skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Radical Perfluoroalkylation Enabled by a Catalytically Generated Halogen Bonding Complex and Visible Light Irradiation
Exploiting charge-transfer complexes in visible light-promoted single-electron redox reactions is a promising route for opening novel synthetic pathways, and catalytic approaches to complex formation are critical for facilitating this chemistry. This report describes the use of a substituted hydroquinone catalyst to promote radical perfluoroalkylation reactions. Mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction is initiated through formation of a visible light-absorbing halogen bonding complex between the hydroquinone catalyst and the perfluoroalkyl halide radical precursor.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1847583
PAR ID:
10329087
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Editor(s):
Kozlowski, Marisa C.
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Organic letters
Volume:
24
Issue:
1
ISSN:
1523-7060
Page Range / eLocation ID:
446 - 450
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract Visible‐light‐induced halide‐exchange between halide perovskite and organohalide solvents has been studied in which photoinduced electron transfer from CsPbBr3nanocrystals (NCs) to dihalomethane solvent molecules produces halide anions via reductive dissociation, followed by a spontaneous anion‐exchange. Photogenerated holes in this process are less focused. Here, for CsPbBr3in dibromomethane (DBM), we discover that Br radical (Br⋅) is a key intermediate resulting from the hole oxidation. We successfully trapped Br⋅ with reported methods and found that Br⋅ is continuously generated in DBM under visible light irradiation, hence imperative for catalytic reaction design. Continuous Br⋅ formation within this halide‐exchange process is active for photocatalytic [3+2] cycloaddition for vinylcyclopentane synthesis, a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry, with good yield and rationalized diastereoselectivity. The NC photocatalyst is highly recyclable due to Br‐based self‐healing, leading to a particularly economic and neat heterogeneous reaction where the solvent DBM also acts as a co‐catalyst in perovskite photocatalysis. Halide perovskites, notable for efficient solar energy conversion, are demonstrated as exceptional photocatalysts for Br radical‐mediated [3+2] cycloaddition. We envisage such perovskite‐induced Br radical strategy may serve as a powerful chemical tool for developing valuable halogen radical‐involved reactions. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract Visible‐light‐driven C−C bond formation utilizing ketyl radical (Cketyl) species has attracted increasing attention recently, as it provides a direct route for the synthesis of complex molecules. However, the most‐developed homogeneous photocatalytic systems for the generation and utilization of ketyl radicals usually entail noble metal‐based (e. g., Ru and Ir) photosensitizers, which suffer from not only high cost but also potential degradation and hence pose challenges in product separation and purification. In contrast, readily accessible, inexpensive, and recyclable semiconductors represent a class of attractive and alternative photocatalysts but remain much less explored for photocatalytic ketyl radical initiated C−C bond formation. This work demonstrates that a wide range of industrially important chemicals, including substituted chromanes and tertiary alcohols, can be produced on ZnIn2S4under visible light irradiation through intramolecular cyclization (Cketyl−Csp2) and intermolecular cross‐coupling (Cketyl−Csp3) reactions, respectively, using ketyl radicals. A suite of experimental studies aided by computational investigation were carried out to shed light on the mechanistic insights of these two types of ketyl radical initiated C−C coupling reactions on ZnIn2S4
    more » « less
  3. Radical cation initiated cyclization reactions can be triggered by the one electron oxidation of an electron-rich olefin using either electrochemistry or visible light and a photoredox catalyst. In principle, the two methods can be used to give complimentary products with the electrolysis leading to products derived from a net two electron oxidation and the photoelectron transfer method being compatible with the formation of products from a redox neutral process. However, we are finding an increasing number of oxidative cyclization reactions that require the rapid removal of a second electron in order to form high yields of the desired product. In those cases, the electrochemical method can provide a superior approach to accessing the necessary two electron oxidation pathway. With that said, it is a combination of the two methods that provides the mechanistic insight needed to understand when a reaction has this requirement, and we are finding that the use of photoredox catalysis in combination with electrochemical methods is changing our understanding of even the most successful anodic cyclization reactions run to date. 
    more » « less
  4. Non‐thermal plasma discharge produced in the wake of charged microdroplets is found to facilitate catalyst‐free radical mediated hydrazine cross‐coupling reactions without the use of external light source, heat, precious metal complex, or trapping agents. A plasma‐microdroplet fusion platform is utilized for introduction of hydrazine reagent that undergoes homolytic cleavage forming radical intermediate species. The non‐thermal plasma discharge that causes the cleavage originates from a chemically etched silica capillary. The coupling of the radical intermediates gives various products. Plasma‐microdroplet fusion occurs online in a programmable reaction platform allowing direct process optimization and product validation via mass spectrometry. The platform is applied herein with a variety of hydrazine substrates, enabling i) self‐coupling to form secondary amines with identical N‐substitutions, ii) cross‐coupling to afford secondary amine with different N‐substituents, iii) cross‐coupling followed by in situ dehydrogenation to give the corresponding aryl‐aldimines with two unique N‐substitutions, and iv) cascade heterocyclic carbazole derivatives formation. These unique reactions were made possible in the charged microdroplet environment through our ability to program conditions such as reagent concentration (i. e., flow rate), microdroplet reactivity (i. e., presence or absence of plasma), and reaction timescale (i. e., operational mode of the source). The selected program is implemented in a co‐axial spray format, which is found to be advantageous over the conventional one‐pot single emitter electrospray‐based microdroplet reactions. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract A catalyst‐ and additive‐free decarbonylative trifluoromethylthiolation of aldehyde feedstocks has been developed. This operationally simple, scalable, and open‐to‐air transformation is driven by the selective photoexcitation of electron donor‐acceptor (EDA) complexes, stemming from the association of 1,4‐dihydropyridines (donor) withN‐(trifluoromethylthio)phthalimide (acceptor), to trigger intermolecular single‐electron transfer events under ambient‐ and visible light‐promoted conditions. Extension to other electron acceptors enables the synthesis of thiocyanates and thioesters, as well as the difunctionalization of [1.1.1]propellane. The mechanistic intricacies of this photochemical paradigm are elucidated through a combination of experimental efforts and high‐level quantum mechanical calculations [dispersion‐corrected (U)DFT, DLPNO‐CCSD(T), and TD‐DFT]. This comprehensive study highlights the necessity for EDA complexation for efficient alkyl radical generation. Computation of subsequent ground state pathways reveals that SH2 addition of the alkyl radical to the intermediate radical EDA complex is extremely exergonic and results in a charge transfer event from the dihydropyridine donor to theN‐(trifluoromethylthio)phthalimide acceptor of the EDA complex. Experimental and computational results further suggest that product formation also occursviaSH2 reaction of alkyl radicals with 1,2‐bis(trifluoromethyl)disulfane, generated in‐situ through combination of thiyl radicals. magnified image 
    more » « less