E. Baciocchi*, M. Bietti, L. Putignani
1996
Citations
0
Influential Citations
32
Citations
Journal
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Abstract
A product analysis and kinetic study of the one-electron oxidation of a number of 1-arylpropanols, 1,2-diarylethanols, and some of their methyl ethers by potassium 12-tungstocobaltate(III) (abbreviated as Co(III)W) in aqueous acetic acid was carried out and complemented by pulse radiolysis experiments. The oxidations occur via radical cations which undergo side-chain fragmentation involving the Cα−H and/or Cα−Cβ bond. With 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methoxypropane (1), only deprotonation of the radical cation is observed. In contrast, removing the ring methoxy group leads to exclusive C−C bond cleavage in the radical cation. Replacing the side-chain β-OMe by β-OH, the radical cation undergoes both C−C and C−H bond cleavage, with both pathways being base catalyzed. C−C bond breaking in the radical cation is also enhanced by an α-OH group, as shown by 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,2-dimethyl-1-propanol (7), where this pathway, which is also base catalyzed, is the only one observed. Interestingly, α- and β-OH groups exhi...