5-Nitroanilines

Trifluralin is a widely used herbicide, ranking 12th in popularity. Between 5 and 10 million kilograms was 

This is another popular dinitroaniline herbicide, ranking 11th in usage in the United States in 2001 at 5-10 million kilograms. 

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White crystals, m.p. 114" C. Manufactured by reacting aniline with excess ethanoic acid or ethanoic anhydride. Chief use is in the manufacture of dye intermediates such as p-nitro-acetanilide, p-nitroaniline and p-phenylene-diamine, in the manufacture of rubber, and as a peroxide stabilizer. 

On acetylation it gives acetanilide. Nitrated with some decomposition to a mixture of 2-and 4-nitroanilines. It is basic and gives water-soluble salts with mineral acids. Heating aniline sulphate at 190 C gives sulphanilic add. When heated with alkyl chlorides or aliphatic alcohols mono- and di-alkyl derivatives are obtained, e.g. dimethylaniline. Treatment with trichloroethylene gives phenylglycine. With glycerol and sulphuric acid (Skraup s reaction) quinoline is obtained, while quinaldine can be prepared by the reaction between aniline, paraldehyde and hydrochloric acid. 

CgHgNa. While crystals m.p. 147 C, b.p. 267"C, darken rapidly in air. Prepared by reducing p-nitroaniline or aminoazobenzene. Oxidizing agents convert it to quinone derivatives, hence it cannot be diazotized with nitric acid. 

Chromatographic Separation of a Mixture of o- and p-Nitroaniline. Prepare a glass tube A (Fig. 24) in which the wider portion has a diameter of 3 cm. and a length of ca. 30 cm. the narrow portion at the base has a diameter of 5-7 mm. Wash the tube thoroughly (if necessary, with chromic acid, followed by distilled water and ethanol) and then dry. Insert a small plug of cotton-wool P as shown just within the narrow neck of the tube it is essential that this plug does not project into the wider portion of the tube. Clamp the tube in a vertical position. 

Concentrate each of the two solutions (or eluates) to about 20 ml, by distilling off the greater part of the benzene, the distilling-flask being immersed in the boiling water-bath. Then pour the concentrated solution into an evaporating-basin, and evaporate the remaining benzene (preferably in a fume-cupboard) in the absence of free flames, i.e., on an electrically heated water-bath, or on a steam-bath directly connected to a steam-pipe. Wash the dry residue from the first eluate with petrol and then dry it in a desiccator pure o-nitroaniline, m.p. 72°, is obtained. Wash the second residue similarly with a small quantity of benzene and dry pure />--nitroaniline, m.p. 148" , is obtained. Record the yield and m.p. of each component. 

Hydrolysis to p-Nitroaniline. For this purpose use 70 sulphuric acid, the usual reagent employed for the hydrolysis of anilides (p. 108). Add 5 g. of the recrystallised />-nitro-acetanilide to 30 ml. of 70%sulphuric acid, and boil the mixture gently under a reflux water-condenser for 20 minutes. Then pour the clear hot solution into about 150 ml. of cold water, and finally add an excess of sodium hydroxide solution until precipitation of the yellow p-nitroaniline is complete. Coo the mixture in ice-water if necessary, and then filter at the pump, wash well... 

Physical Properties. All solid, sparingly soluble in cold water, freely soluble in hot water. o-Nitroaniline, NO2C6H4NH2, orange, volatile in steam m-nitroaniline, yellow, also volatile in steam />-nitroaniline, yellow, non-volatile in steam. 

Reduction. Reduce 0 5 g. of the nitroaniline with HCl and tin, as described on p. 385. Note that after a few minutes the original yellow colour has entirely disappeared. Cool and add 20% aqueous NaOH solution a white precipitate is formed which redissolves to give... 

The hydrochloride of the nitroanilin may separate out at this stage, but this does not interfere with the reaction as the hydrochloride separates in fine, feathery crystals which readily redissolve and hence are very reactive. 

Z>) Benzoylation. Proceed exactly as for benzoylation of amines (Test 3 (a), p.374), but use a suspension of the finely ground nitroaniline in the 10% NaOH solution. This preparation of the benzoyl derivatives is rarely necessary, however, as the above acetylation proceeds very satisfactorily. (M.ps., p. 550.)... 

Yellow. Quinones, m- and p-nitroaniline, o-nitrophenol, and many other nitrO"Compounds. [Note that some nitro-compounds often appear yellow (e.g. m-dinitrobenzene and 3, 5 -dinitro-benzoic acid), but are colourless when absolutely pure.] Iodoform. 

It is convenient to include under Aromatic Amines the preparation of m-nitroaniline as an example of the selective reduction of one group in a polynitro compound. When wt-dinitrobenzene is allowed to react with sodium polysulphide (or ammonium sulphide) solution, only one of the nitro groups is reduced and m-nitroanUine results. Some sulphur separates, but the main reaction is represented by ... 

Heat a mixture of 15 g. of p-nitroacetanilide and 75 ml. of 70 per cent, sulphuric acid (1) under a reflux water condenser for 20-30 minutes or until a test sample remains clear upon dilution with 2-3 times its volume of water. The p-nitroaniline is now present in the hquid as the sulphate. Pour the clear hot solution into 500 ml. of cold water and precipitate the p-nitroanihne by adding excess of 10 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution or of concentrated ammonia solution. When cold (cool the mixture in ice water, if necessary), filter the yellow crystalline precipitate at the pump, wash it well with water, and drain thoroughly. Recrystallise it from a mixture of equal volumes of rectified (or methylated) spirit and water or from hot water. Filter, wash and dry. The yield of p-nitroanihne, m.p, 148°, is 11 g. 

Some amines, such as the nitroanilines and the naphthylamines, give somewhat more stable diazonium compounds and may be diazotised at room temperature, when the reaction proceeds more rapidly. If the amine salt is only sparingly soluble in water, it should be suspended in the acid in a fine state of division (this is generally attained by cooling a hot solution and stirring vigorously), and it passes into solution as the soluble diazonium salt is formed. 

Dissolve 34 g. of o-nitroaniline in a warm mixture of 63 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid and 63 ml. of water contained in a 600 ml. beaker. Place the beaker in an ice - salt bath, and cool to 0-5° whilst stirring mechanically the o-nitroaniline hydrochloride will separate in a finely-divided crystalline form. Add a cold solution of 18 g. of sodium nitrite in 40 ml. of water slowly and with stirring to an end point with potassium iodide - starch paper do not allow the temperature to rise above 5-7 . Introduce, whilst stirring vigorously, a solution of 40 g. of sodium borofluoride in 80 ml. of water. Stir for a further 10 minutes, and filter the solid diazonium fluoborate with suction on a sintered glass funnel. Wash it immediately once with 25 ml. of cold 5 per cent, sodium borofluoride solution, then twice with 15 ml. portions of rectified (or methylated) spirit and several times with ether in each washing stir... 

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