Dynamics of Anilinium Radical α-Heterolytic Fragmentation Processes. Electrofugal Group, Substituent, and Medium Effects on Desilylation, Decarboxylation, and Retro-Aldol Cleavage Pathways

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Abstract

A single electron transfer (SET) photosensitization technique in conjunction with time-resolved, laser spectroscopy has been employed to generate and kinetically analyze decay processes of anilinium radicals derived by one-electron oxidation of α-anilinocarboxylates, β-anilinoalcohols, and α-anilinosilanes. In this manner, the rates of unimolecular decarboxylation of aniliniumcarboxylate radicals were determined to be in the range 106−107 s-1 and dependent upon solvent polarity, the nature of the metal cation, and substituents on the aniline ring, nitrogen, and α-carbon. In addition, kinetic analysis of base-induced retro-aldol fragmentations of cation radicals arising by SET oxidation of β-anilinoalcohols has shown that they occur with bimolecular rate constants which vary from 104 to 105 M-1 s1. These values are close to those for α-deprotonation reactions of related N,N-dialkylanilinium radicals. The retro-aldol fragmentation rates, like those for α-decarboxylation, also vary in a patterned way with changes in arene ring, nitrogen, and α- and β-carbon substituents. An investigation of the dynamics of methanol-promoted reactions of α-(trimethylsilyl)methyl-substituted anilinium radicals, has demonstrated that a change in the nitrogen substituent from alkyl to acyl causes an ca. 10-fold increase in the desilylation rate. Parallel photochemical studies have been conducted to gain chemical evidence to support assignment of the anilinium radical decay pathways in the LFP experiments and to demonstrate the preparative consequences of the kinetic results. First, clean formation of products derived by coupling of the (N-methylanilino)methyl radical in photochemical reactions of 1,4-dicyanobenzene with either tetra-n-butylammonium N-methyl-N-phenylglycinate or β-(N-methyl-N-phenyl)aminoethanol shows that the respective decarboxylation and retro-aldol cleavage processes occur with exceptionally high efficiencies. Second, in accord with the high rates observed for aminium radical decarboxylation and base-induced retro-aldol fragmentation, tethered cyclohexenone−α-aminocarboxylates and −β-aminoethanols undergo high-yielding SET-promoted photocyclization reactions under both direct and SET-sensitized conditions. Last, results which depict how the rates of aminium radical α-fragmentation correlate with quantum efficiencies of SET-promoted reactions of tertiary amines and amides have come from a study of photocyclization reactions of N-(aminoethyl)- and (amidoethyl)phthalimides. The quantum yields for these SET-promoted processes are observed to vary with the electrofugal group and nitrogen substituent in the manner predicted on the basis of the LFP-determined fragmentation rates.

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