Recent advances in Minisci-type reactions and applications in organic synthesis

Abstract:: Minisci-type reactions have become widely known as reactions that involve the addition of carbon-centered radicals to basic heteroarenes followed by formal hydrogen atom loss. While the originally developed protocols for radical generation remain in active use today, in recent years by a new array of radical generation strategies allow use of a wider variety of radical precursors that often operate under milder and more benign conditions. New transformations based on free radical reactivity are now available to a synthetic chemist looking to utilize a Minisci-type reaction. Radical-generation methods based on photoredox catalysis and electrochemistry, which utilize thermal cleavage or the in situ generation of reactive radical precursors, have become popular approaches. Our review will cover the remarkably literature that has appeared on this topic in recent 5 years, from 2015-01 to 2020-01, in an attempt to provide guidance to the synthetic chemist, on both the challenges that have been overcome and applications in organic synthesis.

Biobased Aldehydes from Fatty Epoxides Through Thermal Cleavage of β-Hydroxy Hydroperoxides

The ring-opening of epoxidized methyl oleate by aqueous H₂O₂ has been studied using tungsten and molybdenum catalysts to form the corresponding fatty b-hydroxy hydroperoxides. It was found that tungstic acid and phosphostungstic acid gave the highest selectivities (92-93%) towards the formation of the desired products, thus limiting the formation of the corresponding fatty 1,2-diols. The optimized conditions were applied to a range of fatty epoxides to give the corresponding fatty b-hydroxy hydroperoxides with 30-80% isolated yields (8 examples). These species were fully characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR, HPLC-HRMS and their stability was studied by DSC. The thermal cleavage of the b-hydroxy hydroperoxide derived from methyl oleate was studied both in batch and flow conditions. It was found that the thermal cleavage in flow conditions gave the highest selectivity towards the formation of aldehydes with limited amounts of byproducts. The aldehydes were both formed with 68% GC yield and nonanal and methyl 9-oxononanoate were isolated with 57 and 55% yield, respectively. Advantageously, the overall process does not require large excess of H₂O₂ and only generates water as a byproduct.

Biobased Aldehydes from Fatty Epoxides Through Thermal Cleavage of β-Hydroxy Hydroperoxides

The ring-opening of epoxidized methyl oleate by aqueous H₂O₂ has been studied using tungsten and molybdenum catalysts to form the corresponding fatty b-hydroxy hydroperoxides. It was found that tungstic acid and phosphostungstic acid gave the highest selectivities (92-93%) towards the formation of the desired products, thus limiting the formation of the corresponding fatty 1,2-diols. The optimized conditions were applied to a range of fatty epoxides to give the corresponding fatty b-hydroxy hydroperoxides with 30-80% isolated yields (8 examples). These species were fully characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR, HPLC-HRMS and their stability was studied by DSC. The thermal cleavage of the b-hydroxy hydroperoxide derived from methyl oleate was studied both in batch and flow conditions. It was found that the thermal cleavage in flow conditions gave the highest selectivity towards the formation of aldehydes with limited amounts of byproducts. The aldehydes were both formed with 68% GC yield and nonanal and methyl 9-oxononanoate were isolated with 57 and 55% yield, respectively. Advantageously, the overall process does not require large excess of H₂O₂ and only generates water as a byproduct.

Biobased Aldehydes from Fatty Epoxides Through Thermal Cleavage of β-Hydroxy Hydroperoxides

The ring-opening of epoxidized methyl oleate by aqueous H₂O₂ has been studied using tungsten and molybdenum catalysts to form the corresponding fatty b-hydroxy hydroperoxides. It was found that tungstic acid and phosphostungstic acid gave the highest selectivities (92-93%) towards the formation of the desired products, thus limiting the formation of the corresponding fatty 1,2-diols. The optimized conditions were applied to a range of fatty epoxides to give the corresponding fatty b-hydroxy hydroperoxides with 30-80% isolated yields (8 examples). These species were fully characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR, HPLC-HRMS and their stability was studied by DSC. The thermal cleavage of the b-hydroxy hydroperoxide derived from methyl oleate was studied both in batch and flow conditions. It was found that the thermal cleavage in flow conditions gave the highest selectivity towards the formation of aldehydes with limited amounts of byproducts. The aldehydes were both formed with 68% GC yield and nonanal and methyl 9-oxononanoate were isolated with 57 and 55% yield, respectively. Advantageously, the overall process does not require large excess of H₂O₂ and only generates water as a byproduct.

A latent pigment strategy for robust active layers in solution-processed, complementary organic field-effect transistors

A latent pigment approach enables solution-processing of small molecule films that are insoluble in aggressive solvents upon thermal cleavage of solubilizing groups.