TY - JOUR
T1 - Mechanistic studies and quantification of the electrophilicity of aromatic triflones in σ-complexation and SNAr reactions
AU - Elguesmi, Nizar
AU - Berionni, Guillaume
AU - Asghar, Basim H.
PY - 2014/4
Y1 - 2014/4
N2 - The reactions of anilines (N-nucleophiles) and enamines (C-nucleophiles) with NO2 and SO2CF3 substituted aromatic triflones were investigated spectrophotometrically in acetonitrile at 20 C. We found that the second-order rate constants k1 related to the C-N and C-C bond forming step of these nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions (SNAr) and σ-complexation reactions follow the three-parameter equation log k(20 C) = sN(N + E), allowing the determination of the electrophilicity E of such aromatic triflones for the first time. The ranking of these neutral electron-deficient compounds on the comprehensive electrophilicity scale defined by Mayr et al. reveals that the most electrophilic triflone, the 1,3,5-tris(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)benzene (TTSB), has an electrophilicity higher than that of the 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) the common reference aromatic electrophile in anionic σ-complexation chemistry, by roughly 6 units of E. This finding holds promise for expanding the range of coupling reactions which can be envisioned between this series of electron-deficient neutral aromatics and nucleophiles.
AB - The reactions of anilines (N-nucleophiles) and enamines (C-nucleophiles) with NO2 and SO2CF3 substituted aromatic triflones were investigated spectrophotometrically in acetonitrile at 20 C. We found that the second-order rate constants k1 related to the C-N and C-C bond forming step of these nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions (SNAr) and σ-complexation reactions follow the three-parameter equation log k(20 C) = sN(N + E), allowing the determination of the electrophilicity E of such aromatic triflones for the first time. The ranking of these neutral electron-deficient compounds on the comprehensive electrophilicity scale defined by Mayr et al. reveals that the most electrophilic triflone, the 1,3,5-tris(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)benzene (TTSB), has an electrophilicity higher than that of the 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) the common reference aromatic electrophile in anionic σ-complexation chemistry, by roughly 6 units of E. This finding holds promise for expanding the range of coupling reactions which can be envisioned between this series of electron-deficient neutral aromatics and nucleophiles.
KW - Aromatic triflones
KW - Electrophilicity
KW - Kinetics
KW - SAr reactions
KW - Trifluoromethanesulfonyl group
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84894251464&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jfluchem.2014.01.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jfluchem.2014.01.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84894251464
SN - 0022-1139
VL - 160
SP - 41
EP - 47
JO - Journal of Fluorine Chemistry
JF - Journal of Fluorine Chemistry
ER -