Radical cyclization of bromoacetates and brominated acrylates in the presence of copper(I) homoscorpionate complexes

ORGN 153

Marielle Nicole Balili, balilim@duq.edu and Tomislav Pintauer, pintauert@duq.edu. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, 308 Mellon Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15282
Radical cyclization of bromoacetates and brominated acrylates in the presence of tributyltin hydride (nBu3SnH) and AIBN (2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile) yields predominantly an open-chain product and a small amount of lactone. Copper(I) complexes, namely bis[(hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borato)copper(I)] ([TpCu]2), bis[(hydrotris (3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borato)copper(I)] ([TpMeCu]2), hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borato(acetonitrile)copper(I) (TpMeCu(CH3CN)) and hydrotris(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1-pyrazolyl)borato(acetonitrile)copper(I) (TpCF3Cu(CH3CN)) have been synthesized by the reaction of CuIBr with the corresponding ligand in methylene chloride. The synthesized complexes were utilized in free radical cyclization of bromoacetates and brominated acrylates with the aim of investigating the effect of C=C double bond coordination to the copper (I) center on the yield and selectivity of the cyclization reaction. The presence of a copper (I) complex in the reaction system increased the percent conversion of bromoacetates and brominated acrylates. Radical cyclization of bromoacetates in the presence of copper (I) complexes with electron-donating pyrazole ligands showed a three-fold increase in the percent yield of lactones. On the other hand, copper (I) complexes with electron-withdrawing pyrazole ligands favored the formation of lactones for brominated acrylates.