Aromatics Friedel-Crafts acylation

Acylium ion pairs, as well as the related oxonium complexes with Lewis acids, are recognized as the effective intermediates of aromatic (Friedel-Crafts) acylations. Kinetic studies apparently exclude that the electrophilic attack at the aromatic nucleus is by free acyl cations (Brown and Jensen, 1958). 

The aliphatic version of the classical aromatic Friedel-Crafts acylation process, produces, by loss of proton, a non-conjugated enone, which can then undergo a second acylation, thus generating an unsaturated... 

The aliphatic version of the classical aromatic Friedel-Crafts acylation produces, by loss of proton, a non-conjugated enone which can then undergo a second acylation thus generating an unsaturated 1,5-diketone. Clearly, if the alkene is not symmetrical, two isomeric diketones are formed. Under the conditions of these acylations, the unsaturated diketone cyclises, loses water and forms a pyrylium salt. The formation of 2,4,6-trimethylpyrylium, best as its much more stable and non-hygroscopic carboxymethanesulfonate, illustrates the process. 

The nitration, sulphonation and Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatic compounds (e.g. benzene) are typical examples of electrophilic aromatic substitution. 

Gattermann-Koch reaction Formylation of an aromatic hydrocarbon to yield the corresponding aldehyde by treatment with CO, HCl and AICI3 at atmospheric pressure CuCl is also required. The reaction resembles a Friedel-Crafts acylation since methanoyl chloride, HCOCl, is probably involved. 

Because acylation of an aromatic ring can be accomplished without rearrangement it is frequently used as the first step m a procedure for the alkylation of aromatic compounds by acylation-reduction As we saw m Section 12 6 Friedel-Crafts alkylation of ben zene with primary alkyl halides normally yields products having rearranged alkyl groups as substituents When a compound of the type ArCH2R is desired a two step sequence IS used m which the first step is a Friedel-Crafts acylation... 

Because the position of electrophilic attack on an aromatic nng is controlled by the direct ing effects of substituents already present the preparation of disubstituted aromatic com pounds requires that careful thought be given to the order of introduction of the two groups Compare the independent preparations of m bromoacetophenone and p bromoace tophenone from benzene Both syntheses require a Friedel-Crafts acylation step and a bromination step but the major product is determined by the order m which the two steps are carried out When the meta directing acetyl group is introduced first the final product IS m bromoacetophenone... 

Neither Friedel-Crafts acylation nor alkylation reactions can be earned out on mtroben zene The presence of a strongly deactivating substituent such as a nitro group on an aromatic ring so depresses its reactivity that Friedel-Crafts reactions do not take place Nitrobenzene is so unreactive that it is sometimes used as a solvent m Friedel-Crafts reactions The practical limit for Friedel-Crafts alkylation and acylation reactions is effectively a monohalobenzene An aromatic ring more deactivated than a mono halobenzene cannot be alkylated or acylated under Friedel-Crafts conditions... 

Friedel-Crafts acylation followed by Clemmensen or Wolff-Kishner reduction is a standard sequence used to introduce a primary alkyl group onto an aromatic ring... 

Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatic compounds (Section 12 7) Acyl chlorides and carboxylic acid anhydrides acylate aromatic rings in the presence of alumi num chloride The reaction is electrophil ic aromatic substitution in which acylium ions are generated and attack the ring... 

One of the most useful reac tions of acyl chlorides was presented in Section 12 7 Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatic rings takes place when arenes are treated with acyl chlorides in the presence of aluminum chloride... 

Friedel-Crafts acylation (Section 12 7) An electrophilic aro matic substitution in which an aromatic compound reacts with an acyl chloride or a carboxylic acid anhydride in the presence of aluminum chlonde An acyl group becomes bonded to the nng... 

Ttihaloacyl aromatics have been prepared by Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatics with CX COCl (X = Cl, Br) in the presence of AlCl. They are used as monomers in the preparation of polycarbonates, polyesters, polyamides, polyketones, and polyurethanes (91). 

