Directed Copper-Catalyzed Tandem Radical Cyclization Reaction of Alkyl Bromides and Unactivated Olefins

Org Lett. 2022 Apr 15;24(14):2738-2743. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c00835. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Abstract

The free radical cyclization reaction is a promising strategy for ring framework formation. Herein, we report a copper-catalyzed tandem radical cyclization strategy for preparing substituted lactam derivatives. This reaction proceeds through a radical coupling approach, which not only allows a wide range of alkenes but also is quite compatible with the primary, secondary, and tertiary radicals. In addition, density functional theory calculations were performed to gain insights into the reaction mechanism.