Electrophilic substitution compounds

Nitration is important for two reasons firstly, because it is the most general process for the preparation of aromatic nitro compounds secondly, because of the part which it has played in the development of theoretical organic chemistry. It is of interest because of its own characteristics as an electrophilic substitution. 

If acetoxylation were a conventional electrophilic substitution it is hard to understand why it is not more generally observed in nitration in acetic anhydride. The acetoxylating species is supposed to be very much more selective than the nitrating species, and therefore compared with the situation in (say) toluene in which the ratio of acetoxylation to nitration is small, the introduction of activating substituents into the aromatic nucleus should lead to an increase in the importance of acetoxylation relative to nitration. This is, in fact, observed in the limited range of the alkylbenzenes, although the apparently severe steric requirement of the acetoxylation species is a complicating feature. The failure to observe acetoxylation in the reactions of compounds more reactive than 2-xylene has been attributed to the incursion of another mechan-104... 

For electrophilic substitutions in general, and leaving aside theories which have only historical interest, two general processes have to be considered. In the first, the 5 3 process, a transition state is involved which is formed from the aromatic compound, the electrophile (E+), and the base (B) needed to remove the proton ... 

The best-known equation of the type mentioned is, of course, Hammett s equation. It correlates, with considerable precision, rate and equilibrium constants for a large number of reactions occurring in the side chains of m- and p-substituted aromatic compounds, but fails badly for electrophilic substitution into the aromatic ring (except at wi-positions) and for certain reactions in side chains in which there is considerable mesomeric interaction between the side chain and the ring during the course of reaction. This failure arises because Hammett s original model reaction (the ionization of substituted benzoic acids) does not take account of the direct resonance interactions between a substituent and the site of reaction. This sort of interaction in the electrophilic substitutions of anisole is depicted in the following resonance structures, which show the transition state to be stabilized by direct resonance with the substituent ... 

The more extensive problem of correlating substituent effects in electrophilic substitution by a two-parameter equation has been examined by Brown and his co-workers. In order to define a new set of substituent constants. Brown chose as a model reaction the solvolysis of substituted dimethylphenylcarbinyl chlorides in 90% aq. acetone. In the case ofp-substituted compounds, the transition state, represented by the following resonance structures, is stabilized by direct resonance interaction between the substituent and the site of reaction. 

Norman, R. O. C. Taylor, R. (1963). Electrophilic Substitution in Ben-zenoid Compounds. London Elsevier. 

Ten years ago we became interested in the possibility of using nitration as a process with which to study the reactivity of hetero-aromatic compounds towards electrophilic substitution. The choice of nitration was determined by the consideration that its mechanism was probably better imderstood than that of any other electrophilic substitution. Others also were pursuing the same objective, and a considerable amount of information has now been compiled. 

Indoles are usually constructed from aromatic nitrogen compounds by formation of the pyrrole ring as has been the case for all of the synthetic methods discussed in the preceding chapters. Recently, methods for construction of the carbocyclic ring from pyrrole derivatives have received more attention. Scheme 8.1 illustrates some of the potential disconnections. In paths a and b, the syntheses involve construction of a mono-substituted pyrrole with a substituent at C2 or C3 which is capable of cyclization, usually by electrophilic substitution. Paths c and d involve Diels-Alder reactions of 2- or 3-vinyl-pyrroles. While such reactions lead to tetrahydro or dihydroindoles (the latter from acetylenic dienophiles) the adducts can be readily aromatized. Path e represents a category Iley cyclization based on 2 -I- 4 cycloadditions of pyrrole-2,3-quinodimcthane intermediates. 

Bromination of 2-dialkylaminothiazoles has been reported to be successful by one author (415) and to fail by others (375. 385). If the mechanism of direct electrophilic substitution is accepted for these compounds, it is difficult to understand why alkyl substitution on such a remote position as exocyclic nitrogen may inhibit this reaction in the C-5 position. 

Reaction takes place on nitrogen when the electrophilic center is an sp carbon, particularly if it is charged. Thus Mannich reaction yields the N-substituted compound (71 and 72) (Scheme 34) (54. 157-159). The same reaction is reported with piperidine, o-toluidine. and methylaniline (158). 

As a further electrophilic substitution the bromination of selenazoles has been investigated. This is not as complicated as nitration. Bromination was carried out in several solvents and with various amounts of bromine. In spite of the great variation in conditions, monobromo derivatives containing the bromine atom in the 5-position are always formed. This could be established, for example, by the bromination of the 2-amino-4-p-nitrophenylselenazole (Scheme 34) and its 2-benzamino compound (98). The 2-benzamido bromo compound gives the same bromo... 

