Key Mechanistic Features of the Silver(I)-Mediated Deconstructive Fluorination of Cyclic Amines: Multistate Reactivity versus Single-Electron Transfer

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Mar 17;143(10):3889-3900. doi: 10.1021/jacs.0c13061. Epub 2021 Mar 3.

Abstract

Density functional calculations have provided evidence that a Ag(I)-mediated deconstructive fluorination of N-benzoylated cyclic amines (LH) with Selectfluor [(F-TEDA)(BF4)2] begins with an association of the reactants to form a singlet state adduct {[(LH)-Ag]-[F-TEDA]2+}. The subsequent formation of an iminium ion intermediate, [L+-Ag]-HF-[TEDA]+, is, formally, a Ag(I)-mediated hydride abstraction event that occurs in two steps: (a) a formal oxidative addition (OA) of [F-TEDA]2+ to the Ag(I) center that is attended by an electron transfer (ET) from the substrate (LH) to the Ag center (i.e., OA + ET, this process can also be referred to as a F-atom coupled electron transfer), followed by (b) H-atom abstraction from LH by the Ag-coordinated F atom. The overall process involves lower-lying singlet and triplet electronic states of several intermediates. Therefore, we formally refer to this reaction as a two-state reactivity (TSR) event. The C-C bond cleavage/fluorination of the resulting hemiaminal intermediate via a ring-opening pathway has also been determined to be a TSR event. A competing deformylative fluorination initiated by hemiaminal to aldehyde equilibration involving formyl H-atom abstraction by a TEDA2+ radical dication, decarbonylation, and fluorination of the resulting alkyl radical by another equivalent of Selectfluor may also be operative in the latter step.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amines / chemistry*
  • Catalysis
  • Cyclization
  • Electron Transport
  • Electrons
  • Halogenation
  • Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / chemical synthesis
  • Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / chemistry
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Quantum Theory
  • Silver / chemistry*

Substances

  • Amines
  • Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated
  • Silver