An analysis is presented for the determination of absolute rate constants for radical transformation reactions in complex reaction systems by time-resolved ESR during intermittent photochemical radical production. The technique is applied to obtain absolute rate constants in large temperature ranges for the β-scission of the tert-butoxyl radical in various solvents and its hydrogen abstraction from cyclohexane, cyclopentane, tert-butylbenzene, and anisole. Kinetic studies of the neophyl and the 2-methyloxiran-2-yl rearrangements and the decarboxylation of the tert-butoxycarbonyl radical also demonstrate the versatility of the method. Further, rate data are given for the addition of the methyl radical to benzene and fluorobenzene, as well as for the hydrogen abstraction of methyl from di-tert-butyl peroxide.

Addition of two radicals (diphenyl phosphinoyl and 2-hydroxy-2-propyl) to the bifunctional alkene, vinyl acrylate, was studied by both time-resolved (TR) and steady-state (SS) ESR and laser flash photolysis (LFP). The adduct radicals are predominately a result of tail addition (addition to the unsubstituted carbon atom) of the acrylate double bond. Chemical structures of the adducts were established by comparison of the observed ESR spectra with those of adducts of the same reactive radicals to structurally related alkenes, tert-butyl acrylate and vinyl pivalate, which have only one type of double bond. Adducts of bulky phosphinoyl radicals to the acrylates demonstrate hindered rotation and a cis-trans isomerization at room temperature. The structure of the adduct radicals and the reactivity of the two radicals are discussed. Absolute rate constants for the addition of the phosphinoyl radical to the alkenes were measured by LFP in ethyl acetate at 296 K. A rate constant of k add ) (33 ( 1) × 10 6 M -1 s -1 was found for vinyl acrylate. The latter value is ∼1.5 times higher than that for tert-butyl acrylate (k add ) (22 ( 1) × 10 6 M -1 s -1 ) and ∼17 times higher than that for vinyl pivalate (k add ) (2.0 ( 0.1) × 10 6 M -1 s -1 ). These rate constants are consistent with conclusions derived from the ESR data. The results provide some insights into free radical polymerization of vinyl acrylate and vinyl ethers.

A synthetic route for the preparation of glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor N-[5-(adamantan-1-yl-methoxy)-pentyl]-1-deoxynojirimycin methanesulfonic acid salt (AMP-DNM) has been developed. Herein we report the development and optimization of this synthetic route from its initial version in an academic research laboratory at milligram-scale to the final optimized route that was implemented in a cGMP miniplant on kilogram-scale. The definitive route starts with the separate synthesis of building blocks 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-1-deoxynojirimycin and 5-(adamantan-1-yl-methoxy)-pentanal. The aldehyde was synthesized from 1,5-pentanediol in five steps and 45% overall yield. Protected 1-deoxynojirimycin was prepared by a successive hemiacetal reduction/Swern oxidation/double reductive amination sequence of 2,3,4,5-tetra-O-benzyl-d-glucopyranose in 52% overall yield. Reductive amination of the two building blocks produced the benzyl-protected penultimate that was isolated as its crystalline (+)DTTA salt in 68% yield. Hydrogenolysis of the penultimate and crystallization of the end product as its methanesulfonic acid salt produced AMP-DNM in 76% yield with a purity of >99.5%. The described route enables the production of multikilogram amounts of inhibitor AMP-DNM as a stable crystalline solid with high purity under cGMP control.