Aromatic Chemistry Flashcards
In benzene, what four orbitals are found on each carbon?
- 3 sp2 hybridised orbitals
- 1 p orbital
What is the bond angle in benzene?
In benzene, all bond angles are 120 degrees
What makes up the cloud of delocalised electrons above and below a benzene ring?
Pi bonds formed from laterally overlapping p orbitals
What four features makes a compound aromatic?
- Cyclic
- Fully conjugated
- Planar
- Huckel’s rule
What does it mean for a compound to be fully conjugated?
Every atom in the cycle must have one unhybridised p orbital.
There can be no sp3 atoms in the ring
Why must a compound be planar to be aromatic?
Planarity allows continual overlap between p orbitals on a ring
At what point does a cyclic compound no longer be planar?
A cyclic compound is typically no longer planar once you reach 8 carbons in the ring
What is Huckel’s Rule, and what does it tell you?
The equation for Huckel’s rule is 4n+2, where n represents any integer.
Compounds must have the 4n+2 number of pi electrons in order to be considered aromatic
What are the first four number of pi electrons that abide by Huckel’s rule?
2, 6, 10, 14
How do you count the number of pi electrons?
- 2 pi electrons per double
- 2 pi electrons per lone pair
If all criteria of aromaticity are met except Huckel’s rule, what is the compound considered?
Anti-aromatic
How do you halogenate a benzene ring?
- Halogen
- Heat
- Lewis acid (that matches the halogens
What are the possible Lewis acids for halogenation?
FeX3 or AlX3. The halogens on the Lewis acid must match the target halogen (e.g. AlCl3 for Cl2)
How do you nitrate a benzene ring?
- HNO3
- Heat
- Conc H2SO4
How does the Lewis acid make for a stronger electrophile in halogenation?
Curly arrow from one of the halides to the Al, which makes one of the bromines have a positive charge.
This increases the polarity of the X-X bond, making it a stronger electrophile
How does H2SO4 make HNO3 a stronger electrophile is nitration?
It dehydrates it to nitronium cation (NO2+)
How do sulfonate a benzene ring?
- HSO4
- Heat
- Conc H2SO4
How do you alkylate a benzene ring?
- Alkyl halide
- Heat
- Lewis acid (matches halide on alkyl halid)
How does the Lewis acid make the alkyl halide a stronger electrophile?
It reacts with the halide to form a carbocation
What will the product of alkylation of a benzene ring be and why?
There will be a mixture of di-substituted products, as the presence of the alkyl group activates the otho and para positions on the ring, allowing further substitution
How do you acylate a benzene ring?
- Acyl chloride
- Heat
- Lewis acid (AlCl3)
How does the Lewis acid make the acyl chloride a stronger electrophile?
It reacts with the halide to form an acylium cation, which is O triple bonded to C-R
What is the product of acylation of benzene?
A mono substituted aryl ketone
How can you form an acylium cation without using an acyl chloride to begin with?
If you use an acetic anhydride and a Lewis acid, an acylium cation will also be formed
What kind species activate a ring, and how?
Electron donating groups (either via induction or resonance) increase reaction rate (activate), as they enrich e-density in the ring
What kind species deactivate a ring, and how?
Electron withdrawing groups (either via induction or resonance) decrease reaction rate (deactivate), as they decrease e-density in the ring
What is the induction mechanism?
Substituents donate/withdraw e-density via sigma bond network (no curly arrows)
What is the resonance mechanism?
Substituents donate/withdraw e-density via pi bond network (curly arrows)
Which has a greater impact, resonance or induction?
Resonance