In quest of reversibility of Friedel-Crafts acyl rearrangements in the pyrene series

Friedel-Crafts acyl rearrangements in PPA of diacetylpyrenes (80–120 °C), dibenzoylpyrenes (80–200 °C), and bis(4-flurobenzoyl)pyrenes (80–120 °C) and Scholl reactions in AlCl₃/NaCl of dibenzoylpyrenes (140–200 °C) have been studied. The substrates were 1-AcPY, 2-AcPY, 1,3-Ac₂PY, 1,6-Ac₂PY, 1,8-Ac₂PY, 2,7-Ac₂PY, 1-BzPY, 1,6-Bz₂PY, 1,8-Bz₂PY, 1-4FBzPY, 1,6-4FBz₂PY, 1,8-4FBz₂PY. The mixtures of pyrene, 1-AcPY, 2-AcPY, 1,3-Ac₂PY, 1,6-Ac₂PY, 1,8-Ac₂PY, and 2,7-Ac₂PY were separated by HPLC. The following reversible intermolecular isomerizations were established: 1,6-Ac₂PY ? 1,8-Ac₂PY, 1,6-Bz₂PY ? 1,8-Bz₂PY, and 1,6-4'FBz₂PY ? 1,8-4'FBz₂PY, albeit not in high yields. The results substantiate Gore’s 1955 proposition that “The Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction of reactive aromatic hydrocarbons is a reversible process.” The isomerizations reported here differ from the few previously reported completely reversible intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acyl rearrangements. At ≥ 140 °C, in PPA and in AlCl₃/NaCl, 1,6-Bz₂PY and 1,8-Bz₂PY underwent a highly regioselective double Scholl reaction to give pyranthrone (3) and deacylations to 1-BzPy (and pyrene), followed by mono-Scholl reactions to give 8H-dibenzodef,qr]chrysen-8-one (1), and 11H-indeno2,1-a]pyren-11-one (2). The formation of 3 and not the expected tribenzoa,ghi,o]perylene-7,16-dione (4) from 1,8-Bz₂PY indicates that 1,8-Bz₂PY has first undergone isomerization to 1,6-Bz₂PY. The present study confirms the linkage between Friedel-Crafts acyl rearrangements and the Scholl reaction.