Ipso-Nitration of tert-butyl[n.2]metacyclophanes; through-space electronic interactions between two benzene rings

Abstract

The selective introduction of one or two nitro groups by direct replacement of tert-butyl groups via the ipso aromatic nitration of the meta-bridged aromatic compounds having two arene rings is described. The ipso-nitration at the tert-butyl groups of syn- and anti-di-tert-butyl-dimethoxy[n.2]metacyclophanes 1 is attributed to the highly activated character of the aryl ring and the increased stabilization of a σ-complex intermediate arising from the dienone-type σ-complex intermediate possible in the case of an internally methoxy substituent. However, only one tert-butyl group is ipso-nitrated in the mild reaction conditions such as copper(II) nitrate in an acetic anhydride solution because of deactivation of the second aromatic ring by the introduced nitro group. A first σ-complex intermediate would be stabilized by two types of the through-space electronic interaction, i.e., face-to-face overlapping and intra-annular interaction with the opposing benzene ring, thus accelerating the reaction. The higher yields of mononitrated product are obtained in syn-conformer than in anti-conformer. Therefore, face-to-face overlapping might be much more favourable to stabilize the first σ-complex intermediate than the intra-annular interaction. On the other hand, nitration of 1 with fuming nitric acid afforded the two-fold ipso-nitration product 3 in quantitative yield. Thus, the number of ipso-nitration at the tert-butyl groups of 1 was strongly affected by the reactivity of the nitration reagent.Key words: cyclophanes, electrophilic aromatic substitutions, ipso-nitration, σ-complex intermediates, through-space electronic interactions.