Engel et al.
132.2, 127.78, 127.72, 76.1, 68.6, 27.6, 22.5. NMR (toluene-d8)
δ 198.2, 136.0, 131.8, 128.2, 127.7, 75.8, 68.7, 27.4, 22.6.
2-Phenyl(ONN)azoxy-2-benzoylpropane (4bZ), PhCOC-
Me2-NdN(O)-Ph. 2-Benzoyl-2-(N,N-dichloroamino)propane
was reacted with 1.1 equiv of nitrosobenzene in MeCN as
described above, except that the nitroso dimer dissociation step
was omitted because nitrosobenzene exists largely as the
monomer. The product was purified on silica gel, eluting with
5:1 hexane:ethyl acetate, Rf 0.43. Vacuum drying afforded 325
mg (68%) of product that was further purified by recrystalli-
zation from hot hexane (2 mL), mp 56-58 °C. 1H NMR
(toluene-d8) δ 8.02 (m, 2H), 7.86 (m, 2H), 6.80-6.96 (m, 6H),
1.72 (s, 6H). 13C NMR (toluene-d8) δ 197.5, 147.3, 135.5, 132.2,
131.6, 128.7, 128.2, 127.9, 122.2, 69.6, 22.9.
2-Amino-2-phenylacetylpropane Hydrochloride, Ph-
CH2-COCMe2-NH3Cl. To a mixture of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-
2-butene (0.7 g, 4.79 mmol) and isopentyl nitrite (0.77 mL, 5.75
mmol) cooled to 5 °C was added dropwise concentrated HCl
(0.96 mL, 11.5 mmol, 12 N). After the solution was stirred for
15 min, the nitroso chloride dimer precipitated as a greenish
solid. This product was washed with a small portion of warm
acetone, dried in vacuo, and used in the next step without
further purification. Yield 0.50 g (49%) of colorless crystals,
mp 133-134 °C (lit. mp 136-137 °C).72 The nitroso dimer (0.25
g, 1.18 mmol) was mixed with MeOH:EtOH (3 mL:3 mL) and
the solution was stirred for 24 h under under 10 psi of NH3 at
45 °C,73 causing eventual dissolution of the dimer. The solvent
was evaporated and the solid was dissolved in 50 mL of 6 M
HCl by heating to 50 °C. This solution was extracted with
ether, and then the aqueous phase was made alkaline with
sodium carbonate (note: CO2 evolution!). Upon raising the pH
to 10, the color changed from yellow to blue/green. The
precipitate was dissolved in ether and dried over Na2SO4, and
the solvent was evaporated. The residue (190 mg) was found
by NMR to be a mixture of oxime and ketone. A solution of 6
N aq HCl (10 mL) was added and the mixture was stirred for
1.5 h at 50 °C. The solvent was evaporated and the residue
dissolved in a small amount of isopropyl alcohol by heating to
50 °C. The salt was precipitated by addition of ether, filtered,
and dried in vacuo. Yield 91 mg (36%) of PhCH2-COCMe2-
NH3Cl, mp 134-141 °C. 1H NMR (MeOH-d4) δ 7.23-7.34 (m,
5H), 1.95 (s, 2H), 1.64 (s, 6H). 13C NMR (MeOH-d4) δ 207.0,
134.8, 130.9, 129.7, 128.3, 63.4, 43.1, 23.1.
ionic and homolytic decomposition. However, the yield
of benzophenone and benzaldehyde from 8a was much
higher than that from 8b, indicating that that the C-N
homolysis pathway is more important in 8a (cf. Scheme
2). The R-azo cation from 8b is surely more stabilized
than 19, favoring ionic decomposition of 8b.
Conclusions
Despite our failure to identify any products from 5a,
5b, their involvement in the photorearrangement of
R-azoxy ketones 4a, 4bZ to 8a, 8b and their observation
by ESR shows that sterically unhindered R-azoxy radicals
are viable intermediates. The small hydrogen hyperfine
splittings in the ESR spectrum of 5a indicate a very high
degree of resonance stabilization. Direct or acetone
sensitized irradiation of 4bZ also induces azoxy Z f E
isomerization, but in model compound 7Z acetophenone
triplets cause deoxygenation without Z f E isomeriza-
tion. Azoxy compounds are surprisingly rapid quenchers
of acetophenone triplets. In both 4bZ and 7, steric
repulsion causes thermal reversion of the E azoxy isomer
to be much faster than in previously reported homo-
logues. Azoesters 8a,b undergo photochemical C-O
heterolysis in competition with C-N homolysis to 1-acyl-
oxy radicals, which fragment to ketones plus acyl radi-
cals.
