Medium-sized cyclophanes. part 51. Acylation of [2.2]metaparacyclophanes: through-space electronic interactions between two benzene rings

Abstract

The acylation of 8-methyl- (1b) and 8-methoxy[2.2]metaparacyclophane 1c with 1.1 equiv. of acetyl chloride in CS2 solution in the presence of aluminum chloride afforded 15-acetyl-8-methyl- (2b) and 12-acetyl-8-methoxy[2.2]metaparacyclophanes (3c) with 65 and 41% yields, respectively. The different orientations for the electrophilic substitution were observed to be dependant on the substituent at the 8 position. On the other hand, when the same reaction was carried out under the same reaction conditions with the corresponding 5-tert-butyl derivatives (11), ipso-acetylation at the tert-butyl group was observed along with acetylation on the para-benzene ring. The substituent effect on the 8-position was also observed in the present ipso-acetylation. The ipso-acylation at the tert-butyl group of 5-tert-butyl-8-methoxy[2.2]metaparacyclophane (11c) is attributed to the highly activated character of the aryl ring and the increased stabilization of a sigma-complex intermediate arising from the dienone-type sigma-complex intermediate possible in the case of a internal methoxy substituent. However, the present ipso-acetylation has not been observed in mild reaction conditions such as acetyl chloride in the presence of TiCl4 catalyst due to deactivation of the second aromatic ring by the introduced acetyl group on the para-benzene ring. The mechanism of these novel reactions is also discussed.Key words: cyclophanes, electrophilic aromatic substitution, regioselectivity, through-space electronic interaction, ipso-acylation.