Aryloxenium Ions. Generation from N-(Aryloxy)pyridinium Tetrafluoroborates and Reaction with Anisole and Benzonitrile

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00405a043

N-(Aryloxy)pyridinium tetrafluoroborates (4) decompose thermally at 180-200 deg C in anisole and benzonitrile to form products of intermolecular C-O-C and C-C bond formation.With anisole, diphenyl ethers (5) and hydroxybiphenyls (6) are formed; with benzonitrile, the main product is benzoxazole (14).A homolytic process was ruled out by showing that none of these products were formed when perbenzoyl p-nitrophenyl carbonate (18) was decomposed in these solvents.The main products in this case were those of homolytic phenylation (and benzoyloxylation with anisole).A concerted S_N2-type heterolytic process was ruled out by showing that the nature of the substituent in the pyridine ring had no effect on the isomer ratios of 5 and 6 in the thermolysis of 4 (X = p-NO2) in anisole.The results are explained in terms of a unimolecular heterolysis of 4 to give the pyridine and aryloxenium ion 2 which now attacks solvent molecules.When an electron-withdrawing substituent is present in 2, more C-O-C than C-C products are formed in anisole.When it is absent only products of C-C bond formation are found.PhO⁺ is apparently electrophilic enough to attack anisole and give the four possible hydroxymethoxybiphenyls (10-13).