Benzene with alkenes

The Pd(II)-mediated reaction of benzene with alkenes affords styrene derivatives 259[230,231]. 

A binuclear Ir3+ complex used in the reaction of benzene with alkenes induces the formation of straight-chain alkylbenzenes with higher selectivity than in the branched isomers 407 The selectivity, unusual in conventional acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylations, is suggested to result from the complex activating the C—H bond of benzene instead of the alkene. 

The irradiation of benzenes with alkenes provides a fascinating array of photochemical reactions, not least because it converts the aromatic substrates into polycyclic, non-aromatic products. In principle, benzene can undergo reaction across the 1,2-(ortho). 1,3-(meta), or 1,4-(para) positions the 1,3-cycloaddition is structurally the most complex, but it is the predominant mode of reaction for many of the simplest benzene/alkene systems. The products are tricyclic compounds with a fusion of two five-membered rings and one three-membered ring, and an example is the reaction of benzene with vinyl acetate (3.411. For monosubstituted benzenes there can be a high... 

Cydoaddition is much less frequently encountered in the photoreactions of benzenes with alkenes, but it does provide the major route to product for allenes (3.49. Different 1,4-adducts that involve a (4 + 4), rather than a (2 + 4, cycloaddition accompany the... 

Table 5.10. Alkylation of Benzene with Alkenes over Nafion-H Catalyst187...

Coulombic forces will determine the regioselectivity of the ortho addition [189], In the charge-transfer complexes of monosubstituted benzenes with alkenes, the charge (positive or negative) on the arene is largely located at the carbon atoms ipso and (to a lesser extent) para to the substituent. The carbon atoms of the alkene double bond will preferentially be located in the neighborhood of either the ipso carbon or (to a lesser extent) the para carbon atom of the monosubstituted benzene. This would explain the 1,2 and 3,4 selectivity in the ortho photocycloaddition. 

Acidic chloroaluminate ionic liquids were used as reaction media for Friedel-Crafts reactions as early as 1976 [34], Systematic investigations into Friedel-Crafts alkylations of benzene with the same acidic systems followed in 1986 by Wilkes et al. [35]. The alkylation of benzene with alkenes in acidic imidazolium chloroaluminate melts was disclosed in a patent by BP Chemicals in 1994 [36]. Here, as advantages over the reaction with aluminum trichloride in organic solvents, claims are made regarding the easy isolation of the product, the practically total reusability of the liquid catalyst and the better selectivity to the desired products. 

Heteropolyoxametalates are often used in combination with palladium salts as catalysts in oxidation processes using dioxygen as the oxidant. Indeed, the oxidative coupling reaction of benzenes with alkenes was also successfully achieved by use of the Pd(OAc)2/molybdovanadophosphoric acid (HPMoV)/02 system [14a]. For example, reaction of benzene with ethyl acrylate using this catalytic system in acetic acid afforded ethyl cinnamate as a major product in satisfactory yield. Typically, the reaction is conducted in acetic acid at 90 °C under 1 bar of 02. After 6 h the TON is 15. This number was recently improved to 121 [14b]. 

Intramolecular analogs from the meta cycloaddition of benzene with alkenes are known. Thus, irradiation of 6-phenylhex-2-ene yielded two adducts 4 and 5 in equal amounts from the (Z)-... 

The activity of the catalyst shown in Figure 4.10 in the alkylation of benzene with alkenes is comparable to that of aluminium chloride, but it shows improved selectivity towards monoalkylation compared to A1C13 itself and is readily recoverable and reusable (unlike A1C13, which needs to be removed from the reaction after one use, typically by a water quench). The alkylation of alkylbenzenes, and to a lesser extent halobenzenes, can also be carried out using supported aluminum chloride (Table 4.11). 

A similar reaction of (diacetoxyiodo)benzene with alkenes and trimethylsilyl isothiocyanate in dichloromethane affords 1,2-dithiocyanates 540 in moderate yield (Scheme 3.212). Cyclic alkenes, such as cyclohexene and 1-methylcyclohexene, react with this reagent system stereoselectively with the formation of the respective trans-aMuct [598,599],... 

The Pd(II)-mediated reaction of benzene with alkenes affords styrene derivatives 164. The reaction can be vmderstood by palladation, insertion of olefin to give 163, and y3-H elimination [67,68]. In addition to benzene and naphthalene derivatives, electron-rich heteroaromatic compounds such as ferrocene, furan and thiophene react with alkenes to give vinyl heterocycles. The effect of substituents in this reaction is similar to that observed in the electrophilic aromatic substitution [69]. 

Hierarchical (or mesoporous) zeolites became the focus of the review by Christensen et al. [7]. The main reason behind the development of hierarchical zeolites is to achieve heterogeneous catalysts with an improved porous structure and thereby enhanced performance in alkylation of benzene with alkenes, alkylation, and acylation of other compounds, methanol conversion into hydrocarbons, aromatization processes, isomerization of paraffins, cracking of diverse substrates and raw materials (naphtha, aromatic compounds, hexadecane, vacuum gas oil, and some polymers), and hydrotreating. The reactions that are of interest from the point of view of fine chemicals synthesis occurring on hierarchical zeohtes include aldol condensation, esterification, acetalization, olefin epoxidation, and Beckmarm rearrangement. 

Scheme 2.6 Pd(OAc)2-Mediated coupling reactions of benzene with alkenes.

