β-(Carbonatoxy)alkyl radicals: a new subset of β-(ester)alkyl radical fragmentation during copper(I)-mediated synthesis of 1,1-dichloro-1-alkenes

A new subset of β-(ester)alkyl radicals is presented. It is the first study on the chemistry of β-(alkoxycarbonyloxy)alkyl radicals that fill the gap in the spectrum of the migrating groups in β-(ester)alkyl radical reactions. The change from less nucleofugal (acetate) group to the more nucleofugal (carbonate) group in the spectrum of the migrating group changed the reaction path from rearrangement to fragmentation. This approach has been used for the synthesis of 1,1-dichloroalkenes in high yields. The formation of dichloroalkenes was accounted by the involvement of alkene radical cation and carbonate anion pair (a CIP) as a result of heterolysis of the CO bond of the carbonate at the β-position of the β-(alkoxycarbonyloxy)alkyl radical. The alkene radical cation was trapped by nucleophilic reaction with MeOH to form methyl ester.