[CONTRIBUTION FROM THE DEPARTMENT CHEMISTRY, OF PURDUE UNIVERSITY AND PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION]

THE

NITRO ALKENE DERIVATIVES

Received January 24, 19.49

The relatively recent enhancement of the availability of the lower nitro alkanes (1) and of the nitro alcohols (2) led t o the present investigation of the nitro alkenes and their derivatives. The latter are easy to synthesize in good yields and have proved to be intermediates for the facile production of higher ketones, alcohols, amines, oximes, and dihalo nitro alkanes. The highly active double bond of the nitro alkene molecule and the ease of reduction of the nitro group open the way to further syntheses still to be investigated. The accompanying diagram indicates the generic relationships involved.
ALIPHATIC:

+ RCHzNOz Ca(oH)& RCHOHCH(N0z)R + rlcaO

RCHOHCH(N02)R RCH(OAc)CH(?rTOz)R

--$

2 RCH(OAc)CH(NO2)R NazCOa --i RCH=C(XOdR

+ HOAC + AcONa + HzO+ COz +

ArCHO

Primary + RCHZXOz = +

ArCH=C(NOa)R

NOH
RCH=C(NOJR
Clz or BIZ

Fe, HCl RCH2COR ~ ~ 0 C H ZfC R *-+ NHaO.HC1 R -

/I

RCHCl-CCl(N0z)R or corr. dibromide

\HI?

L Ni

Hz Ni

RCHzCH(NHz)R
EXPERIMENT-4L

H1 Ni

RCHzCHOHR

The nitro alcohols and their acetate esters were obtained in good yields using the technique of Vanderbilt and Hass (2). The purely aliphatic nitro alkenes were produced by a slight modification of the procedure of Schmidt and Rutz (3). One mole of sodium carbonate is added to a solution of two moles of nitroalkyl acetate dissolved in 200 ml. of anhydrous benzene and refluxed in a round-bottom flask for six hours. The flask is cooled and the product decanted from solids. The residue (sodium acetate) is extracted with benzene, dissolved in mater, and further extracted with small portions of benzene. The benzene solution is dried over KZCOZ, the benzene distilled and the nitro alkene remaining is purified by distillation, usually a t 10 mm., through a Podbielniak column. The nitro alkenes prepared in this way are shown in Table I. If the aldehyde contains a formyl group attached to an aromatic nucleus the nitro alkene may be synthesized by the method of Knoevenagel and Walter (4) in a single step. This is illustrated in the preparation of I-phenyl-2-nitropropene.One mole each of benzddehyde and nitroethane, 5 ml. of n-butylamine, and 100 ml. of absolute ethanol were refluxed Abstracted from the doctoral theses of Mr. Susie and Mr. Heider. Present address: General Aniline and Film Corp., 230 Park Ave., h .Y . 3 Present address : Marbon Corporation, Gary, Indiana. 4 Present address : Monsanto Chemical Company, Dayton, Ohio. 8
1

NITRO ALKENE DERIVATIVES

TABLE I
PHYSICAL CONSTANTS O F THE
BOILING POINT

NITRO ALKENES

NITRO A L K E h 3

(=.I

"c.

REFRAC? W EImoE: AT 25

CARBON,

%
Found

dy

Calc'd

2-Sitropropene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-Xitro-2-butene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-Xit ro-2-hexene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 -Sitro-a-heptene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-Nitro-2-hexene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Nitroi-octene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Methy1-3-nitro-2-pentene . . . . . . . . . . 2-Met hyl-3-nitro-3-heptene . . . . . . . . . . . 2-Nitro-1-butene". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-Sitro-1 -pentene". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

57.0 (100) 70.4 (30) 82.3 (IO) 57.8 (10) '31.4 (10) 72.0 (10) 93.0 (10) 64.0 (10) 55.5 (10) 60.5 (50) 58.0 (20)

1.4105 1,4584 1.4572 1,4590 1.4580 1.4572 1.4593 1.4530 1.4537

1.os59 1 ,0429 0.9824 1.0069 0.9625 .9833 ,9484

41.38 47.48 55. 77 52.14 58. 70 55.77 61.10 55.77 61.10

41.10 47.44 55.74 52.05 58.60 55.70 61.10 55.40 60.00

' The other physical constants of 2-nitro-1-butene and 2-nitro-1-pentene determined.

