Fun with radicals: Some new perspectives for organic synthesis

Quiclet-Sire, Béatrice; Zard, Samir Z.

doi:10.1351/PAC-CON-10-08-07

Pure Appl. Chem., 2011, Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 519-551

http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/PAC-CON-10-08-07

Published online 2010-10-15

Fun with radicals: Some new perspectives for organic synthesis

Béatrice Quiclet-Sire and Samir Z. Zard*

Organic Synthesis Laboratory, CNRS UMR 7652, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128, Palaiseau, France

Abstract: The degenerative radical addition-transfer of xanthates onto alkenes allows the rapid assembly of richly functionalized structures. Various families of open-chain, cyclic, and polycyclic compounds can thus be readily accessed. Furthermore, the process can be extended to the synthesis or modification of aromatic and heteroaromatic derivatives by exploiting the possibility of using peroxides both as initiators and stoichiometric oxidants. The modification of existing polymers and the controlled synthesis of block polymers by what is now known as the RAFT/MADIX (reversible addition–fragmentation transfer/macromolecular design by interchange of xanthate) process is described briefly.