Balz-Schiemann

Fluoronaphthalene [323-09-1] is prepared in 54—67% yield from 2-naphthylamine by the Balz-Schiemann reaction or in 51% yield by pyrolysis of indene and chlorofluoromethane at 600°C (77). 

Difluoronaphthalene [315-52-6] is prepared from 4-fluoro-l-naphthylarnine by the Balz-Schiemann reaction. 1,4-Difluoronaphthalene is used in chemical carcinogenesis studies as a synthon for highly condensed difluoro—polycycHc aromatic hydrocarbons (273). 

New diazotization techniques for the Balz-Schiemann reaction feature alter native mtrosating agents in place of aqueous sodium nitrite or substitution of other salts such as arenediazonium hexafluorophosphates for arenediazoniuin fluoroborates... 

The Bergmann variation of the Balz Schiemann reaction is a two-step process featuring copper- or copper halide-catalyzed decomposition of aqueous or acetone solutions of arenediazonium fluoroborates containing alkyl or halogen substituents [30] A recent modification is a one-step technique featuring simultaneous diazoti-zation and decomposition by addition of aqueous sodium nitrite at 25 °C to a mixture of fluorobonc acid, copper powder, and 2 isopropyl 6 methylaniline to give 2-isopropyl-6 methylfluorobenzene in 73% yield [37]... 

Both photochemical and ultrasound variants of the Balz-Schiemann thermal decomposition step have also been developed A noteworthy feature of either technique is the use of milder fluorodediazoniation conditions... 

This technique has been applied to the synthesis of fluormated dopamine and other compounds of biological significance Fluoroheterocycles such as fluoro-imidazoles [JJ, 36] and fluoropyrazoles [37] can also be prepared by the photo Balz-Schiemann technique (equation 9) Photochemically induced in situ fluoro dediazoniation can also be applied to arenediazonium fluorides in hydrogen fluo nde-pyndine media Thus, o-fluoroanisole is obtained in 73% yield at 20 °C after I8h [dS]... 

The discovery of the Balz-Schiemann reaction in 1927 replaced the earlier Wallach procedure (1886) based on fluorodediazoniation of arenediazonium piper-idides (aryltriazenes) in aqueous hydrogen fluoride [40 41]... 

Applications in agrochemicals [42, 43], pharmaceuticals [44,45], and positron emission tomography (PET) [46, 47, 48 49] have resulted in the resuscitation of the Wallach reaction The Wallach technique provides high-specific-activity F-radiolabeled aromatic fluoride for PET studies, in contrast to the low-specific-ac-tivity product by the Balz-Schiemann route... 

The preparation of an aryl fluoride—e.g. fluorobenzene 3—starting from an aryl amine—e.g. aniline 1—via an intermediate arenediazonium tetrafluoroborate 2, is called the Schiemann reaction (also called the Balz-Schiemann reaction) The diazotization of aniline 1 in the presence of tetrafluoroborate leads to formation of a benzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate 2 that can be converted into fluorobenzene 3 by thermolysis. 

The Balz-Schiemann reaction continues to attract attention, with much of it generated by the interest in fluoroquinolones, e.g., (7), which is a potential antibacterial. Two approaches to its synthesis are possible—introduction of fluorine prior to or post ring construction. Decomposition of the tetrafluoroborate salt was unsuccessful, whereas the PF6 salt (8) gave only a poor yield (84JMC292). A more successful approach was the introduction of F into the pyridine nucleus prior to formation of the 1,8-naphthyridine ring (84JHC673). A comparison of decomposition media showed that cyclohexane was the best with regard to yield and time. 

Fluoro-2-pyridone was prepared by a Balz-Schiemann reaction on 4-amino-2-methoxypyridine followed by Me3Sil. BF as counterion gave a better yield than PF 6 (85JHC145). 

Photochemical modification of the Balz-Schiemann reaction has enabled fluorine-containing biologically important molecules e.g., imidaz-... 

Nucleophilic halogen exchange, using cesium fluoride and 18-crown-6 in tetrahydrofuran, gave high yields of 2-, 3-, and 2,3,-di-fluoroquinoxalines from the chloro analogues [87H)26)1215]. The Balz-Schiemann process has been used successfully to make 2-fluoro-quinoxaline (84MI8). 

