Copper-mediated nitrosation: 2-nitrosophenolato complexes and their use in the synthesis of heterocycles

DOI: 10.3390/molecules24224154

Authors: Alexander J. Nicholls (University of Durham) , Andrei S. Batsanov (University of Durham) , Ian R. Baxendale (University of Durham)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Molecules , VOL 24 , PAGES 4154

State: Published (Approved)
Published: November 2019
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 22240

Abstract: A simple protocol yielding ortho-substituted nitrosophenols from phenols is demonstrated, in the form of copper(II) bis(nitrosophenolato) complexes. The developed methodology was applied to a range of substrates, confirming the role of the copper in both the formation and protection of the challenging 1, 2-substitution pattern. Using polymer supported thiourea, the Cu could be stripped from the complexes and thus enabled the isolation or identification of the uncoordinated ligands and their decomposition products, in yields generally low in line with the intrinsic high reactivity of 2-nitrosophenols. The product complexes are useful intermediates as demonstrated in revisiting a formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition with dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate to synthesise bicyclic products in variable yields, revealing the product has a novel structure dierent from those previously reported in the literature.

Journal Keywords: copper-nitrosophenolato complex; phenols; C-nitrosation; sodium nitrite; copper; cycloaddition; heterocyclic; ambient conditions

Subject Areas: Chemistry


Instruments: I19-Small Molecule Single Crystal Diffraction