Written by J.A Dobado | Last Updated on September 15, 2025
What is Jacobsen rearrangement?
The Jacobsen rearrangement is a chemical reaction that involves the treatment of polymethylbenzenes with concentrated sulfuric acid, H2SO4. This reaction results in the formation of rearranged polymethylbenzenesulfonic acids.
However, it is important to note that under the same conditions, halogenated polymethylbenzenes will undergo disproportionation instead.
References
- Jacobsen, O. (1886), Ueber die Einwirkung von Schwefelsäure auf Durol und über das dritte Tetramethylbenzol. [On the effect of sulfuric acid on durol and on the third tetramethylbenzene.] Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges., 19: 1209-1217. https://doi.org/10.1002/cber.188601901274
- Jacobsen, O. (1887), Ueber das Pentamethylbenzol und sein Verhalten gegen Schwefelsäure. [On pentamethylbenzene and its behavior against sulfuric acid.] Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges., 20: 896-902. https://doi.org/10.1002/cber.188702001205
Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Granada, with a long-standing research career in Computational Chemistry and molecular modeling and design.