This paper is dedicated to Professors David B. McLeatz and Ian D. Spenser JULIAN M. DUST and ERWIN BUNCEL. Can. J. Chem. 72,218 (1994). To elucidate the reactivity of super-electrophiles such as 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan as compared to normal electrophiles such as 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, reaction of isopropoxide ion (iPrO-) with a series of ambident super-electrophiles was studied by 400 MHz 'H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The 2-(nitroary1)-4,6-dinitrobenzotriazole l-oxides, 1-3, possess both a super-electrophilic (C-7) site and a normal electrophilic (C-1') site. Nucleophiles can demonstrate selectivity for attack at C-7, which leads to formation of persistent anionic u-adducts (Meisenheimer complexes), as compared to C-1', which leads to N-2:C-1' bond scission. The most reactive substrate, 2-(2',4',6'-trinitrophenyl)-4,6-dinitrobenzotriazole l-oxide (Pi-DNBT, 1) was found to be the least selective substrate in C-7 adduct formation, while 2-(2',4'-dinitrophenyl). and 2-(4'-nitropheny1)-4,6-dinitrobenzotriazole l-oxides (DNP-DNBT, 2, and NP-DNBT, 3, respectively) showed increasing selectivity towards iPrC-, in turn. These results are discussed on the basis of overall selectivity for C-7 adduct formation and the relative selectivity of iPrO-as compared to methoxide and tert-butoxide ions. The conclusions are illustrated using comparative energy profiles. In terms of pathways for decomposition of the adducts, the C-7 adducts decompose via dissociation back to substrate and nucleophile and, thence, through C-1' adduct formation to the scission products. However, for 1, the C-7 adduct l a has now been found to decompose to 7-isopropyl-2-picryldinitrobenzotriazole, lc. The possible mechanism of this formal internal redox will be discussed. Chem. 72,218 (1994). Afin d'tvaluer la rCactivitC des super-Clectrophiles, comme le 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxane, par rapport a celle d'tlectrophiles normaux, comme le 1.3,s-trinitrobenz&ne, on a utiliser la resonance magnCtique nuclkaire du 'H ? I 400 MHz pour ttudier la rCaction de l'ion isopropylate (iPrC-) avec une sCrie de superClectrophiles ambidents. Les 2-(nitrowl)-4,6-dinitrobenzotriazole l-oxydes, 1-3, posskdent un site superClectrophile (C-7) ainsi qu'un site Clectrophile normal (C-l').Les nucltophiles permettent de dtmontrer une sClectivitC pour l'attaque en C-7 qui conduit a la formation d'adduits u anioniques persistants (complexes de Meisenheimer) alors que I'attaque en C-l'conduit a une scission de la liaison N-2:C-1' . On a trouvC que le substrat le plus rkactif, la 2-(2',4',6'-trinitrophCnyl)-4,6-dinitrobenzotriazole I-oxyde (Pi-DNBT, I), est le substrat le moins stlectif pour la formation d'un adduit en C-7 alors que les 2-(2',4'-dinitrophCny1)-et 2-(4'-nitrophCny1)-4,6-dinitrobenzotriazole l-oxydes (respectivement la DNP-DNBT, 2, et NP-DNBT, 3) prCsentent chacune une sClectivitC de plus en plus grande vis-a-vis du iPrO-. On discute de ces rksultats en fonction de la sClectivitC globale de la formation d'adduits en C-7 et la sClectivitC relative du iPrO-comp...