Nitrene, 2- phenyl-, formation cyclization

Another example of the analogy between pyrazole and chlorine is provided by the alkaline cleavage of l-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)pyrazoles. As occurs with l-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, the phenyl substituent bond is broken with concomitant formation of 2,4-dinitrophenol and chlorine or pyrazole anions, respectively (66AHC(6)347). Heterocyclization of iV-arylpyrazoles involving a nitrene has already been discussed (Section 4.04.2.1.8(i)). Another example, related to the Pschorr reaction, is the photochemical cyclization of (515) to (516) (80CJC1880). An unusual transfer of chlorine to the side-chain of a pyrazole derivative was observed when the amine (517 X = H, Y = NH2) was diazotized in hydrochloric acid and subsequently treated with copper powder (72TL3637). The product (517 X = Cl, Y = H) was isolated. 

For most aryl azides, the rate constants of singlet nitrene decay and product formation (triplet nitrene and/or ketenimine) are the same. Thus, in all these phenyl-nitrenes cyclization to substituted benzazirines is the rate-limiting step of the process of isomerization to ketenimine, as is the case for the parent phenylnitrene. The only known exception, o-fluorophenylnitrene, will be discussed in the next section. 

H)-Oxazolones are formed by the spontaneous cyclization of /3-oxo isocyanates (equation 134). Similarly, o-hydroxyphenyl isocyanate, produced by the Curtius rearrangement of the azide of salicylic acid or by the action of sodium hypochlorite on salicylamide, forms benzoxazolone (equation 135). An analogous reaction is the formation of IV-phenyl-benzoxazolone by the action of thionyl chloride on the hydroxamic acid shown in equation (136) (78TL2325). Pyrolysis of aryl azidoformates affords benzoxazolones by nitrene insertion (equation 137) (81CC241). 

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