Lecture Chapter 15

Organic Chemistry II / CHEM
252
Chapter 15 Reactions of
Aromatic Compounds
Bela Torok
Department of Chemistry
University of Massachusetts Boston
Boston, MA
1
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution
2
Arene (Ar-H) is the generic term for an aromatic hydrocarbon
The aryl group (Ar) is derived by removal of a hydrogen atom
Aromatic compounds undergo electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS)
The electrophile has a full or partial positive charge
3
A General Mechanism for Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution:
Benzene reacts with an electrophile using two of its electrons
This first step is like an addition to an ordinary double bond
Unlike an addition reaction, the benzene ring regenerates aromaticity
In step 1 of the mechanism, the electrophile reacts with two electrons
from the aromatic ring to form an arenium ion
The arenium ion is stabilized by resonance
In step 2, a proton is removed and the aromatic system is regenerated
4
The energy diagram of this reaction shows that the first step is highly
endothermic and has a large G
(1)
The first step requires the loss of aromaticity of the very stable
benzene ring, which is highly unfavorable
The first step is rate-determining
The second step is highly exothermic and has a small G
(2)
The ring regains its aromatic stabilization, a highly favorable process
Halogenation of Benzene
5
Halogenation of benzene requires the presence of a Lewis acid
Fluorination occurs so rapidly it is hard to stop at
monofluorination of the ring
A special apparatus is used to perform this reaction
Iodine is so unreactive that an alternative method must be used
Halogenation of Benzene
6
step 1: Br
2
reacts with FeBr
3
step 2: Br
+
reacts with electrons, forming an arenium ion
step 3: a proton is removed and aromaticity is regenerated
The FeBr
3
catalyst is regenerated
Nitration of Benzene
7
Nitration of benzene occurs with a mixture of concentrated nitric and
sulfuric acids: The electrophile is the nitronium ion (NO
2
+
)
8
Sulfonation of Benzene
Sulfonation occurs most rapidly using fuming sulfuric acid
(concentrated sulfuric acid that contains SO
3
)
The reaction also occurs in conc. sulfuric acid, which generates
small quantities of SO
3
, as shown in step 1 below
Sulfonation of Benzene
9
Sulfonation is an equilibrium reaction; all steps are equilibria
The sulfonation product is favored by use of concentrated or
fuming sulfuric acid
Desulfonation can be accomplished using dilute sulfuric acid
(i.e. with a high concentration of water), or by passing steam
through the reaction and collecting the volatile desulfonated
compound as it distils with the steam
Friedel-Crafts Alkylation
10
An aromatic ring can be alkylated by an alkyl halide in the presence of a
Lewis acid
The Lewis acid serves to generate a carbocation electrophile
11
Charles Friedel James M. Crafts
1877
12
Primary alkyl halides probably do not form discreet carbocations but
the primary carbon in the complex develops considerable positive
charge
Any compound that can form a carbocation can be used to alkylate
an aromatic ring
Friedel-Crafts Acylation
13
An acyl group has a carbonyl attached to some R group
Friedel-Crafts acylation requires reaction of an acid chloride or
acid anhydride with a Lewis acid such as aluminium chloride
14
Acid chlorides are made from carboxylic acids
15
The electrophile in Friedel-Crafts acylation is an acylium ion
The acylium ion is stabilized by resonance
Limitations
16
In Friedel-Crafts alkylation, the alkyl carbocation intermediate may rearrange
to a more stable carbocation prior to alkylation
n-butyl bromide - mixture of products
Electron-withdrawing groups - much less reactive
Amino groups also make the ring less reactive to Friedel-Crafts
reaction because they become electron-withdrawing groups upon
Lewis acid-base reaction with the Lewis acid catalyst
Limitations
17
Aryl and vinyl halides cannot be used in Friedel-Crafts reactions
because they do not form carbocations readily
Polyalkylation occurs frequently with Friedel-Crafts alkylation because
the first alkyl group introduced activates the ring toward further
substitution
Polyacylation does not occur because the acyl group deactivates the
aromatic ring to further substitution
Synthetic Applications
18
Synthetic Applications of Friedel-Crafts Acylations: The Clemmensen
Reduction
Primary alkyl halides often yield rearranged products in Friedel-
Crafts alkylation which is a major limitation of this reaction
Unbranched alkylbenzenes - by acylation + Clemmensen reduction
Clemmensen reduction reduces C=O to the methylene (CH
2
) group
19
This method can be used to add a ring to an aromatic ring starting with a
cyclic anhydride
Note that the Clemmensen do not reduce the carboxylic acid
Effect of Substituents
20
The nature of groups already on an aromatic ring affect both the reactivity and
orientation of future substitution
Activating groups - more reactive than benzene
Deactivating groups - less reactive than benzene
o/p directors direct future substitution to the o- and p- positions
m directors direct future substitution to the m position
Activating Groups: o/p directors
All activating groups are also ortho-para directors
The halides are also ortho-para directors but are mildly
deactivating
The methyl group of toluene is an ortho-para director - toluene reacts
more readily than benzene, e.g. at a lower temperatures
21
The methyl group of toluene is an ortho-para director
Amino and hydroxyl groups are also activating and ortho-para directors
These groups are so activating that catalysts are often not necessary
Alkyl groups and heteroatoms with one or more unshared electron pairs
directly bonded to the aromatic ring will be ortho-para directors (see chart
on slide 22)
22
Deactivating Groups: Meta Directors
Strong electron-withdrawing groups such as nitro, carboxyl, and sulfonate
are deactivators and meta directors
Halo Substitutents: Deactivating Ortho-Para Directors
Cl and Br groups are weakly deactivating but are also o/p directors
In electrophilic substitution of chlorobenzene, the o/p products are
major:
23
Calssification of Substituents
24
25
26
27
Theory of Substituent Effects on Electrophilic Substitution
Reactivity: Effect of Electron-Releasing and Electron-Withdrawing Groups
Electron-donating groups activate the ring toward further reaction
Electron-donating groups stabilize the transition state of the first step
of substitution and lead to lower G
and faster rates of reaction

