Addition Reactions in the Nitration of Some Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds

Reaction of 3-oxo-1,2,3,7,8,9,10,10a-octahydrocyclohepta[de]naphthalene with nitric acid in acetic anhydride gives two stereoisomeric 4-acetoxy-6a-nitro-3-oxo-1,2,3,4,6a,7,8,9,10,10a-decahydrocyclohepta[de]-naphthalenes as well as the expected nitro substitution products. Formation of these adducts from a substrate containing a meta-directing deactivating substituent shows that the 1,4-addition reaction of acetyl nitrate is more general than previously suspected. 1,4-Acetyl nitrate adducts are also formed from tetralin, benzsuberane, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrocyclohepta[fg]acenaphthene, and 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10-octahydrodicyclohepta[de,ij]naphthalene. Decomposition of the last two adducts gives in each case a product with the nitro group substituted into the alicyclic ring.