Alkyl groups, activating effect

N-Alkyl groups activate very weakly, because their hyperconjuga-tive effects cannot operate from the 1- to any other position. 

An alkyl group activates the ring to electrophilic substitution mainly through an inductive effect and directs attack to the 2- and 4-positions. Examples of these reactions will appear throughout the book in the chapters on functionalized aromatic compounds. 

Because of its electron-releasing effect, an alkyl group activates a benzene ring to which it is attached, and directs ortho and para (Secs. 11.18 and 11.19). 

When two positions are comparably activated by alkyl groups substitution usually occurs at the less hindered site Nitration of p tert butyltoluene takes place at positions ortho to the methyl group m preference to those ortho to the larger tert butyl group This IS an example of a stenc effect... 

Acylation. Acylation is the most rehable means of introducing a 3-substituent on the indole ring. Because 3-acyl substituents can be easily reduced to 3-aLkyl groups, a two-step acylation—reduction sequence is often an attractive alternative to direct 3-aLkylation. Several kinds of conditions have been employed for acylation. Very reactive acyl haUdes, such as oxalyl chloride, can effect substitution directiy without any catalyst. Normal acid chlorides are usually allowed to react with the magnesium (15) or 2inc (16) salts. The Vilsmeier-Haack conditions involving an amide and phosphoms oxychloride, in which a chloroiminium ion is the active electrophile, frequentiy give excellent yields of 3-acylindoles. 

A tertiary carbonium ion is more stable than a secondary carbonium ion, which is in turn more stable than a primary carbonium ion. Therefore, the alkylation of ben2ene with isobutylene is much easier than is alkylation with ethylene. The reactivity of substituted aromatics for electrophilic substitution is affected by the inductive and resonance effects of a substituent. An electron-donating group, such as the hydroxyl and methyl groups, activates the alkylation and an electron-withdrawing group, such as chloride, deactivates it. 

A small fraction of the hydrocarbons decompose and deposit on the catalyst as carbon. Although the effect is minute ia terms of yield losses, this carbon can stiU significantly reduce the activity of the catalyst. The carbon is formed from cracking of alkyl groups on the aromatic ring and of nonaromatics present ia certain ethylbenzene feedstocks. It can be removed by the water gas reaction, which is catalyzed by potassium compounds ia the catalyst. Steam, which is... 

Whereas introducing a thiol moiety at C-7 markedly reduced the antibacterial activity relative to lincomycin (79), the 7(3)-7-deoxy-7-alkylthiolincomycins exhibited considerably enhanced antibacterial activity without apparent regard for the size of the alkyl group (80—82). A marked increase in gram-negative activity was shown when the 7(3)-substituent contained a 2- or 3-hydroxy or amino group, but this activity was insufficient to be effective in infected mice (83—85). 

The effect substitution on the phenolic ring has on activity has been the subject of several studies (11—13). Hindering the phenolic hydroxyl group with at least one bulky alkyl group ia the ortho position appears necessary for high antioxidant activity. Neatly all commercial antioxidants are hindered ia this manner. Steric hindrance decreases the ability of a phenoxyl radical to abstract a hydrogen atom from the substrate and thus produces an alkyl radical (14) capable of initiating oxidation (eq. 18). 

The AlCIs-catalyzed benzoylation of 2-methyl-5-phenyIthiophene to 2-methyl-3-benzoyl-5-phenylthiophene (118) is of certain interest for comparison of the activating effect of an alkyl and phenyl group. The structure of (118) was proved in an original way by conversion to (119) by an Elbs reaction. ... 

---