Electron-withdrawing groups deactivate the ring toward further reaction
Electron-withdrawing groups destabilize the transition state and lead
to higher G
and slower rates of reaction

28
The free-energy profiles compare the stability of the first transition
state in electrophilic substitution when various types of substitutents
are already on the ring
These substitutents are electron-withdrawing, neutral (e.g., H),
and electron-donating
29
Inductive and Resonance Effects: Theory of Orientation
The inductive effect of substituent Q arises from the interaction of the
polarized bond to Q with the developing positive charge in the ring as an
electrophile reacts with it
If Q is an electron-withdrawing group then attack on the ring is
slowed because this leads to additional positive charge on the ring
Some other groups have an electron- withdrawing effect because the atom
directly attached to the ring has a partial or full positive charge
30
The resonance effect of Q refers to its ability to increase or decrease the
resonance stabilization of the arenium ion
When Q has a lone pair on the atom directly attached to the ring it
can stabilize the arenium by contributing a fourth resonance form
Electron-donating resonance ability is summarized below
31
Meta-directing Groups
All meta-directing groups have either a partial or full positive charge
on the atom directly attached to the aromatic ring
The CF
3
group destabilizes the arenium ion in o/p substitution
The arenium ion resulting from meta substitution is not so
destabilized and therefore meta substitution is favored
32
Ortho-Para Directing Groups
Many o/p directors are groups that have a lone pair of electrons on the
atom directly attached to the ring
The aromatic ring is activated because of the resonance effect of these
groups
They are ortho-para directors because they contribute a fourth
important resonance form which stabilizes the arenium ion in the cases
of ortho and para substitution only
The fourth resonance form that involves the heteroatom is particularly
important because the octet rule is satisfied for all atoms in the
arenium ion
33
Halo groups are ortho-para directors but are also deactivating
The electron-withdrawing inductive effect of the halide is the
primary influence that deactivates haloaromatic compounds toward
electrophilic aromatic substitution
The electron-donating resonance effect of the halogens unshared
electron pairs is the primary ortho-para directing influence
34
Ortho-Para Direction and Reactivity of Alkylbenzenes
Alkyl groups activate aromatic rings by inductively stabilizing the
transition state leading to the arenium ion
Alkyl groups are o/p directors because they inductively stabilize one of the
resonance forms of the arenium ion in ortho and para substitution
35
Reactions on the Side Chains
36
Reactions of the Side Chain of Alkylbenzenes
Benzylic Radicals and Cations
When toluene undergoes hydrogen abstraction from its methyl group it
produces a benzyl radical
A benzylic radical is a radical in which the carbon bearing the
unpaired electron is directly bonded to an aromatic ring
Departure of a leaving group by an S
N
1 process from a benzylic position
leads to formation of a benzylic cation
37
Benylic radicals and cations are stabilized by resonance
delocalization of the radical and positive charge, respectively
38
Halogenation of the Side Chain: Benzylic Radicals
Benzylic halogenation - under conditions which favor radical reactions
Reaction of N-bromosuccinamide with toluene in the presence of light
leads to allylic bromination
Recall N-bromosuccinamide produces a low concentration of
bromine which favors radical reaction
Reaction of toluene with excess chlorine can produce multiple benzylic
chlorinations
39
When ethylbenzene or propylbenzene react under radical
conditions, halogenation occurs primarily at the benzylic
position
40
Alkenylbenzenes
Stability of Conjugated Alkenylbenzenes
more stable than nonconjugated alkenylbenzenes
Dehydration of the alcohol below yields only the more stable
conjugated alkenyl benzene
Additions to the Double Bond of Alkenylbenzenes
Additions proceed through the most stable benzylic radical or benzylic
cation intermediates
41
Oxidation of the Side Chain
Alkyl and unsaturated side chains of aromatic rings can be oxidized to the
carboxylic acid using hot KMnO
4
42
When designing a synthesis of substituted benzenes, the order in
which the substituents are introduced is crucial
Example: Synthesize ortho-, meta-, and para-nitrobenzoic acid from
toluene
43
Use of Protecting and Blocking Groups
Strong activating groups such as amino and hydroxyl cause the
aromatic ring to be so reactive that unwanted reactions can
take place
These groups activate aromatic rings to oxidation by nitric
acid when nitration is attempted; the ring is destroyed
An amino group can be protected (and turned into a
moderately activating group) by acetylation
44
Example: The synthesis of p- and o-nitroaniline from aniline
A sulfonic acid group is used as a blocking group to force ortho
substitution
45
46
Orientation in Disubstituted Benzenes
When two substituents are present, the more powerful activating group
generally determines the orientation of subsequent substitution
Ortho-para directors determine orientation over meta directors
Substitution does not occur between meta substituents due to steric
hindrance
47
Allylic and Benzylic Halides in Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions
Allylic and benzylic halides are classified in similar fashion to other
halides
48
Both primary and secondary allylic and benzylic halides can undergo S
N
1
or S
N
2 reaction
These primary halides are able to undergo S
N
1 reaction because of the
added stability of the allylic and benzylic carbocation
Tertiary allylic and benzylic halides can only undergo S
N
1 reaction

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Organic Chemistry II / CHEM

and faster rates of reaction

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