Analytical MO study of the singlet–triplet coupling in xylylenes

The singlet–triplet energy difference in para-, meta-, and ortho-xylylenes is studied as the interaction of two radical centers through the benzene ring. An SCF perturbative procedure adapted to open-shell systems leads to two benzyl-like nonbonding molecular orbitals (NBMOS ) and to benzene-like occupied and vacant MOS whatever the xylylene isomer. The superposition of these NBMOS in para-, meta-, and ortho-positions and their interaction with the benzene-like MOS lead, at the configuration interaction level, to the following results: The exchange energy (which favors the triplet state) and the charge transfer energy (which favors the singlet state) are important only in the meta-xylylene; the dynamic (or double) spin polarization favors the triplet in meta and the singlet in para and ortho-isomers; the super-exchange energy (which favors the singlet) is important only in para- and ortho-isomers. The above results are independent of the chosen geometry.     

Degradation thermique des trois isomeres Ortho,meta, para du polymethoxymethylstyrene

A kinetic study of the overall thermal decomposition of the three isomers (ortho, meta and para) of polymethoxymethylstyrene has been carried out. The reaction order is one over a wide interval of mass loss, for the meta and para polymers; there is no order for the first one. The corresponding activation energy has been calculated as 32.5 kcal mol⁻¹ for the meta polymer and 31 kcal mol⁻¹ for the para polymer.The volatile compounds, identified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, are chiefly monomers. The thermal decomposition reaction is probably a depolymerization reaction coupled with crosslinking for the meta and para isomers.     

Metallation reactions. Part 35: A change of the regiochemistry in the metallation of (alkylthio)arenes

The metallation reaction of bromo(alkylthio)benzenes is described. The results show the complementarity of these reactions with the metal-hydrogen exchange reaction. In fact, monometallation of bromo(methylthio)benzenes afforded products substituted in para or meta or ortho to the thioethereal function while bimetallation led to αS,para, αS,meta and αS,ortho disubstituted products. Analogously, the monometallation of 4-bromo-(isopropylthio)benzene afforded para-monosubstituted and ortho,para-disubstituted products.     

Trapping of a cycloheptatetraene in the reaction of atomic carbon with phenol

Reaction of atomic carbon with phenol generates tropone in a reaction postulated to proceed via the hydroxycycloheptatetraenes, which rearrange to tropone. When the hydroxyphenylcarbenes are generated by the C atom deoxygenation of the corresponding aldehydes, the meta and para isomers produce tropone; the ortho isomer does not.     

Influence of an ortho-sulfinyl group on the configurational stability of α-lithiated aryloxiranes: deuteration of tolylsulfinyl styrene oxides

The influence of the p-tolylsulfinyl group, located at ortho-, meta-, and para-position, on the regio- and stereoselectivity of the deuteration reactions of substituted styrene oxides has been investigated. The sulfinyl group at an ortho-position reduces the configurational stability of α-lithiated styrene oxides, whereas meta- and para-sulfinyl derivatives completely control the regioselectivity only yielding deuterated products at the aromatic ring due to its strong ortho-director effect.     

Thermodynamic study of the water—DMSO system. Part I. Features of the system: Thermodynamics,linear free-energy relationship and ortho-effects of some substituted benzoic acids in the system

A thermodynamic study of the water—dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) system is presented. The features of the system are investigated by means of calorimetric and potentiometric measurements.The thermodynamics of the proton transfer process of mono-substituted benzoic acids, the linear-free energy relationship between meta and para derivatives, and ortho-effects are also presented.     

Theoretical and experimental interpretations of phenol oxidation by the hydroxyl radical

Phenol oxidation by OH radicals produced by the Fenton reaction was studied and the oxidation process was monitored by the UV–visible, ¹³C NMR and LC techniques. The results show that benzoquinone is formed. In the NMR and LC experiments, since the peaks corresponding to isomers ortho and para- benzoquinones are unresolved, DFT was used to determine the branching ratios of the isomers formation that coincides with their ΔG values (ortho > para > meta): 72% for ortho, 23% for para and 5.0% for meta. Furthermore, the energy profile of the OH attack at ortho is quite similar to that at the para position while the meta position attack is less favored by 2.0 kcal/mol.     

