Benzene, nucleophilic alkylation

The catalysed alkylation of l//,4//-pyrazol-5-ones is solvent dependent. In benzene, bis-alkylation occurs at the 4-position whereas, in a carbon disulphide benzene mixture, O-alkylation is observed, although the major product (4, Scheme 5.22) results from nucleophilic attack by the pyrazolone on the carbon disulphide, followed by alkylation of the dithiolate dianion [92]. The catalysed reaction of 2-thiono-3-aryl-thiazolidin-4-ones with alkylating agents under soliddiquid two-phase conditions results in alkylation at the 5-position (60-80%) [93]. The aldol condensation of the thiazolidinones with aryl aldehydes is also catalysed by quaternary ammonium salts. 

The starring materials for these nucleophilic substitutions (2- and 4- chloro or methoxypyridines) are themselves made by nucleophilic substitution on pyridones and we need now to discuss these interesting molecules. If you were asked to propose how 2-methoxypyridine might be made, you would probably suggest, by analogy with the corresponding benzene compound, alkylation of a phenol. Let us look at this in detail. 

The reaction of a nucleophilic alkyl radical R with benzene affords the a-complex 1, a fairly stable cyclohexadienyl radical, which under oxidizing conditions leads to cation 2 (Scheme 1). Depending on the stability of the attacking radical, the formation of 1 is a reversible process. Deprotonation eventually affords the homolytic aromatic substitution product 3. If the reaction is performed under non-oxidizing conditions, cyclohexadienyl radical 1 can dimerize (—> 4), disproportionate to form cyclohexadiene 5 and the arene 3, or further react by other pathways [3]. 

Oxazolines (4) are easily prepared from benzoic acids and behave as activating groups in nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Thus, o-methoxy- or o-fluoro-substituents are replaced by the alkyl group of RLi. " The same oxazoline group in the 4-position of pyridine promotes 3-lithiation, whereas in the 3-position it induces nucleophilic alkylation to give 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives. Benzyl alcohol is lithiated in the 2-position of the benzene nucleus. Solvent effects are suggested to be responsible for the quantitative syn selectivity in the alkylation of lithiated ketimines (5). ... 

In media such as water and alcohols fluoride ion is strongly solvated by hydro gen bonding and is neither very basic nor very nucleophilic On the other hand the poorly solvated or naked fluoride 10ns that are present when potassium fluoride dis solves m benzene m the presence of a crown ether are better able to express their anionic reactivity Thus alkyl halides react with potassium fluoride m benzene containing 18 crown 6 thereby providing a method for the preparation of otherwise difficultly acces sible alkyl fluorides... 

Reactions other than those of the nucleophilic reactivity of alkyl sulfates iavolve reactions with hydrocarbons, thermal degradation, sulfonation, halogenation of the alkyl groups, and reduction of the sulfate groups. Aromatic hydrocarbons, eg, benzene and naphthalene, react with alkyl sulfates when cataly2ed by aluminum chloride to give Fhedel-Crafts-type alkylation product mixtures (59). Isobutane is readily alkylated by a dipropyl sulfate mixture from the reaction of propylene ia propane with sulfuric acid (60). 

A number of examples of nucleophilic capture of n-complexes have also been uncovered in the study of nitration of alkylated benzenes in acetic acid. For example, nitration of 3 at 0°C leads to formation of 4 with acetate serving as the nucleophile ... 

Methods of synthesis for carboxylic acids include (1) oxidation of alkyl-benzenes, (2) oxidative cleavage of alkenes, (3) oxidation of primary alcohols or aldehydes, (4) hydrolysis of nitriles, and (5) reaction of Grignard reagents with CO2 (carboxylation). General reactions of carboxylic acids include (1) loss of the acidic proton, (2) nucleophilic acyl substitution at the carbonyl group, (3) substitution on the a carbon, and (4) reduction. 

Thiols react more rapidly with nucleophilic radicals than with electrophilic radicals. They have very large Ctr with S and VAc, but near ideal transfer constants (C - 1.0) with acrylic monomers (Table 6.2). Aromatic thiols have higher C,r than aliphatic thiols but also give more retardation. This is a consequence of the poor reinitiation efficiency shown by the phenylthiyl radical. The substitution pattern of the alkanethiol appears to have only a small (<2-fokl) effect on the transfer constant. Studies on the reactions of small alkyl radicals with thiols indicate that the rate of the transfer reaction is accelerated in polar solvents and, in particular, water.5 Similar trends arc observed for transfer to 1 in S polymerization with Clr = 1.4 in benzene 3.6 in CUT and 6.1 in 5% aqueous CifiCN.1 In copolymerizations, the thiyl radicals react preferentially with electron-rich monomers (Section 3.4.3.2). 

The C-X bond of a vinylic or phenyl halide is stronger than that of an alkyl halide and the electrons of the double bond or benzene ring repel the approach of a nucleophile from the back side. 

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