Three oxidative reactions of benzene with Pd(OAc)2 via reactive rr-aryl-Pd complexes are known. The insertion of alkenes and elimination afford arylalk-enes. The oxidative functionalization of alkenes with aromatics is treated in Section 2.8. Two other reactions, oxidative homocoupling[324,325] and the acetoxylation[326], are treated in this section. The palladation of aromatic compounds is possible only with Pd(OAc)2. No reaction takes place with PdCl2. 

The classification of hydrocarbons as aliphatic or aromatic took place m the 1860s when It was already apparent that there was something special about benzene toluene and their derivatives Their molecular formulas (benzene is CgHg toluene is C7Hj ) indicate that like alkenes and alkynes they are unsaturated and should undergo addition reac tions Under conditions m which bromine for example reacts rapidly with alkenes and alkynes however benzene proved to be inert Benzene does react with Bi2 m the pres ence of iron(III) bromide as a catalyst but even then addition isn t observed Substitu tion occurs instead ... 

We saw m Section 9 10 that the combination of a Group I metal and liquid ammonia is a powerful reducing system capable of reducing alkynes to trans alkenes In the pres ence of an alcohol this same combination reduces arenes to nonconjugated dienes Thus treatment of benzene with sodium and methanol or ethanol m liquid ammonia converts It to 1 4 cyclohexadiene... 

An important property of aromatic hydrocarbons is that they are much more stable and less reactive than other unsaturated compounds Ben zene for example does not react with many of the reagents that react rapidly with alkenes When reaction does take place substitution rather than addition is observed The Kekule formulas for benzene seem mcon sistent with its low reactivity and with the fact that all of the C—C bonds m benzene are the same length (140 pm)... 

CharactenshcaUy the reagents that react with the aromatic nng of benzene and its derivatives are electrophiles We already have some experience with electrophihc reagents particularly with respect to how they react with alkenes Electrophihc reagents add to alkenes... 

Friedel-Crafts alkylation using alkenes has important industrial appHcations. The ethylation of benzene with ethylene to ethylbenzene used in the manufacture of styrene, is one of the largest scale industrial processes. The reaction is done under the catalysis of AlCl in the presence of a proton source, ie, H2O, HCl, etc, although other catalysts have also gained significance. 

C-Alkylations may be discussed under the headings of alkene reactions and A/-alkyl rearrangements. The isopropylation of benzene and naphthalene are two important examples of alkylation with alkenes (see Alkylation). Manufacture of j butylaniline, by heating /V-butylaniline with 2inc chloride, typifies the rearrangement reaction appropriate to and higher alkyl derivatives. 

The generation of caibocations from these sources is well documented (see Section 5.4). The reaction of aromatics with alkenes in the presence of Lewis acid catalysts is the basis for the industrial production of many alkylated aromatic compounds. Styrene, for example, is prepared by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene made from benzene and ethylene. 

Alkenes — Also known as olefins, and denoted as C H2 the compounds are unsaturated hydrocarbons with a single carbon-to-carbon double bond per molecule. The alkenes are very similar to the alkanes in boiling point, specific gravity, and other physical characteristics. Like alkanes, alkenes are at most only weakly polar. Alkenes are insoluble in water but quite soluble in nonpolar solvents like benzene. Because alkenes are mostly insoluble liquids that are lighter than water and flammable as well, water is not used to suppress fires involving these materials. Because of the double bond, alkenes are more reactive than alkanes. 

Fluorobenzene is readily alkylated with alkenes in the presence of protic acids, however, the isomenc purity of the product is poor, and polysubstitution can result Thus, propene and sulfuric acid alkylate fluorobenzene at 20 C to yield a 45 55 ortho/para ratio of the inonoalkyl product m addition to di- and triiso propylfluorobenzene [i5] The reaction of benzene and trifluoropropene at 25 °C in HF-BF3 gives a mixture of mono-, bis-, and tns(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)ben zene [72, 75] (equation 12)... 

Nitrone hydrate is converted into nitrone by boiling in benzene with azeotropic removal of water [48] (equation 50). This in situ formation of nitrone is carried out in the presence of various alkenes and alkynes, which undergo cycloaddition with the nitrone [48, 49] (equations 51 and 52). 

The reaction of ozone with an aromatic compound is considerably slower than the reaction with an alkene. Complete ozonolysis of one mole of benzene with workup under non-oxidative conditions will yield three moles of glyoxal. The selective ozonolysis of particular bonds in appropriate aromatic compounds is used in organic synthesis, for example in the synthesis of a substituted biphenyl 8 from phenanthrene 7 ... 

Benzene rings can undergo photochemical cycloaddition with alkenes. The major product is usually the 1,3 addition product, 116 (in which a three-membered ring has also been formed), though some of the 1,2 product (117)... 

This element can never be controlled. Fluorine reacts violently with solid methane at -190°C. With liquid hydrocarbons at -210°C, the reaction is dangerous. All hydrocarbons react dangerously, from the first homologues to anthracene as well as lubricants. In the gaseous state, there is ignition with small quantities, and detonation with large quantities and when the mixture is made quickly. There is immediate detonation with alkenes and alkynes. With benzene, when fluorine is incorporated bubble by bubble and at a low temperature, this causes ignition on the surface. If the flow rate is substantial, there is immediate detonation. 

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