Malcolm Spain

Highly Chemoselective Reduction of Amides (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary) to Alcohols using SmI2/Amine/H2O under Mild Conditions

Highly chemoselective direct reduction of primary, secondary, and tertiary amides to alcohols using SmI2/amine/H2O is reported. The reaction proceeds with C–N bond cleavage in the carbinolamine intermediate, shows excellent functional group tolerance, and delivers the alcohol products in very high yields. The expected C–O cleavage products are not formed under the reaction conditions. The observed reactivity is opposite to the electrophilicity of polar carbonyl groups resulting from the nX → π*C=O (X = O, N) conjugation. Mechanistic studies suggest that coordination of Sm to the carbonyl and then to Lewis basic nitrogen in the tetrahedral intermediate facilitate electron transfer and control the selectivity of the C–N/C–O cleavage. Notably, the method provides direct access to acyl-type radicals from unactivated amides under mild electron transfer conditions.

Selective Reductive Transformations Using Samarium Diiodide-Water

Samarium diiodide (SmI(2)) is one of the most important reductive electron transfer reagents available in the laboratory. Key to the popularity of SmI(2) is the ability of additives and co-solvents to tune the properties of the reagent. Over the last decade water has emerged as a particularly valuable additive, opening up new chemical space and leading to the discovery of unprecedented selectivity and new reactions promoted by SmI(2). In this Feature Article we review recent progress in the application of SmI(2)-H(2)O systems, with an emphasis on mechanistic considerations and the development of new transformations.

Reductive cyclization cascades of lactones using SmI2-H2O.

Lactones bearing two alkenes or an alkene and an alkyne undergo reductive cyclization cascades upon treatment with SmI(2)-H(2)O, giving decorated azulene motifs in excellent yields with good diastereocontrol.

Selective reductions of cyclic 1,3-diesters using SmI2 and H2O

SmI(2)-H(2)O reduces cyclic 1,3-diesters to 3-hydroxyacids with no over-reduction. Furthermore, the reagent system is selective for cyclic 1,3-diesters over acyclic 1,3-diesters and esters. Experimental and computational studies suggest that the origin of the selectivity lies in the initial electron transfer to the ester carbonyl and the anomeric stabilization of the resulting radical-anion intermediate. Radicals formed by one-electron reduction of the ester carbonyl group have been exploited in intramolecular additions to alkenes.

Electron transfer reduction of unactivated esters using SmI2–H2O

The reduction of unactivated esters using samarium diiodide is reported for the first time. The optimised protocol allows for the reduction of primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl esters in excellent yields and is competitive with reductions mediated by metal hydrides and alkali metals.

Selective Reduction of Barbituric Acids Using SmI2/H2O: Synthesis, Reactivity, and Structural Analysis of Tetrahedral Adducts

Since the 1864 landmark discovery by Adolf von Baeyer,1 barbituric acids have played a prominent role in medicine and organic synthesis. The barbituric acid scaffold occurs in more than 5000 pharmacologically active compounds, including commonly used anticonvulsant, hypnotic, and anticancer agents (Figure 1 a).2 Moreover, as an easily accessible feedstock material, it is an extremely useful building block for organic synthesis.3 However, despite the fact that barbiturates have been extensively studied for over a century, the general monoreduction of barbituric acids remains unknown,4 even though it would have considerable potential for the production and discovery of pharmaceuticals, materials, and polymers. Interestingly, the barbiturate monoreduction products would formally constitute a new class of tetrahedral intermediates of amide bond addition reactions, only few of which have been successfully isolated to date because of their transient nature.5

Ketyl-Type Radicals from Cyclic and Acyclic Esters are Stabilized by SmI2(H2O)n: The Role of SmI2(H2O)n in Post-Electron Transfer Steps

Mechanistic details pertaining to the SmI2-H2O-mediated reduction and reductive coupling of 6-membered lactones, the first class of simple unactivated carboxylic acid derivatives that had long been thought to lie outside the reducing range of SmI2, have been elucidated. Our results provide new experimental evidence that water enables the productive electron transfer from Sm(II) by stabilization of the radical anion intermediate rather than by solely promoting the first electron transfer as originally proposed. Notably, these studies suggest that all reactions involving the generation of ketyl-type radicals with SmI2 occur under a unified mechanism based on the thermodynamic control of the second electron transfer step, thus providing a blueprint for the development of a broad range of novel chemoselective transformations via open-shell electron pathways.

Determination of the Effective Redox Potentials of SmI2, SmBr2, SmCl2, and their Complexes with Water by Reduction of Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Reduction of Anthracene and Stilbene by Samarium(II) Iodide–Water Complex

Samarium(II) iodide-water complexes are ideally suited to mediate challenging electron transfer reactions, yet the effective redox potential of these powerful reductants has not been determined. Herein, we report an examination of the reactivity of SmI2(H2O)n with a series of unsaturated hydrocarbons and alkyl halides with reduction potentials ranging from -1.6 to -3.4 V vs SCE. We found that SmI2(H2O)n reacts with substrates that have reduction potentials more positive than -2.21 V vs SCE, which is much higher than the thermodynamic redox potential of SmI2(H2O)n determined by electrochemical methods (up to -1.3 V vs SCE). Determination of the effective redox potential demonstrates that coordination of water to SmI2 increases the effective reducing power of Sm(II) by more than 0.4 V. We demonstrate that complexes of SmI2(H2O)n arising from the addition of large amounts of H2O (500 equiv) are much less reactive toward reduction of aromatic hydrocarbons than complexes of SmI2(H2O)n prepared using 50 equiv of H2O. We also report that SmI2(H2O)n cleanly mediates Birch reductions of substrates bearing at least two aromatic rings in excellent yields, at room temperature, under very mild reaction conditions, and with selectivity that is not attainable by other single electron transfer reductants.

Electron transfer reduction of carboxylic acids using SmI2-H2O-Et3N.

The first general method for efficient electron transfer reduction of carboxylic acids has been developed. The protocol using SmI(2)-H(2)O-Et(3)N allows for reduction of a variety of carboxylic acids in excellent yields and provides an attractive alternative to processes mediated by reactive alkali metals, lithium aluminum hydride, and boron hydrides. Of broader significance, the method allows acyl radical equivalents to be generated from carboxylic acids under mild reaction conditions.

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.