Aromatic rings, oxidation mechanism

The mechanism of side-chain oxidation is complex and involves reaction of C-J-l bonds at the position next to the aromatic ring to form intermediate ben-zylic radicals, tert- Butyl benzene has no benzylic hydrogens, however, and is therefore inert. 

Titov claims that the free radical mechanism applies for nitration of aliphatic hydrocarbons, of aromatic side chains, of olefins, and of aromatic ring carbons, if irf the latter case the nitrating agent is ca 60—70% nitric acid that is free of nitrous acid, or even more dil acid if oxides of nitrogen are present... 

Direct Electron Transfer. We have already met some reactions in which the reduction is a direct gain of electrons or the oxidation a direct loss of them. An example is the Birch reduction (15-14), where sodium directly transfers an electron to an aromatic ring. An example from this chapter is found in the bimolecular reduction of ketones (19-55), where again it is a metal that supplies the electrons. This kind of mechanism is found largely in three types of reaction, (a) the oxidation or reduction of a free radical (oxidation to a positive or reduction to a negative ion), (b) the oxidation of a negative ion or the reduction of a positive ion to a comparatively stable free radical, and (c) electrolytic oxidations or reductions (an example is the Kolbe reaction, 14-36). An important example of (b) is oxidation of amines and phenolate ions ... 

I.3.4.2.2. Nonaromatic Unsaturated Heterocycles Reactions of aromatic nitrile oxides with 1-azirines are followed by the ring opening of the latter to give 4-benzamidoisoxazoles 145 (314). The structure of 145 (R = 4-C1C6H4, Ar = Ar7 = Ph) was established by single-crystal X-ray analysis. A mechanism for the formation of 145 has been proposed, (see Scheme 1.29). 

Oxidative Polymerization Reactions. Clays can initiate polymerization of unsaturated compounds through free radical mechanisms. A free radical R", which may be formed by loss of a proton and electron transfer from the organic compound to the Lewis acid site of the clay or, alternatively, a free radical cation, R+, which may be formed by electron transfer of an electron from the organic compound to the Lewis acid site of the clay, can attack a double bond or an aromatic ring in the same manner as an electrophile. The intermediate formed is relatively stable because of resonance, but can react with another aromatic ring to form a larger, but chemically very similar, species. Repetition of the process can produce oligomers (dimers, trimers) and, eventually, polymers. 

Thus, by a combination of oxidation by lignin peroxidases, Mn(II)-dependent peroxidases and other active oxygen species and reductions of some aromatic aldehydes, acids and ketones to the corresponding benzylic alcohols, all aromatic rings in the lignin polymer can be either converted to ring opened products or to quinones/hydroquinones. These products are then further metabolized to CO2 by a currently unknown mechanism. 

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