Effect of amino substituents on the stereochemical outcome of the photo-Arbuzov rearrangements of 1-arylethyl phosphorodiamidites.

The essentially stereochemically pure 1-arylethyl phosphorodiamidites 8 and 9 were irradiated by UV light in acetonitrile, benzene, and cyclohexane (Tables 1-4). Reaction via singlet free-radical pairs, formed by carbon-oxygen bond scission (Scheme 1), which are somewhat longer lived than those from the analogous phosphites 5 and 6, is proposed. Tetramethyl 1-phenylethylphosphorodiamidite (8) gives the photo-Arbuzov rearrangement product 10 in 59% +/- 2% GC yield, based on percent 8 consumed (Tables 1 and 4), along with the free radical dimerization product 2,3-diphenylbutane, 12a, in in amounts corresponding to ca. 19% of the potentially formed 1-phenylethyl radicals. Similarly, from 9, the photorearrangement product 11 is generated in 64 +/- 4% yield (Tables 2 and 4) along with a 18 +/- 2% accountability of the 1-naphthylethyl radicals as 12b. The photorearrangement of stereochemically enriched 8 (R/S = 99:1) gives 10 in which an apparent 67 +/- 2% (100y, eq 3, Table 4) of the initial radical pairs [3,14] recombine with retention of configuration at the stereogenic carbon (34 +/- 3% net retention, eq 5). With TEMPO present, 70% (100y, eq 3) of the initial 1-phenylethyl radicals, 14, from 8 combine with radicals 3 in the solvent cage with retained configuration at carbon (40% percent net retention, eq 5). The yield of product 10 is reduced to 54%, and 12a is absent. Similarly, the five-membered ring naphthylethyl analogue, phosphorodiamidite 9 (R/S = 98:2), affords largely (R)-11 with apparent 34 +/- 3% net retention. The degree of stereorandomization observed in these systems is higher than was reported previously for phosphites 5 and 6. The neglect of reconversion of pro-S 14 to pro-R 14 on the results of these studies is addressed. Estimated maximum values (eq 4) of kcomb/krot (2.3) for the proximate radical pairs [3,14] from 8 with TEMPO present appear to be at least 6-fold smaller than those of the analogous phosphite (R)-5 (average kcomb/krot = 13 with TEMPO present). Possible origins for this effect are proposed.