Selective nitration versus oxidative dealkylation of hydroquinone ethers with nitrogen dioxide

Oxidative Depolymerization of Polyphenylene Oxide into Benzoquinone

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) is one of the most important engineering plastics commonly utilized in various fields. Herein, chemical recycling of PPO was performed via oxidative depolymerization to form 2,6-diemthyl-p-benzoquionone (26DMBQ) as a sole aromatic product in 66 % yield using nitronium ions (NO2 + ) as a mild oxidant. Mechanistic studies revealed that PPO is oxidized by NO2 + generated from the combination of a silicotungstic acid and nitrate salts, and then subsequently attacked by H2 O to achieve C-O bond cleavage, resulting in the formation of 26DMBQ, which was sublimed at the headspace of the reaction vessel in pure form. 26DMBQ was applied to polymerization with dianilines to form polyimides. Thus, an upgrade recycling process of PPO was demonstrated.

Friedel-Crafts Benzylation of 1,4-dialkoxybenzenes – Cleavage and Rearrangement of Esters and Methoxymethyl Ethers in ZnCl2 Montmorillonite K10 Clay

Benzylation of p-dialkoxybenzenes can be achieved through the use of modified montmorillonite K10 clay. For the first time, syntheses of nitro-diarylmethanes were obtained by Friedel-Crafts alkylation with good yields. In the case of p-methoxymethyl phenyl ether and phenyl ester, selectivity favoring Fries rearrangement over benzylation is reported.

A Facile Synthesis of 2, 3-Dimethoxy-5-Methyl-1, 4-Benzoquinones

Several 2, 3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1, 4-benzoquinones substituted at the C-6 position with alkoxy methyl groups were prepared by a reaction sequence starting from 2, 3, 4, 5-tetramethoxytoluene (alkoxy methyl) via a Blanc chloromethylation reaction, Williamson reaction and oxidation. The method provided a good yield of 2, 3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1, 4-benzoquinones and is suitable for the synthesis of other benzoquinone analogues.

Nitrosonium complexes of resorc[4]arenes: spectral, kinetic, and theoretical studies

Resorc[4]arene octamethyl ethers 1-3, when treated with NOBF4 salt in chloroform, form very stable 1:1 nitrosonium (NO+) complexes, which are deeply colored. The complexation process is reversible, and the complexes dissociate and bleach upon addition of methanol or water, to give the starting macrocycles. Resorc[4]arenes 1 and 2 are in the same cone conformation, but with different side-chains, whereas 3 possesses a different conformation (chair), while bearing the same side-chain as 2. Kinetic and spectral UV-visible analysis revealed that NO+ interacts with resorc[4]arenes 1 and 2 both outside and inside their basket, leading to complexes with two absorption patterns growing at different rates, one featuring high-energy bands (HEB) within the near-UV zone, and the other one low-energy bands (LEB), attributed to charge-transfer interactions, within the visible range. The presence of ester carbonyl groups in 2 strongly drives the NO+ cation outside the resorcarene. Resorc[4]arene 3 showed a spectral pattern pointing out a clear involvement of the ester moieties in the NO+ entrapping, beside the formation of significant charge-transfer interactions. 1H NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling clearly supported these findings.

Silver(I) complexation of (poly)aromatic ligands. Structural criteria for depth penetration into cis-stilbenoid cavities

Silver(I) complexes with aromatic donors are thoroughly analyzed (with aid of the Cambridge Crystallographic Database) to identify the basic structural factors inherent to the bonding of an arene ligand. Most strikingly, the distance parameter d (which simply measures the normal separation of Ag from the mean aromatic plane) is singularly invariant at d = 2.41 +/- 0.05 A for all silver/arene complexes, independent of the hapticity (eta 1 or eta 2), hybridization, or multiple coordination. As such, a systematic series of stilbenoid ligands has been successfully designed to precisely modulate the penetration of silver(I) into the ligand cleft, and a multicentered poly(arene) ligand (X) designed to form a one-dimensional assembly of Ag/arene units. Simply stated, the depth penetration of silver(I) into the aromatic cavities of various cis-stilbenoid donors can be precisely predicted with a single parameter gamma that measures the separation of the two cofacial aryl groups comprising the cleft. This simple geometric consideration must be taken into account in any successful design of novel (poly)aromatic ligands for silver(I) complexation to constitute new molecular architectures.

The dichotomy between nitration of substituted 1,4-dimethoxybenzenes and formation of corresponding 1,4-benzoquinones by using nitric and sulfuric acid

Various alkyl-substituted p-dimethoxybenzenes (ArH) react readily with nitric acid and sulfuric to form nitro-products (ArNO2). When the nitric acid is used in excess, the nitro-product react via either nitration to dinitro-compound (Ar(NO2)2) or via oxidative demethylation to nitro- p-quinone (Q). As such, the competition between the nitration, polynitration and oxidative dealkylation is effectively modulated by the added nitric acid and the alkyl-substituted p-dimethoxybenzenes.

Preparation and Structures of Crystalline Aromatic Cation-Radical Salts. Triethyloxonium Hexachloroantimonate as a Novel (One-Electron) Oxidant

Triethyloxonium hexachloroantimonate [Et(3)O(+)SbCl(6)(-)] is a selective oxidant of aromatic donors (ArH), and it allows the facile preparation and isolation of crystalline paramagnetic salts [ArH(+)(*), SbCl(6)(-)] for the X-ray structure determination of various aromatic cation radicals. The mechanistic relationship between the Meerwein salt [Et(3)O(+)SbCl(6)(-)] and the pure Lewis acid oxidant SbCl(5) is based on a prior ethyl transfer from oxygen to chlorine within the ion pair.

Nitric oxide-induced oxidation of alpha-tocopherol

Exposure of alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T) to nitric oxide under aerobic conditions resulted in a complex oxidation process whose final outcome was dictated by the nature of the reaction medium. In a cyclohexane solution, a prevailing route led to a mixture of relatively unstable polar products positive to Griess reagent. On standing at room temperature these were partially converted to the novel 2,3-dimethyl-4-acetyl-4-hydroxy-5-nitroso-2-cyclopentenone derivative. Reaction of alpha-T via a secondary oxidation path led to the formation of alpha-tocopherylquinone (alpha-TQ) as well as of little amounts of the corresponding nitrite ester. A quite different product pattern was observed when the reaction was carried out on a suspension of alpha-T in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. Besides a significant formation of alpha-TQ and its nitrite ester, product analysis revealed a characteristic pattern of apolar compounds consisting of a yellow dimer and a series of related oligomers. These results provide an improved chemical background to inquire into the role of alpha-T in nitric oxide-induced tissue injury.