4,4 -Azoxybenzene

Equip a 500 ml. three-necked flask with an efficient stirrer (e.g., a Hershberg stirrer. Fig. II, 7, 8) and a reflux condenser stopper the third neck. Place a solution of 30 g. of sodium hydroxide in 100 ml. of water, and also 20-5 g. (17-1 ml.) of pure nitrobenzene in the flask, immerse it in a water bath maintained at 55-60°, and add 21 g. of anhydrous dextrose in small portions, with continuous stirring, during 1 hour. Then heat on a boiUng water bath for 2 hours. Pour the hot mixture into a 1 litre round-bottomed flask and steam distil (Fig. II, 40, 1) to remove aniline and nitrobenzene. When the distillate is clear (i.e., after about 1 htre has been collected), pour the residue into a beaker cooled in an ice bath. The azoxybenzene soon sohdifies. Filter with suction, grind the lumps of azoxybenzene in a mortar, wash with water, and dry upon filter paper or upon a porous plate. The yield of material, m.p. 35-35-5°, is 13 g. Recrystallise from 7 ml. of rectified spirit or of methyl alcohol the m.p. is raised to 36°.  

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Further nitration gives w-dinilrobenzene sulphonation gives w-nitrobenzene sulphonic acid. Reduction gives first azoxybenzene, then azobenzene and aniline depending upon the conditions. Used in the dyestufTs industry as such or as aniline. 

N-phenylhydroxylamine, PhNHOH and further reduction can give azoxybenzene, azobenzene, hydrazobenzene and aniline. The most important outlet commercially for the nitro-compounds is the complete reduction to the amines for conversion to dyestufTs. This is usually done in one stage with iron and a small amount of hydrochloric acid. 

Azoxybenzene, CeH NOiNCeHs, and Azobenzene, CeH5N NCeH5. (Method 2, p. 208.)... 

When a solution of nitrobenzene in methanol is boiled with sodium hydroxide, the nitrobenzene is reduced to azoxybenzene by the methanol, which is itself oxidised to formic acid. 

The azoxybenzene in turn, when heated with iron filings, readily undergoes C4HjNO NC,Hs + Fe = C.HjNtNC.Hs + FeO further reduction to azobenzene. 

AZOXYBENZENE. Required Sodium hydroxide, 23 g. nitrobenzene, 15 ml. methanol, 120 ml. 

Add 23 g. of powdered (or flake ) sodium hydroxide to a solution of 15 ml. (18 g.) of nitrobenzene in 120 ml. of methanol contained in a 250 ml. short-necked bolt-head flask. Fix a reflux water-condenser to the flask and boil the solution on a water-bath for 3 hours, shaking the product vigorously at intervals to ensure thorough mixing. Then fit a bent delivery-tube to the flask, and reverse the condenser for distillation, as in Fig. 59, p. 100, or Fig. 23(D), p. 45). Place the flask in the boiling water-bath (since methanol will not readily distil when heated on a water-bath) and distil off as much methanol as possible. Then pour the residual product with stirring into about 250 ml. of cold water wash out the flask with water, and then acidify the mixture with hydrochloric acid. The crude azoxybenzene separates as a heavy oil, which when thoroughly stirred soon solidifies, particularly if the mixture is cooled in ice-water. 

Then filter off the solid azoxybenzene at the pump, wash it thoroughly with water, and drain well. Recrystallise from a minimum of m ethylated spirit, allowing the hot solution to cool spontaneously (with occasional stirring) until crystallisation starts, and then cool in ice-water. If crystallisation is delayed, seed the solution with a trace of the crude product if on the other hand the azoxybenzene separates at first as an emulsion, add methylated spirit, drop by drop, with stirring until the solution is clear, and then allow the cooling to proceed as before. The... 

The fact that a mixed azoxy-compound, such as p toluencrazoxy-benzene, CH3CgH4NO NCgH5, exists in two isomeric forms, disproves the earlier symmetric formula (A) alloted to azoxybenzene, and C H N C H N >0 confirms the formula (B), in which... 

Under the cataljdic influence of alkali, nitrosobenzene and p-phenylhydroxyl-amine react to yield azoxybenzene ... 

Azoxybenzene is readily prepared by reduction of nitrobenzene in an alkaline medium with dextrose or sodium arsenite ... 

The reduction of the nitro group to yield aniline is the most commercially important reaction of nitrobenzene. Usually the reaction is carried out by the catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene, either in the gas phase or in solution, or by using iron borings and dilute hydrochloric acid (the Bechamp process). Depending on the conditions, the reduction of nitrobenzene can lead to a variety of products. The series of reduction products is shown in Figure 1 (see Amines byreduction). Nitrosobenzene, /V-pbenylbydroxylamine, and aniline are primary reduction products. Azoxybenzene is formed by the condensation of nitrosobenzene and /V-pbenylbydroxylamine in alkaline solutions, and azoxybenzene can be reduced to form azobenzene and hydrazobenzene. The reduction products of nitrobenzene under various conditions ate given in Table 2. 

Fig. 1. Reduction products of nitrobenzene (1) nitrosobenzene [98-95-3] (2) /V-pbenylbydroxyl amine [100-65-2] (3) aniline [62-53-3] (4) azoxybenzene...

Oxidation. Aromatic amines can undergo a variety of oxidation reactions, depending on the oxidizing agent and the reaction conditions. For example, oxidation of aniline can lead to formation of phenyUiydroxylamine, nitrosobenzene, nitrobenzene, azobenzene, azoxybenzene or -benzoquinone. Oxidation was of great importance in the early stages of the development of aniline and the manufacture of synthetic dyes, such as aniline black and Perkin s mauve. 

Nitroso compounds are formed selectively via the oxidation of a primary aromatic amine with Caro s acid [7722-86-3] (H2SO ) or Oxone (Du Pont trademark) monopersulfate compound (2KHSO KHSO K SO aniline black [13007-86-8] is obtained if the oxidation is carried out with salts of persulfiiric acid (31). Oxidation of aromatic amines to nitro compounds can be carried out with peroxytrifluoroacetic acid (32). Hydrogen peroxide with acetonitrile converts aniline in a methanol solution to azoxybenzene [495-48-7] (33), perborate in glacial acetic acid yields azobenzene [103-33-3] (34). 

In the reduction of nitro compounds to amines, several of the iatermediate species are stable and under the right conditions, it is possible to stop the reduction at these iatermediate stages and isolate the products (see Figure 1, where R = CgH ). Nitrosoben2ene [586-96-9] C H NO, can be obtained by electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene [98-95-3]. Phenylhydroxylamine, C H NHOH, is obtained when nitrobenzene reacts with ziac dust and calcium chloride ia an alcohoHc solution. When a similar reaction is carried out with iron or ziac ia an acidic solution, aniline is the reduction product. Hydrazobenzene [122-66-7] formed when nitrobenzene reacts with ziac dust ia an alkaline solution. Azoxybenzene [495-48-7], C22H2QN2O, is... 

Acid catalyzed rearrangement of azoxybenzenes to p-hydroxyazt enzsnes... 

Azoxybenzene from Nitrobenzene by Electrolysis.— Nitrobenzene can be conveniently converted into azoxybenzene by electrolytic reduction. The apparatus required is shown in Fig. 77. 

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