The synthesis of new six- and seven-membered cyclic alkoxyamines bearing ethyl groups at the alpha-N position of the alkoxyamines is described. The key step in the synthesis of the sterically hindered six-membered cyclic alkoxyamines is a Wadsworth-Horner-Emmons olefination with bisphosphonate 1. The seven-membered cyclic alkoxyamines were prepared from the corresponding six-membered keto alkoxyamines by ring-enlargement with trimethylsilyl(TMS)-diazomethane. The use of the new alkoxyamines as regulators/initiators for radical polymerization is discussed. Efficient controlled and living polymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate was obtained with the six-membered tetraethyl alkoxyamine 13. Controlled polymerizations can be conducted even at 90 degrees C. In addition, alkoxyamine 13 can be used for the preparation of AB diblock and ABA triblock copolymers with narrow polydispersities. The influence of the replacement of methyl groups in the alpha-position of the N atom in cyclic alkoxyamines by larger ethyl groups on the styrene polymerization (reaction time, PDI, kinetics of the C-O bond homolysis) is discussed. In addition, thermal decomposition of the new alkoxyamines was studied. Furthermore, the synthesis of N,N-bissilylated alkoxyamines is described. The silylated alkoxyamines are not suitable as regulators/initiators for the controlled/living radical polymerization. The C-O bonds in silylated alkoxyamines are stronger than the C-O bonds in analogous N,N-dialkylated alkoxyamines. The experimental results are verified by calculations with Gaussian 98 (A. 9).

[reaction: see text] Alkoxyamines A, which are readily prepared from commercially available starting materials, undergo efficient thermal radical carboaminoxylations onto various nonactivated alkenes to provide 1,4-functionalized malonates B in good to excellent yields. The experiments are very easy to conduct. The carboaminoxylations can be combined with radical cyclization and fragmentation processes.

Environmentally benign radical carboaminoxylations of various nonactivated olefins and difficult radical cyclization reactions are performed in good to excellent yields and with short reaction times under microwave irradiation.

Various C-centered radicals can efficiently be generated through thermal C-O-bond homolysis of alkoxyamines. This method is used to perform environmentally benign radical cyclization and intermolecular addition reactions. These alkoxyamine isomerizations and intermolecular carboaminoxylations are mediated by the persistent radical effect (PRE). In the paper, the effect of the variation of the alkoxyamine structure--in particular steric effects in the nitroxide moiety--on the outcome of the PRE mediated radical reactions will be discussed. Fourteen different nitroxides were used in the studies. It will be shown that reaction times can be shortened about 100 times upon careful tuning of the alkoxyamine structure. Activation energies for the C-O-bond homolysis of the various alkoxyamines are provided. The kinetic data are used to explain the reaction outcome of the PRE-mediated processes.

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