Aromatic compounds oxidations, nitric acid

NOTE.—In oxidizing aromatic compounds with nitric acid, the latter is usually diluted with water in order to prevent nitration. An acid of the specific gravity 1.15 is ordinarily used. 

Nitration. Direct nitration of aromatic amines with nitric acid is not a satisfactory method, because the amino group is susceptible to oxidation. The amino group can be protected by acetylation, and the acetylamino derivative is then used in the nitration step. Nitration of acetanilide in sulfuric acid yields the 4-nitro compound that is hydroly2ed to -rutroaruline [100-01-6]. 

A number of nitrations, particularly of phenols, may in practice be nitrosations followed by oxidation of the nitroso compound to form the nitro compound by nitric acid. Although the underlying pattern of the nitration ortholpara or meta) is determined by the substituent(s) on the aromatic ring, the ratio of the different isomeric nitro compounds... 

Nitrations can be performed in homogeneous media, using tetramethylene sulfone or nitromethane (nitroethane) as solvent. A large variety of aromatic compounds have been nitrated with nitronium salts in excellent yields in nonaqueous media. Sensitive compounds, otherwise easily hydroly2ed or oxidized by nitric acid, can be nitrated without secondary effects. Nitration of aromatic compounds is considered an irreversible reaction. However, the reversibihty of the reaction has been demonstrated in some cases, eg, 9-nitroanthracene, as well as pentamethylnitrobenzene transnitrate benzene, toluene, and mesitylene in the presence of superacids (158) (see Nitration). 

The aHphatic iodine derivatives are usually prepared by reaction of an alcohol with hydroiodic acid or phosphoms trHodide by reaction of iodine, an alcohol, and red phosphoms addition of iodine monochloride, monobromide, or iodine to an olefin replacement reaction by heating the chlorine or bromine compound with an alkaH iodide ia a suitable solvent and the reaction of triphenyl phosphite with methyl iodide and an alcohol. The aromatic iodine derivatives are prepared by reacting iodine and the aromatic system with oxidising agents such as nitric acid, filming sulfuric acid, or mercuric oxide. 

Nitric acid and especially fuming acid is a strong oxidant and nitrating agent, especially when it is combined with sulphuric acid (formation of an electrophilic species). The dangers of the reactions which involve this compound are linked to the exothermicity of the reactions and the eventual formation, particularly in an aromatic series, of nitrated species that can be very unstable in some cases. 

There is a synthesis, which is supposed to be safe and consists in using very small quantities of reagents and closely monitoring the temperature. However, the thermai control of the aromatic hydrocarbons/nitric acid reaction usually proves to be very difficult. Indeed, the temperature is either too high and the reaction is out of controi and can lead to detonation, or too low and the nitration or oxidation takes place too slowly causing the compounds to accumulate and the reaction to be delayed. The consequences are the same as before. 

The nitrosophenol (10), which may be isolated, is oxidised very rapidly by nitric acid to yield the p-nitrophenol (11) and nitrous acid more nitrous acid is produced thereby and the process is progressively speeded up. No nitrous acid need be present initially in the nitric acid for a little of the latter attacks phenol oxidatively to yield HN02. The rate-determining step is again believed to be the formation of the intermediate (9). Some direct nitration of such reactive aromatic compounds by N02 also takes place simultaneously, the relative amount by the two routes depending on the conditions. 

Dinitrogen pentoxide (prepared by the oxidation of N204 with 03) in nitric acid is a potent nitration system. It can be used for nitrating aromatic compounds at lower temperatures than conventional system. It is also convenient for preparing explosives that are unstable in nitrating media containing sulfuric acid (Eq. 2.7).20... 

Attempts of further nitration of dinitro derivative 83 under usual conditions failed. Using 100% nitric acid in fluorosulfonic acid or trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, reagents useful for nitration of deactivated aromatic systems led to the formation of moisture-sensitive nitration products, which undergo further oxidation to give o-quinone-like species 84 and 85. Using the latter conditions, compound 86 can be isolated in 20% yield and converted into the tetraoxo derivative 85 by heating at 220°C (Scheme 4) <1996JOC1898>. 

As mentioned already in CHEC-II(1996) <1996CHEC-II(8)411>, some tetrazolo[l,5- ]pyridines can react with their C(5)-C(6) and C(7)-C(8) double bonds as dienophiles in Diels-Alder reactions. A novel study again supported this recognition Goumont et al. described that 6,8-dinitrotetrazolo[l,5- ]pyridine 11 easily react with some 2,3-disub-stituted butadienes to give bis-cycloadducts 48 <2002T3249>. These products when treated with potassium /-butoxide undergo base catalyzed elimination of nitric acid followed by oxidation reaction to yield the fully aromatic tetracyclic compounds 49 (Scheme 14). 

These compounds are less common than indole (benzo[ ]pyrrole). In the case of benzo[i>]furan the aromaticity of the heterocycle is weaker than in indole, and this ring is easily cleaved by reduction or oxidation. Electrophilic reagents tend to react with benzo[Z ]furan at C-2 in preference to C-3 (Scheme 7.21), reflecting the reduced ability of the heteroatom to stabilize the intermediate for 3-substitution. Attack in the heterocycle is often accompanied by substitution in the benzenoid ring. Nitration with nitric acid in acetic acid gives mainly 2-nitrobenzo[Z ]furan, plus the 4-, 6- and 7-isomers. When the reagent is in benzene maintained at 10 °C, both 3- and 2-nitro[ ]furans are formed in the ratio 4 1. Under Vilsmeier reaction conditions (see Section 6.1.2), benzo[Z ]furan gives 2-formylbenzo[6]furan in ca. 40% yield. 

Hantzsch synthesis The reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with aldehydes and NH3 provides a 1,4-dihydropyridine, which can be aromatized by oxidation with nitric acid or nitric oxide. Instead of NH3, primary amine can be used to give 1-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines. 

Among the oxidative procedures for preparing azo compounds are oxidation of aromatic amines with activated manganese dioxide oxidation of fluorinated aromatic amines with sodium hypochlorite oxidation of aromatic amines with peracids in the presence of cupric ions oxidation of hindered aliphatic amines with iodine pentafluoride oxidation of both aromatic and aliphatic hydrazine derivatives with a variety of reagents such as hydrogen peroxide, halogens or hypochlorites, mercuric oxide, A-bromosuccinimide, nitric acid, and oxides of nitrogen. 

The oxidation of both aliphatic and aromatic azo compounds to the corresponding azoxy derivative may be carried out with a variety of reagents. While older techniques favored chromic or nitric acid as the oxidizing agent, newer methods make use of various organic peracids or hydrogen peroxide. In the oxidation of aliphatic azo compounds, relatively weak peracids are favored to reduce the possibility of acid-catalyzed isomerization of azo compounds to hydrazones. Under controlled conditions cis azo compounds may be converted into cis azoxy compounds. 

Some nitramines may be prepared without treating amines with nitric acid. The classical example is the so-called E-method of cyclonite preparation in which a nitramine is formed by dehydration of a mixture of paraformaldehyde and ammonium nitrate, i.e. without using either amine or nitric acid (this will be discussed more fully on p. 109). When a nitramine is required with a non-nitrated aromatic ring which readily undergoes nitration with nitric acid, Bamberger s method [45], involving the oxidation of diazo compounds (13), may be applied. 

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