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

The acylation of 8-methyl- (1b) and 8-methoxy[2.2]metaparacyclophane 1c with 1.1 equiv. of acetyl chloride in CS 2 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 TiCl 4 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.