Reactivity and acid-base behavior of ring-methoxylated arylalkanoic acid radical cations and radical zwitterions in aqueous solution. Influence of structural effects and pH on the benzylic C-H deprotonation pathway

A product and time-resolved kinetic study of the one-electron oxidation of ring-methoxylated phenylpropanoic and phenylbutanoic acids (Ar(CH2)nCO2H, n = 2, 3) has been carried out at different pH values. Oxidation leads to the formation of aromatic radical cations (Ar.+(CH2)nCO2H) or radical zwitterions (Ar.+(CH2)nCO2-) depending on pH, and pKa values for the corresponding acid-base equilibria have been measured. In the radical cation, the acidity of the carboxylic proton decreases by increasing the number of methoxy ring substituents and by increasing the distance between the carboxylic group and the aromatic ring. At pH 1.7 or 6.7, the radical cations or radical zwitterions undergo benzylic C-H deprotonation as the exclusive side-chain fragmentation pathway, as clearly shown by product analysis results. At pH 1.7, the first-order deprotonation rate constants measured for the ring-methoxylated arylalkanoic acid radical cations are similar to those measured previously in acidic aqueous solution for the alpha-C-H deprotonation of structurally related ring-methoxylated alkylaromatic radical cations. In basic solution, the second-order rate constants for reaction of the radical zwitterions with (-)OH (k-OH)) have been obtained. These values are similar to those obtained previously for the (-)OH-induced alpha-C-H deprotonation of structurally related ring-methoxylated alkylaromatic radical cations, indicating that under these conditions the radical zwitterions undergo benzylic C-H deprotonation. Very interestingly, with 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethanoic acid radical zwitterion, that was previously observed to undergo exclusive decarboxylation up to pH 10, competition between decarboxylation and benzylic C-H deprotonation is observed above pH 11.