The rearrangement and solvolysis of furfuryl arenesulfinates

Furfuryl benzenesulfinate, furfuryl p-toluenesulfinate and 5-nitrofurfuryl benzenesulfinate were synthesized, and their behaviour under various conditions was investigated. The first two esters were found to undergo readily rearrangement to sulfone. In nonhydroxylic solvents, a mixture of furfuryl aryl sulfone and 2-methyl-3-furyl aryl sulfone is obtained. The ratio between the two sulfones changes with the polarity of the solvent. In hydroxylic solvents, only rearrangement to the furfuryl aryl sulfone takes place, and this is accompanied by solvolysis of the ester. A kinetic study of the reaction in ethanol and aqueous ethanol solvents indicated an ionization mechanism. It is suggested that under these conditions the sulfone is formed by recombination of ion pairs. A kinetic study of the rearrangement under nonsolvolytic conditions was also performed in order to obtain the effect of the solvent and the effect of added salts on the rate of rearrangement. This study has shown that the rate of rearrangement is sensitive to the ionizing power of the solvent. The addition of perchlorate was found to have a stronger effect on the formation of the furfuryl sulfone than on the 2-methyl-3-furyl sulfone. In this case an ionic mechanism is also suggested, and the two sulfones may arise by recombination from two different species of ion pairs.