Explaining Regiodivergent Vinylations with Vinylbenziodoxolones

Vinylbenziodoxolones have recently been identified as efficient hypervalent iodine(III) reagents for electrophilic vinylations under transition metal-free conditions. Their unique reactivity allows synthesis of either internal or terminal alkenes, depending on the nucleophile class. This paper constitutes the first mechanistic investigation of VBX vinylations, and makes use of NMR studies, deuterium labelling and computations to rationalize the observed regio- and stereochemical outcome. Internal alkene formation in S-vinylation was found to proceed through the ligand coupling mechanism typical of diaryliodonium salts, whereas terminal alkene formation in P-vinylations took place via a phosphinous acid-coordinated VBX complex, which underwent concerted deprotonation and Michael-type addition. Subsequent base-assisted protonation and E2 elimination delivered the terminal alkene. The findings can be used to predict the regioselectivity in vinylations of other nucleophile classes.