A review of recent advances in electrochemical and photoelectrochemical late-stage functionalization classified by anodic oxidation, cathodic reduction, and paired electrolysis

• Nian Li,
• Ruzal Sitdikov,
• Ajit Prabhakar Kale,
• Joost Steverlynck,
• Bo Li and
• Magnus Rueping

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2500–2566, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.214

• was demonstrated to be scalable for natural products such as sclareolide and protected ʟ-valine. The proposed mechanism involves a radical chain process. Initiation occurs by nitrate-mediated or direct electrochemical anodic oxidation, followed by fluorination with Selectfluor. After fluorination, the

Mechanisms for radical reactions initiating from N-hydroxyphthalimide esters

• Carlos R. Azpilcueta-Nicolas and
• Jean-Philip Lumb

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 346–378, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.35

• irradiation, EDA complex 74 triggered a radical chain process initiated by B–B bond cleavage, forming boryl-NHPI ester radical 75 and boryl radical 76. Subsequent decarboxylation of 75 yields carbon-centered radical 9 and boryl-phthalimide byproduct 77. Meanwhile DMA-ligated B2cat2 78 is formed upon

Visible-light-induced radical cascade cyclization: a catalyst-free synthetic approach to trifluoromethylated heterocycles

• Chuan Yang,
• Wei Shi,
• Jian Tian,
• Lin Guo,
• Yating Zhao and
• Wujiong Xia

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 118–124, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.12

• radicals. This method allows the efficient synthesis of various indole derivatives without the need of photocatalysts or transition-metal catalysts. Mechanism experiments indicate that the process involves a radical chain process initiated by the homolysis of Umemoto's reagent. This straightforward method

• enables a rapid access to heterocycles containing a trifluoromethyl group. Keywords: cascade reaction; indole derivatives; photocatalysis; radical chain process; trifluoromethylation; Introduction Dihydropyrido[1,2-a]indolone (DHPI) skeletons are commonly found in natural products and pharmaceutical

• EDA charge transfer complex because there was no obvious EDA charge transfer band in the UV–vis spectra (Figure 2). Their indole substrate was more electron-rich in structure. The quantum yield was measured to investigate whether there was a radical chain process or not. The procedure was following a

α-(Aminomethyl)acrylates as acceptors in radical–polar crossover 1,4-additions of dialkylzincs: insights into enolate formation and trapping

• Angel Palillero-Cisneros,
• Paola G. Gordillo-Guerra,
• Fernando García-Alvarez,
• Olivier Jackowski,
• Franck Ferreira,
• Fabrice Chemla,
• Joel L. Terán and
• Alejandro Perez-Luna

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1443–1451, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.103

• alkylidenemalonates [9][10][11]. These reactions follow a free-radical chain process wherein alkyl radicals (R•) add across the C–C double bond of the 1,4-acceptor, activated by complexation with the dialkylzinc, to deliver an enoxyl radical that undergoes homolytic substitution at zinc (SH2) to produce a zinc

Recent developments in enantioselective photocatalysis

• Callum Prentice,
• James Morrisson,
• Andrew D. Smith and
• Eli Zysman-Colman

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2363–2441, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.197

• quantifier of the efficiency of a photochemical process. The quantum yield (Φ) of a reaction is often used as a mechanistic tool to probe whether a chain reaction is active (Φ > 1) or not (Φ < 1), although it should be noted that a reaction with Φ < 1 could also still include a radical chain process with an

• hydrolysis provides the radical conjugate addition (RCA) products 55 with a quaternary stereocentre in excellent yields and enantioselectivities (21 examples, up to 99:1 er). The quantum yield was measured to be <1 (Φ = 0.4) for the iridium-catalysed reaction, suggesting that a radical chain process is not

• enantioselectivities (14 examples, up to 98:2 er). The quantum yield of the enantioselective reaction could not be ascertained due to the reaction being heterogenous, but the quantum yield for the racemic variant using an achiral base was >1 (Φ = 1.2), supporting the proposed radical chain process. While these results

When metal-catalyzed C–H functionalization meets visible-light photocatalysis

• Lucas Guillemard and
• Joanna Wencel-Delord

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1754–1804, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.147

