Nitration agents

The function of the sulphuric acid is to furnish a strongly acid medium and to convert the nitric acid into the highly reactive nitronium ion NOj+, which is the real nitrating agent ... 

This salt turned out to be remarkably stable and a powerful, convenient nitrating agent for a wide variety of aromatics (and later also aliphatics). Over the years, this chemistry was further developed, and nitronium tetrafluoroborate is still a widely used commercially available nitrating agent. 

Nitric acid being the solvent, terms involving its concentration cannot enter the rate equation. This form of the rate equation is consistent with reaction via molecular nitric acid, or any species whose concentration throughout the reaction bears a constant ratio to the stoichiometric concentration of nitric acid. In the latter case the nitrating agent may account for any fraction of the total concentration of acid, provided that it is formed quickly relative to the speed of nitration. More detailed information about the mechanism was obtained from the effects of certain added species on the rate of reaction. 

Nitronium salts of many acids have been prepared, " and some are commercially available. They have been used as nitrating agents ( 4-4-2). 

Addition of water to solutions of nitric acid in 90% sulphuric acid reduces rates of nitration. Between 90% and 85% sulphuric acid the decrease in rate parallels the accompanying fall in the concentration of nitronium ions. This is good evidence for the operation of the nitronium ion as the nitrating agent, both in solutions more acidic than 90% and in weakly diluted solutions in which nitronium ion is still spectroscopically detectable. 

Solutions of dinitrogen tetroxide (the mixed anhydride of nitric and nitrous acids) in sulphuric acid are nitrating agents ( 4.3.2), and there is no doubt that the effective reagent is the nitronium ion. Its formation has been demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy and by cryoscopy ... 

Molar ratio of alkylbenzene to benzene No. of equivs. of aromatics in solution in which nitrating agent is consumed Products Relative rate... 

Such arguments are based on the assumption that the nitronium ion is the nitrating agent in all of the media under consideration as regards nitration with acetyl nitrate, they certainly do not prove the efficacy of the nitronium ion unless the participation of the latter can be shown to be also consistent with the kinetic evidence. 

The fact that nitration with acetyl nitrate is sometimes accompanied by acetoxylation has been mentioned ( 5.3.3). In proposing the ion pair ACONO2H+ NOg- as the nitrating agent, Fischer, Read and Vaughan also suggested that it was responsible for the acetoxylation, which was regarded as an electrophilic substitution. 

Dinitrogen tetroxide is an effective Eriedel-Crafts nitrating agent (152) for aromatics in the presence of aluminum chloride, ferric chloride, or sulfuric acid (153). Dinitrogen pentoxide is a powerhil nitrating agent, even in the absence of catalysts, preferably in sulfuric acid solution (154). SoHd dinitrogen pentoxide is known to be the nitronium nitrate, (N02) (N02). The use of BE as catalyst has been reported (155). 

Several electrophiles, such as acetic anhydride, nitric acid or alternative nitrating agents, such as ammonium nitrate in trifluoroacetic anhydride (41), or sodium hypochlorite, react at N-1, which is followed by reaction at N-3 under suitable conditions. In the case of acetic anhydride, the reaction can take place exclusively at N-3 if N-1 is hindered this fact has served as a criterion for studying the stereochemistry of 5-spirohydantoin derivatives (42,43). 

Nitration is defined in this article as the reaction between a nitration agent and an organic compound that results in one or more nitro (—NO2) groups becoming chemically bonded to an atom in this compound. Nitric acid is used as the nitrating agent to represent C-, 0-, and N-nitrations. O-nitrations result in esters. N-nitrations result in nitramines. 

Benzene, toluene, and other aromatics that are easily nitrated can sometimes be nitrated using acids having zero NO/ concentrations (see Fig. 1). Two explanations for this are (/) NO/ is actually present but in concentrations too low to be measured by Raman spectra, and (2) NO/ is hydrated to form H2N0" 2> which is also a nitrating agent. 

A considerable body of experimental results have been reported when N20 —HNO and N20 —solvent mixtures were used as nitrating agents (4,5). NO/ is produced in such mixtures as follows ... 

In addition to the conventional mixed acids commonly used to produce DNT, a mixture of NO2 and H2SO4 (8), a mixture of NO2 and oxygen (9), and just HNO (10) can also be used. TerephthaUc acid and certain substituted aromatics are more amenable to nitrations using HNO, as compared to those using mixed acids. For compounds that are easily nitratable, acetic acid and acetic anhydride are sometimes added to nitric acid (qv). Acetyl nitrate, which is a nitrating agent, is produced as an intermediate as follows ... 

Some investigators, however, beheve NO/ is the nitrating agent for these easily nitrated aromatics. 

The only method utilized commercially is vapor-phase nitration of propane, although methane (70), ethane, and butane also can be nitrated quite readily. The data in Table 5 show the typical distribution of nitroparaffins obtained from the nitration of propane with nitric acid at different temperatures (71). Nitrogen dioxide can be used for nitration, but its low boiling point (21°C) limits its effectiveness, except at increased pressure. Nitrogen pentoxide is a powerful nitrating agent for alkanes however, it is expensive and often gives polynitrated products. 

Thiophene is much more easily nitrated than benzene and it is therefore possible to use mild nitrating agents such as acetyl or benzoyl nitrate. Like pyrrole and furan the principal nitration product is the 2-derivative. The a selectivity decreases with increasing vigour of the reagent and up to 15% of the 3-isomer has been obtained. 

Nitration of 4-(2-thienyl)- (301) and 4-(3-thienyl)-pyrazoles (302) mainly occurs on the thiophene ring, but when acetyl nitrate is used as the nitration agent small quantities of products nitrated on the pyrazole ring are isolated (position of the nitro group uncertain) (80CS( 15)102). Pyrazol-l -ylpyridines (303) undergo electrophilic reactions (bromination, chlorination and nitration) preferentially in the pyrazole ring. Thus, the nitration of (303 R = R = = H) either with a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid at 10-15 °C or with... 

As Olah et al. have reported (81JOC2706), iV-nltropyrazole in the presence of Lewis or Brpnsted acid catalysts is an effective nitrating agent for aromatic substrates. The greater lability of the N—NO2 bond in iV-nltropyrazole compared with aliphatic nltramines was discussed on the basis of its molecular structure as determined by X-ray crystallography. 

The question of what other species can be the active electrophile in nitration arises in the case of nitration using solutions of nitric acid in acetic anhydride. The solutions are very potent nitrating mixtures and effect nitrations at higher rates than solutions of nitric acid in inert organic solvents. Acetyl nitrate is formed in such solutions, and mty be the actual nitrating agent. 

The active nitrating agent under these conditions is uncertain but must be some complex of nitrate with the oxyphilic lanthanide. 

Nitration Hazards arise from the strong oxidizing nature of the nitrating agents used (e.g. mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids) and from the explosive characteristics of some end products Reactions and side reactions involving oxidation are highly exothermic and may occur rapidly Sensitive temperature control is essential to avoid run-away... 

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