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Electron Transfer‐Initiated Epoxidation and Isomerization Chain Reactions of β‐Caryophyllene
Author(s) -
Steenackers Bart,
Campagnol Nicolò,
Fransaer Jan,
Hermans Ive,
De Vos Dirk
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201404711
Subject(s) - chemistry , photochemistry , isomerization , dioxetane , electron transfer , epoxide , reaction mechanism , catalysis , olefin fiber , organic chemistry , chemiluminescence
The abundant sesquiterpene β‐caryophyllene can be epoxidized by molecular oxygen in the absence of any catalyst. In polar aprotic solvents, the reaction proceeds smoothly with epoxide selectivities exceeding 70 %. A mechanistic study has been performed and the possible involvement of free radical, spin inversion, and electron transfer mechanisms is evaluated using experimental and computational methods. The experimental data—including a detailed reaction product analysis, studies on reaction parameters, solvent effects, additives and an electrochemical investigation—all support that the spontaneous epoxidation of β‐caryophyllene constitutes a rare case of unsensitized electron transfer from an olefin to triplet oxygen under mild conditions (80 °C, 1 bar O 2 ). As initiation of the oxygenation reaction, the formation of a caryophyllene‐derived radical cation via electron transfer is proposed. This radical cation reacts with triplet oxygen to a dioxetane via a chain mechanism with chain lengths exceeding 100 under optimized conditions. The dioxetane then acts as an in situ‐formed epoxidizing agent. Under nitrogen atmosphere, the presence of a one‐electron acceptor leads to the selective isomerization of β‐caryophyllene to isocaryophyllene. Observations indicate that this isomerization reaction is a novel and elegant synthetic pathway to isocaryophyllene.