The opening of epoxides typically requires electrophilic activation, and subsequent nucleophilic (SN2) attack on the less substituted carbon leads to alcohols with Markovnikov regioselectivity. We describe a cooperative catalysis approach to anti-Markovnikov alcohols by combining titanocene-catalyzed epoxide opening with chromium-catalyzed hydrogen activation and radical reduction. The titanocene enforces the anti-Markovnikov regioselectivity by forming the more highly substituted radical. The chromium catalyst sequentially transfers a hydrogen atom, proton, and electron from molecular hydrogen, avoiding a hydride transfer to the undesired site and resulting in 100% atom economy. Each step of the interconnected catalytic cycles was confirmed separately.

An atom-economical and catalytic arylation of epoxide-derived radicals is described. The key step of the catalytic system is a sequential electron and proton transfer for the rearomatization of the radical σ-complex and catalyst regeneration. Kinetic, computational, spectroscopic, and cyclovoltammetric investigations highlight the key issues of the reaction mechanism and catalyst stabilization by collidine hydrochloride. Studies employing radicophiles rule out the participation of cations as reactive intermediates.

By exploiting solvent and anion effects, [Cp2Ti](+) complexes for atom-economical catalysis in single-electron steps were developed and applied for the first time. These complexes constitute remarkably stable and active catalysts for radical arylations. The reaction kinetics and catalyst composition were studied by cyclic voltammetry and in situ IR spectroscopy.

A titanocene‐catalyzed regiodivergent radical arylation is described that allows access to either enantiomerically pure tetrahydroquinolines or indolines from a common starting material. The regioselectivity of epoxide opening that results in the high selectivity of heterocycle formation is controlled by two factors, the absolute configuration of the enantiopure ligands of the (C5H4R)2TiX2 catalyst and the inorganic ligand X (X=Cl, OTs). The overall reaction is atom‐economical and constitutes a radical Friedel–Crafts alkylation.

SummaryThe intramolecular radical addition to aniline derivatives was investigated by DFT calculations. The computational methods were benchmarked by comparing the calculated values of the rate constant for the 5-exo cyclization of the hexenyl radical with the experimental values. The dispersion-corrected PW6B95-D3 functional provided very good results with deviations for the free activation barrier compared to the experimental values of only about 0.5 kcal mol−1 and was therefore employed in further calculations. Corrections for intramolecular London dispersion and solvation effects in the quantum chemical treatment are essential to obtain consistent and accurate theoretical data. For the investigated radical addition reaction it turned out that the polarity of the molecules is important and that a combination of electrophilic radicals with preferably nucleophilic arenes results in the highest rate constants. This is opposite to the Minisci reaction where the radical acts as nucleophile and the arene as electrophile. The substitution at the N-atom of the aniline is crucial. Methyl substitution leads to slower addition than phenyl substitution. Carbamates as substituents are suitable only when the radical center is not too electrophilic. No correlations between free reaction barriers and energies (ΔG ‡ and ΔG R) are found. Addition reactions leading to indanes or dihydrobenzofurans are too slow to be useful synthetically.