilanes and electron- 12 h with K S O as an oxidant, a yield of 47% was afforded for – 2 2 8 poor olefins in 198132 35. However, the synthetic application of compound 3a, without any detection of δ-functionalization pro- 35–38 RBR was nearly ignored in the following decades . Until 2017, duct (entry 6). When the solvent was changed to acetone/H2O (v/ Smith and group found that benzylic radicals can be generated v = 1:1), the yield of α-functionalization product 3a increased to from the oxidation of hypervalent silicate intermediate by a 51% (entry 7). Increasing the concentration of the reaction photo-excited Ir complex37. In 2020, our group revealed that the resulted in an improved yield of compound 3a (71%, entry 8). – Mn-catalyzed RBR is superior to anion Brook rearrangement in Other oxidants such as Na2S2O8, (NH4)2S2O8, Dess Martin the direct trifluoroethanol transfer reactions38. Herein, we show periodinane, and tert-butyl peroxybenzoate afforded lower effi- that radical 1,2-SiT is favored over 1,5-HAT under Ag-catalysis ciency of the reaction (entries 9–12). Lowering the reaction conditions, and selective α-C–C bond formation reactions are temperature also resulted in a decreased yield of compound 3a achieved without any δ-functionalization product, in which the (entries 13 and 14). The control experiment showed that, without use of alcohols as limiting reagents in the reaction of oxime ethers AgNO3, only 20% yield of compound 3a was observed by proton a Alkoxyl radicals: important synthetic intermediates c This work: 1,2-SiT of alkoxyl radicals which contain d-C-H bonds O disfavored OH OH R' R' 1,2-SiT H H Ag O O[Si] R'' [Si] R H R H R favored R R' R' [Si] b Previous work: selective 1,5-HAT of alkoxyl radicals [Si]: silyl group OH favored R' R' 1,5-HAT OH H OH R'' H O R examples of products: R H H H R R' disfavored R H R' H OH OH OH O CN O NOBn OH OH Cl Ar H H H NOBn representative no products derived H H N NC H X H from 1,2-HAT R examples: R' R R' reactive C-H bonds in 1,5-HAT H : ref 28 ref 27, 29 and oxidative C-H functionalizations Fig. 1 Tuning the reactivity of alkoxyl radicals from 1,5-HAT to 1,2-SiT by the incorporation of a silyl group. a Alkoxyl radicals are important synthetic intermediates. b Intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) via a six-membered ring transition state is usually favored over the transfer of hydrogen atoms at other positions, thus alkoxyl radicals mediated δ-C–H functionalization is widely studied. c We disclose here that 1,2-silyl transfer (SiT) is favored over 1,5-HAT under Ag-catalyzed conditions, allowing the efficient synthesis of α-hydroxyl oxime ethers and α-heteroaryl alcohols (this work). The alkoxyl radical-mediated reactions can tolerate many reactive C–H bonds, which are reactive in 1,5-HAT and oxidative C–H functionalizations. Another OH group in the substrates can also be tolerated. 2 NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | (2021) 12:2131 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22382-y | www.nature.com/naturecommunications NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22382-y ARTICLE Fig. 2 Reaction optimization. aThe mixture of 1a (0.2 mmol), catalyst (0.04 mmol), oxidant (0.4 mmol), and 2 (0.3 mmol) in the solvent (2 mL) was 1 b stirred at T under N2 for 12 h. Conversions of 1a and 2 and yield of 3a were determined by H NMR using BrCH2CH2Br as an internal standard. Solvent (1.5 mL). DMP Dess–Martin periodinane, TBPB tert-butyl peroxybenzoate. AgNO3 (20 mol%) NOBn [Si] NOBn K2S2O8 ( 2 equiv.) + CN OH PhO S CN n-C H H 2 Acetone/H O (1:1) OH 3 7 2 n o -C3H7 H 1 2 (1.5 equiv.) 80 C, 12 h 3a 1) with 1a ([Si] = PhMe2 Si), >99 conv. of 1a, 86% conv. of 2, 71% yield of 3a; 2) with 1ab ([Si] = Me3 Si), >99 conv. of 1ab, 91% conv. of 2, 41% yield of 3a; 3) with 1ac([Si] = t-BuMe2Si), >99 conv. of 1ac, 92% conv. of 2, 13% yield of 3a; 4) with 1ad ([Si] = Ph2MeSi), 92% conv.of 1ad,90% conv.