Of nitro compounds

Azo-compounds can be obtained by reduction of nitro-compounds, or by oxidation of hydrazo-compounds. They are usually prepared, however, by reacting a phenol or amine with a diazonium salt. The coupling usually takes place in the position para to the hydroxyl or amino group, but if this position is occupied it goes to the ortho position, e.g. 

Arylamines are generally prepared by the reduction of nitro compounds. When only small quantities are to be reduced and the time element is important and cost is a secondary consideration, tin and hydrochloric acid may be employed, for example ... 

Cautiously add 250 g. (136 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid in a thin stream and with stirring to 400 ml. of water contained in a 1 litre bolt-head or three-necked flask, and then dissolve 150 g. of sodium nitrate in the diluted acid. Cool in a bath of ice or iced water. Melt 94 g. of phenol with 20 ml. of water, and add this from a separatory funnel to the stirred mixture in the flask at such a rate that the temperature does not rise above 20°. Continue the stirring for a further 2 hours after all the phenol has been added. Pour oflF the mother liquid from the resinous mixture of nitro compounds. Melt the residue with 500 ml. of water, shake and allow the contents of the flask to settle. Pour oflF the wash liquor and repeat the washing at least two or three times to ensure the complete removal of any residual acid. Steam distil the mixture (Fig. II, 40, 1 or Fig. II, 41, 1) until no more o-nitrophenol passes over if the latter tends to solidify in the condenser, turn oflF the cooling water temporarily. Collect the distillate in cold water, filter at the pump, and drain thoroughly. Dry upon filter paper in the air. The yield of o-nitrophenol, m.p. 46° (1), is 50 g. 

Olah s original preparative nitrations were carried out with mixtures of the aromatic compound and nitronium salt alone or in ether, and later with sulpholan as the solvent. High yields of nitro-compounds were obtained from a wide range of aromatic compounds, and the anhydrous conditions have obvious advantages when functional groups such as cyano, alkoxycarbonyl, or halogenocarbonyl are present. The presence of basic fimctions raises difficulties with pyridine no C-nitration occurs, i-nitropyridinium being formed. ... 

That some modification to the position so far described might be necessary was indicated by some experiments of Nesmeyanov and his co-workers. Amongst other compounds they nitrated phenyl trimethyl ammonium and triphenyloxonium tetrafluoroborates with mixed acid the former gave 96 % of m- and 4 % of -nitro compound (88 % total yield), whilst the latter gave 80% of the tri-(p-nitrophenyl)oxonium salt. Ridd and his co-workers have made a quantitative study of the phenyl trimethyl ammonium ion. Their results, and those of other recent workers on the nitration of several cations, are collected in table 9.3. 

About 5 % of an unidentified product was formed as well as the proportions of nitro-compounds given for nitration in 84 9 % sulphuric acid. 

The case of i-methyl-4-quinolone is puzzling. The large proportion of the 3-nitro isomer formed in the nitration (table 10.3 cf. 4-hydroxyquinoline) might be a result of nitration via the free base but this is not substantiated by the acidity dependence of the rate of nitration or by the Arrhenius parameters. From r-methyl-4-quinolone the total yield of nitro-compounds was not high (table ro.3). 

Chemoselective C-alkylation of the highly acidic and enolic triacetic acid lactone 104 (pAl, = 4.94) and tetronic acid (pA, = 3.76) is possible by use of DBU[68]. No 0-alkylation takes place. The same compound 105 is obtained by the regioslective allylation of copper-protected methyl 3,5-dioxohexano-ate[69]. It is known that base-catalyzed alkylation of nitro compounds affords 0-alkylation products, and the smooth Pd-catalyzed C-allylation of nitroalkanes[38.39], nitroacetate[70], and phenylstilfonylnitromethane[71] is possible. Chemoselective C-allylation of nitroethane (106) or the nitroacetate 107 has been applied to the synthesis of the skeleton of the ergoline alkaloid 108[70]. 

Reductive carbonylation of nitro compounds is catalyzed by various Pd catalysts. Phenyl isocyanate (93) is produced by the PdCl2-catalyzed reductive carbonylation (deoxygenation) of nitrobenzene with CO, probably via nitrene formation. Extensive studies have been carried out to develop the phosgene-free commercial process for phenyl isocyanate production from nitroben-zene[76]. Effects of various additives such as phenanthroline have been stu-died[77-79]. The co-catalysts of montmorillonite-bipyridylpalladium acetate and Ru3(CO) 2 are used for the reductive carbonylation oLnitroarenes[80,81]. Extensive studies on the reaction in alcohol to form the A -phenylurethane 94 have also been carried out[82-87]. Reaction of nitrobenzene with CO in the presence of aniline affords diphenylurea (95)[88]. 

Formic acid is a good reducing agent in the presence of Pd on carbon as a catalyst. Aromatic nitro compounds are reduced to aniline with formic acid[100]. Selective reduction of one nitro group in 2,4-dinitrotoluene (112) with triethylammonium formate is possible[101]. o-Nitroacetophenone (113) is first reduced to o-aminoacetophenone, then to o-ethylaniline when an excess of formate is used[102]. Ammonium and potassium formate are also used for the reduction of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds. Pd on carbon is a good catalyst[103,104]. NaBH4 is also used for the Pd-catalyzed reduction of nitro compounds 105]. However, the ,/)-unsaturated nitroalkene 114 is partially reduced to the oxime 115 with ammonium formate[106]... 

