Crystal structure and reactivity of 2-chloro-3,5-dinitrothiophene and of 2-phenylsulphonyl-3,5-dinitrothiophene with nucleophiles

The geometry obtained by a crystal structure determination of the title compounds, as compared with that of the analogous benzene derivatives, along with results of ab initio calculations, is used to interpret the different S_NAr reactivities in some thiophene and benzene compounds. The smaller rotation of the nitro groups with respect to the aromatic rings observed in thiophene derivatives should be considered a relevant factor in the higher reactivity in the thiophene series.