Electrophilicity charge transfer process

Notice that since rj > 0, we always have AE < 0, i.e., the charge transfer process is energetically favorable. We proposed the new density functional theory (DFT) reactivity index, electrophilicity index oj as... 

Nitration of dibenzofuran at C-3 as opposed to other electrophilic substitutions such as acetylation at C-2 has been attributed to the intervention of a charge-transfer process [21]. The C-N bond formation step is mechanistically closer to the nucleophilic process, the aromatic moiety being the electron-deficient species. It is understandable that N02. attacks at a nuclear carbon which is meta to the oxygen donor. 

The charge-transfer nitrations of the aromatic donors are generally carried out to rather low actinic conversions to avoid complications from light absorption by the nitroarene products, and in duplicate sets (with a dark control) to monitor simultaneously any competition from thermal processes. For example, the yellow solution of anisole and Me2PyN02 in acetonitrile at — 40°C is irradiated with the aid of the cut-off filter that effectively removes all excitation light with Aexc<400nm. After reasonable photochemical conversions are attained, the H NMR spectrum is found to be virtually identical to that of the reaction mixture obtained by electrophilic (thermal) nitration (60). 

Thermal (electrophilic) and photochemical (charge-transfer) nitrations share in common the rapid, preequilibrium formation of the EDA complex [ArH, PyNO ]. Therefore let us consider how charge-transfer activation, as established by the kinetic behaviour of the reactive triad in Scheme 12, relates to a common mechanism for electrophilic nitration. Since the reactive intermediates pertinent to the thermal (electrophilic) process, unlike those in its photochemical counterpart, cannot be observed directly, we must rely initially on the unusual array of nonconventional nitration products (Hartshorn, 1974 Suzuki, 1977) and the unique isomeric distributions as follows. 

Since electron transfer (log kE) represents the adiabatic counterpart to the photochemical process (hvcr), the triad in (87) is (stoichiometrically) equivalent to that in (63) and its collapse to the Wheland intermediate will lead to nitration products that are the same as those formed in charge-transfer nitration. When such a comparison of electrophilic and charge-transfer nitrations is carried out in quantitative detail, the aromatic donors fall roughly into two categories. 

Finally, we ask, if the reactive triads in Schemes 1 and 19 are common to both electrophilic and charge-transfer nitration, why is the nucleophilic pathway (k 2) apparently not pertinent to the electrophilic activation of toluene and anisole One obvious answer is that the electrophilic nitration of these less reactive [class (ii)] arenes proceeds via a different mechanism, in which N02 is directly transferred from V-nitropyridinium ion in a single step, without the intermediacy of the reactive triad, since such an activation process relates to the more conventional view of electrophilic aromatic substitution. However, the concerted mechanism for toluene, anisole, mesitylene, t-butylbenzene, etc., does not readily accommodate the three unique facets that relate charge-transfer directly to electrophilic nitration, viz., the lutidine syndrome, the added N02 effect, and the TFA neutralization (of Py). Accordingly, let us return to Schemes 10 and 19, and inquire into the nature of thermal (adiabatic) electron transfer in (87) vis-a-vis the (vertical) charge-transfer in (62). 

One aspect of asymmetric catalysis has become clear. Every part of the molecule seems to fulfill a role in the process, just as in enzymic catalysis. Whereas many of us have been used to simple acid or base catalysis, in which protonation or proton abstraction is the key step, bifunctional or even multifunctional catalysis is the rule in the processes discussed in this chapter.Thus it is not only the increase in nucleophilicity of the nucleophile by the quinine base (see Figures 6 and 19), nor only the increase in the electrophilicity of the electrophile caused by hydrogen bonding to the secondary alcohol function of the quinine, but also the many steric (i.e., van der Waals) interactions between the quinoline and quinuclidine portions of the molecule that exert the overall powerful guidance needed to effect high stereoselection. Important charge-transfer interactions between the quinoline portion of the molecule and aromatic substrates cannot be excluded. 

Some of the considerations for electron-transfer processes that have been discussed in previous chapters are fundamental to the electrochemistry of these examples. Thus, reductive processes always involve the most electrophilic (acidic, positive-charge density) center (substrate or substrate-matrix combination) that produces the least basic (nucleophilic) product. Under acidic conditions the primary reactant often is the hydronium ion (H30+) to give a hydrogen atom that couples with the substrate via covalent bond formation for instance... 

We suggest that electron transfer and electrophilic substitutions are, in general, competing processes in arene oxidations. Whether the product is formed from the radical cation (electron transfer) or from the aryl-metal species (electrophilic substitution) is dependent on the nature of both the metal oxidant and the aromatic substrate. With hard metal ions, such as Co(III), Mn(III), and Ce(IV),289 reaction via electron transfer is preferred because of the low stability of the arylmetal bond. With soft metal ions, such as Pb(IV) and Tl(III), and Pd(II) (see later), reaction via an arylmetal intermediate is predominant (more stable arylmetal bond). For the latter group of oxidants, electron transfer becomes important only with electron-rich arenes that form radical cations more readily. In accordance with this postulate, the oxidation of several electron-rich arenes by lead(IV)281 289 and thallium(III)287 in TFA involve radical cation formation via electron transfer. Indeed, electrophilic aromatic substitutions, in general, may involve initial charge transfer, and the role of radical cations as discrete intermediates may depend on how fast any subsequent steps involving bond formation takes place. 

Arenes spontaneously form intermolecular 1 1 complexes with a wide variety of electrophiles, cations, acids, and oxidants that are all sufficiently electron-poor to be classified as electron acceptors. Spectral, structural, and thermodynamic properties of these donor/ acceptor associates are described within the context of the Mulliken charge-transfer (CT) formulation. The quantitative analyses of such CT complexes provide the mechanistic basis for understanding arene reactivity in different thermal and photochemical processes. 

Excitation to inner-sphere charge transfer (ISCT) transitions induces radial charge shift within the coordination entity, which may result in redox reactions including the central atom and ligands. The charge redistribution increases the complex susceptibility towards protonation, isomerization, redox processes, or nucleophilic or electrophilic attack. 

The chemical behaviour of a given species strongly depends on the nature of the other molecules involved in the interaction. For a specific type of reaction, an appropriate model is needed to simulate the chemical environment of the species of interest. In the present work, the interest is focused on the initial response of the molecule to a particular type of chemical situation, independent of the value of those parameters that characterize one specific reaction. In other words, the intrinsic capabilities of the chemical species are studied and modelled as derivatives of the electronic properties with respect to an appropriate independent variable. For example, in those processes where charge transfer is involved (such as Lewis acidity and basicity, electrophile-nucleophile interactions and coordination compounds), the number of electrons must be an independent variable when a small molecule interacts with a very large counterpart (such as enzyme-substrate interaction and adsorption on solid surfaces), the chemical potential of the large partner will be imposed on the small molecule, and its number of electrons will not be independent. 

These aspects introduce different mechanistic patterns expected for the 1,3-DC reactions, as compared with DA cycloadditions (concerted vs stepwise with some zwitterionic character). This result may again be traced to the electrophilicity difference at the ground states of the reacting pairs.39 These results suggest that the description of the reactivity and the reaction mechanism involved in the 1,3-DC processes can be systematized as in the case of the DA cycloadditions. Such a model should be able to determine the charge transfer pattern and to decide which of the partners is acting as nucleophile/electrophile in a polar process, or even to anticipate a concerted pathway in those cases where the electrophilicity/nucleophilicity difference is small. 

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