Calculated Properties Of Arene Oxides Of Biological Interest .1. Molecular-Orbital Examination Of Simple-Models

The INDO calculational formalism is shown to account for the relative ease of carbonium ion formation and for the variation in isomerization rates of some simple arene oxides. Transition-state energy differences provide a reasonable correlation with observed isomerization rates for benzene oxide, methyl-substituted benzene oxides, naphthalene 1,2-oxide, and phenanthrene 9,10-oxide.