Diazonium salts, coupling from aromatic compounds

Arylamines are converted by diazotization with nitrous acid into arenediazonium salts, ArN2+ X-. The diazonio group can then be replaced by many other substituents in the Sandmeyer reaction to give a wide variety of substituted aromatic compounds. Aryl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and nitriles can be prepared from arenediazonium salts, as can arenes and phenols. In addition to their reactivity toward substitution reactions, diazonium salts undergo coupling with phenols and arylamines to give brightly colored azo dyes. 

Azo coupling of diazonium salts with aromatic (or pseudoaromatic) hydrocarbons is possible if the coupling agent is highly substituted. For example, azo compounds have been produced from pentamethylbenzene [12], benzpyrene [13], and azulene [1-4]. 

Since A,A -disubstituted hydrazines are readily available from a variety of sources (see Volume I, Chapter 14), their dehydrogenation constitutes a widely applicable route to both aliphatic and aromatic azo compounds. Such oxidative procedures are of particular value in the aliphatic series because so many of the procedures applicable to aromatic compounds, such as the coupling with diazonium salts, have no counterpart. The oxidation reactions permit the formation not only of azoalkanes, but also of a host of azo compounds containing other functional groups, e.g., a-carbonyl azo compounds [83], a-nitrile azo compounds [84], azo derivatives of phosphoric acid [85], phenyl-phosphoric acid derivatives [86],... 

As might be expected, the stability and reactivity of diazonium salts are affected by substituents as well as by the anion. The rate of coupling and the location of the azo bond are influenced by substituents on the coupling reagent. Some primary and secondary aromatic amines derived from benzene initially form A-azo compounds, which rearrange to p-aminoazo compounds in acidic media [8b, c]. Tertiary amines, on the other hand, behave normally. Preparation 2-3, while of a rather complex molecule, illustrates the simple techniques commonly used in coupling in an aqueous system. Note the presumed preferential tendency of coupling to take place predominantly in the para position. 

The 4-aminopyridine derivative 92, prepared from the reaction of ethyl benzoylacetate and malononitrile dimer 91, undergoes the coupling reaction with aromatic diazonium salts to afford azo derivatives such as 93. Under refluxing conditions in ethanolic sodium hydroxide, these azo compounds cyclize to pyrido[3,2-f]pyridazines and pyrido[3,2-r]-pyridazino[2, 3 - ]quinazolines (Scheme 15) <2005AP329>. 

Salts of primary aromatic amines react with nitrous acid to produce diazonium salts. The reaction is usually performed by adding a cold solution of sodium nitrite to a cold solution of the arylamine in aqueous mineral acid. The end point of the reaction is conveniently determined by the detection of excess nitrous acid with potassium iodide-starch paper. Sulfamic acid has long been used both in industry and in the laboratory to remove excess nitrous acid. It has been found to react with the more active diazo compounds. In most cases, high temperatures are avoided to prevent the formation of phenols and the decomposition of the unstable nitrous acid. An excess of mineral acid is necessary to prevent coupling between the diazonium salt and unreacted amine (cf. method 494). If the amine salt is somewhat insoluble, a fine crystalline form, which is produced by rapid crystallization from a warm aqueous solution, may be employed. ... 

In each case, the mechanism involves generation of an aryl radical from a covalent azo compound. In acid solution, diazonium salts are ionic and their reactions are polar. When they cleave, the product is an aryl cation (see p. 856). However, in neutral or basic solution, diazonium ions are converted to covalent compounds, and these cleave to give free radicals (Ar and Z"). Note that radical reactions are presented in Chapter 14, but the coupling of an aromatic ring with an aromatic compound containing a leaving group prompted its placement here. Note the similarity to the Suzuki reaction in 13-12. 

Problem 23.20 (a) Coupling of diazonium salts with primary or secondary aromatic amines (but not with tertiary aromatic amines) is complicated by a side reaction that yields an isomer of the azo compound. Judging from the reaction of secondary aromatic amines with nitrous acid (S. 23.10), suggest a possible structure for this by-product. 

The azo compounds are important chromophores because of extended electronic delocalisation between the two aromatic rings via the azo bond. The darkness of the dye is enhanced by extensive delocalisation combined with several sulfonic acid groups which function as auxochromes. An example is provided by Naphthol Blue Black B (10), prepared from 8-amino-l-hydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid (H-acid) (11) by coupling it in the 7-position with diazotised p-nitroaniline in acidic solution and subsequently coupling in the 2-position with diazotised aniline in alkaline solution (Scheme 3). The H-acid (11) is a very versatile component in dye manufacture because it can couple with diazonium salts in either the 2-position or 7-position depending on the pH of the reaction medium, as indicated in Scheme 3. 

Amines are characterized by their basicity and, thus, by their ability to dissolve in dilute aqueous acid (Sections 20.3A, 20.3E). Moist pH paper can be used to test for the presence of an amine functional group in an unknown compound. If the compound is an amine, the pH paper shows the presence of a base. The unknown amine can then readily be classified as 1°, 2°, or 3° by IR spectroscopy (see below). Primary, secondary, and tertiary amines can also be distinguished from each other on the basis of the Hinsberg test (Section 20.9A). Primary aromatic amines are often detected through diazonium salt formation and subsequent coupling with 2-naphthol to form a brightly colored azo dye (Section 20.8). 

Nonetheless, derivatization methods have been successfully employed [56-58,65], most notably via use of the diazonium salt of 4-nitroaniline, For instance, in the study of phenylamide pesticides, no resonance was observed from these colorless compounds however, after derivation to azo dyes, detection limits of (2-4) X 10 M were achieved for monuron, diuron, a-napthylacetamide, and /3-napthylacetamide. Selectivity in distinguishing derivatized products from isomers of monosubstituted phenols (i.e., ortho, meta, and para) has also been shown to be successful, as illustrated in Fig. 8. Moreover, coupling the sensitivity and selectivity of RRS to the well-known spot-test method (qualitatively identifies colorless solutions only by visual identification of the colored products), a more accurate and sensitive characterization method of trace organic compounds is achieved. Such work has been conducted by Nakamura et al. in the characterization and detection of phenols and heterocyclic aromatic compounds on fruit rinds and food preservatives [58]. 

Another, especially historically important copper-mediated radical aryl-aryl bond forming reaction is the Pschorr reaction (Gomberg-Bachmann reaction), which has been first described in 1896 for the preparation of phenanthrene and its derivatives [85]. Later, in 1924, Gomberg and Bachmann described an intermolecular version of this reaction and prepared several biphenyl derivatives in moderate yield [86]. The reaction is initiated by formation of diazonium salts from aromatic amines, which release nitrogen upon reaction with copper salts. The intermediary formed aryl radial then undergoes the desired coupling reaction and allows the isolation of biaryl compounds. An example of such a reaction is outlined in Scheme 12.23 [87],... 

Another synthetic dye used to color natural and polymeric textiles are azo (azoic) dyes. Azo dyes are made from the reaction of both a coupling and diazo compound in water into a diazonium salt on liber substrates, typically at temperatures below ambient. These dyes are becoming less prevalent as their chlorinated aromatic amine byproducts are toxic and the dyes themselves are not biodegradable. 

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