Electrochemical study of 4-chloroaniline in a water/acetonitrile mixture. A new method for the synthesis of 4-chloro-2-(phenylsulfonyl)aniline and N-(4-chlorophenyl)benzenesulfonamide

The electrochemical oxidation of 4-chloroaniline as a model compound in a water/acetonitrile mixture was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. It was established that one-electron oxidation of 4-chloroaniline followed by disproportionation reaction affords unstable (4-iminocyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene)chloronium. In water/acetonitrile mixtures and in the absence of nucleophiles, the most likely reaction on produced chloronium is hydrolysis and p-quinoneimine formation. The electrochemical oxidation of 4-chloroaniline in the presence of arylsulfinic acids was also investigated in a water/acetonitrile mixture at a glassy carbon electrode. It was established that under these conditions, the anodically generated chloronium reacts with benzenesulfinic acid to produce the corresponding diaryl sulfone and N-phenylbenzenesulfonamide derivatives. In addition, Gaussian 09W was applied for prediction of the possible product by the calculation of natural charge, LUMO orbital energies and thermodynamic stability of intermediates and products.