Origin of the Regioselectivity in the Gas‐Phase Aniline+CH3+ Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution

Nonadiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to monitor the attack of CH₃⁺ on aniline in the gas phase to form the corresponding σ complexes. The reaction is ultrafast and is governed by a single electron transfer within 30 fs, which involves two sequential conical intersections and finally produces a radical pair. Positive‐charge allocation in the aromatic compound is found to govern the substitution pattern in ortho, meta, or para position. Although the major products in the first step of the electrophilic aromatic substitution are the ortho and para σ complexes, initially 26 % of the simulated trajectories also form meta complexes, which then undergo H shifts, mainly to the para position.     

Chemical shifts for tritons in the ortho,meta and para positions of toluene as determined by tritium NMR spectroscopy

Chemical shifts for tritons in ortho, meta and para positions in toluene have been determined using a 64 MHz tritium NMR spectrometer. The order of shift is meta>para>ortho, whereas the calculated shift order for protons is meta>ortho>para.     

The influence of the macroring structure on the enthalpies of solution of tetrapyridylporphyrin derivatives in water

The enthalpies of solution of 5,10,15,20-tetra(N-methylpyrid-4,3,2-yl)porphyrin tetraiodide were determined calorimetrically at 298.15 K. Changes in the position of the heteroatom in the pyridyl fragment of the substituted porphyrin (meta- and ortho- positions) substantially decreased the endothermic effect of solution compared with the para- isomer. This was related to changes in the energy of the molecular crystal lattice, which decreased in the series para- > meta- > ortho-isomer.     

Complexes of nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) with the aminobenzenemonocarboxylic acids: Thermal properties

The thermal properties of the complexes of ortho-, meta- and para-amino- benzenemonocarboxylic acids with nickel(II), copper(II), and zinc(II) are determined by TG and DTA. The activation energy values for the first decomposition step of the anhydrous compounds are also calculated. The thermal data are then examined and correlated with the structure of the compounds.     

An “Ortho Effect” in Electrophilic Aromatic Nitrations: Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Validation

Usually, a π‐donor substituent acts as an ortho/para directing group in an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction, and a π‐acceptor substituent acts as a meta directing group. Interestingly, when a π‐acceptor substituent is meta to a π‐donor substituent, certain electrophilic aromatic nitration occurs ortho to the acceptor substituent rather than para. The “ortho effect”, highlighted in various text books, has been tentatively analyzed here based on ab initio calculations. The reliability of the calculations was verified by the corresponding experimental data, including a new‐designed electrophilic aromatic nitration that also gave reasonable product distributions.     

Mechanism of isomerization of ortho or para bromo phenols in superacids

In superacids ortho or para bromo phenols are isomerized into the meta bromo isomers. In SbF₅-HF, the process is intramolecular and proceeds by a 1,2-Br shift. In CF₃SO₃H, the mechanism involves loss of bromine, followed by meta bromination.     

Synthesis and structure characterization of unsymmetrical oxacalix[2]benzene[2]pyrazines

The synthesis of two unsymmetrically linked oxacalix[2]benzene[2]pyrazines (1 and 2) is described. X-ray single crystal structure analysis revealed a highly distorted 1,3-alternate conformation of compound 1 (containing ortho- and meta-diphenol components) and a distorted boat conformation of compound 2 (containing meta- and para-diphenol components). Oxacalix[2]benzene[2]pyrazine containing both ortho- and para-diphenol components was not obtained via similar synthetic strategy.     

