Reactions of Benzene and Its Derivatives

Reactions of the type shown in (ii) and (34) are called substitution reactions. The substitution reaction is the characteristic reaction of benzene and its derivatives and is the way in which a multitude of compounds are prepared by the organic chemist. By this means he is able to introduce functional groups, which can then be... 

Aromatic compounds undergo many reactions, but relatively few reactions that affect the bonds to the aromatic ring itself. Most of these reactions are unique to aromatic compounds. A large part of this chapter is devoted to electrophilic aromatic substitution, the most important mechanism involved in the reactions of aromatic compounds. Many reactions of benzene and its derivatives are explained by minor variations of electrophilic aromatic substitution. We will study several of these reactions and then consider how substituents on the ring influence its reactivity toward electrophilic aromatic substitution and the regiochemistry seen in the products. We will also study other reactions of aromatic compounds, including nucleophilic aromatic substitution, addition reactions, reactions of side chains, and special reactions of phenols. 

In Chapter 1 it was stated that the principal reaction of benzene and its derivatives is subsUtmion rather than addition. Indeed, electrophilic substitution in aromatic systems is one of the most important reactions in chemistry and has many commercial applications. 

The characteristic reaction of benzene and its derivatives is electrophilic aromatic substitution. In these reactions, a hydrogen on the benzene ring is replaced by a chlorine (chlorination), a bromine (bromination), an alkyl or acyl group (Friedel-Crafts alkylation or acylation), a nitro group (nitration), or a sulfonic acid group (sulfonation). 

For a long time aromatic compounds were believed to be stable when exposed to ultraviolet irradiation. The interest in the photochemistry of arenes only started in the late 1950s when several groups observed both isomerization and addition reactions of benzene and its derivatives. Among the pioneers who were active at that time are the groups of Bryce-Smith and Schenck. Since then the photochemistry of aromatic compounds has become the subject of innumerable papers dealing with their conversion to other aromatic systems (by substitution or isomerization) or even to nonaromatics. 

In the preceding section, benzene reacted with cations to form substituted benzene derivatives. The cations of interest include Br+, C1+, the nitronium ion, and sulfur trioxide or sulfuric acid, which react as electrophiles. In principle, benzene may react with any cation, including carbocations, once that cation is formed. Carbocations are generated by several different methods they react with nucleophiles, as described for reactions of alkenes with acids such as HX (Chapter 10, Section 10.2) and for S l reactions (Chapter 11, Section 11.4). If benzene reacts with a carbocation, a new carbon-carbon bond is formed, and electrophilic aromatic substitution will give an arene. The reaction of benzene and its derivatives with carbocations is generically called the Friedel-Crafts reaction, after the work of French chemist Charles Friedel (France 1832-1899) and his American protege, James M. Crafts (1839-1917). The reaction takes two fundamental forms Friedel-Crafts alkylation and Friedel-Crafts acylation. Both variations will be discussed, beginning with the alkylation reaction. 

There are large number of cycloaddition reactions of benzene and its derivatives. Correlation diagram can be constructed to predict them which can be represented by examples of ortho-, meta- and para-cycloadditions of benzene and ethylene or benzene and butadiene. Ortho-, meta- and para-additions give different products. 

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