Mariza N. Alberti

Unraveling the Mechanism of the Singlet Oxygen Ene Reaction: Recent Computational and Experimental Approaches

The mechanism of the singlet oxygen ene reaction has been a subject of renewed interest within the last few years. The main question being whether this reaction proceeds through a concerted mechanism or if it involves discrete intermediates. In general, the majority of experimental and computational studies support a traditional stepwise mechanism involving a perepoxide-like intermediate. In this minireview we highlight the most prominent and recent theoretical, as well as experimental results relating to the challenging mechanism of the singlet oxygen ene oxyfunctionalization.

Photosensitized Oxidations of Substituted Pyrroles: Unanticipated Radical-Derived Oxygenated Products

Photooxidation of pyrrole adducts 7-10 has been investigated in order to establish a general reaction pattern and mechanism for the formation of the resulting oxygenated products. The reactions were performed in several solvents utilizing both type I and type II sensitizers. In most cases, photooxidations gave complex mixture of products. Among these products, 5,5- or 6,5-bicyclic lactams (11, 15, and 19), maleimide 12 unsaturated gamma-lactams (16 and 20), 5-hydroxylactams (13, 17, and 21), and 5-methoxylactams (14, 18, and 22) were isolated and characterized. Photooxidation of 2,5-dimethyl-substituted pyrrole 10 in aprotic solvents unexpectedly afforded aldehyde 23 as the major product. Moreover, photooxidation of pyrrole adduct 10 in protic solvents exclusively gave the unprecedented solvent-trapped products 24-27. The formation of products 11-22 was rationalized by the intermediacy of a common endoperoxide intermediate, which could be formed by both type I and type II mechanisms. Compounds 23-27 were most probably formed via an electron-transfer mechanism.

The Cyclopropyl Group as a Hypersensitive Probe in the Singlet Oxygen Ene Reaction Mechanism

Cyclopropyl-substituted olefins are employed as mechanistic probes in the singlet oxygen-alkene ene reaction. In MeOH and aprotic solvents [CHCl(3), (CH(3))(2)CO, CH(3)CN], only the allylic hydroperoxides bearing an intact cyclopropyl group are detected. The reaction mechanism is independent of solvent polarity. Our findings, to a certain experimental limit, exclude a biradical or dipolar intermediate.

One-step synthesis of fullerene hydride C60H2 via hydrolysis of acylated fullerenes

The hitherto unexplored class of acylated fullerene compounds has been shown to be excellent C(60)H2 precursors. Upon a simple treatment with basic Al2O3, they are hydrolyzed quantitatively into C(60)H2. This key feature led to the development of a new, straightforward protocol for the selective synthesis of the simplest [60]fullerene hydride, C(60)H2. This protocol may offer an advantageous alternative to previously known methods for the synthesis of C(60)H2 allowing for a rapid access to C(60)H2 in good yield and high purity without tedious separating processes.

Stereochemistry of the Singlet Oxygenation of Simple Alkenes: A Stereospecific Transformation†

The stereochemistry of the allylic oxidation (ene reaction) mediated by singlet oxygen ((1)O2), using the optically active alkene (S,S)-cis-1,4-diphenyl-2-butene-1,4-d2 , in MeOH and aprotic solvents was investigated. Our findings indicate that the title reaction is a highly stereospecific suprafacial process, independent of solvent polarity. The observation of an isotope effect, which matches the stereogenic ratio exactly, rules out biradical or open dipolar intermediates.

Solvent‐Dependent Changes in the Triazolinedione–Alkene Ene Reaction Mechanism

The influence of the solvent on the triazolinedione-alkene ene reaction mechanism has been investigated. Both inter- and intramolecular kinetic isotope effects with tetramethylethylenes and 2,2,2-(trideuterio)methyl-7-methyl-2,6-octadiene-[D3]-1,1,1 provide, for the first time, strong evidence for changes in the mechanism of the reaction on going from non-protic to polar protic solvents. In non-protic polar or apolar solvents, an aziridinium imide that equilibrates to an insignificant extent with an open intermediate (a dipolar or a polarized biradical) is formed irreversibly in the first, rate-determining step of the reaction, which is followed by fast hydrogen abstraction. On the contrary, in polar protic solvents, hydrogen abstraction is rate limiting, allowing the main dipolar intermediate to equilibrate with its open intermediate(s) as well as with the starting reagents.

Concerning the reactivity of PTAD with isomeric dienes: the mechanism of the Diels-Alder cycloaddition.

Cyclopropyl substituted dienes are employed as mechanistic probes in the triazolinedione Diels-Alder (DA) reaction. In aprotic and protic solvents, apart from the DA adducts that bear an intact cyclopropyl group, complicated and rearranged products are also obtained. These results provide solid evidence for the involvement of an open intermediate with a lifetime greater than 2 x 10(-12) s.

Photocycloaddition of Biscyclopropyl Alkenes to C60: An Unprecedented Approach toward cis-1 Tricyclic-Fused Fullerenes

A novel, simple, and entirely regioselective tandem cycloaddition of biscyclopropyl-substituted alkenes to [60]fullerene has been revealed. This reaction affords cis-1 tricyclic-fused organofullerenes bearing the hitherto elusive 5-4-5 fused tricyclic ring system.

Electronic effects in the regioselectivity of the singlet oxygen and 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione ene reactions with isobutenylarenes

Abstract The regioselectivity of the ene pathway in the photooxidation of several 1-aryl-2-methylpropenes, as probed by stereoselective deuterium-labeling, depends on the electronic nature of the para phenyl-substituents. The reaction of the same array of alkenylarenes with 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (MTAD) gives ene products with an impressive >97% allylic hydrogen abstraction from the more substituted side of the alkene.

Heat-induced formation of one-dimensional coordination polymers on Au(111): an STM study.

The formation of one-dimensional coordination polymers of cyano-substituted porphyrin derivatives on Au(111) induced by thermal annealing is demonstrated by means of scanning tunnelling microscopy. The polymer is stabilised by an unusual threefold coordination motif mediated between an Au atom and the cyano groups of the porphyrin derivatives.