Primary alkyl fluorides as regioselective alkylating reagents of lithium arene dianions. Easy prediction of regioselectivity by MO calculations on the dianion

Abstract

Lithium arene dianions derived of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene and binaphtyl react cleanly with n-alkylfluorides to afford regiochemically controlled alkylated dihydroarenes after hydrolysis. These arene dianions can be easily prepared by simple treatment of the arene with lithium in THP. Unlike simple radical coupling, the alkylation of these species with alkyl fluorides apparently goes through a S N2 transition state, despite the inertness of alkyl fluorides to undergo nucleophilic substitution. It is also atypical for reduced arenes, which tend to give ET reactions with other alkyl halides. Prediction of the regiochemistry was easily conducted by means of MO calculations (PM3) on the dianion, and in all cases were consistent with the experimental.