?re not

NITRO -4LKEKES
ANALYSES

coxARYL NITBO ALKENES VERSIOK, YIELD

"a

70

BP, ..

"c. (PIM.)

SP. GR.

-__

1-Phenyl-2-nitropropene (4) I-Phenyl-2-nitro1..butene

65 85 64 86.5

( m . ~ .65) , 125-129 (10) 121 (6) b P . , 12) 108-109 (3) 133-135 (6) (m.p., 48-49) 130-131 (13) 124-125 (10) 136-137 (13) ( m . ~ .56) , (m.p., 35-36) 1.1064y 1.083%

io

for 8 hours in a 1000-ml. round-bottom flask. When the contents were cooled and stirred a heavy, yellow, crystalline mass formed immediately. After recrystallization from absolute ethanol the product weighed 105 g . (conversion 647, of theory, yield 86.5%) with m.p. 65'. Table I1 contains a list of nitro alkenes prepared thus. The method failed with w-nitrobeing obtained instead. It styrene, a poor yield of 2-nitro-l,3-diphenyl-l,3-propanediol

10

H. B. HASS, A. G . SUSIE, AND R . L. HEIDER

also failed with vanillin and nitroethane, l-nitropropane, and l-nitrobutane because of tar formation and with dinitroneopentane and benzaldehyde for the same reason.
REDUCTION OF NITRO ALKENES

Although nitro alkenes had been reduced by means of aluminum amalgam

one prior to the present authors had studied the effect of cast iron turnings and dilute hydrochloric acid, which is the preferred procedure for the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds. This method proved to give good yields of either ketone or ketoxime depending upon the amount of hydrochloric acid used. The following steps are indicated. RCH=C(N02)R

+ Fe + HzO

HCl
---+

[RCH=C(NHOH)R]

+ FetO*

NOH
RCHZCR

[RCH=C(NHOH)R]

ll

--+

NOH
RCHZCR

II

+ H20 + HC1

RCHZCOR

+ NH30.HCl

EXPERIMENTAL

One-tenth of a mole of nitro alkene, 0.72 gram-atom (40g.) of 40 mesh cast iron turnings, 75-100 ml. of distilled water, and 0.1 g. of ferric chloride were placed in a 500-ml. roundbottom, three-neck flask equipped with a graduated dropping-funnel, a mercury-seal stirrer, and a reflux condenser. Fifteen ml. of concd HCl was added dropwise for 5 t o 6 hours and the temperature of the surrounding oil-bath maintained between 85 and 95. The reaction mixture was then basified with 25% NaOH solution and distilled with steam. The distillate was extracted several times with ether, the ether distilled, and the residue rectified through a Podbielniak column at reduced pressure. Table I11 indicates experiments on the reduction of 1-phenyl-2-nitropropene. Table IV indicates the nitro alkenes reduced with iron and acid. Table Vindicates the oximes prepared either directly by reduction of nitro alkenes or by the action of hydroxylamine on ketones so prepared. Table VI indicates the amines made by reducing the corresponding oximes with Raney nickel and hydrogen. The procedure used was as follows: A Parr hydrogenation bomb was charged with 0.04-0.06 mole of ketoxime, 6-10 g. of Raney nickel, and 75 ml. of absolute ethanol. Hydrogen was run in until the pressure was 1000-2OOO p.s.i. and reduction proceeded readily a t room temperature for 3-5 hours. The ethanol was distilled from the amine and this was rectified in a small modified Podbielniak column. If the hydrochloride was a crystalline solid, the amine was identified by conversion t o the hydrochloride and titration with standard silver nitrate using dichlorofluorescein as an indicator. Table VI1 indicates the secondary alcohols made by catalytic hydrogenation of the corresponding ketones. The procedure used was as follows: A solution of 100-150 ml. of absolute ethanol and 0.05-0.20 mole of ketone was placed in a Parr hydrogenation bomb, and freshly prepared Raney nickel (8 g . of Raney nickel per 0.1 mole of ketone) was washed into the bomb with absolute ethanol. The autoclave was then sealed and hydrogen added until the pressure was 1400-2000 p.s.i. The surrounding rocking cradle was then heated to a temperature of 125-150, except in the case of furylacetone which was reduced a t room temperature, and the rocking device started. The reduction was allowed t o proceed for 5-6 hours and the contents of the bomb were washed with absolute ethanol into a beaker and the catalyst

TABLE I11 SUMMARY EXPERIMENTS REDUC~ION IRON OF ON WITH AND HYDROCHLORIC ACID
MOLAR PATIO

=./MOLE

ALXENE

PRODUCT,

% CONYEPSION 20
xime of Phenyl propanone

E m . NO.

