Benzenoid ring substitution

When activating substituents are present in the benzenoid ring, substitution usually becomes more facile and occurs in accordance with predictions based on simple valence bond theory. When activating substituents are present in the heterocyclic ring the situation varies depending upon reaction conditions thus, nitration of 2(177)-quinoxalinone in acetic acid yields 7-nitro-2(177)-quinoxalinone (21) whereas nitration with mixed acid yields the 6-nitro derivative (22). The difference in products probably reflects a difference in the species being nitrated neutral 2(177)-quinoxalinone in acetic acid and the diprotonated species (23) in mixed acids. 

Bromination at C-9 is preferred over the other two possibilities (C-1 or C-2) because the intermediate benzenonium ion retains two benzenoid rings. Substitution at C-1 or... 

Substituents on benzene or benzenoid rings in fused pyridazines, i.e. in cinnolines and phthalazines, usually exhibit reactivity which is similar to that found in the correspondingly substituted fused aromatic compounds, such as naphthalene, and is therefore not discussed here. 

Conflicting reports on the nitration of phenazine have appeared, but the situation was clarified by Albert and Duewell (47MI21400). The early work suggested that 1,3-dinitroph-enazine could be prepared in 66% yield under standard nitration conditions however, this proved to be a mixture of 1-nitrophenazine and 1,9-dinitrophenazine (24). As with pyrazines and quinoxalines, activating substituents in the benzenoid rings confer reactivity which is in accord with valence bond predictions thus, nitration of 2-methoxy- or 2-hydroxy-phenazine results in substitution at the 1-position. 

In compounds with a fused benzene ring, electrophilic substitution on carbon usually occurs in the benzenoid ring in preference to the heterocyclic ring. Frequently the orientation of substitution in these compounds parallels that in naphthalene. Conditions are often similar to those used for benzene itself. The actual position attacked varies compare formulae (341)-(346) where the orientation is shown for nitration sulfonation is usually similar for reasons which are not well understood. 

Both phenanthrene and anthracene have a tendency to undergo addition reactions under the eonditions involved in eertain eleetrophilic substitutions. For example, in the nitration of anthracene in the presence of hydrochloric acid, an intermediate addition product can be isolated. This is a result of the relatively close balance in resonance stabilization to be regained by elimination (giving an anthracene ring) or addition (resulting in two benzenoid rings). 

H tautomer. This remarkable difference in reactivity originates from a greater differentiation in bond lengths in the benzenoid ring of 2-substituted benzotriazoles in comparison with their benzotriazol-l-yl analogs. Bonds C(4)-C(5) in derivatives 300 are relatively short (1.377 A) this renders them more double bond character and makes more susceptible to [2+2] cycloadditions <20020L1487>. 

These data imply that aromatic hydrocarbons incorporated into sediments are not preferentially accumulated in relation to increased alkyl substitution, as shown with dietary and seawater exposures. Moreover, the apparent lack of accumulation of the fluorene and phenanthrene suggests that unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbons having more than two benzenoid rings may not be readily sequestered by fish exposed to petroleum-impregnated sediment. These differences are presumably related, at least in part, to physico-chemical interactions of aromatic hydrocarbons with sediment matrices that regulate their bioavailability. 

These compounds are less common than indole (benzo[ ]pyrrole). In the case of benzo[i>]furan the aromaticity of the heterocycle is weaker than in indole, and this ring is easily cleaved by reduction or oxidation. Electrophilic reagents tend to react with benzo[Z ]furan at C-2 in preference to C-3 (Scheme 7.21), reflecting the reduced ability of the heteroatom to stabilize the intermediate for 3-substitution. Attack in the heterocycle is often accompanied by substitution in the benzenoid ring. Nitration with nitric acid in acetic acid gives mainly 2-nitrobenzo[Z ]furan, plus the 4-, 6- and 7-isomers. When the reagent is in benzene maintained at 10 °C, both 3- and 2-nitro[ ]furans are formed in the ratio 4 1. Under Vilsmeier reaction conditions (see Section 6.1.2), benzo[Z ]furan gives 2-formylbenzo[6]furan in ca. 40% yield. 

Reactivity dealt with in the following sections is limited only to that of the heteroaromatic ring of pyrazines, quinoxalines, and phenazines, but exceptionally the reactivity on the benzo moiety of quinoxaline and phenazine is described in the Section 8.03.5.3. In general, any type of substitution reaction on quinoxaline and phenazine should be more facile than with pyrazine because of the resonance stabilization effect of the additional benzenoid ring on the transition states leading to the products. 

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