ZrCl4-promoted halogen migration during an electrophilic amination of halogenated phenolsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: spectroscopic data (1H NMR,13C NMR, IR, MS), mp and elemental analysis (or HRMS) for the products 3 and 4. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b2/b203622c/Dedicated to Professor Waldemar Adam, University of Würzburg, Germany, on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
An electrophilic amination of halogenated phenols with diisopropyl diazenedicarboxylate in the presence of ZrCl4 as a Lewis acid, accompanied by a halogen migration, was demonstrated for the first time; the fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine atom migrated during the amination process under mild reaction conditions.
The electrophilic amination of 2-fluorophenol, 4-fluorophenol, and 2-chlorophenol was observed to occur as a result of their treatment with diazenes 1-4 under mild reaction conditions in the presence of ZrCl4. The products originating from the 2-fluorophenol or 2-chlorophenol can be considered as "normal" products of amination. On the other hand, the 2-chloro-4-amino-substituted phenols obtained from the 4-fluorophenol seem to be formed in a process that involves an ipso amination, the complete removal of the fluorine atom, and the introduction of the chlorine atom.