Fe/Alkene

HCl/Alkeue

Water

Solvent

Phenylpropanone

101 102 103 104 105 106 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 116 117 123 127 128 129 130 131 I1 4 RXY 24 132 136

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 7.15 7.15 2.5 2.5

0 0.06 0 0.10 .232 .464 0 0.06 .06 .06 .06 .06 .06 .06 .06 .06 .06 1.392 1.74 1.74 1.74 1.74 1.97 2.00 0.52

500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 0 500 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 500 500 1000 1000 750 670 500 500

0 0 0 0 0 0

5.2 0 11.3 24.6 36.5 3.7 3.7 0 trace 10.5 0 10.7 0 0 9.9 9.7 41.1 56.0 41.0 18.7 75 77 44.7 10.5

0
0

500" 0 500"
500b

250' 250b 250b 250" 500" 0 0 500" 5 w 0 0 0 0

20.1 49.0 0 32.5 27.4 23.1 23.8 45.0 0 34.6 62.6 0 45.6 0 0 64.2 63.0 20.2 13.4 30.2 40.3 0 0 20.2 37.5

CHBOH. CsHc. C2H50H.

__
REDUCTION OF

TABLE IV REDUCTION NITRO OF ALKENES WITH IRON AND HCL

B.P.,

"c. (XM.)

SP. GR.

2S0/2S"

'v

Calc'd

Found
.__-

___-

___-

C,%

K % C, % H , %

1-Phenyl-2-nitropropene 1-Phenyl-2-nitro1-butene 1-PhenylS-nitro1-pentene 1-Furyl-2-nitropropene 1-Furyl-2-nitro1-butene' 1-Fury1-2-nitro1-pentene 1-Anisyl-2-nitro1-butene 1-Anisyl-2-nitro1-pentene

Phenylacetone, 75-77 1-Phenyl-2-butanone, 68 1-Phenyl-2-pent anone , 45-50 Furylacetone, 35-40 1-Furyl-2-butanone, 65-70 1-Furyl-2-pentanone, 64 1-Anisyl-2-butanone, 60 1-Anisyl-2-pentanone, 60-62

215-216 101-102 (10) 107 (10) 179-180 76 (11-12) 99 (27) 95 (15) 132 (5) 120-122 (3) 1.032 1.4681 i9.55 7.2s i9.45 7.40 0,999 1.462s '1.02 7.9E '0.95 8.03 1.039 1,5101 '4.14 7.92 '4.33 7.92 1.025 1.512C '4.99 8.3s '4.92 8.12

a l-Furyl-2-alkanones, colorless liquids with peculiar odors, tend t o become reddish brown on standing. 1-Anisyl-2-alkanones are colorless liquids, stable on standing, and have characteristic, pleasant odors. 11

12

H. B. HASS, A. G. SUSIE, AND R. L. HEIDER

filtered from the solution. Most of the ethanol distilled from the reduction products and purification of the secondary alcohol was effected by distillation through a modified Podbielniak column under reduced pressure. I nitro alkenes are reduced directly with Raney nickel and hydrogen, saturated amines f are obtained in a single step. The reduction of 3-nitro-2-pentene in this way using 1-butanol as solvent gave a 55% yield of 3-pentylamine, identified by boiling point and m.p. of hydrochloride [217.5' (Literature, 216")l. Some ammonium chloride mas formed simultaneously. TABLE V PREPARATION OF OXIMES
ANALYSES
OXIXE

Calc'd

~~

1-Phenyl-2-propanoneoxime (6065y0) plus 8-12% l-phenyl-2propanone, from reduction of 1-phenyl-2-nitropropene 1-Phenyl-2-butanone oxime 1-Phenyl-2-pentanone oxime 1-Furyl-2-propanone oxime (7) I-Furyl-2-butanone oxime 1-Furyl-2-pentanone oxime 1-Anisyl-2-butanone oxime 1-Anisyl-2-pentanone oxime

99 (2) (m.p., 68-70)

117-118 (2) 116 (1-2) 95 (5) 119-120 (10) 118 (4) (m.p., 75) CU. 135 (1-2) (m.p., 58-59)

