SRN1 reactions of aryl halides with carbanions initiated by sodium amalgam in liquid ammonia

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)81279-5

The reaction of 1-chloronaphthalene with acetone (2a) and acetophenone (2b) enolate ions was initiated by sodium amalgam [Na(Hg)] in liquid ammonia giving good yields of the substitution products 3a and 3b respectively. 2-Chloroquinoline and 2-chloropyridine gave good yields of substitution product with 2b, and moderate to good yields with 2a. 4-Bromobenzophenone and 2a gave 78% of the substitution product 5. With aryl halides whose radical anions fragment fast and consequently close to the Na(Hg) surface, such as bromobenzene and p-bromoanisole, only dehalogenation products were observed. However, when benzonitrile was used as a redox catalyst, about 50% of the substitution product 6 was obtained with p-bromoanisole and 2a. However, with the more reactive carbanionic nucleophile, such as anthrone anion 4, good yields of the substitution product 7 were obtained with bromobenzene. In all these reactions neither reduction of the aromatic moiety nor the ketone functionality was observed. It is therefore suggested that Na(Hg) amalgam initiates these S_RN1 reactions.