Dinitrobenzenes

CfiHgNj. Colourless crystals m.p. 63 C, b.p. 2%TC. Turns brown in air. Prepared by a one-stage reduction of m-dinitrobenzene with iron and hydrochloric acid. 

Naphthalene, oxalic acid (hydrated), cinnamic acid, acetamide, benzamide, m-dinitrobenzene,/>-nitrophenol, toluene p-sulphon-... 

To purify the crude dinitrobenzene, transfer it to a 200 ml. conical flask fitted with a reflux water-condenser, add about 100 ml. of rectified spirit, and heat on a water-bath until the... 

If an impure and discoloured sample of m-dinitrobenzene is used in the above preparation, add some animal charcoal to the solution immediately prior to the 20 minutes boiling the use of charcoal is to be avoided when possible, however, as it is liable to absorb an appreciable quantity of the /-nitroanilinc. 

The iodine atom in iodobenzene (unlike that in the corresponding aliphatic compounds) is very resistant to the action of alkalis, potassium cyanide, silver nitrite, etc. This firm attachment of the iodine atom to the benzene ring is typical of aromatic halides generally, although in suitably substituted nitio-compounds, such as chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, the halogen atom does possess an increased reactivity (p. 262). 

Dinitrophenylhydrazine is a very important reagent for the identification of aldehydes and ketones (pp. 342, 346). It is readily prepared from chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (I). In the latter compound the chlorine is very reactive in... 

Only the mono-amines are described here. The diamines are more frequently encountered as reduction products of dinitrobenzenes and nitro-anilines, and the chief reactions of the phenylenediamines are therefore given in Section 23, pp. 384-388. 

Physical Properties. Nitrobenzene, C HjNOj pale yellow liquid, insoluble in and heavier than water, characteristic odour of bitter almonds, (similar to that of benzaldehyde and benzonitrile). /> Nitro toluene, C,H4(CH3)N02, usually pale yellow solid, insoluble in water, m-Dinitrobenzene, C8H4(N02)g, colourless solid when pure, but often pale yellow insoluble in water. 

Yellow. Quinones, m- and p-nitroaniline, o-nitrophenol, and many other nitrO"Compounds. [Note that some nitro-compounds often appear yellow (e.g. m-dinitrobenzene and 3, 5 -dinitro-benzoic acid), but are colourless when absolutely pure.] Iodoform. 

Nitrobenzene. Nitrobenzene, of analytical reagent quality, is satisfactory for most purposes. The technical product may contain dinitrobenzene and other impurities, whilst the recovered solvent may be contaminated with aniline. Most of the impurities may be removed by steam distillation after the addition of dilute sulphuric acid the nitrobenzene in the distillate is separated, dried with calcium chloride and distilled. The pure substance has b.p. 210°/760 mm. and m.p. 5 -7°. 

Choice of solvent for recrystallisation. Obtain small samples (about 0 5 g.) of the following compounds from the storeroom (i) salicylic acid, (Li) acetanilide, (iii) m-dinitrobenzene, (iv) naphthalene, and (v) p-toluene-sulphonamide. Use the following solvents distilled water, methylated spirit, rectified spirit, acetone, benzene and glacial acetic acid. 

Benzene. Add 0 5 ml. of benzene slowly and with shaking and cooling to a mixture of 4 ml. each of concentrated sulphuric and nitric acids. Heat the mixture carefully until it just boils, cool and pour into excess of cold water. Filter oflF the precipitate, wash it free from acid and recrystalhse it from dilute alcohol. m-Dinitrobenzene m.p. 90°, is formed. 

Nitrations are usually carried out at comparatively low temperatures at higher temperatures there may be loss of material because of the oxidising action of the nitric acid. For substances which do not nitrate readily with a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulphuric acids ( mixed acid ), the intensity of the reaction may be increased inler alia by the use of fuming sulphuric acid (containing up to 60 per cent, of sulphur trioxide) or by fuming nitric acid. Thus nitrobenzene is converted by a mixture of fuming nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric acid into about 90 per cent, of wi-dinitrobenzene and small amounts of the o- and p-isomers the latter are eliminated in the process of recrystallisation ... 

A brief account of aromatic substitution may be usefully given here as it will assist the student in predicting the orientation of disubstituted benzene derivatives produced in the different substitution reactions. For the nitration of nitrobenzene the substance must be heated with a mixture of fuming nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric acid the product is largely ni-dinitrobenzene (about 90 per cent.), accompanied by a little o-dinitrobenzene (about 5 per cent.) which is eliminated in the recrystallisation process. On the other hand phenol can be easily nitrated with dilute nitric acid to yield a mixture of ortho and para nitrophenols. It may be said, therefore, that orientation is meta with the... 

Transfer the crude dinitrobenzene to a 250 ml. flask fitted with a reflux condenser, add 80-100 ml. of methylated (or rectified) spirit and heat on a water bath until all the crystalline solid dissolves. If the resulting solution is not quite clear, filter it through a fluted filter paper on a large funnel which has previously been warmed or through a warm Buchner funnel. Colourless crystals of m-dinitrobenzene (15 g.) are deposited on cooling. If the m.p. is below 89-90°, recrystaUisation is necessary. 

It is convenient to include under Aromatic Amines the preparation of m-nitroaniline as an example of the selective reduction of one group in a polynitro compound. When wt-dinitrobenzene is allowed to react with sodium polysulphide (or ammonium sulphide) solution, only one of the nitro groups is reduced and m-nitroanUine results. Some sulphur separates, but the main reaction is represented by ... 

An interesting application of the diazo reaction is to the preparation of the otherwise difficultly accessible o- and />-dinitrobenzenes o- or p-rutrophenyl-diazonium fluoborates react with sodium nitrite in the presence of copper powder to yield o- or p-dinitrobenzene ... 

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