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Base-catalyzed dehydration of 3-substituted benzene cis-1,2-dihydrodiols : stabilization of a cyclohexadienide anion intermediate by negative aromatic hyperconjugation

Kudavalli, Jaya Satyanarayana ; Rao, S Nagaraja ; Bean, David E ; Sharma, Narain D ; Boyd, Derek R ; Fowler, Patrick W ; Gronert, Scott ; Kamerlin, Shina Caroline Lynn LU orcid ; Keeffe, James R and More O'Ferrall, Rory A (2012) In Journal of the American Chemical Society 134(34). p.69-14056
Abstract

Evidence that a 1,2-dihydroxycyclohexadienide anion is stabilized by aromatic "negative hyperconjugation" is described. It complements an earlier inference of "positive" hyperconjugative aromaticity for the cyclohexadienyl cation. The anion is a reactive intermediate in the dehydration of benzene cis-1,2-dihydrodiol to phenol. Rate constants for 3-substituted benzene cis-dihydrodiols are correlated by σ(-) values with ρ = 3.2. Solvent isotope effects for the reactions are k(H(2)O)/k(D(2)O) = 1.2-1.8. These measurements are consistent with reaction via a carbanion intermediate or a concerted reaction with a "carbanion-like" transition state. These and other experimental results confirm that the reaction proceeds by a stepwise mechanism,... (More)

Evidence that a 1,2-dihydroxycyclohexadienide anion is stabilized by aromatic "negative hyperconjugation" is described. It complements an earlier inference of "positive" hyperconjugative aromaticity for the cyclohexadienyl cation. The anion is a reactive intermediate in the dehydration of benzene cis-1,2-dihydrodiol to phenol. Rate constants for 3-substituted benzene cis-dihydrodiols are correlated by σ(-) values with ρ = 3.2. Solvent isotope effects for the reactions are k(H(2)O)/k(D(2)O) = 1.2-1.8. These measurements are consistent with reaction via a carbanion intermediate or a concerted reaction with a "carbanion-like" transition state. These and other experimental results confirm that the reaction proceeds by a stepwise mechanism, with a change in rate-determining step from proton transfer to the loss of hydroxide ion from the intermediate. Hydrogen isotope exchange accompanying dehydration of the parent benzene cis-1,2-dihydrodiol was not found, and thus, the proton transfer step is subject to internal return. A rate constant of ~10(11) s(-1), corresponding to rotational relaxation of the aqueous solvent, is assigned to loss of hydroxide ion from the intermediate. The rate constant for internal return therefore falls in the range 10(11)-10(12) s(-1). From these limiting values and the measured rate constant for hydroxide-catalyzed dehydration, a pK(a) of 30.8 ± 0.5 was determined for formation of the anion. Although loss of hydroxide ion is hugely exothermic, a concerted reaction is not enforced by the instability of the intermediate. Stabilization by negative hyperconjugation is proposed for 1,2-dihydroxycyclohexadienide and similar anions, and this proposal is supported by additional experimental evidence and by computational results, including evidence for a diatropic ("aromatic") ring current in 3,3-difluorocyclohexadienyl anion.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Anions/chemistry, Benzene/chemistry, Catalysis, Cyclohexenes/chemistry, Kinetics, Phenols/chemistry, Water/chemistry
in
Journal of the American Chemical Society
volume
134
issue
34
pages
14 pages
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:22830996
  • scopus:84865632608
ISSN
1520-5126
DOI
10.1021/ja304366j
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
88d96463-7306-407b-ab56-9e90b2a3cc7a
date added to LUP
2025-01-11 22:06:51
date last changed
2025-07-14 08:06:05
@article{88d96463-7306-407b-ab56-9e90b2a3cc7a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Evidence that a 1,2-dihydroxycyclohexadienide anion is stabilized by aromatic "negative hyperconjugation" is described. It complements an earlier inference of "positive" hyperconjugative aromaticity for the cyclohexadienyl cation. The anion is a reactive intermediate in the dehydration of benzene cis-1,2-dihydrodiol to phenol. Rate constants for 3-substituted benzene cis-dihydrodiols are correlated by σ(-) values with ρ = 3.2. Solvent isotope effects for the reactions are k(H(2)O)/k(D(2)O) = 1.2-1.8. These measurements are consistent with reaction via a carbanion intermediate or a concerted reaction with a "carbanion-like" transition state. These and other experimental results confirm that the reaction proceeds by a stepwise mechanism, with a change in rate-determining step from proton transfer to the loss of hydroxide ion from the intermediate. Hydrogen isotope exchange accompanying dehydration of the parent benzene cis-1,2-dihydrodiol was not found, and thus, the proton transfer step is subject to internal return. A rate constant of ~10(11) s(-1), corresponding to rotational relaxation of the aqueous solvent, is assigned to loss of hydroxide ion from the intermediate. The rate constant for internal return therefore falls in the range 10(11)-10(12) s(-1). From these limiting values and the measured rate constant for hydroxide-catalyzed dehydration, a pK(a) of 30.8 ± 0.5 was determined for formation of the anion. Although loss of hydroxide ion is hugely exothermic, a concerted reaction is not enforced by the instability of the intermediate. Stabilization by negative hyperconjugation is proposed for 1,2-dihydroxycyclohexadienide and similar anions, and this proposal is supported by additional experimental evidence and by computational results, including evidence for a diatropic ("aromatic") ring current in 3,3-difluorocyclohexadienyl anion.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kudavalli, Jaya Satyanarayana and Rao, S Nagaraja and Bean, David E and Sharma, Narain D and Boyd, Derek R and Fowler, Patrick W and Gronert, Scott and Kamerlin, Shina Caroline Lynn and Keeffe, James R and More O'Ferrall, Rory A}},
  issn         = {{1520-5126}},
  keywords     = {{Anions/chemistry; Benzene/chemistry; Catalysis; Cyclohexenes/chemistry; Kinetics; Phenols/chemistry; Water/chemistry}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{34}},
  pages        = {{69--14056}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{Journal of the American Chemical Society}},
  title        = {{Base-catalyzed dehydration of 3-substituted benzene <i>cis</i>-1,2-dihydrodiols : stabilization of a cyclohexadienide anion intermediate by negative aromatic hyperconjugation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja304366j}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/ja304366j}},
  volume       = {{134}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}