Halides aromatic nucleophilic substitution

Kinetic studies have shown that the enolate and phosphorus nucleophiles all react at about the same rate. This suggests that the only step directly involving the nucleophile (step 2 of the propagation sequence) occurs at essentially the diffusion-controlled rate so that there is little selectivity among the individual nucleophiles. The synthetic potential of the reaction lies in the fact that other substituents which activate the halide to substitution are not required in this reaction, in contrast to aromatic nucleophilic substitution which proceeds by an addition-elimination mechanism (see Seetion 10.5). 

The lack of a uniform order of relative reactivity of the halogens in reactions of certain nucleophiles with nitro- and polynitro-phenyl halides led Parker and Read to propose a one-stage mechanism for some aromatic nucleophilic substitutions. An alternative explanation within the framework of the two-stage S Ar2 mechanism had been proposed earlier. A range of mechanisms has been considered in the past by Chapman, who properly points out that only in a limited number of examples is the evidence for the two-stage mechanism compelling even though the balance of evidence favors it. 

Other salts, especially fluoride salts, (e.g., KF) can be used to perform nucleophilic substitution. As is well known, halides, and particularly the fluoride anions, are rather powerful Lewis bases and can exert a catalytic effect on aromatic nucleophilic substitutions in dipolar aprotic solvents. Phenols can be alkylated in the presence of KF (or CsF) absorbed on Celite64,65 or Et4NF.66 Taking advantage of this reaction, halophenols and dihalides with bisphenols have been successfully polymerized in sulfolane at 220-280°C by using KF as the base. 

Synthetically important substitutions of aromatic compounds can also be done by nucleophilic reagents. There are several general mechanism for substitution by nucleophiles. Unlike nucleophilic substitution at saturated carbon, aromatic nucleophilic substitution does not occur by a single-step mechanism. The broad mechanistic classes that can be recognized include addition-elimination, elimination-addition, and metal-catalyzed processes. (See Section 9.5 of Part A to review these mechanisms.) We first discuss diazonium ions, which can react by several mechanisms. Depending on the substitution pattern, aryl halides can react by either addition-elimination or elimination-addition. Aryl halides and sulfonates also react with nucleophiles by metal-catalyzed mechanisms and these are discussed in Section 11.3. 

Aromatic Nucleophilic Substitution of Nitro Aryl Halides... 

In the copper catalyzed aromatic nucleophilic substitution of aryl halides bromoindole derivatives were converted to the appropriate cyanoindoles. Both 5-bromoindole and its 7V-tosyl derivative gave excellent yields, when a substoichiometric amount potassium iodide was added to the reaction mixture (6.80.), Pyrazole and benzothiophene showed a similar reactivity. The role of the added iodide is to activate the aromatic system through a bromine-iodine exchange.111... 

Aryl- and heteroaryl halides can undergo thermal or transition metal catalyzed substitution reactions with amines. These reactions proceed on insoluble supports under conditions similar to those used in solution. Not only halides, but also thiolates [76], nitro groups [76], sulfinates [77,78], and alcoholates [79] can serve as leaving groups for aromatic nucleophilic substitution. 

The first step in this scheme is a classical aromatic nucleophilic substitution. Details of the method have been expounded (14—17). References 14 and 15 are concerned with the synthesis of the diaryl halide intermediate whereas References 16 and 17 discuss the synthesis of the polymers, with emphasis on the polymerization of PPSF by this route. 

A much more general method for acyl silane synthesis involving silyl diazo intermediates is illustrated in Scheme 1688. The lithiated derivative of trimethylsilyl diazomethane reacts smoothly with alkyl halides in THF solution to give a-trimethylsilyl diazoalkanes in good yields. Oxidative cleavage of the diazo moiety is effected using 3-chloroperbenzoic acid in benzene solution, to give access to a wide variety of acyl silanes in yields of up to 71%. A phosphate buffer (pH 7.6) is used to prevent side reactions. Aromatic acyl silanes clearly cannot be prepared by this chemistry since an aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction would be required. 

N,N-Dimethylarylamines. Activated aromatic halides undergo nucleophilic substitution with DMF (in the presence of ethanolamines). 

An interesting synthesis of isocoumarins uses the n-allyl nickel halides and n-olefin palladium complex, while another involves an aromatic nucleophilic substitution by the carbanion derived from acetone... 

Aliphatic and aromatic nucleophilic substitution reactions are also subject to micellar effects, with results consistent with those in other reactions. In the reaction of alkyl halides with CN and S Oj in aqueous media, sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles decreased the second-order rate constants and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide increased them (Winters, 1965 Bunton, 1968). The reactivity of methyl bromide in the cationic micellar phase was 30 to 50 times that in the bulk phase and was negligible in the anionic micellar phase a nonionic surfactant did not significantly affect the rate constant for n-pentyl bromide with S2O3-. Micellar effects on nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions follow similar patterns. The reaction of 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene or 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene with hydroxide ion in aqueous media is catalyzed by cationic surfactants and retarded by sodium dodecyl sulfate (Bunton, 1968, 1969). Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles increased the reactivity of dinitrofluorobenzene 59 times, whereas sodium dodecyl sulfate decreased it by a factor of 2.5 for dinitrochlorobenzene, the figures are 82 and 13 times, respectively. A POE nonionic surfactant had no effect. 

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