Atom Transfer Radical Addition of Activated Primary Alkyl Chlorides Using In Situ Generated [Cp*RuII(Cl)(PR3)] Catalysts

Abstract Atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) of halogenated compounds with alkenes is well established but primary alkyl chlorides are understudied because of the difficult C−Cl bond activation. In this paper, we show that TONs of 61 can be achieved in the ATRA of ethyl chloroacetate onto styrene with [Cp*Ru(Cl) 2 (PPh 3 )] and 1,1′‐azobis(cyclohexanecarbonitrile) (ACHN) as a radical initiator, representing a three‐fold improvement compared to previous reports. New catalyst precursors of the type [Cp*Ru(Cl) 2 (PR 3 )] were synthesized and tested (R=Me, Et, Cy, Ph, p ‐CF 3 C 6 H 4 and p ‐MeOC 6 H 4 ). The kinetic reaction profiles were studied using in situ ATR−FTIR spectroscopy. Among these complexes, [Cp*Ru(Cl) 2 (PPh 3 )] gave the best yields while [Cp*Ru(Cl) 2 (PMe 3 )] showed the highest rate. While rates correlate with redox potentials (electronics), our investigation reveals that substrate sterics are important for the overall yield. Density functional theory calculations suggest an open‐shell singlet pathway, where polymerization is kinetically disfavored, explaining the selectivity towards ATRA products.