Nitro compounds aliphatic, radical anions

Bowman and Symons145 probed the stability of a series of radical anions involved in the SRN1 substitution for a-substituted aliphatic nitro-compounds [Me2C(X)N02] by studying with ESR at 77 K the succession of events following electron capture by Me2C(X)N02. The radical anions were more concentrated in an ether matrix than in an... 

Reactions of aliphatic nitro compounds with nucleophiles have been reviewed442-444. The oxidative reaction of nitronate anions, e.g. 410, with thiocyanate anions to yield thiocyanates 411 proceeds by a radical radical-anion chain mechanism SrnI (equation 133). Analogous replacements by azide, benzenesulphinate and 4-chlorobenzenethiolate have been reported445. 

Aliphatic nitro compounds exhibit rather different behavior from nitroaromatic compounds. Secondary and primary nitro compounds tend to produce oximes because the intermediate nitroso compound quickly tautomerizes to the oxime (equation 1). Under aprotic conditions the radical anions of primary and secondary nitro compounds are relatively stable those derived from tertiary nitro compounds, on the other hand, eject nitrite ion relatively readily (equation 2)8. 

Let us compare HFC data from Table 1.1. Aliphatic nitro compounds produce anion-radicals, in which an unpaired electron spends its time on the nitro group completely. In the nitrobenzene... 

The carbon dioxide anion-radical was used for one-electron reductions of nitrobenzene diazo-nium cations, nitrobenzene itself, quinones, aliphatic nitro compounds, acetaldehyde, acetone and other carbonyl compounds, maleimide, riboflavin, and certain dyes (Morkovnik and Okhlobystin 1979). The double bonds in maleate and fumarate are reduced by CO2. The reduced products, on being protonated, give rise to succinate (Schutz and Meyerstein 2006). The carbon dioxide anion-radical reduces organic complexes of Co and Ru into appropriate complexes of the metals(II) (Morkovnik and Okhlobystin 1979). In particular, after the electron transfer from this anion radical to the pentammino-p-nitrobenzoato-cobalt(III) complex, the Co(III) complex with thep-nitrophenyl anion-radical fragment is initially formed. The intermediate complex transforms into the final Co(II) complex with the p-nitrobenzoate ligand. 

OH, then OH -P 803 —> OH + 803 . As seen, the formation and further reactions of 803 take place in alkaline medium. Therefore, there are some restrictions to the electron-transfer reactions from this anion-radical to acceptors. For instance, aliphatic nitro compounds react in alkaline mediums in aciforms. They add 803 to give new anion-radicals RCH=NOO + 80j —p RCH(803)N02 (Bradic and Wilkins 1984). 

Besides solvation, a solvent can also participate in entrainment of ion-radical transformations. The reaction between tertiary aliphatic nitro compounds and the sodium derivative of nitromethane, NaCH2N02, is an example (Kornblum and Erickson 1981). To prepare NaCHjNOj, nitromethane is treated with sodium hydride. Then a tertiary aliphatic nitro compound is introduced into the solution formed. Several organic solvents were probed and CHjSOjCHj (DMSO) turned out to be the most effective. Kornblum and Erickson (1981) attributed this result to the formation of small amounts of NaCH2SOCH3 (sodium dimsyl) that was produced from DMSO as a result of its reaction with sodium hydride. Sodium dimsyl acts as a powerful one-electron reducer that induces the following chain anion-radical process ... 

In anhydrous acetonitrile, the cathodic reduction of aliphatic t-nitro compounds 150 follows a different mechanism, in that the first step leads to the formation of an anion radical 151 which subsequently is cleaved to form nitrite ion and a neutral radical ... 

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) ). 

From tertiary aliphatic nitro compounds the N02-group can be reductively removed. By ESR and cyclic voltammetry a radical anion has been demonstrated to be the first intermediate (Eq. (235) )524 This dissociates to N02... 

Only a few kinetic studies in which ESR spectroscopy was used to monitor radical decay have been published [371,373,398-400]. For example, decay curves have been used to gain kinetic information about the reactions of the radical anions of aliphatic nitro compounds [371,399] and thienonaphthoquinones [400]. 

In reaction of aliphatic nitro compounds with alkyl radicals 6 7 generated from ethers or alcohols aminyloxides 69b could be detected79. Moreover dialkylaminyl-oxides 74b are formed, 67 being trapped from the corresponding nitroso compound. Reduction of nitro compound to nitroso compound probably occurs by electron transfer from alkyl radical 67 to nitro compound, subsequent dissociation of the resulting complex 68b giving nitro anion radical which finally disproportionates. 

Aliphatic nitro compounds are characterized by another interesting and mechanistically important property. Based on tautomeric and protolytic equilibria the stable form of nitromethane in basic solution is that of a double bonded ac/-nitromethane anion, CH2=N02 , which becomes ready target for electrophilic radical additions. An example, studied by pulse radiolysis, is its reaction with hydroxyl radicals as formulated in eq. 3."... 

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