The high reactivity of the 5-position in 1.3-selenazoles toward electrophilic substitution was also observed on azocoupling. By reacting molar quantities of an aqueous solution of a diazonium salt with an ethanolic solution of a 2-arylamino selenazole. for example, the corresponding 2-arylamino-5 azoselenazoles are formed in a smooth reaction (100). They deposit from the deeply colored solution and form intenselv red-colored compounds after their recrystallization from a suitable solvent (Scheme 36l. 

Section 12 1 On reaction with electrophilic reagents compounds that contain a ben zene ring undergo electrophilic aromatic substitution Table 12 1 m Section 12 1 and Table 12 3 m this summary give examples... 

In general, the xanthenes are synthesized by the reaction of two moles of a nucleophilic / -substituted phenol (10) with an electrophilic carbonyl compound (11), the reaction occurring most readily with an acid catalyst at temperatures of 100—200°C. 

Iron Porphyrins. Porphyrias (15—17) are aromatic cycHc compouads that coasist of four pyrrole units linked at the a-positions by methine carbons. The extended TT-systems of these compounds give rise to intense absorption bands in the uv/vis region of the spectmm. The most intense absorption, which is called the Soret band, falls neat 400 nm and has 10. The TT-system is also responsible for the notable ring current effect observed in H-nmr spectra, the preference for planar conformations, the prevalence of electrophilic substitution reactions, and the redox chemistry of these compounds. Porphyrins obtained from natural sources have a variety of peripheral substituents and substitution patterns. Two important types of synthetic porphyrins are the meso-tetraaryl porphyrins, such as 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphine [917-23-7] (H2(TPP)) (7) and P-octaalkylporphyrins, such as 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphine [2683-82-1] (H2(OEP)) (8). Both types can be prepared by condensation of pyrroles and aldehydes (qv). 

Electrophilic substitution reactions of diarylamines are easily accompHshed since the amino group activates the aromatic ring. Thus, DPA reacts with bromine or chlorine to form the 2,2H,4 tetrahalo derivative nitration usually produces the trinitro compound. 

Toluene, an aLkylben2ene, has the chemistry typical of each example of this type of compound. However, the typical aromatic ring or alkene reactions are affected by the presence of the other group as a substituent. Except for hydrogenation and oxidation, the most important reactions involve either electrophilic substitution in the aromatic ring or free-radical substitution on the methyl group. Addition reactions to the double bonds of the ring and disproportionation of two toluene molecules to yield one molecule of benzene and one molecule of xylene also occur. 

Anthraquinone dyes are derived from several key compounds called dye intermediates, and the methods for preparing these key intermediates can be divided into two types (/) introduction of substituent(s) onto the anthraquinone nucleus, and (2) synthesis of an anthraquinone nucleus having the desired substituents, starting from benzene or naphthalene derivatives (nucleus synthesis). The principal reactions ate nitration and sulfonation, which are very important ia preparing a-substituted anthraquiaones by electrophilic substitution. Nucleus synthesis is important for the production of P-substituted anthraquiaones such as 2-methylanthraquiQone and 2-chloroanthraquiaone. Friedel-Crafts acylation usiag aluminum chloride is appHed for this purpose. Synthesis of quinizatia (1,4-dihydroxyanthraquiQone) is also important. 

The localization energies for electrophilic substitution in benzimidazole predict that all three reactive forms should undergo substitution in the 4-position. This does not explain the formation of the 5-nitro compound or that of the 2-deutero compound. It is doubtful whether any electrophilic substitution occurs preferentially in the 4-position. 

A multiply bonded nitrogen atom deactivates carbon atoms a or y to it toward electrophilic attack thus initial substitution in 1,2- and 1,3-dihetero compounds should be as shown in structures (110) and (111). Pyrazoles (110 Z = NH), isoxazoles (110 Z = 0), isothiazoles (110 Z = S), imidazoles (111 Z = NH, tautomerism can make the 4- and 5-positions equivalent) and thiazoles (111 Z = S) do indeed undergo electrophilic substitution as expected. Little is known of the electrophilic substitution reactions of oxazoles (111 Z = O) and compounds containing three or more heteroatoms in one ring. Deactivation of the 4-position in 1,3-dihetero compounds (111) is less effective because of considerable double bond fixation (cf. Sections 4.01.3.2.1 and 4.02.3.1.7), and if the 5-position of imidazoles or thiazoles is blocked, substitution can occur in the 4-position (112). 

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. 

Hydroxypyrazoles are amphoteric compounds which form salts with alkalies and with mineral acids (B-76MI40402). The 4-hydroxy group directs electrophilic substitution towards... 

The cyano, nitro, and quaternary ammonium groups are strongly deactivating and weto-directing. Electrophilic substitutions of compounds with these substituents require especially vigorous conditions and fail completely with all but the most reactive electrophiles. 

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