The direction of hydrohalogenation of N-substituted p-quinonimines was predicted on the basis of orbital coefficients of the C-2 and C-3 atoms in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, calculated by the PM3 method. It was assumed that the reaction is orbital-controlled and that the initial act of hydrohalogenation is nucleophilic attack by halide ion. The proposed approach was verified by experimental hydrochlorination and hydrobromination of N-(N-arylsulfonylbenzimidoyl)-1,4-benzoquinonimines which take up HHlg molecule following the 1,4-addition scheme, i.e., the halogen atom adds to C-2 of the quinoid ring.
Oxidation of N-(N-arylsulfonylimidoyl)-4-aminophenols gave the corresponding N-(N-arylsulfonylimidoyl)-1,4-benzoquinonimines, derivatives of N-aroyl- and N-acetyl-1,4-benzoquinonimines. The structure of the products was studied by the X-ray diffraction method and H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. N-(N-Arylsulfonylimidoyl)-1,4-benzoquinonimines were found to undergo fast (on the NMR time scale) Z,E isomerization about the C=N bond in the quinonimine fragment. N-(N-Arylsulfonylacetimidoyl)-1,4-benzoquinonimines in solution give rise to dynamic Z,E-isomerization with respect to the C=N bond in the N-arylsulfonylacetimidoyl fragment.