Nitroso compounds with peroxy acids

Oxidants suitable for the partial oxidation of amines to nitroso compounds are peroxy acids Caro acid, which is prepared in situ from potassium persulfate and sulfuric acid [195, 199 potassium peroxysulfate (Oxone) [295] peroxyacetic acid [i53], and peroxybenzoic add [1186], 3-Nitro-o-toluidine [195] and 5-nitro-o-toluidine [199] in aqueous-alcoholic solutions, when treated with a mixture of potassium persulfate and concentrated sulfuric acid, give 3-nitro-2-nitrosotoluene and 5-nitro-2-nitrosotoluene in respective yields of 60 and 55-66%. Organic peroxy acids convert 2,6-dihaloanilines into 2,6-dihalonitrosobenzenes (equation 497) [753, 1186]. p-Phenylenediamine (1,4-diaminobenzene) is oxidized by Oxone (2KHS05 KHS04 K2S04) in an aqueous suspension at room temperature to p-dinitrosobenzene in a quantitative yield [205]. 

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). 

Amines are known to undergo oxidation with the use of peroxy acids and can result in various products depending on the reaction conditions. Primary amines react with peroxy acids to yield nitroso compounds via the formation of hydroxylamines. The nitroso derivatives can subsequently be oxidized further to nitro compounds under more vigorous conditions. ... 

Oxidation of aniline with cold peroxyacetic acid in excess has been shown to produce nitosobenzene in high ylelds/° it was observed that when the amount of peroxy acetic acid was not in excess that azoxybenzene is formed due to competitive condensation of the nitroso compound with aniline, as shown in equation 19. 

---