Nitro compound: functional group

Atoms of other elements, typically oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur, are incorporated into the basic hydrocarbon structures, usually as peripheral components known as functional groups (Table 2.1). Each functional group confers specific properties on the compound, and can be a major factor in determining the chemical behaviour of the compound. Functional groups include the hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), amino (-NH2) and nitro groups (-N02). The -OH and... 

A number of selected aromatic nitro compounds are collected in Table IV,16A, It will be noted that a few nitro aromatic esters have been included in the Table. These are given here because the nitro group may be the first functional group to be identified aromatic nitro esters should be treated as other esters and hydrolysed for final identification. 

Olah s original preparative nitrations were carried out with mixtures of the aromatic compound and nitronium salt alone or in ether, and later with sulpholan as the solvent. High yields of nitro-compounds were obtained from a wide range of aromatic compounds, and the anhydrous conditions have obvious advantages when functional groups such as cyano, alkoxycarbonyl, or halogenocarbonyl are present. The presence of basic fimctions raises difficulties with pyridine no C-nitration occurs, i-nitropyridinium being formed. ... 

AletalHydrides. Metal hydrides can sometimes be used to prepare amines by reduction of various functional groups, but they are seldom the preferred method. Most metal hydrides do not reduce nitro compounds at all (64), although aUphatic nitro compounds can be reduced to amines with lithium aluminum hydride. When aromatic amines are reduced with this reagent, a2o compounds are produced. Nitriles, on the other hand, can be reduced to amines with lithium aluminum hydride or sodium borohydride under certain conditions. Other functional groups which can be reduced to amines using metal hydrides include amides, oximes, isocyanates, isothiocyanates, and a2ides (64). 

This reaction can also be applied to tertiary nitroalkanes lacking any additional functional group. The reactions with nitro compounds lacking additional anion-stabilizing groups are carried out in DMSO solution ... 

Although the nitro group plays a crucial role in most of these SrnI reactions, reactions of this type have synthetic application beyond the area of nitro compounds. The nitromethyl groups can be converted to other functional groups, including aldehydes and carboxylic acids.Nitro groups at tertiary positions can be reductively removed by reaction with the methanethiol anion.This reaction also appears to be of the electron-transfer type, with the methanethiolate anion acting as the electron donor ... 

Aromatic Nitro Compounds with Other Functional Groups + + +... 

BF3-Et20, NaCNBHs, THF, reflux 4-24 h, 65-98% yield. Functional groups such aryl ketones and nitro compounds are reduced and electron-rich phenols tend to be alkylated with the released benzyl carbenium ion. The use of BF3 Et20 and triethylsilane as a cation scavenger is also effective." ... 

Two different sets of experimental conditions have been used. Buu-Hoi et al. and Hansen have employed the method introduced by Papa et using Raney nickel alloy directly for the desulfurization in an alkaline medium. Under these conditions most functional groups are removed and this method is most convenient for the preparation of aliphatic acids. The other method uses Raney nickel catalysts of different reactivity in various solvents such as aqueous ammonia, alcohol, ether, or acetone. The solvent and activity of the catalyst can have an appreciable influence on yields and types of compounds formed, but have not yet been investigated in detail. In acetic anhydride, for instance, desulfurization of thiophenes does not occur and these reaction conditions have been employed for reductive acetylation of nitrothiophenes. Even under the mildest conditions, all double bonds are hydrogenated and all halogens removed. Nitro and oxime groups are reduced to amines. 

Another important feature of the Nef reaction is the possible use of a CH-NO2 function as an umpoled carbonyl function. A proton at a carbon a to a nitro group is acidic, and can be abstracted by base. The resulting anionic species has a nucleophilic carbon, and can react at that position with electrophiles. In contrast the carbon center of a carbonyl group is electrophilic, and thus reactive towards nucleophiles. 1,4-Diketones 4 can for example be prepared from a-acidic nitro compounds by a Michael additionfNef reaction sequence " ... 

Many pharmacologically active compounds have been synthesized using 5-bromoisoquinoline or 5-bromo-8-nitroisoquinoline as building blocks.6 7 8 9 10 11 The haloaromatics participate in transition-metal couplings 81012 and Grignard reactions. The readily reduced nitro group of 5-bromo-8-nitroisoquinoline provides access to an aromatic amine, one of the most versatile functional groups. In addition to N-alkylation, TV-acylation and diazotiation, the amine may be utilized to direct electrophiles into the orthoposition. 

With some alkenes, the initial p-halo nitroso compound is oxidized by the NOCl to a P-halo nitro compound. Many functional groups can be present without interference (e.g., COOH, COOR, CN, OR). The mechanism in most cases is probably simple electrophilic addition, and the addition is usually anti, though syn addition has been reported in some cases. Markovnikov s rule is followed, the positive NO going to the carbon that has more hydrogens. 

For a review of selective reduction of aliphatic nitro compounds without disturbance of other functional groups, see Ioffe, S.L. Tartakovskii, V.A. Novikov, S.S. Russ. Chem. Rev., 1966, 35, 19. 

IMS is a fast and reasonably accurate way to identify explosives (e.g. TNT, PETN and RDX), as the nitro functional groups in these compounds are electron withdrawing consequently, the compounds are easily ionised [285]. NQR is another tool for the same purpose. IMS is also applied for the detection of narcotics and warfare gases. 

Nitro Compounds. Under mild conditions, aromatic nitro compounds are hydrogenated easily to amines.518 The reaction may give partially reduced products, according to the circumstances. Palladium, platinum, and nickel are used frequently for this reaction. For example, nitro and benzyl ester functions are reduced on Pd(OH)2/C on THF and on Pd/C in EtOH.519 Aliphatic nitro groups are reduced more slowly. 

In some respects this is a trivial application. In order to select a protective glove for a new nitro compound, all we would do in practice would be to check to see what material provides good protection against known nitro compounds and assume that this material would be appropriate we do not need a computer to tell us how to do this. But the reason that the procedure in this case is simple is that we already have a means to group compounds by noting the presence or absence of particular functional groups. If the link between structure and protective material were subtler, a more sophisticated way to determine the appropriate material would be required. 

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