With nitronium salts

It can be concluded, as already stated above, that the diminution in intermolecular selectivity observed in these nitrations with nitronium salts in organic solvents does not of itself require any special mechanistic considerations as regards the process of substitution. 

It has already been noted that, as well as alkylbenzenes, a wide range of other aromatic compounds has been nitrated with nitronium salts. In particular the case of nitrobenzene has been examined kinetically. Results are collected in table 4.4. The reaction was kinetically of the first order in the concentration of the aromatic and of the nitronium salt. There is agreement between the results for those cases in which the solvent induces the ionization of nitric acid to nitronium ion, and the corresponding results for solutions of preformed nitronium salts in the same solvent. 

In nitration with nitronium salts in sulpholan, nitrobenzene was substituted in the following proportions 8% ortho, 90% meta and 2% paraf under the same conditions benzylidyne trifluoride yielded 8%, 88% and 4% of 0-, m- and p-nitro compound respectively Both of these aromatic compounds were stated to be io -10 times less reactive than benzene. "... 

Work on the nitration of durene also gives evidence for the importance of the speed of mixing in nitration with nitronium salts. ... 

Even so, the results were claimed to show a greater resemblance to nitrations with nitronium salts than to nitrations in organic solvents. However, reaetion at the eneounter rate ( 3.3) imposes a limit to the rate of reaetion in these media, whieh deereases from 40 times the rate for benzene in 68 % sulphuric acid to 6 times the rate in 80 % sulphurie acid. Therefore it is reasonable to expeet that in stronger solutions even under homogeneous eonditions, the rates of these eompounds would approximate to that of benzene. 

With the more concentrated solution the results, as regards loss of intermolecular selectivity, were similar to those obtained with nitronium salts (table 4.1, column a), whilst with the more dilute solution a more usual situation was revealed. The significance of the former observations is again open to doubt because of the likelihood that mixing was relatively slow, and also because reaction upon encounter is here a serious probability. 

It has been necessary to comment upon these various studies because Olah and his co-workers have suggested that whilst nitrations, like those with nitronium salts, which give a relative rate of reaction of toluene with respect to benzene not much greater than unity involve the nitronium ion as the electrophile, this is not so in other cases. It is important to consider these opinions closely. In the earlier of the two relevant papers it is agreed that since nitrations of toluene with nitronium tetrafluoroborate in sulpholan show no abnormal o -ratio there... 

The nitronium ion is the electrophile in nitrations with nitronium salts in organic solvents. 

In other systems electrophiles other than the nitronium ion are involved with activated substrates (in these cases intermolecular selectivity is high, whereas with nitronium salts it is low). 

The nitration of alkylbenzenes and benzene with nitronium salts... 

The possibility mentioned in (4) is of great importance, and centres on the persistenee in nitrations with nitronium salts of positional seleetivities in the nitration of alkylbenzenes. It is discussed in 6.2. 

The work of Olah et al. on nitration with nitronium salts in organic solvents has already been discussed in some of its aspects ( 4.4). It will... 

Nitrations can be performed in homogeneous media, using tetramethylene sulfone or nitromethane (nitroethane) as solvent. A large variety of aromatic compounds have been nitrated with nitronium salts in excellent yields in nonaqueous media. Sensitive compounds, otherwise easily hydroly2ed or oxidized by nitric acid, can be nitrated without secondary effects. Nitration of aromatic compounds is considered an irreversible reaction. However, the reversibihty of the reaction has been demonstrated in some cases, eg, 9-nitroanthracene, as well as pentamethylnitrobenzene transnitrate benzene, toluene, and mesitylene in the presence of superacids (158) (see Nitration). 

Aliphatic Nitration. Alkanes undergo electrophilic nitration with nitronium salts such as (N02) piotic solvent such as CH2CI2... 

Because nitration of alkenes with nitronium salts proceeds via carbocation intermediates, nitration of electron-deficient alkenes with nitronium salts is rare. Only a few cases are reported. The reaction of a,(3-unsaturated esters with nitronium salts affords products via highly reactive ot-carbonyl cations.75... 

The reaction of alkenes with nitronium salts proceeds through a nitrocarbocation. The product(s) obtained depends on both the nature of the starting alkene and the conditions used. ... 

Olah and co-workers reported the synthesis of nitroalkanes and nitroalkenes from the nitrodesilylation of alkylsilanes and allylsilanes, respectively, with nitronium salts. 

Nitronium tetrafluoroborate is a very efficient reagent for the D-nitration of alcohols and glycols containing both primary and secondary hydroxy functionality (Equation 3.7). Yields of nitrate ester are high and frequently quantitative. 0-Nitration with nitronium salts produces a strong acid and so an acid-binding agent should be present for acid sensitive substrates. 

The reaction of primary aliphatic amines and nitramines with nitronium salts also leads to deamination and the formation of alkyl nitrates. 

Nitronium salts are efficient and powerful nitrating agents. Nitronium tetrafluoroborate is the most commonly used nitronium salt for nitration and is commercially available as a solid or as a solution in sulfolane in which the ions are highly solvated and exist as an ion pair. Nitronium tetrafluoroborate shows poor solubility in most organic solvents and so the more soluble nitronium hexafluorophosphate is sometimes preferred for nitrations. Olah and co-workers - have studied the nitration of a vast array of aromatics with nitronium salts. Solutions of nitronium salts in aprotic organic solvents are useful for the nitration of acid sensitive or readily oxidized substrates. Nitronium tetrafluoroborate has been used for the... 

While nitramines are formed from the reaction of secondary amines with nitronium salts the success of the reaction depends on the basicity of the amine (Equation 5.11). Thus, amines of low to moderate basicity are A-nitrated in good yields. The nitration of more basic amines is slow and the nitrosamine is often observed as a significant by-product, a consequence of the partial reduction of the nitronium salt to the nitrosonium salt during the reaction. Increased reaction temperature is also found to increase the amount of nitrosamine formed. The amine substrate is usually used in excess to compensate for the release of the strong mineral acid formed during the reactions. Both nitronium tetrafluoroborate and the more soluble hexafluorophosphate are commonly used for A-nitrations. Solvents like acetonitrile, methylene chloride, nitromethane, dioxane, sulfolane, ethyl acetate and esters of phosphoric acid are commonly used. 

Secondary nitramines are conveniently prepared from the nitrolysis of A, A-dialkylamides with nitronium salts in acetonitrile or ethyl acetate at 20 °C where the acyl group is converted into an acylium tetrafluoroborate (Equation 5.14). Problems can occur if commercial nitronium salts like the tetrafluoroborate are used without purification. The presence of nitrosonium salts can then lead to nitrosamines via nitrosolysis. Yields of secondary nitramine up to 90 % have been reported with solutions of nitronium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile di-n-butylnitramine is obtained in 82 % yield from the nitrolysis of corresponding acetamide. ... 

The nitrolysis of substituted methylenediamines with nitronium salts can lead to a number of products depending on the nature of the substituents within the substrate. Electron-withdrawing or resonance-stabilizing groups favour the expulsion of an immonium ion and the formation of a secondary nitramine in yields between 58 % and 78... 

Electrophilic nitration of olefins can also be carried out with nitronium salts in pyridinium poly (hydrogen fluoride) (PPHF) solution491 (which also acts as solvent) to give high yields of nitrofluorinated alkanes. In the presence of added halide ions (iodide, bromide, chloride) the related haloalkanes are formed, and these can be dehydrohalogenated to nitroalkenes492 [Eq. (5.183)]. 

Eq. (5.186)], triaryl arsines, and triaryl stibines react with nitronium salts to give the corresponding oxides. 

---