Aromatic hydrocarbons, exchange with deuterium

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange in alkanes shows the same dependence on the composition of solvent, and concentration of mineral acid, of platinum( 11) and of chloride ions as does the exchange in aromatic hydrocarbons. The dependence of the exchange rate on solvent composition has been discussed in Section III,B,1. The rate is independent of mineral acid concentration, increases nonlinearly with increase in the concentration of platinum 11), and decreases nonlinearly with increase in the concentration of chloride ions (55). The nonlinear dependences are due to the solvolysis of the PtCL,2- ion ... 

Mason and Smith (1969) found that for a series of mono- and bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons the changes in the fluorescence spectrum with acidity reflected the ground state protonation reaction. The p Sj )-values calculated for benzene, toluene, naphthalene, azulene, and indolizine do not correspond to observable processes since the rate of protonation is too slow to compete with deactivation of the Sj state. Photochemical deuterium and tritium exchange experiments in 1 mole dm-3 perchloric acid indicate that the radiative deactivation rate of an electronically excited aromatic hydrocarbon is faster than the rate of protonation by a factor >10s. 

This salt, which is soluble in acetic acid, is recommended as a homogeneous catalyst for exchange of hydrogen in aromatic hydrocarbons for deuterium.1 The substrate, acetic acid, heavy water, and hydrochloric acid are allowed to react in an evacuated, sealed tube at 25-120°. Aliphatics exchange only slowly by this technique. No dimerization (e.g., benzene — diphenyl) is observed. This reaction is observed with heterogeneous platinum-catalyzed exchange with heavy water. 

The intermediate tricyclic ketones 495 and 496 have been transformed to the methoxy-substituted derivative 97284,285) latter ketone is subject to hydrogen-deuterium exchange only under basic conditions and appears to exist entirely in the keto form despite the ready formation of its anion and successful methylation on oxygen . In agreement with the aromatic nature of 490, the hydrocarbon undergoes electrophilic substitution reactions... 

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