Photochemical nucleophile–olefin combination, aromatic substitution (photo-NOCAS) reaction, Part 13. The scope and limitations of the reaction with cyanide anion as the nucleophile

Abstract

The scope of the photochemical nucleophile–olefin combination, aromatic substitution (photo-NOCAS) reaction has been extended to include cyanide anion as the nucleophile. Highest yields of adducts were obtained when the alkene or diene has an oxidation potential less than ca. 1.5 V (SCE). No adducts were obtained from 2-methylpropene (9), oxidation potential 2.6 V. Oxidation of cyanide anion, by the radical cation of the alkene or diene, can compete with the combination. With the alkenes, 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene (2) and 2-methyl-2-butene (10), both nitriles and isonitriles were obtained; isonitriles were not detected from the reactions involving the dienes, 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene (11), 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene (12), 4-methyl-1,3-pentadiene (13), 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-pentadiene (14), and 2,5-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene (6). The specificity, nitrile versus isonitrile, is explained in terms of the Hard-Soft-Acid-Base (HSAB) principle. The photo-NOCAS reaction also occurs with the allene, 2,4-dimethyl-2,3-pentadiene (15), cyanide combining at the central carbon. Factors influencing the regiochemistry of the combination step, Markovnikov versus anti-Markovnikov, have been defined. Cyanide anion adds preferentially to the less alkyl-substituted, less sterically hindered, end of an unsymmetric alkene or conjugated diene radical cation, forming the more heavily alkyl-substituted radical intermediate. High-level abinitio molecular orbital calculations (MP2/6-31G*//HF/6-31G*) have been used to determine the effect of alkyl substitution on the stability of the intermediates, β-cyano and β-isocyano alkyl radicals, and products, alkyl cyanides and isocyanides. The more heavily alkyl-substituted radical is not necessarily the more stable. The product ratio (Markovnikov versus anti-Markovnikov) must be kinetically controlled. Keywords: photochemistry, radical ions, electron transfer, nitriles, isonitriles.