A qualitative inspection of the diaryl-DPP molecule (Figure 11.7) reveals several centres of reactivity in the molecule.
While the appropriately substituted phenyl rings should be capable of undergoing diverse electrophilic and nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions, the bicyclic lactam chromophore unit incorporates three different functional groups, namely double bonds, carbonyl, and NH groups, each of them being potentially amenable to chemical transformation. Since concomitantly forming part of the diaryl butadiene and amino — cinnamic ester substructures of the DPP molecule, the bicyclic lactam double bonds might also be expected to react in analogy with the double bonds in diphenyl butadiene and cinnamic ester itself.
Figure 11.7 Potentially reactive centers in a diaryl — DPP derivative. EFG: electrophilic functional group, e. g., CN, COOR; NFG: nucleophilic functional group, e. g. OH, SH, NHR; X: e. g. halogen.
11.4.1