A- malononitriles

For the preparation of MBM, the starting phenol was alkylated to 2-(n)-butoxy-1,4-dimethoxybenzene in methanolic KOH with n-butyl bromide. The benzaldehyde melted at 79.5-81 °C from methanol, and formed a malononitrile derivative that had a melting point of 134.5-135 C. The nitrostyrene from the aldehyde and nitroethane in acetic acid crystallized from methanol with a mp of 71 -72 °C. Lithium aluminum hydride reduction in ether gave the ether-insoluble chloroform-soluble product 4-(n)-butoxy-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine hydro-... 

Q The nitroso group exhibits similar behaviour to a carbonyl group. Predict the products from the reaction of nitrosobenzene with (a) malononitrile (propane-1,3-dinitrile), (b) hydroxylamine and (c) aniline. Suggest a mechanism for the last reaction. 

As to the preparation of MAM, the exact same sequence was used, except for the employment of n-amyl bromide. The benzaldehyde crystallized from methanol with a mp of 79-80 °C, and formed a malononitrile derivative which was bright yellow and melted at 103-104 °C. The nitrostyrene, when pure, melted at 57-58.5 °C but proved very difficult to separate from the aldehyde. The final product, 4-(n)-amyl-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine hydrochloride (MAM) was obtained by lithium aluminum hydride reduction in ether and melted at 125-127 °C. It was assayed at up to 16 milligrams, at which level there was noted a heaviness in the chest and head at the 2-hour point, but no cardiovascular disturbance and no mydriasis. This was called an inactive level, and no higher one has yet been tried. 

C111H6N4, Terephthaldehydene bis(A( 1-a) )malononitrile, 40B, 60 C14H18N4O2, 3,3,4,4-Tetracyano-l-methoxy-2-methy1-butyl 2-butyl ether, 41B, 55... 

The TT-allylpalladiLim complexes formed as intermediates in the reaction of 1,3-dienes are trapped by soft carbon nucleophiles such as malonate, cyanoacctate, and malononitrile[ 177-179). The reaction of (o-iodophenyl-methyl) malonate (261) with 1,4-cyclohexadiene is terminated by the capture of malonate via Pd migration to form 262. The intramolecular reaction of 263 generates Tr-allylpalladium, which is trapped by malononitrile to give 264. o-[odophenylmalonate (265) adds to 1,4-cyciohexadiene to form a Tr-allylpalladium intermediate via elimination of H—Pd—X and its readdition, which is trapped intramolecularly with malonate to form 266)176]. 

Arylation or alkenylation of soft carbon nucleophiles such as malonate is carried out by using a copper catalyst, but it is not a smooth reaction. The reaction of malononitrile, cyanoacetate, and phenylsulfonylacetonitrile with aryl iodide is possible by using a Pd catalyst to give the coupling products. 

The presence of a cyano group seems to be important[649]. The reaction has been successfully applied to halides of pyridine, quinoline, isoquinoline, and oxazoles[650]. An interesting application is the synthesis of tetracyanoquino-dimethane (789) by the reaction of / -diiodobenzene with malononitrile[65l]. 

Removal of maleic and fumaric acids from the cmde malononitrile by fractional distillation is impractical because the boiling points differ only slightly. The impurities are therefore converted into high boiling compounds in a conventional reactor by means of a Diels-Alder reaction with a 1,3-diene. The volatile and nonvolatile by-products are finally removed by two vacuum distillations. The by-products are burned. The yield of malononitrile amounts to 66% based on cyanogen chloride or acetonitrile. 

Economic Aspects. Malononitrile of minimum 99% purity was available as a soHdifted melt for ca 30/kg in 1993 for ton quantities. Malononitrile is produced by Lon2a Ltd. (Swit2edand) using the cyanogen chloride process. 

Health and Safety Factors. Malononitrile is usually available as a soHdifted melt in plastic-Hned dmms. Remelting has to be done carefully because spontaneous decomposition can occur at elevated temperatures, particularly above 100°C, in the presence of impurities such as alkaHes, ammonium, and 2inc salts. Melting should be carried out by means of a water bath and only shordy before use. Occupational exposure to malononitrile mainly occurs by inhalation of vapors and absorption through the skin. Malononitrile has a recommended workplace exposure limit of 8 mg/m, an LD q (oral, rats) of 13.9 mg/kg, and is classified as slight irritant (skin irritation, rabbits). Transport classification RID/ADR 61, IMDG-Code 6.1, lATA/ICAO 6.1. 

Another compound of interest is adenine [73-24-5] or 6-aminopurine (53) derived from pheny1a 2oma1ononitri1e (92). The introduction of the dicyanostyryl moiety has led to the industriali2ation of several methine dyes such as the Cl Disperse Yellow [6684-20-4] (54) (93). The Cl Disperse Blue 354 [74239-96-6] (55) also represents a new class of anTinoarylneutrocyariine dyes with a brilliant blue shade (94). The dimer of malononitrile is also used for the synthesis of new dyes (95). 

Tetracyanoethylene is colorless but forms intensely colored complexes with olefins or aromatic hydrocarbons, eg, benzene solutions are yellow, xylene solutions are orange, and mesitylene solutions are red. The colors arise from complexes of a Lewis acid—base type, with partial transfer of a TT-electron from the aromatic hydrocarbon to TCNE (8). TCNE is conveniendy prepared in the laboratory from malononitrile [109-77-3] (1) by debromination of dibromoma1 ononitrile [1855-23-0] (2) with copper powder (9). The debromination can also be done by pyrolysis at ca 500°C (10). 

A major type of reaction in this class is the cyclization of 4-amino- or 4-halo-pyrimidines carrying 5-cyanoethyl or 5-ethoxycarbonylethyl groups, which cyclize to 7-amino or 7-oxo derivatives of 5,6-dihydropyrido[2,3- f]pyrimidine, e.g. (131)->(63). The intermediates may sometimes be prepared by reaction of 4(6)-aminopyrimidines with acrylonitrile, or even via a pyrimidine ring synthesis from an amidine and a cyanoacetic ester or malononitrile derivative, e.g. (132) -> (133) (7lJOC2 85, 72BCJ1127). 

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