Aromatic sulfonation with sulfur trioxide: mechanism and kinetic model

Abstract

Electrophilic aromatic sulfonation of benzene with sulfur trioxide is studied with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations in gas phase, and in explicit noncomplexing (CCl₃F) and complexing (CH₃NO₂) solvent models. We investigate different possible reaction pathways, the number of SO₃ molecules participating in the reaction, and the influence of the solvent. Our simulations confirm the existence of a low-energy concerted pathway with formation of a cyclic transition state with two SO₃ molecules. Based on the simulation results, we propose a sequence of elementary reaction steps and a kinetic model compatible with experimental data. Furthermore, a new alternative reaction pathway is proposed in complexing solvent, involving two SO₃ and one CH₃NO₂.