Hydrazobenzenes

M.p. 127 5°C. Dibasic, readily diazotizes. Prepared by treating hydrazobenzene with hydrochloric acid, intramolecular rearrangement taking place. 

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. 

When hydrazobenzene, or 5ym-diphenylhydrazine, is warmed with acids, it undergoes an intramolecular rearrangement, with the formation of benzidine,... 

Required Hydrazobenzene, lo g. zinc dust, lo g. HYDRAZOBENZENE. The above preparation of benzidine... 

Add 10 g. of the crude hydrazobenzene to 80 ml. of ethanol contained in a flask fitted with a reflux water-condenser. Heat the mixture on a water-bath until the ethanol bolls, and then add 10 g. of zinc dust and 30 ml. of 30% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. Remove the flask from the water-bath and shake the contents vigorously from time to time. After about 10 minutes, replace the flask on the water-bath and boil the contents for 3-5 minutes. Filter the mixture at the pump, transfer the filtrate to a beaker and cool in ice-water with stirring. The hydrazobenzene separates as colourless crystals, which are filtered off at the pump and drained. A portion when dried in a desiccator has m.p. 124°. 

Further reduction in alkaline solution (say, with zinc powder) leads to azobenzene and hydrazobenzene ... 

Reduction of nitrobenzene in methyl or ethyl alcoholic sodium hydroxide solution with zinc powder leads to azobenzene or hydrazobenzene according to the proportion of zinc powder employed ... 

Hydrazobenzene may be oxidised to azobenzene by sodium hypobromite solution at 0°. 

In the presence of acids, hydrazobenzene rearranges to give about 0 per cent, of benzidine (4 4 -diaminodiphenyl) and about 30 per cent, of diphenyline (2 4 -diaminodiphenyl) ... 

The conversion of a hydrazobenzene into a diaminodiphenyl upon treatment with acid is termed the benzidine rearrangement. The following mechanism for the formation of benzidine from hydrazobenzene appears reasonable ... 

Method 2 (from hydrazobenzene). Prepare a solution of sodium hypobromite by adding 10 g. (3-2 ml.) of bromine dropwise to a cold solution of 6-0 g. of sodium hydroxide in 75 ml. of water immersed in an ice bath. Dissolve 9-5 g. of hydrazobenzene (Section IV,87) in 60 ml. of ether contained in a separatory funnel, and add the cold sodimn hypobromite solution in small portions. Shake for 10 minutes, preferably mechanically. Separate the ether layer, pour it into a 100 ml. distilling flask, and distil off the ether by warming gently on a water bath. Dissolve the warm liquid residue in about 30 ml. of alcohol, transfer to a small beaker, heat to boiling on a water bath, add water dropwise to the hot solution until the azobenzene just commences to separate, render the solution clear again with a few drops of alcohol, and cool in ice water. Filter the orange crystals at the pump, and wash with a little 50 per cent, alcohol. Dry in the air. The yield is 8 g. 

Owing to the great tendency of hydrazobenzene to undergo oxidation, all operations involving filtration should be carried out as rapidly as possible and air should not be drawn through it unnecessarily. The substance should be dried in a vacuum desiccator it can only be preserved in a colourless condition if it is kept in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide or nitrogen or in sealed vessels. 

If the methyl alcohol is distilled off before thorough cooling in a freezing mixture, the yield of hydrazobenzene is appreciably increased, but the product is considerably more coloured due to admixture with a trace of azobenzene. About 12 g. of impure hydrazobenzene may be recovered by distilling off the methyl alcohol from the hltrato after the colourless hydrazobenzene has been collected. 

Dissolve 9-5 g. of hydrazobenzene (Section IV,87) in the minimum volume of ether (about 90 ml. are usually required), and add this solution in small portions from a separatory funnel to 100 ml. of ice-cold dilute hydrochloric acid (1 1) contained in a 350 ml. conical flask stopper the flask and shake after each addition. Benzidine hydrochloride separates out during the reaction. After all the hydrazobenzene has been introduced, add 50 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid and allow the mixture to stand for 30 minutes in ice water. Filter the benzidine hydrochloride at the pump, wash it first with 20 ml. of dilute hydrochloric acid (1 1) and then with two or three 20 ml. portions of ether (to dissolve any unchanged hydrazobenzene) (1). 

Nitrogen Compound Autoxidation. CycHc processes based on the oxidation of hydrazobenzene and dihydrophenazine to give hydrogen peroxide and the corresponding azobenzene—phenazine were developed in the United States and Germany during World War II. However, these processes could not compete economically with the anthrahydroquinone autoxidation process. 

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. 

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... 

In the alkylation of l-phenylpyrazole-3,5-diones both carbon and oxygen compete successfully with nitrogen (B-76MI40402). Phenylbutazone (Section 4.04.4.1.1) can be prepared by reaction of l,2-diphenylpyrazole-3,5-dione with -butyl halides and alkali, even if the industrial procedure uses -butyl malonic diesters and hydrazobenzene (Section 4.04.3.1.2(h)). 

ZININ Benzidine (semidine) Rearrangement Acid catatyzed rearrangement of hydrazobenzenes to benzidines and sermdines... 

Diphenylhydrazine (hydrazobenzene) [122-66-7] M 184.2, m 34°, 44°, 175°/10mm, 222°/40mm, pKe i -1.7. Crystd from hot EtOH containing a little ammonium sulfide or H2SO3 (to prevent atmospheric oxidation), preferably under nitrogen. Dried in a vacuum desiccator. Also crystd from pet ether (b 60-100°) to constant absorption spectrum. HCl, from EtOH has m 163-164°(dec). Picrate, from C6H6, has m 123°(dec). 

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