Nitrites aryl radicals

In contrast to the acid, sodium nitrite should not in general be added in excess. Firstly, as far as the ratio of amine to nitrite is concerned, diazotization is practically a quantitative reaction. In consequence, it provides the most important method for determining aromatic amines by titration. Secondly, an excess of nitrous acid exerts a very unfavorable influence on the stability of diazo solutions, as was shown by Gies and Pfeil (1952). Mechanistically the reactions between aromatic diazonium and nitrite ions were investigated more recently by Opgenorth and Rtichardt (1974). They showed that the primary and major reaction is the formation of aryl radicals from the intermediate arenediazonitrite (Ar —N2 —NO2). Details will be discussed in the context of homolytic dediazoniations (Secs. 8.6 and 10.6). 

The formation of aryl radicals from benzenediazonium ions, initiated by electron transfer from a nitrite ion, has already been discussed in Section 8.6. It is an excellent example of a dediazoniation assisted by a donor species that is capable of forming a relatively stable species on release of an electron, in this case a nitrogen dioxide radical NO2 (Opgenorth and Rtichardt, 1974). 

The sum of all results is consistent with the formation of both the aryl cation and the aryl radical in the aqueous acid system without copper, and with the dominance of the aryl radical in the presence of copper. The product ratios are also qualitatively consistent with the hypothesis that the reactivity of aryl cations with nucleophiles is close to that of a diffusion-controlled process (see Sec. 8.3), and that aryl radicals have arylation rate constants that are about two orders of magnitude smaller than that for diffusion control (0.4-1.7 X 107 m-1s-1 Kryger et al., 1977 Scaiano and Stewart, 1983). Due to the relatively low yields of these dediazoniations in the pentyl nitrite/benzene systems, no conclusions should be drawn from the results. 

There is evidence that the reaction with alkyl nitrites also involves attack by aryl radicals. 

The reaction gives better yield with dienes, styrenes, or alkenes substituted with EWGs than with simple alkenes. These groups increase the rate of capture of the aryl radical. The standard conditions for the Meerwein arylation employ aqueous solutions of diazonium ions. Conditions for in situ diazotization by f-butyl nitrite in the presence of CuCl2 and acrylonitrile or styrene are also effective.115... 

The homolytic arylation of benzo[6]furan has been studied using aryl radicals generated by decomposition of 1,3-diaryltriazenes in the presence of isopentyl nitrite at 120 °C (79JHC97), or phenyl radicals produced by the decomposition of N- nitrosoacetanilide at 40 °C. The major position of attack is the 2-position (75.9%), but some occurs at the 4-(17.5%) and 7-positions (6.6%). Benzo[6]furan is 8.3 times more reactive than benzene and 1.26 times more reactive than benzo[6 Jthiophene. 

Generation of an aryl radical and an aryl cation from a diazonium salt are easy processes. Both species are very reactive and are readily trapped by a wide variety of nucleophiles. Conversion of an amino group into a nitro group involves reaction of a diazonium fluoroborate with aqueous sodium nitrite solution in the presence of copper powder (Scheme 8.22). 

The aiyl radical thus formed attacks the substrate to give the intermediate 42 (see p. 940), from which the radical 41 abstracts hydrogen to give the product, 43. A -Nitroso amides probably rearrange to A -acyloxy compounds (44), which cleave to give aryl radicals. " There is evidence that the reaction with alkyl nitrites also involves attack by aryl radicals. ... 

Only the last method, developed by Rapoport s group [95], is a versatile, chemoselective, and high-yielding. The method is accomplished by adding an alkyl nitrite (2 eq.) to a cold acetone solution of a Pschorr s amine substrate (1 eq.) and sulfuric acid (2 eq.) followed by sodium iodide. Here the iodide serves as a one-electron reductant, which converts an aryldiazonium salt to an aryl radical [95,96]. Then, the fast intramolecular arylation takes place with formation of the phenanthrene structure. While the older Pschorr methods gave very low yields, often under 20%, the Rapoport s method introduced significant improvements as the yields were 45-71% [95]. For example, polymethoxy compound 52 was converted to phenanthrene 53 in 71% yield [95], respectively. Scheme 22. 

Another convenient source of aryl radicals involves reaction of aromatic amines with an alkyl nitrite in organic solvent. The nitrosated aniline is the precursor of the radical. The radicals generated in this way have been used to synthesize biphenyls. 

The formation of aryl chlorides from arenediazonium ions on reaction with copperfi) chloride is known as the Sandmeyer reaction and also involves the intermediacy of aryl radicals [192]. Copper salts are similarly involved in the reactions of diazonium ions with cyanide, nitrite, and sulfur dioxide. The uses of arenediazonium salts in synthetic reactions forming carbon-carbon, carbon-sulfur, and carbon-boron bonds have been summarized recently [193]. 

The first step of the mechanism leading The electrochemical study of the seven-to the formation of 8 and free nitrite coordinate complex [Mo(N2RR )(dtc)3]+ from the reaction of 7 with O2 probably 9+ (R, R = alkyl or aryl, dtc = 5 2CNMe2) involved a single electron transfer. Sub- provided an example of electrode-induced sequent radical-radical coupling of the activation of a hydrazido(2—) ligand. Corn-products, to afford a molybdenum-bound plex 9+ was shown to reduce in two nitrate, followed by N—O bond cleavage separate diffusion-controlled one-electron would eventually lead to the observed steps, with the first one reversible on the products (Sch. 8) [27]. CV timescale at room temperature and... 

Aminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines 257 were converted into the corresponding 4-aryl substituted derivatives 259 via treatment with alkyl nitrites and boiling in aromatic solvent. The isomer distribution of 259 prepared by these route was that predicted for a radical intermediate (ortho, meta, and para). The structure of isomers was established by H-NMR. Unusual fragmentation products were isolated these probably result from collapse of the radical intermediate 258 (83JOC4605). Methylation of 257 takes place at either N-1 or N-2. Further methylation affords methylamino derivatives structures of the products were established by C-NMR as well as by chemical methods (75JOC1822). 

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