Kinetics and Equilibrium Constants for Reactions of α-Phenyl-Substituted Cyclopropylcarbinyl Radicals

Laser-flash photolysis methods were used to determine Arrhenius functions for cyclizations of the 4,4-diphenyl-3-butenyl (2) and trans-4-phenyl-3-butenyl (5) radicals to the 1,1-diphenylcyclopropylcarbinyl (1) and 1-phenylcyclopropylcarbinyl (4) radicals, respectively. At 20 °C, the cyclization rate constants are 1.7 × 10^7 and 5.4 × 10^6 s^(-1). Equilibrium constants for the two processes were estimated and evaluated with thermochemical data and via computational methods, and Arrhenius functions for the ring-opening reactions of the cyclopropylcarbinyl radicals were calculated. The cyclization reactions of 2 and 5 are strongly enthalpy controlled. Production of radicals 1 and 2 from the corresponding tert-butylperoxy esters in the presence of Et_3SnH gave diphenylcyclopropylmethane and 1,1-diphenyl-1-butene from H-atom trapping of radicals 1 and 2 and 4-phenyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene which derives from the product radical formed by addition of the radical moiety in 2 to the cis-phenyl group. Rate constants for the latter cyclization of 2 and for reactions of radicals 1 and 2 with Et_3SnH were obtained from the indirect kinetic studies.