title: Effect of chain length on radical to carbanion cyclo-coupling of bromoaryl alkyl-linked oxazolines: 1,3-areneotropic migration of oxazolines.
abstract: 2-Halophenylalkyl-2-oxazolines with alkyl chain spacers of two to six C atoms (n = 0-4) were prepared and their SRN1-type reactions with several base systems examined. The best conditions to promote cyclo-coupling to the corresponding benzocycloalkane derivatives involved use of LDA in THF. The precursors with 3-C-atom and 4-C-atom spacers gave good yields of 2-(1'-phenylindan-1'-yl)-2-oxazolines and 2-(1-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-yl)-2-oxazoline, respectively. The major products from the precursor with a 5-C-atom spacer were derivatives of benzocycloheptane in which the oxazoline group had undergone a novel areneotropic migration from the end of the spacer to the benzo ring. The product from reaction of the corresponding 2-C-atom precursor was a 9-oxazolinophenanthrene derivative. EPR spectroscopy showed the intermediates of the LDA-promoted reactions to be radical anions of the product benzocycloalkanes. This supported an SRN1-type chain mechanism involving initial production of aryl radicals connected to azaenolate ions via the spacer groups. Intramolecular radical to carbanion coupling then generated ring-closed benzocycloalkane radical anions that transferred an electron to more precursor. Diastereoselective radical to carbanion cyclo-coupling reactions were carried out with 2-bromophenylpropyl precursors containing chiral 2-oxazolines. The diastereoselectivity achievable was modest, but the product diastereoisomeric Indane derivatives were easily separable by chromatography.
authors.affiliation: University of Saint Andrews, EastChem, School of Chemistry, Saint Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Roydhouse
authors.forename: Alexandra M Z
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Slawin
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Walton