Hydroxylamines from partial hydrogenation

Urea-formaldehyde resins are generally prepared by condensation in aqueous basic medium. Depending on the intended application, a 50-100% excess of formaldehyde is used. All bases are suitable as catalysts provided they are partially soluble in water. The most commonly used catalysts are the alkali hydroxides. The pH value of the alkaline solution should not exceed 8-9, on account of the possible Cannizzaro reaction of formaldehyde. Since the alkalinity of the solution drops in the course of the reaction, it is necessary either to use a buffer solution or to keep the pH constant by repeated additions of aqueous alkali hydroxide. Under these conditions the reaction time is about 10-20 min at 50-60 C. The course of the condensation can be monitored by titration of the unused formaldehyde with sodium hydrogen sulfite or hydroxylamine hydrochloride. These determinations must, however, be carried out quickly and at as low temperature as possible (10-15 °C), otherwise elimination of formaldehyde from the hydroxymethyl compounds already formed can falsify the analysis. The isolation of the soluble condensation products is not possible without special precautions, on account of the facile back-reaction it can be done by pumping off the water in vacuum below 60 °C imder weakly alkaline conditions, or better by careful freeze-drying. However, the further condensation to crosslinked products is nearly always performed with the original aqueous solution. 

Zn(ONH2)2.3NH2OH. This salt can. be purified by recrystallization from absolute alcohol. When partially immersed in hydrazine hydrate, and partially exposed to air, it gives off hydrogen, and forms zinc hydrazinoearboxylate dihydrazinate, (NH2.NH.CO.O)2Zn(NH2NH2)2. It does not give a precipitate with a soln. of a chloride of an alkaline earth and when the soln. is boiled, the substance is hydrolyzed, and the carbonate of the alkaline earth is precipitated. There are also indications of the formation of very unstable ferrous hydroxylamite by the action of iron on hydroxylamine salts. 

The reaction sequence involved in the hydrogenation of aromatic nitro groups is shown in Scheme 19.1. This can be classed as a complex Type III selectivity. The end product from all paths is the aniline (10), but intermediates such as hydroxylamines (11), azo (12), azoxy (13), and hydrazo (14) compounds are present and can sometimes be isolated under the proper reaction conditions. In general, the dimeric products usually form in alkaline media, the partially reduced monomeric species form in neutral solutions, and anilines are produced in acid. The best yields of partially reduced products are obtained when the reaction is interrupted before it stops spontaneously and when it is carried out in the presence of various modifiers. ... 

---