Formation and Reactivity of ?-Radical Cation Intermediates in the C-C Coupling Reaction of Phenyldiazomethanes by One-Electron Oxidation

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00037a021

One-electron oxidation of phenyldiazomethanes afforded cis-stilbene predominantly.The reaction was independent of the oxidation methods, e.g., electrolysis, copper(II), triarylaminium salts, or photosensitized one-electron oxidtions.The C-C coupling reaction was retarded by introducing α-substituents on phenyldiazomethanes.The ESR spectra of diazoalkane radical cations could be obtained during the electrolysis at low temperature and the resulting spectra revealed their unique electronic structure as ?-radicals for most cases.When a bulky tert-butyl group was substituted, the corresponding ?-radical cation was observed, but the C-C coupling reaction did not occur.The novel HOMO-LUMO switching by one-electron removal from the HOMO ?-orbital of diazomethane is explained by the interaction of phenyl group with the C-N-N ?-radical moiety.The C-C coupling reaction proceeds via facile <4+2> cycloaddition between the diazomethane and ?-radical cation, and the preferential formation of cis-olefins is based on the secondary orbital interaction between the two phenyl groups.The structure and the stability of radical cation intermediates are rationalized on the basis of ab initio calculations.