Efficient double bond migration of allylbenzenes catalyzed by Pd(OAc)2-HFIP system with unique substituent effect

A novel catalyst system of Pd(OAc)₂-HFIP induces double-bond migration of allylbenzenes under mild conditions with low catalytic loading to afford 1-propenylbenzenes. The reaction shows a unique substituent effect that is highly dependent on the distance of substituents from the allylic moiety. Thus, the reactivity of substrates bearing a methyl group is ordered in para > meta > ortho, whereas it is entirely reversed as ortho > meta > para for methoxy and chloro substituents.     

Effect of the structure of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ortho</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">meta</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis> isomers of perhydroterphenyl on their reactivity in heterogeneous catalytic dehydrogenation

The kinetics of the dehydrogenation of the individual ortho, meta, and para isomers of perhydroterphenyl and their mixtures over a (3 wt % Pt)/C catalyst has been investigated in a flow reactor at 280–340°C. The rate of the isomerization of the stereoisomers of the initial substrate (perhydroterphenyl) and terphenyl dehydrogenation products has an effect on the hydrogen release kinetics. The highest reactivity in isomerization is shown by the ortho isomer. The largest amount of hydrogen (7.0 wt %) is released in the dehy-drogenation of perhydro-meta-terphenyl and perhydro-para-terphenyl, whose conversion at 320°C is 96%.     

Active-sodium-promoted reductive cleavage of halogenated benzoic acids

The outcome of the reaction between 1,2-diaryl-1,2-disodioethanes and halogenated benzoic acids strongly depends on the nature of both reaction partners. Indeed, whilst chloro-, bromo- and iodobenzoic acids are easily dehalogenated, the reductive cleavage of fluorobenzoic acids proceeds to a high extent only in the presence of the dianions endowed with more powerful reducing properties. Moreover, it was observed that ortho-substituted benzoic acids are more easily dehalogenated than the corresponding para or meta isomers. These observations allowed the development of reaction conditions for the exhaustive or regioselective cleavage of selected polyhalogenated benzoic acids.     

Rapid and convenient semi-automated microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis of arylopeptoids

A facile and expedient route to the synthesis of arylopeptoid oligomers (N-alkylated aminomethyl benz-amides) using semi-automated microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis is presented. The synthesis was optimized for the incorporation of side chains derived from sterically hindered or unreactive amines and both ortho- and para-substituted arylo-backbones. By utilizing this optimized protocol a complex nonameric arylopeptoid was synthesized in less than 11 h, featuring a novel alternating ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted backbone pattern and a variety of chemically diverse and challenging side chains.     

Reactions of dibromotetrafluorobenzene derivatives with sodium phenoxide salts. Competing hydrodebromination and SNAr processes

1,2- and 1,3-dibromotetrafluorobenzene react with sodium phenoxide derivatives at sites para to ring bromine because these positions are activated by fluorine atoms ortho and meta to the site of nucleophilic substitution. Fluorine para to the site of nucleophilic attack is usually deactivating in nucleophilic aromatic substitution processes and this is reflected in the significantly reduced reactivity of 1,4-dibromotetrafluorobenzene which undergoes competing hydrodebromination processes to afford, primarily, 3-bromo-1,2,4,5-tetrafluorobenzene.     

Photo-induced isomerization of three nitrotoluene isomers: A matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopic and quantum-chemical study

The photo-induced isomerization reactions of ortho-, meta- and para-nitrotoluene molecules were investigated by matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. Under UV irradiation of ortho-nitrotoluene in solid argon, the hydrogen atom transfer isomer was formed, as reported previously. It was found that the hydrogen atom transfer isomer is unstable and rearranged to its nitro isomer upon annealing. In addition, the nitrite isomer as well as its dissociation product tolyloxy radical was also formed. Only the nitrite isomers and the tolyloxy radicals were formed upon UV excitation of the meta- and para-nitrotoluene molecules. Infrared spectra and vibrational frequency assignments of the newly observed nitrite isomers and tolyloxy radicals are reported, which are supported by quantum chemical calculations.