Nitro compounds aliphatic, oxidative dimerization

A great variety of substituted radicals for dimerization can be generated by anodic oxidation of anionic species r5"Me5+, e.g., sodium salts of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, aliphatic nitro compounds, phenols, oximes, alkynes, thio-lates or organometallics (Eq. (157) ). 

Aromatic and aliphatic primary amines can be oxidized to the corresponding nitro compounds by peroxy acids and by a number of other reagents. The peroxy acid oxidations probably go by way of intermediate hydroxylamines and nitroso compounds (Scheme 2). Various side reactions can therefore take place, the nature of which depends upon the structure of the starting amine and the reaction conditions. For example, aromatic amines can give azoxy compounds by reaction of nitroso compounds with hy-droxylamine intermediates aliphatic amines can give nitroso dimers or oximes formed by acid-catalyz rearrangement of the intermediate nitrosoalkanes (Scheme 3). 

MCPBA has been regarded as the reagent of choice for the conversion of primary aliphatic amines into the corresponding nitro compounds. The peroxy acid must be used in excess to minimize formation of dimers of the intermediate nitroso compounds, llie yield of nitroalkane is also increased if the reaction is carried out at elevated temperature, since this favors the monomeric rather than the dimeric foim of the intermediate nitrosoalkane and allows it to be oxidized further. For example, cyclohexylamine gave the dimer of nitrosocyclohexane (43%) when oxidized by MCPBA at 23 C, but at 83 C (in boiling 1,2-di-chloroethane) the only product was nitrocyclohexane (86%). 

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