Thermal and photochemical decomposition pathways of trinitromethylarenes. part II. The effects of ethanol on the photolysis reactions of some alkoxy- and dialkoxyarenes in the presence of tetranitromethane. enhancement of adduct and trinitromethyl substitution product formation

The photolysis of the charge transfer (CT) complex of tetranitromethane with 1-methoxynaphthalene, 1,4-dimethoxybenzene, 1,2-dimethoxybenzene, 1,2-methylenedioxybenzene or 2-methylanisole is reported for dichloromethane, acetonitrile, dichloromethane-ethanol and acetonitrile-ethanol solvent systems. The effects of adding ethanol (8% v/v ≃ 1.4 mol dm^-3) to dichloromethane or acetonitrile as reaction solvents include: (i) the stabilization of alkoxytrinitro-methylarenes, thus reducing their normal tendency for decomposition according to ArC (NO₂)₃→ArCOOH→ArNO₂, (ii) a reduction in the nucleophilicity of trinitromethanide ion, and (iii) changes in the regioselectivity of trinitromethanide ion attack on the radical cations of alkoxyaromatic compounds away from attack ipso to the alkoxy substituent. Adducts are also stabilized, as shown by the photolysis of the CT complex of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene-tetranitromethane in dichloromethane-ethanol (8% v/v) which gives the epimeric 1,4-dimethoxy-3-nitro-6-trinitromethylcyclohexa-1,4-dienes and 1,4-dimethoxy-2-trinitromethylbenzene, in addition to 1,4-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzene. The adducts are detected also among the products of photolysis reactions in neat dichloromethane or acetonitrile.