Unlike most other electrophilic aromatic substitutions, sulfonation is often reversible (see Section 17-4). When one sample of toluene is sulfonated at 0 °C and another sample is sulfonated at 100 °C, the following ratios of substitution products result: c. Because the SO3H group can be added to a benzene ring and removed later, it is sometimes called a blocking group. Show how 2,6-dibromotoluene can be made from toluene using sulfonation and desulfonation as intermediate steps in the synthesis.
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Step 1: Begin with toluene as the starting material. Toluene undergoes sulfonation by reacting with concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and sulfur trioxide (SO3). At 0 °C, the reaction predominantly forms p-toluenesulfonic acid (53%) and o-toluenesulfonic acid (43%), as shown in the table. The para product is favored due to steric hindrance at the ortho position.
Step 2: Use the sulfonation reaction at 0 °C to selectively introduce the SO3H group at the para position of toluene. This step ensures that the para position is blocked, preventing substitution at this site in subsequent reactions.
Step 3: Brominate the molecule using bromine (Br2) in the presence of a catalyst such as FeBr3. Bromination occurs at the ortho positions relative to the methyl group because the para position is blocked by the SO3H group. This results in the formation of 2,6-dibromo-p-toluenesulfonic acid.
Step 4: Remove the SO3H group through desulfonation. Desulfonation is achieved by heating the sulfonated compound in dilute acid (e.g., H2SO4 or HCl). This step regenerates the toluene ring while retaining the bromine substituents at the 2 and 6 positions.
Step 5: The final product is 2,6-dibromotoluene, synthesized through the intermediate steps of sulfonation, bromination, and desulfonation. This method leverages the reversible nature of sulfonation to selectively block and unblock positions on the aromatic ring.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution (EAS)
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution is a fundamental reaction in organic chemistry where an electrophile replaces a hydrogen atom on an aromatic ring. This process is crucial for synthesizing various aromatic compounds. The reaction typically involves the formation of a sigma complex, where the aromaticity of the ring is temporarily lost, followed by deprotonation to restore aromaticity.
Sulfonation of aromatic compounds, such as toluene, is often reversible, allowing the sulfonic acid group (SO3H) to be added and later removed. This property makes sulfonation a useful synthetic strategy, as the sulfonic group can act as a blocking group, protecting certain positions on the aromatic ring during further reactions. The reversibility is influenced by temperature and the stability of the resulting products.
The distribution of isomers in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions can be significantly affected by the reaction temperature. In the case of sulfonation, higher temperatures tend to favor the formation of para-substituted products, while lower temperatures can lead to a higher proportion of ortho-substituted products. Understanding this relationship is essential for predicting product outcomes and optimizing reaction conditions.