Reactions of chloromethyl aryl sulfones carbanions with anthraquinone derivatives

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(98)00307-X

Carbanions of chloromethyl phenyl sulfone and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfone react with anthraquinone containing electrondonating substituents in two major ways: vicarious nucleophilic substitution (VNS) of hydrogen and addition to the carbonyl group. The reaction course depends on electrondonating effects of these substituents - strong electron donors promote the VNS reaction.