On the basis of these redox potentials it seems likely that direct electron release to the benzenediazonium ion takes place only with iodide. This corresponds well with experience in organic synthesis iodo-de-diazoniations are possible without catalysts, light, or other special procedures (Sec. 10.6). For bromo- and chloro-de-di-azoniations, catalysis by cuprous salts (Sandmeyer reaction, Sec. 10.5) is necessary. For fluorination the Balz-Schiemann reaction of arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates in the solid state (thermolysis) or in special solvents must be chosen (see Sec. 10.4). With astatide (211At-), the heaviest of the halide ions, Meyer et al. (1979) found higher yields for astato-de-diazoniation than for iodo-de-diazoniation, a result consistent with the position of At in the Periodic System. It has to be emphasized, however, that in investigations based on measuring yields of final products (Ar-Hal), the possibility that part of the yield may be due to heterolytic dediazoniation is very difficult to quantify. 

Schiemann and Winkelmuller (1943 a, 1943 b), Flood (1943), and Rutherford and Redmont (1973) provided specific examples of Balz-Schiemann reactions for Organic Syntheses. 

Milner (1992) recently described a novel and versatile modification of the Balz-Schiemann reaction. The amine is diazotized with solid nitrosonium tetrafluoro-borate in CH2C12 and, without isolation, the diazonium salt is heated and yields the fluoroarene in good yield. The method is also applicable to aniline derivatives bearing carboxy and hydroxy substituents, compounds which give poor yields in the classical procedure. 

Mechanistically there is ample evidence that the Balz-Schiemann reaction is heterolytic. This is shown by arylation trapping experiments. The added arene substrates are found to be arylated in isomer ratios which are typical for an electrophilic aromatic substitution by the aryl cation and not for a homolytic substitution by the aryl radical (Makarova et al., 1958). Swain and Rogers (1975) showed that the reaction takes place in the ion pair with the tetrafluoroborate, and not, as one might imagine, with a fluoride ion originating from the dissociation of the tetrafluoroborate into boron trifluoride and fluoride ions. This is demonstrated by the insensitivity of the ratio of products ArF/ArCl in methylene chloride solution at 25 °C to excess BF3 concentration. 

As the classical Balz-Schiemann reaction is carried out in the solid state, the structures of the arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates as determined by X-ray crystallography must be the starting point for mechanistic investigations, as pointed out by Gougoutas (1979) in the context of his work on the X-ray structures of 3-carboxy-2-naphthalenediazonium bromide and iodide (see Secs. 4.2 and 10.6). 

For the introduction of fluorine into aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds the photolytic fluoro-de-diazoniation sometimes has advantages compared with the corresponding thermal dediazoniation (Balz-Schiemann reaction, see Sec. 10.4). For aromatic substrates the reaction was studied by Rutherford et al. (1961), Christie and Paulath (1965), Petterson et al. (1971), and Becker and Israel (1979). Hexafluorophos-phates sometimes give better yields than tetrafluoroborates (Rutherford et al., 1961). In analogy to Balz-Schiemann reactions in solution (Fukuhara et al., 1987), photolytic fluoro-de-diazoniations of benzene derivatives with electron-withdrawing substituents give lower yields. 

Halo-de-diazoniations are a series of reactions in which the replacement of the dia-zonio group changes from a heterolytic de-diazoniation in the case of the fluorination (Balz-Schiemann reaction) to transition metal-catalyzed chlorination and bromination (Sandmeyer reaction) and finally to iodination and astatination where no catalyst is necessary due to the favorable redox potentials of I and At- (I- E° = 1.3 V). 

For the classical Balz-Schiemann reaction, i.e. heating solid arenediazonium tetrafluo-roborates without solvent, success with respect to yield is still rather difficult to predict. 

Fluoroarene formation from arylamines. Also known as the Balz-Schiemann reaction. 

In order to use the potentiality of the Balz Schiemann reaction and to increase the specific radioactivity, the tetrafluoroborate anion was substituted for the tetrachloroborate. The fluorination of p-toluidyl diazonium tetrachloroborate. 

The Balz-Schiemann and Wallach reactions The Balz-Schiemann reaction (the thermal decomposition of an aryl diazonium salt. Scheme 46) was for many years the only practical method for the introduction of a fluorine atom into an aromatic ring not bearing electron-withdrawing substituents. This reaction, first reported in the late 1800s, was studied in fluorine-18 chemistry as early as 1967 [214]. It involves the generation of an aryl cation by thermal decomposition, which then reacts with solvent, nucleophiles or other species present to produce a substituted aromatic compound. Use of fluorine-18-labelled... 

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