Aromaticity fused ring aromatics

Fluoronaphthalenes and other fused-ring fluoroaromatics, Side-chain fluotinated aromatics,... 

The aromatic core or framework of many aromatic compounds is relatively resistant to alkylperoxy radicals and inert under the usual autoxidation conditions (2). Consequentiy, even somewhat exotic aromatic acids are resistant to further oxidation this makes it possible to consider alkylaromatic LPO as a selective means of producing fine chemicals (206). Such products may include multifimctional aromatic acids, acids with fused rings, acids with rings linked by carbon—carbon bonds, or through ether, carbonyl, or other linkages (279—287). The products may even be phenoUc if the phenoUc hydroxyl is first esterified (288,289). 

The accepted configuration of naphthalene, ie, two fused benzene rings sharing two common carbon atoms in the ortho position, was estabUshed in 1869 and was based on its oxidation product, phthaUc acid (1). Based on its fused-ring configuration, naphthalene is the first member in a class of aromatic compounds with condensed nuclei. Naphthalene is a resonance hybrid ... 

The fused 3+ ring aromatics in petroleum include both cata- and peri-condensed stmctures (see Table 4, Fig. 8). The cata-condensed species are those stmctures where only one face is shared between rings, the peri-condensed molecules are those that share more than one face. The fused ring aromatics form the class of compounds known as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which includes a number of recognized carcinogens in the 4+ ring family (33). Because of the potential health and environmental impact of PAH, these compounds have been studied extensively in petroleum. 

Table 4. Fused-Ring Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons Found in Petroleum ...

Fig. 8. Stmctures of fused-ring polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. See Table 4.

As discussed in the theoretical section (4.04.1.2.1), electrophilic attack on pyrazoles takes place at C-4 in accordance with localization energies and tt-electron densities. Attack in other positions is extremely rare. This fact, added to the deactivating effect of the substituent introduced in the 4-position, explains why further electrophilic substitution is generally never observed. Indazole reacts at C-3, and reactions taking place on the fused ring will be discussed in Section 4.04.2.3.2(i). Reaction on the phenyl ring of C- and A-phenyl-pyrazoles will be discussed in Sections 4.04.2.3.3(ii) and 4.04.2.3.10(i), respectively. The behaviour of pyrazolones is quite different owing to the existence of a non-aromatic tautomer. 

Benzene monoxide-oxepin and its sulfur analog are treated elsewhere (Chapter 5.1.7) (67AG(E)385). However, we point out here that electron-withdrawing substituents often favor the benzene oxide tautomer. The first study on oxides of the environmentally hazardous polychloro- and polybromo-biphenyls shows that they exist mainly in the benzene oxide form (81JOC3721). Oxides of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) also exist mainly in the fused-ring oxirane form. 

The low order of structural specificity required for classical antihistaminic activity was noted earlier. It has been found possible to substitute an indene nucleus for one of the two aromatic rings that most of these agents possess. The basic side chain may be present as either dimethylaminoethyl or itself cyc-lized to provide an additional fused ring. 

Another class of compounds is called condensed-ring or fused-ring systems. These structures contain two or more aromatic rings that share a pair of carbon atoms. Examples include naphthalene, anthracene, and phenanthrene, the latter two being isomeric structures. 

Heterocyclic amines are compounds that contain one or more nitrogen atoms as part of a ring. Saturated heterocyclic amines usually have the same chemistry as their open-chain analogs, but unsaturated heterocycles such as pyrrole, imidazole, pyridine, and pyrimidine are aromatic. All four are unusually stable, and all undergo aromatic substitution on reaction with electrophiles. Pyrrole is nonbasic because its nitrogen lone-pair electrons are part of the aromatic it system. Fused-ring heterocycles such as quinoline, isoquinoline, indole, and purine are also commonly found in biological molecules. 

Compounds of special interest whose preparation is described include 1,2,3-benzothiadiazole 1,1-dioxide (a benzyne precursor under exceptionally mild conditions), bis(l,3-diphenylimida-zolidinylidene-2) (whose chemistry is quite remarkable), 6- di-melhylamino)julvene (a useful intermediate for fused-ring non-benzenoid aromatic compounds), dipkenylcyclopropenone (the synthesis of which is a milestone in theoretical organic chemistry), ketene di(2-melhoxyethyl) acetal (the easiest ketene acetal to prepare), 2-methylcyclopenlane-l,3-dione (a useful intermediate in steroid synthesis), and 2-phenyl-5-oxazolone (an important intermediate in amino acid chemistry). 

Primary aromatic amines (e.g., aniline) and secondary aliphatic-aromatic amines (e. g., 7V-methylaniline) usually form triazenes in coupling reactions with benzenedi-azonium salts. If the nucleophilicity of the aryl residue is increased by addition of substituents or fused rings, as in 3-methylaniline and 1- and 2-naphthylamine, aminoazo formation takes place (C-coupling). However, the possibility has also been noted that in aminoazo formation the initial attack of the diazonium ion may still be at the amine N-atom, but the aN-complex might rearrange too rapidly to allow its identification (Beranek and Vecera, 1970). 

In this book, we will use a circle to represent single aromatic rings (as, e.g., in 32), but will show one canonical form for fused ring compounds (e.g., 36). It would be... 

In fused ring systems, the positions are not equivalent and there is usually a preferred orientation even in the unsubstituted hydrocarbon. The preferred positions may often by predicted as for benzene rings. Thus it is possible to draw more canonical forms for the arenium ion when naphthalene is attacked at the a position than when it is attacked at the p position, and the a position is the preferred site of attack,though, as previously mentioned (p. 682), the isomer formed by substitution at the p position is thermodynamically more stable and is the product if the reaction is reversible and equilibrium is reached. Because of the more extensive delocalization of charges in the corresponding arenium ions, naphthalene is more reactive than benzene and substitution is faster at both positions. Similarly, anthracene, phenanthrene, and other fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are also substituted faster than benzene. 

This reaction is most often carried out with R = aryl, so the net result is the same as in 14-17, though the reagent is different. It is used less often than 14-17, but the scope is similar. When R = alkyl, the scope is more limited. Only certain aromatic compounds, particularly benzene rings with two or more nitro groups, and fused ring systems, can be alkylated by this procedure. 1,4-Quinones can be alkylated with diacyl peroxides or with lead tetraacetate (methylation occurs with this reagent). 

Some examples of different types of hydrocarbons are given in Figure 9.1. Nonaromatic compounds without ring structure are termed aliphatic, whereas those with a ring structure (e.g., cyclohexane) are termed alicyclic. Aromatic hydrocarbons often consist of several fused rings, as in the case of benzo[a]pyrene. 

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