A DFT study of the Al₂Cl₆-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts acylation of phenyl aromatic compounds.

The reaction pathways of several Friedel-Crafts acylations involving phenyl aromatic compounds were studied using density functional theory. The reactions were related to the Friedel-Crafts polycondensation of polyaryletherketones. In particular, the acylation of benzene with benzoyl chloride to form benzophenone and variations on this reaction were investigated. The acylation of benzene by one molecule of terephthaloyl chloride or isophthaloyl chloride as well as acylations at the m-, o-, and p-positions of diphenyl ether with one molecule of benzoyl chloride were studied. Adding an additional acyl chloride group to the electrophile appeared to have little influence on the reaction pathway, although the activation energy for the C-C bond-forming steps that occurred when isophthaloyl choride was used was different to the activation energy observed when terephthaloyl chloride was used. Upon changing the nucleophile to diphenyl ether, the reactivity changed according to the trend predicted on based on the o-, p-directing effects of the ether group. The deprotonation step that restored aromaticity varied widely according to the reaction. The rate-determining step in all of the studied reactions was the formation of the acylium ion, followed in importance by either the formation of the Wheland intermediate or the abstraction of hydrogen, depending on the reactivity of the nucleophile.