Aromatic nucleophilic displacement ammonia

A.mina.tlon. Amination describes the introduction of amino groups into aromatic molecules by reaction of ammonia or an amine with suitably substituted halogeno, hydroxy, or sulfonated derivatives by nucleophilic displacement. Although reaction and operational conditions vary, the process always involves the heating of the appropriate precursor with excess aqueous ammonia or amine under pressure. 

Such nucleophilic displacements are likely to be addition-elimination reactions, whether or not radical anions are also interposed as intermediates. The addition of methoxide ion to 2-nitrofuran in methanol or dimethyl sulfoxide affords a deep red salt of the anion 69 PMR shows the 5-proton has the greatest upfield shift, the 3- and 4-protons remaining vinylic in type.18 7 The similar additions in the thiophene series are less complete, presumably because oxygen is relatively electronegative and the furan aromaticity relatively low. Additional electronegative substituents increase the rate of addition and a second nitro group makes it necessary to use stopped flow techniques of rate measurement.141 In contrast, one acyl group (benzoyl or carboxy) does not stabilize an addition product and seldom promotes nucleophilic substitution by weaker nucleophiles such as ammonia. Whereas... 

The PET-generated arene radical cations also undergo nucleophilic substitution via the a-complex. Photocyanation of arenes may be cited in this context as a very early example [139], where hydrogen served as the group undergoing displacement. This concept is further extended [140] for the direct amination of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons with ammonia or primary amines via the arene radical cation produced by irradiating arenes in die presence of DCNB. Another potentially useful application of this methodology is... 

Nucleophiles can displace halide ions from aryl halides, particularly if there are strong electron-withdrawing groups ortho or para to the halide. Because a nucleophile substitutes for a leaving group on an aromatic ring, this class of reactions is called nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The following examples show that both ammonia and hydroxide ion can displace chloride from 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene ... 

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