Retro-Bucherer reaction

Based on observations by Bamberger, Bucherer, and Wolff at the turn of the century, Matrka et al. (1967) described experiments which show that alkaline solutions (pH 8.5-9.2) of substituted benzenediazonium chlorides form nitrite ions and triazenes. The latter is obviously the reaction product of the amine formed in a retro-diazotization with the diazonium ion that is still present. The yield of nitrite formed was between 0.5% (benzenediazonium ion) and 50.2% (2-nitrobenzenediazonium ion). 

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