Acid-catalyzed rearrangement of K-region arene oxides: observation of ketone intermediates and a sterically induced change in rate-determining step

Abstract

K-region arene oxides rearrange to phenols in acetonitrile in two acid-catalyzed steps: rapid rearrangement of the arene oxide to positionally isomeric keto tautomers of K-region phenols, followed by slow enolization. Accumulation of the ketones, proposed intermediates in the acid-catalyzed solvolyses of arene oxides in aqueous solution, allowed their direct spectroscopic observation and characterization for the first time under solvolytic conditions. Rate constants and products are reported for the K-region arene oxides of benzo[a]anthracene, its 1-, 4-, 7-, 11-, 12-methyl, and 7,12-dimethyl substituted derivatives, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[c]phenanthrene, 3-bromophenanthrene, chrysene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, phenanthrene, and pyrene