<p>The donor-acceptor ability of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) has led to widespread applications in organic synthesis. Single electron transfer from donor Lewis base to acceptor Lewis acid can generate the frustrated radical pair (FRP) depending on the substrate and energy required (thermal or photochemical) to promote an FLP into an FRP system. Herein, we report the C<em><sub>sp</sub></em><sub>3</sub>–C<em><sub>sp</sub></em> cross coupling reaction of aryl esters with terminal alkynes using the B(C<sub>6</sub>F<sub>5</sub>)<sub>3</sub>/Mes<sub>3</sub>P FLP. Significantly, when the 1-ethynyl-4-vinylbenzene substrate was employed, exclusive formation of C<em><sub>sp</sub></em><sub>3</sub>–C<em><sub>sp</sub></em> cross coupled products were observed. However, when 1-ethynyl-2-vinylbenzene was employed, solvent dependent site selective C<em><sub>sp</sub></em><sub>3</sub>–C<em><sub>sp</sub></em> or C<em><sub>sp</sub></em><sub>3</sub>–C<em><sub>sp</sub></em><sub>2</sub> cross coupling resulted. The nature of these reaction pathways and their selectivity has been investigated by extensive electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies, kinetic studies, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate both the mechanism of these coupling reactions as well as to explain the solvent dependent site selectivity. Data includes experimental procedures and characterisation data.<br></p><p>Research results based upon these data are published at https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c01622<br></p><p><br></p>
Funding
Single or Double? A radical approach to synthesis via frustrated Lewis Pairs (2020-06-01 - 2025-01-15); Richards, Emma. Funder: The Leverhulme Trust:RPG-2020-16
From Organic to Inorganic Chemistry: Exploiting the Isolobal Analogy to Develop Main Group Catalysts
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council