Nitro Cyanides

TABLE 107. NITRO AMINES TABLE 106. NITRO CYANIDES... 

This type of reaction is available only when the alkene is conjugated to an electron-withdrawing group—usually carbonyl (Chapter 10) but it can be nitro, cyanide, etc. (Chapter 23). This disconnection is available only at this oxidation level unlike the last. We can do a two-group 1,3-disconnection on this sulfide, for example. 

Halogens. Proceed as described under the Lassaigne test. If nitro gen is present, the cyanide must first be eliminated. 

Solvent for Displacement Reactions. As the most polar of the common aprotic solvents, DMSO is a favored solvent for displacement reactions because of its high dielectric constant and because anions are less solvated in it (87). Rates for these reactions are sometimes a thousand times faster in DMSO than in alcohols. Suitable nucleophiles include acetyUde ion, alkoxide ion, hydroxide ion, azide ion, carbanions, carboxylate ions, cyanide ion, hahde ions, mercaptide ions, phenoxide ions, nitrite ions, and thiocyanate ions (31). Rates of displacement by amides or amines are also greater in DMSO than in alcohol or aqueous solutions. Dimethyl sulfoxide is used as the reaction solvent in the manufacture of high performance, polyaryl ether polymers by reaction of bis(4,4 -chlorophenyl) sulfone with the disodium salts of dihydroxyphenols, eg, bisphenol A or 4,4 -sulfonylbisphenol (88). These and related reactions are made more economical by efficient recycling of DMSO (89). Nucleophilic displacement of activated aromatic nitro groups with aryloxy anion in DMSO is a versatile and useful reaction for the synthesis of aromatic ethers and polyethers (90). 

Nucleophilic aromatic substitutions involving loss of hydrogen are known. The reaction usually occurs with oxidation of the intermediate either intramoleculady or by an added oxidizing agent such as air or iodine. A noteworthy example is the formation of 6-methoxy-2-nitrobenzonitrile from reaction of 1,3-dinitrobenzene with a methanol solution of potassium cyanide. In this reaction it appears that the nitro compound itself functions as the oxidizing agent (10). 

The 3-substituents in 3-nitro- and 3-phenylsulfonyl-2-isoxazolines were displaced by a variety of nucleophiles including thiolate, cyanide and azide ions, ammonia, hydride ions and alkoxides. The reaction is pictured as an addition-elimination sequence (Scheme 54) (72MI41605, 79JA1319, 78JOC2020). 

The higher-melting sulfonyl cyanides which separate as solids should be dried when dissolved in a suitable solvent, e.g., benzene. p-Nitro-benzenesulfonyl cyanide is not readily extracted from the reaction mixture it is collected on a Buchner funnel, pressed as dry as possible, dissolved in benzene, washed with water, and dried over anhydrous calcium chloride. 

Thiophenealdehydes have been condensed with aliphatic aldehydes, methyl ketones,cyclic ketones, " benzyl cyanides,and aliphatic nitro compounds to the corresponding vinylthiophenes. By the use of potassium methylate, 2-thiophenealdehyde has been condensed with the reactive methyl groups of iV-heterocyclic compounds. Thiophenealdehydes have... 

The nitration of l,2,5-selenadiazolo[3,4-/] quinoline 77 with benzoyl nitrate affords the 8-nitro derivative 78, whereas methylation with methyl iodide or methyl sulfate afforded the corresponding 6-pyridinium methiodide 79 or methosulfate 80, respectively (Scheme 29). The pyridinium salt 80 was submitted to oxidation with potassium hexacyanoferrate and provided 7-oxo-6,7-dihydro derivative 81 or, by reaction of pyridinium salt 79 with phenylmagnesium bromide, the 7-phenyl-6,7-dihydro derivative 82. Nucleophilic substitution of the methiodide 79 with potassium cyanide resulted in the formation of 9-cyano-6,9-dihydroderivative 83, which can be oxidized by iodine to 9-cyano-l,2,5-selenadiazolo [3,4-/]quinoline methiodide 84. All the reactions proceeded in moderate yields (81IJC648). 

Dinitro ketone 49 with potassium cyanide provided 5,6-dihydrooxazolo [3,2-/7][l,2,4]triazole 51. Its formation is due to the fact that primary attack by the cyanide anion is not directed at the ring C5 atom but rather at the carbonyl group to give the corresponding cyanohydrin 50 and the subsequent intramolecular displacement of the nitro group gives the final product (Scheme 8) (81 KGS 1403). 

Mercuration of aromatic compounds can be accomplished with mercuric salts, most often Hg(OAc)2 ° to give ArHgOAc. This is ordinary electrophilic aromatic substitution and takes place by the arenium ion mechanism (p. 675). ° Aromatic compounds can also be converted to arylthallium bis(trifluoroacetates), ArTl(OOCCF3)2, by treatment with thallium(III) trifluoroacetate in trifluoroace-tic acid. ° These arylthallium compounds can be converted to phenols, aryl iodides or fluorides (12-28), aryl cyanides (12-31), aryl nitro compounds, or aryl esters (12-30). The mechanism of thallation appears to be complex, with electrophilic and electron-transfer mechanisms both taking place. 

When aromatic nitro compounds are treated with cyanide ion, the nitro group is displaced and a carboxyl group enters with cine substitution (p. 854), always ortho to the displaced group, never meta or para. The scope of this reaction, called the von Richter rearrangement, is variable. As with other nucleophilic aromatic substitutions, the reaction gives best results when electron-withdrawing groups are in ortho and para positions, but yields are low, usually < 20% and never > 50%. 

---