Xylylene Explained
In organic chemistry, a xylylene (sometimes quinone-dimethide) is any of the constitutional isomers having the formula C6H4(CH2)2. These compounds are related to the corresponding quinones and quinone methides by replacement of the oxygen atoms by CH2 groups. ortho- and para-xylylene are best known, although neither is stable in solid or liquid form. The meta form is a diradical. Certain substituted derivatives of xylylenes are however highly stable, such as tetracyanoquinodimethane and the xylylene dichlorides.
p-Xylylene
p-Xylylene forms upon pyrolysis of p-xylene or, more readily, the α-substituted derivatives. p-Xylylene dimerizes with moderate efficiency to give p-cyclophane:[1]
Further heating of the p-cyclophane gives poly(para-xylylene).
o-Xylylenes
o-Xylylenes (o-quinodimethanes) are often generated in situ,[2] e.g., by the pyrolysis of the corresponding sulfone.[3] Another method involves 1,4-elimination of ortho benzylic silanes.[4] or stannanes,[5] [6] [7]
α,α'-ortho Xylene dibromides have been well developed for generating o-xylyenes.[8] For example, reaction of tetrabromo-o-xylene (C6H4(CHBr2)2) with sodium iodide affords α,α'-dibromo-o-xylylene, which can be trapped to give naphthylene derivatives. In the absence of trapping agents, the xylylene relaxes to α,α'-dibromobenzocyclobutane:[9]
C6H4(CHBr2)2 + 2 NaI → C6H4(=CHBr)2 + 2 NaBr + I2
C6H4(=CHBr)2 → C6H4(CHBr)2Cycloadditions of these o-xylylenes provides a pathway to acenes.[10]
The diene unit formed by the two exocyclic alkene units of the ortho isomer can serve as a ligand in coordination complexes. For example, reaction of α,α'-dibromo-o-xylene with iron carbonyls affords low yields of the xylylene complex Fe(CO)3[η<sup>4</sup>-C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>4</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]. This product is structurally analogous to Fe(CO)3[η<sup>4</sup>-[[1,3-butadiene]]].[11]
At high temperatures, benzocyclobutenes undergo electrocyclic ring-opening to form o-xylylenes. This and other syntheses of o-xylylenes, and their subsequent dimerization by [4+4] cycloaddition to form cycloctyl structures, were used repeatedly in the synthesis of superphane.[12]
Electronic structure
Despite the observed chemistry of para-xylylene (i.e. its rapid polymerization to poly-p-xylylene), which suggests the compound exists as a diradical, physical evidence unanimously concludes that the lowest electronic state of p-xylylene is a closed shell singlet. Additionally, several computational methods confirm this assignment.[13] Conversely, meta-xylylene is a non-Kekulé molecule that has a triplet ground-state.[14]
Notes and References
- H. E. Winberg, F. S. Fawcett "[2.2]Paracyclophane" Organic Syntheses, Coll. Vol. 5, p.883 (1973); Vol. 42, p.83 (1962) Link.
- Klundt . I. L. . 1970 . Benzocyclobutene and its derivatives . Chemical Reviews . 70 . 4 . 471–487 . 10.1021/cr60266a002.
- Nicolaou . K. C. . Snyder . S. A. . Montagnon . T. . Vassilikogiannakis . G. . 2002 . The Diels-Alder Reaction in Total Synthesis . Angewandte Chemie International Edition . 41 . 10 . 1668–1698 . 10.1002/1521-3773(20020517)41:10<1668::AID-ANIE1668>3.0.CO;2-Z. 19750686 .
- Ito . Y. . Nakatsuka . M. . Saegusa . T. . 1982 . Syntheses of polycyclic ring systems based on the new generation of o-quinodimethanes . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 104 . 26 . 7609–7622 . 10.1021/ja00390a036.
- Sano . H. . Ohtsuka . H. . Migita . T. . 1988 . A convenient method for the generation of o-quinodimethanes by proton induced 1,4-elimination of o-(1-hydroxyalkyl)benzyltributylstannanes . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 110 . 6 . 2014–2015 . 10.1021/ja00214a083.
- Soon . H. W. . 1993 . Tetrahedron Letters . A novel method for the generation of o-quinodimethane by selenium-induced fragmentation of o-vinyl benzyltributylstannane . 34 . 47 . 7587–7590 . 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)60407-0.
- Soon . H. W. . 1994 . Lewis acid-promoted generation of α-oxy-o-quinodimethanes and cycloaddition reactions . Tetrahedron Letters . 35 . 23 . 3975–3978 . 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)76717-7.
- Rubottom . G. M. . Way . J. E. . 1984 . An Improved Method for the Preparation of o-Quinodimethanes . Synthetic Communications . 14 . 6 . 507–514 . 10.1080/00397918408059572.
- 10.1021/ja01533a032. Condensed Cyclobutane Aromatic Compounds. VIII. The Mechanism of Formation of 1,2-Dibromobenzocyclobutene; A New Diels-Alder Synthesis. 1959. Cava. M. P.. Deana. A. A.. Muth. K.. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 81. 24. 6458–6460.
- 10.1055/s-1986-31603. An Efficient Synthetic Strategy for Naphthalene Annellation of Norbornenylogous Systems. 1986. Paddon-Row. Michael N.. Patney. Harish K.. Synthesis. 1986. 4. 328–330.
- 10.1021/om00054a059. Formation of Iron Carbonyl Complexes of Reactive Polyenes from Dihalides involving the Free Polyene. 1991. Kerber. Robert C.. Ribakove. Everett C.. Organometallics. 10. 8. 2848–2853.
- Sekine. Y.. Brown. M.. Boekelheide. V.. [2.2.2.2.2.2](1,2,3,4,5,6)Cyclophane: superphane. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 101. 11. 3126–3127. 1979. 10.1021/ja00505a053.
- Montgomery, L. K., Huffman, J. C., Jurczak, E. A. & Grendze, M. P. The molecular structures of Thiele’s and Chichibabin’s hydrocarbons. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 108, 6004–6011 (1986)
- Photoelectron Spectrum and Energetics of the meta-Xylylene Diradical . Mathias . Steglich . Victoria B. F. . Custodis . Adam J. . Trevitt . Gabriel . daSilva . Andras . Bodi . Patrick . Hemberger . J. Am. Chem. Soc. . 2017 . 139 . 41 . 14348–14351 . 10.1021/jacs.7b06714 . 28965395 .