Gas-phase electrophilic addition promoted by CH(3)S(+)=CH(2) ions on aromatic systems

The gas-phase methylenation reaction between CH(3)S(+)=CH(2) and alkylbenzenes, aniline, phenol and alkyl phenyl ethers, which yields [M + CH](+) and CH(3)SH, has been studied by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) techniques and computational chemistry at the DFT level. The methylthiomethyl cation is less reactive than methoxymethyl and, unlike the latter, is unreactive toward benzene. The calculations suggest that reaction with toluene should proceed primarily by addition at the para and ortho positions resulting in a benzyl-type ion. Reaction with aniline-2,3,4,5,6-d(5) reveals that elimination of CH(3)SD is kinetically favored by a factor of 5 over elimination of CH(3)SH. Experiments with C(6)H(6)ND(2) and theoretical calculations suggest that methylenation at the nitrogen atom is energetically favorable and likely, but the observed results may reflect some H/D scrambling, which occurs after attack at a ring position. By comparison, reaction with phenol-2,3,4,5,6-d(5) reveals that methylenation followed by elimination of CH(3)SD is kinetically favored by a factor of 3.8 over elimination of CH(3)SH. For phenol, the theoretical calculations suggest that attack by CH(3)S(+)=CH(2) at the para or ortho position is the only low-energy pathway for methylenation. However, a low-energy pathway for hydrogen scrambling is predicted by the calculations originating from the exit complex, [CH(3)SH(...) CH(2)=C(6)H(4)=OH](+), of reaction at a ring position.