Fused rings, electrophilic

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. 

As discussed in the theoretical section (4.04.1.2.1), electrophilic attack on pyrazoles takes place at C-4 in accordance with localization energies and tt-electron densities. Attack in other positions is extremely rare. This fact, added to the deactivating effect of the substituent introduced in the 4-position, explains why further electrophilic substitution is generally never observed. Indazole reacts at C-3, and reactions taking place on the fused ring will be discussed in Section 4.04.2.3.2(i). Reaction on the phenyl ring of C- and A-phenyl-pyrazoles will be discussed in Sections 4.04.2.3.3(ii) and 4.04.2.3.10(i), respectively. The behaviour of pyrazolones is quite different owing to the existence of a non-aromatic tautomer. 

Heterocyclic amines are compounds that contain one or more nitrogen atoms as part of a ring. Saturated heterocyclic amines usually have the same chemistry as their open-chain analogs, but unsaturated heterocycles such as pyrrole, imidazole, pyridine, and pyrimidine are aromatic. All four are unusually stable, and all undergo aromatic substitution on reaction with electrophiles. Pyrrole is nonbasic because its nitrogen lone-pair electrons are part of the aromatic it system. Fused-ring heterocycles such as quinoline, isoquinoline, indole, and purine are also commonly found in biological molecules. 

The ring opening of certain fused ring cyclobutanones led to the preparation of larger ring system. It was reported 801 that the electrophilic addition of trimethyl-silyl iodide in the presence of catalyst promoted the ring opening of (238) (240) and (242) to afford (239), (241) and (243) respectivly 80). 

A striking demonstration of the reduced activity towards electrophiles for the pyridine ring compared with the benzene ring will be seen later when we consider the fused heterocycles quinoline and isoquinoline (see Section 11.8.1). These contain a benzene ring fused to a pyridine ring electrophilic substitution occurs exclusively in the benzene ring. 

Electrophilic aromatic substitution of other benzo-fused v-deficient systems generally follows predictable pathways. Thus, benzopyrylium salts are in general resistant to electrophilic substitution even in the benzo-fused ring. Chromones behave somewhat similarly, although substitution can be effected under forcing conditions. Coumarins, on the other hand, undergo nitration readily in the 6-position while bromination results in substitution at the 3-position as a consequence of addition-elimination. 

The effects of substituent groups in the benzo-fused ring on the ease of electrophilic aromatic substitution are essentially identical to those of the same substituent groups in benzene, so electron-donating groups facilitate reaction while electron-withdrawing groups... 

The primary mode of electrophilic attack on the azetidine of fused-ring derivatives is acid-catalyzed opening of the bridging bond. For example, l-azabicyclo[2.2.0]hexane (4) gives 4-chloropiperidine (21) on treatment with hydrogen chloride (64HCA2145). 

Electrophilic substitution usually occurs preferentially in the aryl group. In compounds containing both an aryl group and a fused benzene ring, electrophiles usually attack the aryl group exclusively. 

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