• outcome is interesting from the sophisticated molecule late-stage functionalization viewpoint. Furthermore, the quantum yield of the reaction was measured and turned out to be 6.5. This result indicated that the mechanism of this reaction involved a short radical chain process [85]. The same year, a

Recent advances in photocatalyzed reactions using well-defined copper(I) complexes

• Mingbing Zhong,
• Xavier Pannecoucke,
• Philippe Jubault and
• Thomas Poisson

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 451–481, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.42

• functional group tolerance of the method. Further, the authors carried out an interesting mechanistic study: From their observations, they ruled out a possible radical chain process (path I) because the reaction with styrene cannot be initiated by heating or through a radical initiator. In addition, the

Degenerative xanthate transfer to olefins under visible-light photocatalysis

• Atsushi Kaga,
• Xiangyang Wu,
• Joel Yi Jie Lim,
• Hirohito Hayashi,
• Yunpeng Lu,
• Edwin K. L. Yeow and
• Shunsuke Chiba

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 3047–3058, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.283

• of the iridium-based photocatalyst that triggers the radical chain process [27]. Results and Discussion Over the last decade, there has been a remarkable advance in synthetic chemistry that takes advantage of various chromophores (either metallic or organic) having visible-light charge transfer

• (Table 2, entry 11), implicating that the redox process is partially operating along with the main radical chain process. Norbornene (2m) was found reactive for degenerative transfer of xanthate 1a (Table 2, entry 12). The reaction was also applied to dienes 2n and 2o, which led the formation of

CF₃SO₂X (X = Na, Cl) as reagents for trifluoromethylation, trifluoromethylsulfenyl-, -sulfinyl- and -sulfonylation and chlorination. Part 2: Use of CF₃SO₂Cl

• Hélène Chachignon,
• Hélène Guyon and
• Dominique Cahard

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 2800–2818, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.273

• additional step of intramolecular cyclisation. An alternative radical chain process was also considered this time, involving notably the reaction of radical 28 with CF3SO2Cl to produce CF3• and intermediate 29. Csp2–CF3 bond-forming reactions Trifluoromethylation of arenes and heteroarenes: The pioneering

CF₃SO₂X (X = Na, Cl) as reagents for trifluoromethylation, trifluoromethylsulfenyl-, -sulfinyl- and -sulfonylation. Part 1: Use of CF₃SO₂Na

• Hélène Guyon,
• Hélène Chachignon and
• Dominique Cahard

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 2764–2799, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.272

• using 18O2; no reaction occurred under N2 instead of O2; K2S2O8 rather than O2 served as initiator; the radical CF3SO2• could either extrude SO2 to CF3• or react with O2 to re-initiate the radical chain process (Scheme 7). Vinyl azides were used by Liu and co-workers as precursors of α

The chemistry of amine radical cations produced by visible light photoredox catalysis

• Jie Hu,
• Jiang Wang,
• Theresa H. Nguyen and
• Nan Zheng

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2013, 9, 1977–2001, doi:10.3762/bjoc.9.234

• -electron oxidant via electron transfer or atom transfer. The trichloromethyl radical, which is generated by this oxidation, then abstracts a hydrogen atom of another molecule of N-aryltetrahydroisoquinoline to produce the α-amino radical 17, which once again enters the radical chain process with BrCCl3

Radical zinc-atom-transfer-based carbozincation of haloalkynes with dialkylzincs

• Fabrice Chemla,
• Florian Dulong,
• Franck Ferreira and
• Alejandro Pérez-Luna

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2013, 9, 236–245, doi:10.3762/bjoc.9.28

• in synthesis. Pivotal to the processes disclosed so far using alkylzinc derivatives is zinc atom radical transfer [4]. In general terms, the reaction involves a radical chain process initiated by the formation of an alkyl radical from the organozinc derivative in the presence of oxygen [5][6][7][8][9

Aromatic and heterocyclic perfluoroalkyl sulfides. Methods of preparation

• Vladimir N. Boiko

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2010, 6, 880–921, doi:10.3762/bjoc.6.88

• perfluoroalkylation (especially > 100% electrochemical yield) are consistent with a radical-chain process. Perfluoroalkyl iodides are better substrates than the bromides which give lower yields in these electrochemical reactions (Table 9). Such electrochemically initiated reactions are described in detail in a review