Methyl isocyanate dimerization

In this volume, we have already examined some alternatives to the synthesis in situ and/or to the use of methyl isocyanate. We thought that 1,3-dimethyl diazetidine dione (XII) (methyl isocyanate dimer) should be a suitable methyl isocyanate precursor which can release methyl isocyanate in safe conditions. This dimer was prepared from N-chlorocarbonyl-N-methyl N -methyl urea (XI) obtained by phosgenation of N,N -dimethyl urea as previously described in scheme 156, section 3-3-4. Cyclization of (XI) in a suitable solvent and in presence of a base such as DABCO afforded the expected dimer (XII) as depicted in scheme 220. 

The structures of lithium and sodium cyanates and isocyanates and their related ion-pair 5n2 reactions have been examined by using quantum mechanics at the Hartree-Fock (HF)/6-31G V/HF/6-31G level. (The cyanate ion is NCO the isocyanate ion is CNO. ) The isocyanate ion pairs are the most stable monomeric forms the lowest energy dimers are planar eight-membered rings. For the ionic 5 n2 reaction of cyanate ion with MeF or MeCl, methyl isocyanate is the predicted major product. Predictions about the 5ivr2 reactions of the ion pairs were also made. 

Methyl isocyanate and all isocyanic acid esters are an interesting and highly reactive class of organic compounds, since the isocyanate group (-NC0) reacts readily with a wide variety of compounds as well as with itself to form dimers, trimers, ureas, and carbodi-imides. Methyl isocyanate (MIC) is an intermediate in the preparation of carbamate pesticides and conceivably could be applied to the production of special heterocyclic polymers and derivatives. 

A dimeric form of SbC NCO (98), stable at low temperatures, has been isolated from a reaction between KSbCl5NCO and SbCls in solution in liquid SO2, but above room temperature the rearrangement to an s-triazene derivative (99) has been confirmed by an X-ray study. A new heterocycle (100) has been synthesized by the action of water on the formamidinium salt [C1C(0)N-MeCClNMeC(0)Cl] SbCle, which is the initial product when SbCls and methyl isocyanate are refluxed in carbon tetrachloride. ... 

The kinetics and mechanism of the phosphorus-catalysed dimerization of acrylonitrile to give 1,4-dicyanobut-l-ene and 2,4-dicyanobut-l-ene have been studied.114 The reactions of aryhminodimagnesium (138) with //-substituted p-cyanobenzophenones, l-cyano-9-fluorenenone, o-, m-, and p-dicyanobcnzcnes, and o-, m-, and p-nitrobenzonitriles have been examined.115 The effect of pressure on the reaction of 3 -methyl- l-(4-tolyl)triazene (139) and benzoic acid in chloroform and acetonitrile has been studied.116 The effect of acids on the rate of urethane formation from alcohols and isocyanates in the presence of alkyltin carboxylates has been examined.117 A Hammett a value has been reported for the amidine group N=CHNMe2 and used for the prediction of the basicity of sites in bifunctional amidines.118... 

Irradiation of a benzene solution of 5-phenyl Af-benzoylformyl-A-p-tolylthiocar-bamate 48a (Scheme 23) gave 5-phenyl-5-phenylthio-3-p-tolyloxazolidine-2,4-dione 49a in 61% yield accompanied by oxazolidine-2,4-dione dimer (15%), p-tolyl isocyanate (22%), and diphenyl disulfide [29]. Photolysis of 48a in the solid state gave oxazolidine-2,4-dione 49a in 96% yield. For the N-methyl derivative, 48b, compared to the solution photochemistry in which only 8% of oxazolidinedi-one 49b was obtained with a complex mixture, radical cyclization proceeds selectively to give oxazolidinedione in 75% yield in the solid state. Whereas N-p-tolyl and A-methyl derivatives, 48a and 48b, formed achiral crystals, the N-benzyl derivative 48c crystallized in chiral space group P2. Photolysis of the chiral... 

The P-alkyl iminophosphoranes are considerably more reactive than the P-aryl compounds, but iminophosphoranes with alkoxy or chloro groups are also known to participate in the reaction. N-alkyl- or N-aryltrichloroiminophosphoranes are usually obtained as four membered ring dimers, which on thermolysis generate the monomers. For example, thermolysis of the dimeric N-methyltrichloroiminophosphorane 63 in o-dichlorobenzene in the presence of phenyl isocyanate affords N-methyl-N -phenylcarbodiimide 64 in 57 % yield. 

Catalysts which have been found to promote dimerization of phenyl isocyanate include pyridine (11), methylpyridine (12), triethylamine (13), X-methyl- (or ethyl-)morpholine, triethylphosphine, and other alkyl or alkyl-arylphosphines (14, 15). Alkylphosphines bring about a very violent polymerization since they act as active catalysts and the polymerization is quite exothermic. Triphenylphosphine is inactive. Alkyl-arylphosphines are not as active as alkylphosphines and permit better control of the reaction. Another convenient method (14, 16) for control of phosphine-catalyzed dimerization involves the addition of an alkylating agent such as benzyl chloride in an amount stoichioraetrically equivalent to the substituted phosphine present. Complete deactivation of the catalyst results. By this means the reaction may be mitigated or even quenched and then activated by the addition of more catalyst. 

The structure of the isocyanate affects its tendency to polymerize. While diisocyanates can polymerize to form resins due to cross-linking, the dimer of toluene 2,4-diisocyanate is readily formed as a separate compound. This is because the isocyanate group ortho to the methyl is relatively much less active than the para-isocyanate group ... 

For catalyzed dimerization of phenyl isocyanate to diphenylcarbodiimide, see 3-Methyl-1 -ethyl-3-phospholene-1 -oxide. 

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