Nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in naphthalene by chloride (Cl−) in ionic liquids

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydrogen in non-activated aromatic ring, a very rare phenomenon in organic chemistry, is found in ionic liquids containing Cl− as anion under mild reaction conditions. The reaction may be carried out by the addition of the halogen-bonding adduct (Br2Cl−) as nucleophile to aromatic ring carbon atom, leading to the formation of the nucleophilic substitution product.