Resonance thiophene

Pyrrole has a planar, pentagonal (C2 ) stmcture and is aromatic in that it has a sextet of electrons. It is isoelectronic with the cyclopentadienyl anion. The TT-electrons are delocalized throughout the ring system, thus pyrrole is best characterized as a resonance hybrid, with contributing stmctures (1 5). These stmctures explain its lack of basicity (which is less than that of pyridine), its unexpectedly high acidity, and its pronounced aromatic character. The resonance energy which has been estimated at about 100 kj/mol (23.9 kcal/mol) is intermediate between that of furan and thiophene, or about two-thirds that of benzene (5). 

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Nmr is a most valuable technique for stmeture determination in thiophene chemistry, especially because spectral interpretation is much easier in the thiophene series compared to benzene derivatives. Chemical shifts in proton nmr are well documented for thiophene (CDCl ), 6 = 7.12, 7.34, 7.34, and 7.12 ppm. Coupling constants occur in well-defined ranges J2-3 = 4.9-5.8 ... 

One of the more useful predicative applications of the relatively crude Hiickel method has been to illustrate quantitatively the effect of benzenoid annelation on the resonance energies of furan and thiophene. The results are summarized in Figure 1. As expected, thiophenes are more stable than the corresponding furans and 3,4-fusion results in less stable compounds than 2,3-fusion (77CR(C)(285)42l). 

In summary, all estimates of resonance energies indicate a decrease in aromaticity in the sequence benzene > thiophene > pyrrole > furan. Similar sequences are also found for the benzo[6] and dibenzo analogues. A somewhat different sequence is found for the benzo[c] fused heterocycles with isoindole > benzo[c]thiophene > benzo[c]furan. As would be anticipated, the resonance energies for the benzo[c] heterocycles are substantially lower than those for their benzo[6] isomers. 

The heteroaromatic compounds can be divided into two broad groups, called n-excessive and n-deficient, depending on whether the heteroatom acts as an electron donor or an electron acceptor. Furan, pyrrole, thiophene, and other heterocyclics incorporating an oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur atom that contributes two n electrons are in the rr-exeessive group. This classification is suggested by resonance structures and confirmed by various MO methods. ... 

Another way to assess thiophene s reactivity is to compare the intermediate ions formed by addition of N02. Examine the structures, charge distributions and electrostatic potential maps of thiophene+nitronium at C2 and thiophene+nitronium at C3. Draw all of the resonance contributors needed to describe these structures. Which, if either, better delocalizes the positive charge Compare the energies of the two intermediates. Which product should form preferentially if the reaction is under kinetic control Are these results consistent with FMO theory ... 

Gronowitz et al. have discussed the effects of substituents on chemical reactivity and on ultraviolet (XJV), infrared (IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra in terms of simple resonance theory,They assume resonance structures (1-5) to contribute to a —I—M (Ingold s terminology) 2-substituted thiophene, resonance forms (6-10) to the structure of a drI-fM 2-substituted thiophene, forms (11-16) to a —I—M 3-substituted thiophene, and forms (17-22) to a I -M 3-substituted thiophene. 

The foregoing resonance structures describe the influence of the substituents on the 7r-electron distribution in the thiophene ring. Besides this effect the inductive effect of the substituents on the a-electi on system must be considered when discussing physical and chemical properties of thiophenes. 

Physical and chemical evidence supporting the theory mentioned in the foregoing will be given in the appropriate sections. Some predic-. tions may be mentioned here. From resonance structures (2, 3, 7, 8) it is inferred that the substituent effect in 2-substituted thiophenes should be parallel to that in the corresponding benzenes, the 3- and 5-positions may be considered as ortho and para positions and the 4-position as a meta position. It is, however, obvious that the effect of a —M- and a d-M-substituent are not simply reversed, as reso-... 

As can be seen from the present discussion, the electron distribution inferred from the chemical shifts of monosubstituted thiophenes is in good agreement with that expected on the basis of simple resonance theory. 

The thermodynamic properties of thiophene,2-methylthiophene, ° and 3-methylthiophene have been computed from careful measurements of the heat capacity of the solid, liquid, and vapor states, the heat of fusion, the heat of vaporization, and the heat of combustion. From the heat of combustion of thiophene and from thermochemical bond energies, the resonance energy of thiophene has been re-estimated to be only 20 kcal/mole. 

The reduction of the C— Br and C—1 group moments from 1.10 and 0.90 in bromo- and iodo-benzene to about 0.80 and 0.50 in 2-bromo- and 2-iodo-thiophene has been ascribed to the larger weight of resonance forms such as (8) and (9) in the thiophene series. The chlorine, nuclear, quadrupole, resonance frequencies of chloro-substituted thiophenes are much higher than those of the corresponding benzene derivatives. This has been ascribed to a relayed inductive effect originating in the polarity of the C—S o-bond in thiophenes. The refractive indices, densities, and surface tension of thiophene, alkyl- and halo-thiophenes, and of some other derivatives have been... 

It can be seen from resonance structures (2) to (4) that a — I — M-substituent deactivates the 3- and 5-position most strongly in electrophilic substitution. If this deactivation of the 5-position is strong enough to overcome the activating effects of the sulfur in the 5-position, substitution will be directed to the 4-position to an increasing extent. Tirouflet and Fournari studied the nitration of 2-substituted thiophenes of this type. The analysis was carried out polarographically, and the percentage of 4-isomer was as follows ... 

From resonance structure (12) it is obvious that a —I—M-substit-uent strongly deactivates the 2-position toward electrophilic substitution, and one would thus expect that monosubstitution occurs exclusively in the 5-position. This has also been found to be the case in the chlorination, bromination, and nitration of 3-thiophenecarboxylic acid. Upon chlorination and bromination a second halogen could be introduced in the 2-position, although further nitration of 5-nitro-3-thiopheneearboxylic acid could not be achieved. Similarly, 3-thiophene aldehyde has been nitrated to 5-nitro-3-thiophene aldehyde, and it is further claimed that 5-bromo-3-thiopheneboronic acid is obtained upon bromination of 3-thiopheneboronic acid. ... 

The tautomerism of 2- and 3-aminothiophenes was mentioned by Hartough in his review of thiophenes/ but the first definite evidence became available in 1961 when Hoffman and Gronowitz showed conclusively by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy that these compounds both exist in the amino form. In agreement with this finding, 3-aminothiophene generally behaves as an aromatic amine. ... 

Furan, Pyrrole, and Thiophene.-—The carbon-heteroatom distances found in furan, pyrrole, and thiophene correspond to 5 = = 5%, 12 = = 6%, and 17 = = 10% double-bond character, respectively. Resonance of the normal structure I with structures of the types II and III (X = O, NH, S) is assumed to be responsible for this double-bond character, while excited structures characteristic... 

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