Reduction of Nitro Compounds. The mechanism for catalytic hydrogenation of nitro compounds has been the subject of many iavestigations and there is much evidence that this reaction proceeds through several iatermediate species. The most widely accepted mechanism for the hydrogenation of nitro compounds was proposed by Haber ia 1898 (2) (see Fig. 1). 

Fig. 1. Mechanism for the hydrogenation of nitro compounds. FunctionaHties are labeled.

Hydrogenation Catalysts. The key to catalytic hydrogenation is the catalyst, which promotes a reaction which otherwise would occur too slowly to be useful. Catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitro compounds and nitriles are generally based on one or more of the group VIII metals. The metals most commonly used are cobalt, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, and mthenium, but others, including copper (16), iron (17), and tellurium... 

Water. Based on the overall balanced equation for this reaction, a minimum of one mole of water per mole of nitro compound is required for the reduction to take place. In practice, however, 4 to 5 moles of water per mole of nitro compound are used to ensure that enough water is present to convert all of the iron to the intermediate ferrous and ferric hydroxides. In some cases, much larger amounts of water are used to dissolve the amino compound and help separate it from the iron oxide sludge after the reaction is complete. 

Electrolytic reductions generally caimot compete economically with chemical reductions of nitro compounds to amines, but they have been appHed in some specific reactions, such as the preparation of aminophenols (qv) from aromatic nitro compounds. For example, in the presence of sulfuric acid, cathodic reduction of aromatic nitro compounds with a free para-position leads to -aminophenol [123-30-8] hy rearrangement of the intermediate N-phenyl-hydroxylamine [100-65-2] (61). 

Neta.1 Ama.lga.ms. Alkali metal amalgams function in a manner similar to a mercury cathode in an electrochemical reaction (63). However, it is more difficult to control the reducing power of an amalgam. In the reduction of nitro compounds with an NH4(Hg) amalgam, a variety of products are possible. Aliphatic nitro compounds are reduced to the hydroxylamines, whereas aromatic nitro compounds can give amino, hydra2o, a2o, or a2oxy compounds. 

In the reduction of nitro compounds to amines, several of the iatermediate species are stable and under the right conditions, it is possible to stop the reduction at these iatermediate stages and isolate the products (see Figure 1, where R = CgH ). Nitrosoben2ene [586-96-9] C H NO, can be obtained by electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene [98-95-3]. Phenylhydroxylamine, C H NHOH, is obtained when nitrobenzene reacts with ziac dust and calcium chloride ia an alcohoHc solution. When a similar reaction is carried out with iron or ziac ia an acidic solution, aniline is the reduction product. Hydrazobenzene [122-66-7] formed when nitrobenzene reacts with ziac dust ia an alkaline solution. Azoxybenzene [495-48-7], C22H2QN2O, is... 

Three important direct yeUows of revealed chemical composition belong to the stUbene class. Direct YeUow 11 (24) was mentioned earUer in the discussion of the condensation of nitro compounds. Another stUbene dye. Direct YeUow 4 (63), an old dyestuff discovered in 1886, is produced by coupling bisdiazotized 4,4 -diainino-2,2 -stilbenedisulfonic acid to two moles of phenol. 

The validity of the Hammett relationship log K/Ko = pa- has been extensively investigated for five-membered heteroaromatic compounds and their benzo analogues. The ratio Pheterocycie/Pbenzene is closest to Unity for thiophene. Judged from work on the polarographic reduction of nitro compounds, the ability to transmit electronic effects is HC=CH = S < O < NH. 

Although the nitro group plays a crucial role in most of these SrnI reactions, reactions of this type have synthetic application beyond the area of nitro compounds. The nitromethyl groups can be converted to other functional groups, including aldehydes and carboxylic acids.Nitro groups at tertiary positions can be reductively removed by reaction with the methanethiol anion.This reaction also appears to be of the electron-transfer type, with the methanethiolate anion acting as the electron donor ... 

Cycloaddition reactions of nitro compounds, nitrones, and nitrile oxides 99JCS(P1)749. 

General reviews for preparation of nitro compounds and for the reaction of nitro com-pounds" " are listed in the references. 

Recently, nitration of organolithiums and Gngnards v/iih has been developed for the preparation of certain kmds of nitro compounds fEqs. 2.14 and 2.15. The success of this process depends on the reaction conthdons (low remperanirei and the stnicnire of substrates. For example, 3-nitrothiophene can be obtained in 70% overall yield from 3-bromothiophene this is far superior to the older method. 3-Nitroveratrole cannot be prepared usefully by classical electrophilic nitradonof veratrole, but it can now be prepared by direct orr/io-lithiadon followed The mechanism is believed to proceed by dirutrogen rathcal, followed by the rathcal s combinadon. 

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