Abstract Sulfonation reactions are one of the most significant reaction types for aromatic compounds. Recent theoretical studies have shown that sulfonation reactions generally follow a trimolecular reaction mechanism, which differs significantly from the described bimolecular mechanism in organic chemistry textbooks. In this study, using density functional theory calculations, the sulfonation reaction of toluene is investigated as an example to study the molecular mechanism, regioselectivity, and the influence of solvents on the reaction performance. By comparing the computational results of the sulfonation reactions of benzene, toluene, and nitrobenzene, the effects of substituents on the sulfonation reaction performance are analyzed. The aim of this paper is to present the latest advances in understanding the mechanism of sulfonation reactions through computational chemistry studies on the model reactions, thereby enhancing the innovation, high order, and challenge of related teaching materials.
SUN Yue-Zhu, YANG Yi-Ying, ZHANG Dong-Ju. Computational Chemistry Study on the Sulfonation Reaction Mechanism of Aromatic Compounds[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2024, 45(10): 100-104.
