Lead azide synthesis

A better method for preparing primary amines is to use the azide synthesis, in which azjde ion, N3, is used for SN2 reaction with a primary or secondary alkyl halide to give an alkyl azide, RN3. Because alkyl azides are not nucleophilic, overalkylation can t occur. Subsequent reduction of the alkyl azide, either by catalytic hydrogenation over a palladium catalyst or by reaction with LiAlK4. then leads to the desired primary amine. Although the method works well, low-molecular-weight alkyl azides are explosive and must be handled carefully. 

Our new method of isolating sodium nitrotetrazolate dihydrate produces material in high yield, without the intermediate handling of sensitive explosive compounds. This produced NaNT is of sufficient purity for the preparation of DBX-1 of the quality that is required to replace lead azide. However, it does appear that the DBX-1 used as a seed crystal in the synthesis of DBX-1 influences the behavior of the end product. 

For the terrorist, TATP and HMTD offer easy sources of primary explosives. Consulting the do-it-yourself literature, it can be seen that there are two other commonly recommended primary explosives—lead azide Pb(N3)2 and mercury fulminate Hg(ONC)2, but these are difficult to prepare cleanly. The synthesis of diazodinitrophenol (DDNP) (Fig. 2.5), common in commercial detonators, is reported in such publications, but apparently is rarely attempted by clandestine chemists. Typically, the brisance of a primary is less than TNT, but the efficacy is the fact that a shock wave can result from a relatively mild insult. 

The introduction of LA into commercial detonators resulted in an unacceptably high level of explosions during manufacture and use and hence its use was discontinued until it could be prepared in less sensitive form. A number of methods have been used to prepare LA in a less sensitive form. The main control of properties is by synthesis rather than by any other approach. Lead azide compositions RD 1343 (improved CMC co-precipitated LA), RD 1352 (improved dextrinated LA) and Service lead azide (SLA) illustrate some modified LAs which are used depending on the requirements. Different processes developed for the modification of LA may be summarized as follows ... 

The base-catalyzed condensation of a-azido esters and ketones with aromatic aldehydes has recently been developed as a new vinyl azide synthesis.42,43 The yields range from moderate to excellent in some cases. The thermal decomposition of ethyl a-azidocinnamate (87) in xylene gives only 2-ethoxycarbonylindole (88).44 The unstable 2-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenyl-l-azirine could be detected if the thermolysis was carried out at a lower temperature. This fact indicates that the 1-azirine is probably an intermediate leading to the indole, although the intermediacy of the vinyl nitrene could not be established. This result is similar to that observed by Isomura et al. on the pyrolysis of terminal vinyl azides.27,28... 

The first three steps show that the reaction sequence in Figure 14.45 actually provides a widely applicable approach to such a-aminophosphonic acids. The step leading to the acyl azide F, i.e., the nitrite oxidation of an acyl hydrazide (Formula C in Figure 14.45), is as commonly used for the preparation of an acyl azide synthesis as that shown in Figure 14.44. 

Azido compounds are chemically active. After being illuminated or heated, they decompose to azenes, which are very reactive. Most of azido compounds are explosive, which should be used with caution. The reactions of halogenerated hydrocarbons, aryl chlorides, or diazonium salts with sodium azide, or the reactions of acrylhydrazines with nitrous acid, produce corresponding azido compounds. Azido compounds are reagents for organic synthesis. Lead azide is the most important composition of propellants in industry. 

Sodium azide is fairly safe to handle and has many uses, while heavy-metal (e.g. lead) azides are shock-sensitive explosives used as detonators [28, 29], Perhaps the most widespread use of an azide is that of sodium azide in airbags, where thermally induced ignition releases nitrogen (for current applications of azides, consult the internet). An important use of the azide ion is the preparation of organic azides, which are important in synthesis [30]. The azide ion is linear and centrosym-metric [31],... 

Uses Propellant in inflatable automotive airbags preservative in diagnostic medicinals intermediate in explosive mfg. in organic synthesis prep, of hydrazoic acid, lead azide, pure sodium agric. nematicide herbicide in fruit rot control... 

Before Raap, Gaponik et al. [37] improved the synthesis reported by Stolle et al. [38]. By reacting thiosemicarbazide with lead oxide and sodium azide in a CO2 atmosphere, a carbodiimide intermediate is formed and reacts in situ with HN3 to lead to 1,5-DAT (Fig. 10). Unfortunately, this reaction leads to large amounts of lead azide as the side-product, which makes this synthesis problematic for an industrial scale. 

The most recent approach to the synthesis of DAT was made at LMU Munich [39,40] and eliminates the formation of highly explosive lead azide... 

Iodine azide, on the other hand, forms pure adducts with A -, A - and A -steroids by a mechanism analogous to that proposed for iodine isocyanate additions. Reduction of such adducts can lead to aziridines. However, most reducing agents effect elimination of the elements of iodine azide from the /mwj -diaxial adducts of the A - and A -olefins rather than reduction of the azide function to the iodo amine. Thus, this sequence appears to be of little value for the synthesis of A-, B- or C-ring aziridines. It is worthy to note that based on experience with nonsteroidal systems the application of electrophilic reducing agents such as diborane or lithium aluminum hydride-aluminum chloride may yet prove effective for the desired reduction. Lithium aluminum hydride accomplishes aziridine formation from the A -adducts, Le., 16 -azido-17a-iodoandrostanes (97) in a one-step reaction. The scope of this addition has been considerably enhanced by the recent... 