Friedel-Crafts acylation using nittiles (other than HCN) and HCI is an extension of the Gattermann reaction, and is called the Houben-Hoesch reaction (120—122). These reactions give ketones and are usually appHcable to only activated aromatics, such as phenols and phenoHc ethers. The protonated nittile, ie, the nitrilium ion, acts as the electrophilic species in these reactions. Nonactivated ben2ene can also be acylated with the nittiles under superacidic conditions 95% trifluoromethanesulfonic acid containing 5% SbF (Hg > —18) (119). A dicationic diprotonated nittile intermediate was suggested for these reactions, based on the fact that the reactions do not proceed under less acidic conditions. The significance of dicationic superelectrophiles in Friedel-Crafts reactions has been discussed (123,124). 

Preparation of Arylcarboxylic Acids and Derivatives. The general Friedel-Crafts acylation principle can be successfully appHed to the preparation of aromatic carboxyUc acids. Carbonyl haUdes (phosgene, carbonyl chloride fluoride, or carbonyl fluoride) [353-50-4] are diacyl haUdes of carbonic acid. Phosgene [75-44-5] or oxalyl chloride [79-37-8] react with aromatic hydrocarbons to give aroyl chlorides that yield acids on hydrolysis (133) ... 

Ketone formation can also be avoided if one of the functional acyl halogens ia phosgene is blocked. Carbamyl chlorides, readily obtained by the reaction of phosgene with ammonia or amines, are suitable reagents for the preparation of amides ia direct Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatics. The resulting amides can be hydroly2ed to the corresponding acids (134) ... 

Perchlorylation. The stabiUty of perchloryl fluoride [7616-94-6] FCIO, makes possible perchlorylation of aromatics, a reaction closely related to the Friedel-Crafts acylation (159) ... 

ACYLATION OF ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS Similar to alkylation, not only aromatic but also aliphatic and cycloaliphatic compounds undergo Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions. 

PoIysuIfonyIa.tlon, The polysulfonylation route to aromatic sulfone polymers was developed independendy by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) and by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) at about the same time (81). In the polymerisation step, sulfone links are formed by reaction of an aromatic sulfonyl chloride with a second aromatic ring. The reaction is similar to the Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction. The key to development of sulfonylation as a polymerisation process was the discovery that, unlike the acylation reaction which requires equimolar amounts of aluminum chloride or other strong Lewis acids, sulfonylation can be accompHshed with only catalytic amounts of certain haUdes, eg, FeCl, SbCl, and InCl. The reaction is a typical electrophilic substitution by an arylsulfonium cation (eq. 13). 

Friedel-Crafts Acylation. The Friedel-Crafts acylation procedure is the most important method for preparing aromatic ketones and thein derivatives. Acetyl chloride (acetic anhydride) reacts with benzene ia the presence of aluminum chloride or acid catalysts to produce acetophenone [98-86-2], CgHgO (1-phenylethanone). Benzene can also be condensed with dicarboxyHc acid anhydrides to yield benzoyl derivatives of carboxyHc acids. These benzoyl derivatives are often used for constmcting polycycHc molecules (Haworth reaction). For example, benzene reacts with succinic anhydride ia the presence of aluminum chloride to produce P-benzoylpropionic acid [2051-95-8] which is converted iato a-tetralone [529-34-0] (30). 

Friedel-Crafts acylation usually involves the reaction of an acyl halide, a Lewis acid catalyst, and the aromatic substrate. Several species may function as the active electrophile, depending on the reactivity of the aromatic compound. For activated aromatics, the electrophile can be a discrete positively charged acylium ion or the complex formed... 

Friedel-Crafts acylation In the presence of aluminum chloride, acyl chlorides and carboxylic acid anhydrides acylate the aromatic ring of phenols. 

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