Experimental Section
2-tert-Butyl(ONN)azoxy-2-benzoylpropane, PhCOC-
Me2-NdN(O)-Bu-t (4a). A solution of nitroso-tert-butane
dimer (250 mg, 1.43 mmol, 0.8 equiv) in CH3CN (10 mL) was
stirred for 3.5 h at 25 °C in the dark to allow dissociation to
monomer. Meanwhile, a solution of 2-benzoyl-2-aminopropane
hydrochloride71 (795 mg, 3.98 mmol, 1 equiv) in 1.5 N aq HCl
(12 mL, 4.5 equiv) was added dropwise to a suspension of Ca-
(OCl)2 (1.424 g, 5.97 mmol, 60 wt %, 1.5 equiv) in CH2Cl2 (24
mL) and water (24 mL) at 5 °C. After the mixture was stirred
for 1 h at 5 °C, the organic layer was separated and the water
layer was extracted with CH2Cl2 (2 × 8 mL). The combined
organic phase was dried over MgSO4, filtered, and concen-
trated to a yellow oil (0.806 g, 87% yield). The crude N,N-
dichloroamine was light sensitive and was used immediately
in the next step. 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 8.23 (m, 2H), 7.56 (m,
1H), 7.45 (m, 2H), 1.74 (s, 6H). Following Nelson et al.,25 KI
(298 mg, 1.79 mmol) was added to the above nitroso-tert-
butane solution at 25 °C, the temperature was lowered to 0
°C, and the N,N-dichloroamine (416 mg, 1.79 mmol) in MeCN
(5 mL) was added. The mixture was stirred for 2-3 h at 5 °C,
then the temperature was gradually raised to 25 °C and the
mixture was stirred overnight. Water (50 mL) and ether (25
mL) were stirred in and the water layer was separated and
extracted with ether (2 × 8 mL). The combined organic layer
was extracted with sufficient aq Na2S2O3 (∼312 mg, 1.97
mmol) to change the color from dark brown to light green. After
drying over MgSO4 and removal of the solvent, the crystalline
product was purified by silica gel chromatography, eluting with
4:1 hexane:ethyl acetate, Rf 0.52. Solvent evaporation yielded
273 mg (61%) of R-azoxy ketone 4a, mp 70.5-71 °C. Further
purification was effected by recrystallization from a small
2-tert-Butyl(ONN)azoxy-2-phenylacetylpropane, Ph-
CH2-COCMe2-NdN(O)-Bu-t (4c), was prepared in the same
manner as PhCO-CMe2-NdN(O)-Bu-t. Purification on silica
gel eluting with 4:1 hexane:ethyl acetate (Rf 0.51) yielded 32
mg of clear, oily product (42% based on PhCH2-CO-CMe2-
NH3Cl). 1H NMR (toluene-d8) δ 7.00-7.21 (m, 5H), 3.45 (s, 2H),
1.34 (s, 6H), 1.29 (s, 9H). 13C NMR (toluene-d8) δ 203.8, 137.5,
130.3, 128.4, 126.7, 76.1, 69.3, 43.5, 27.8, 21.5.
Azoxy-tert-butane was made according to the method of
Freeman18 and fractionally distilled twice, bp 66 °C/40 mm.
1H NMR (C6D6) δ 1.40 (s, 9H), 1.35 (s, 9H). 13C NMR (C6D6) δ
76.39, 57.83, 28.25, 25.69.
tert-Butyl(O,N,N)azoxy-2-propane, i-Pr-NdN(O)-Bu-t,9
was synthesized by a modified literature procedure.74 Nitroso-
tert-butane dimer (217.5 mg, 1.25 mmol) in absolute EtOH (2.5
mL) was stirred for 3 h at 25 °C in the dark. In a separate
vessel, i-PrNHOH‚HCl (290 mg, 2.6 mmol) was added in one
portion to a solution of KOH (154 mg, 2.75 mmol) in absolute
EtOH (2.5 mL). After brief stirring, the ethanolic suspension
of i-PrNHOH was added to a dark blue solution of t-BuNO.
The mixture was stirred for 2 h at 25 °C and for 16 h at 38 °C,
1
amount of MeOH. H NMR (CDCl3) δ 7.84 (m, 2H), 7.46 (m,
1H), 7.35 (m, 2H), 1.59 (s, 6H), 1.31 (s, 9H). NMR (C6D6) δ
7.99 (m, 2H), 7.08 (m, 1H), 6.99 (m, 2H), 1.64 (s, 6H), 1.07 (s,
9H). NMR (toluene-d8) δ 7.89 (m, 2H), 7.10 (m, 1H), 7.01 (m,
2H), 1.59 (s, 6H), 1.09 (s, 9H). 13C NMR (CDCl3) δ 199.7, 135.0,
(72) Gnichtel, H. e. a.; Beier, M. Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1981,
312-316.
(73) Al-Hassan, S. S.; Cameron, R. J.; Curran, A. W. C.; Lyall, W.
J. S.; Nicholson, S. H.; Robinson, D. R.; Stuart, A.; Suckling, C. J.;
Stirling, I.; Wood, H. C. S. J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans. 1 1985, 1645-
1659.
(71) Zawalski, R. C.; Lisiak, M.; Kovacic, P.; Leudtke, A.; Timber-
lake, J. W. Tetrahedron Lett. 1980, 21, 425-428.
(74) Taylor, K. G.; Issac, S. R.; Clark, M. S. J. Org. Chem. 1976, 41,
1135-1140.
2604 J. Org. Chem., Vol. 70, No. 7, 2005