Perfluoroisobutylene undergoes cycloadditions with azides only at elevated temperatures, the reaction can lead to subsequent loss of nitrogen [6] (equation 4) In another high-temperature reaction, chlorotrifluoroethylene undergoes cy cloaddition with the azomethineylide generated from the thermal electrocyclic nng opening of an azindine, a reaction that contributes to a good overall synthesis of 3,4-difluoropyrroles [7] (equation 5)... 

Intermolecular Schmidt reactions of alkyl azides and hydroxyalkyl azides with cycloketones in the presence of a Lewis acid, lead to formation of iV-alkyl lactams and A-hydroxyalkyl lactams respectively in good yield. The synthesis of chiral lactams by an asymmetric Schmidt reaction has also been reported. ... 

Because of resonance stabilization of the anion, a tet-nazolyl moiety is often employed successfully as a bioisosteric replacement for a carboxy group. An example in this subclass is provided by azosemide (27). Benzonitrile analogue is prepared by phosphorus oxychloride dehydration of the corresponding benzamide. Next, a nucleophilic aromatic displacement reaction of the fluorine atom leads to The synthesis concludes with the 1,3-dipolar addition of azide to the nitrile liinction to produce the diuretic azosemi de (27). ... 

Reductive alkylations have been carried out successfully with compounds that are not carbonyls or amines, but which are transformed during the hydrogenation to suitable functions. Azides, azo, hydrazo, nitro and nitroso compounds, oximes, pyridines, and hydroxylamines serve as amines phenols, acetals, ketals, or hydrazones serve as carbonyls 6,7,8,9,12,17,24,41,42,58). Alkylations using masked functions have been successful at times when use of unmasked functions have failed (2). In a synthesis leading to methoxatin, a key... 

Azines have been prepared by initial condensation of diethoxyphosphinyIhydrazine anions with aldehydes or ketones (Scheme 9). Phosphoryl azides undergo 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to 2-tetralone enamines to give triazolines, possibly en route to amidines. A full paper on the addition of diethyl dibromophosphoramidate to alkenes(leading to the synthesis of 2-bromoalkylamines) has appeared. ... 

Tandem azidination- and hydroazidination-Hiiisgen [3 +2] cycloadditions of ynamides are regioselective and chemoselective, leading to the synthesis of chiral amide-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles <06OBC2679>. A series of diversely l-substituted-4-amino-l,2,3-triazoles 132 were synthesized by the copper-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition between azides 130 and ynamides 131 <06T3837>. 

Deprotection of N-2 by ozonolysis furnishes triazoles 1225 (Scheme 202) <2003JA7786>. Finding that 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alkynes 1222 to trimethylsilyl azide, carried out in DMF/MeOH in the presence of Cul as a catalyst, leads directly to products 1225 with much higher yields provides a significant progress to the synthesis of N-unsubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles <2004EJO3789>. 

If the cycloaddition and cycloreversion steps occurred under the same conditions, an equilibrium would establish and a mixture of reactant and product olefins be obtained, which is a severe limitation to its synthetic use. In many cases, however, the two steps can very well be separated, with the cycloreversion under totally different conditions often showing pronounced regioselectivity, e.g. for thermodynamic reasons (product vs. reactant stability), and this type of olefin metathesis has been successfully applied to organic synthesis. In fact, this aspect of the synthetic application of four-membered ring compounds has recently aroused considerable attention, as it leads the way to their transformation into other useful intermediates. For example aza[18]annulene (371) could be synthesized utilizing a sequence of [2 + 2] cycloaddition and cycloreversion. (369), one of the dimers obtained from cyclooctatetraene upon heating to 100 °C, was transformed by carbethoxycarbene addition to two tetracyclic carboxylates, which subsequently lead to the isomeric azides (368) and (370). Upon direct photolysis of these, (371) was obtained in 25 and 28% yield, respectively 127). Aza[14]annulene could be synthesized in a similar fashion I28). 

Gilardi and co-workers reported a synthesis of 4-(trimethylsilyl)-5-nitro-1,2,3-triazole (136) via a cycloaddition between l-nitro-2-(trimethylsilyl)acetylene (134) and trimethylsilyl azide (135). This may provide a route to 4,5-dinitro-l,2,3-triazole via nitrodesilylation or lead to the synthesis of 4-amino-5-nitro-l,2,3-triazole, an isomer of ANTA. 

Systematic investigations of twofold additions of malonates to C70 revealed that the second addition takes place at one of the five a-bonds of the unfunctionalized pole [17, 26], With achiral, C2v-symmerical malonate addends, three constitutionally isomeric bisadducts are formed An achiral one (C2v-symmetrical 1), and two chiral ones (C2-symmetrical 2 and 3), which are obtained as pairs of enantiomers with an inherently chiral addition pattern (Figure 13.5). Twofold addition of chiral malonates leads to the formation of five optically active isomers, two constitutionally isomeric pairs of C2-symmetrical diastereomers and a third constitutional C2-symmetrical isomer (Figure 13.5). Twofold additions of azides to C70 lead to diazabis[70]homo-fullerenes, which served as starting material for the synthesis of bis-(aza[70]-fullerenyl) (Cg9N)2 (Chapter 12) [27]. As further bisadditions, addition reaction to C70 [2+2]cycloaddition of electron-rich bis(diethylamino)ethyne and 1-alkylthio-2-(diethylamino)ethynes [28] and the addition of transition metal fragments have been reported [29-32],... 

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