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A dichotomy in the nitration of fluoranthene with NO sub 2 /N sub 2 O sub 4 : Mechanistic and toxicological implications

Journal Article · · Journal of Organic Chemistry; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jo00296a015· OSTI ID:5955562
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge (United States)

The nitration of fluoranthene with nitrogen dioxide can occur by two distinctive reaction pathways. These paths can be distinguished by product analysis, since fluoranthene is a nonalternant hydrocarbon. Free-radical nitration and electrophilic nitration give different products. In solvents with dielectric constants lower than that of CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} and in the absence of acid catalysis, the exclusive reaction pathway is homolytic in nature. The products of the homolytic reaction pathway can be interpreted as arising via a multiple-step addition-elimination mechanism and are notable for the formation of 2-nitrofluoranthene (the major product in CCl{sub 4} but absent under electrophilic nitration conditions) and the unusually large amounts of the expected 1,2-dinitrofluoranthene and 1,3-dinitrofluoranthene. The ionic reaction pathway is subject to both Lewis and Bronsted acid catalysis, particularly in CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}, and is inhibited by nonnucleophilic bases like 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine. At temperatures lower than 25C, the ionic reaction pathway predominates, even in CCl{sub 4}. 2-Nitrofluoranthene is a marker for the free-radical nitration of fluoranthene, and its presence in polluted tropospheric air suggests that free-radical nitration by NO{sub 2} may occur under atmospheric conditions.

OSTI ID:
5955562
Journal Information:
Journal of Organic Chemistry; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Organic Chemistry; (United States) Vol. 55:9; ISSN JOCEA; ISSN 0022-3263
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English