1.036 1.017 1.082 1.054

1,536: 13.60 8.02 '4.00 7.88 1,5292 14.54 8.53 '4.47 8.51

1.498( j2.72 7.22 i2.82 6.83 1.4931 j4.66 7.84 i4.66 7.92 i8.00 7.97 i9.49 8.18

TABLE VI PREPARATION O F AMINES Compound reduced. . . . . . . . . . (1) (2) Ketoxime, mole. , , , . . . . . . . . , 0.058 0.05 8 8 Raneg nickel, grams.. . . . . , . Ethanol, ml.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 75 Initial H pressure, p.s.i.. , . . 1800 810 2 4-5 Time of reduction, hours.. . . 80 Room Temperature, " C . . . . . . . , . . . . Yield of amine, yo., . . , . . . . . . 75 55
(1) 1-Phenyl-2-propanone oxime (2) 1-Phenyl-2-butanone oxime (3) 1-Phenyl-2-pentanone oxime (4) 1-Furyl-2-propanone oxime

(3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) 0.065 0.05 0.05 0.057 0.042 0.041 10 6 10 10 10 10 150 75 125 125 125 100 1900 1900 1440 1900 1240 1240 5 3 5 53 5 5 loom Room Room Room Room Room 70 90 50 60 40 70 (5) 1-Fury1-2-butanone oxime (6) 1-Furgl-2-pentanone oxime (7) 1-Anisyl-2-butanone oxime (8) l-iinisyl-2-pentanone oxime

Table VI11 indicates the dihalides formed by addition of chlorine or bromine to various nitro alkenes. Nitro alkenes add the halogens readily giving the dihalide derivatives. These are stable, high-boiling liquids which possess an odor much milder than that of the parent nitro alkene. The dichlorides were prepared by absorbing the mole-equivalent of chlorine in a carbon tetrachloride-nitro alkene solution. The following method was employed in the preparation of the dibromides of nitro alkenes. Two-tenths mole of bromine dissolved in 75ml. of carbon tetrachloride was added slowly t o a solution of two-tenths mole of 3-nitro-2-pentene in 25 ml. of carbon tetrachloride. The

NITRO ALKENE DERIV.4TI VES

13

solution was shaken vigorously and kept cool during the addition of bromine. At the end of the addition the solution had a pronounced bromine color. After standing for one day the unreacted bromine was extracted with 5% sodium hydroxide solution. The oily layer was washed a i t h m-ater and dried over calcium chloride. The dried sample was analyzed by distillation on a modified Podbielniak column. The dibromide fraction was collected between 98-10lo/10 mm. The purified 2,3-dibromo-3-nitropentene had b.p. 1OO0/1Omm. Yield, 57.5%. The dibromides of 3-nitro-3-heptene and 4-nitro-4-octene decomposed slightly upon distillation, giving off hydrogen bromide. The dichloride of 3-nitro-3-heptene, however, was quite stable a t its boiling point.

Compound reduced.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) Ketone, mole.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.20 15 Raney nickel, grams., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Et,hanol, ml . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Initial H pressure, p.s.i.. . . . . . . . . . . . 1800 Time of reduction, hours.,. . . . . . . . . . 5 Temperature, "C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Yield of sec-alcohol, %.. . . . . . . . . . . . .~ 95

..I

.I

1
~

(2) 0.20 15 150 1800 5

i :

(3) 0.043 6 100 1900 5 150 60

(4) 0.157 8 100 1400 6 Room 551-

(5) 0.10 8 100 1600 6 125 83

(6) 0.048 4 100 1620 6 125 80+

(1) Phenylacetone (4) Furylacetone (2) 1-Phenyl-2-butanone ( 5 ) 1-Furyl-2-butanone (3 i 1-Phenyl-2-pentanone (6) 1-Furyl-2-pentanone Represents yield of tetrahydrofuryl-sec-alcohol.

TABLE 1'111 PHYSICAL CONSTANTS THE DIHALIDES OF

FBACTIVE
INDEX

a:"

HALOGEN,

(25")

-__

Calc'd Found

1,2-Dibromo-2-nitrobutane,. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2,3-Dibromo-2-nitrobutane.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,3-Dibromo-3-nitropentane.. . . . . . . . . . . .. 2,3-Dibromo-2-nitrohexane.. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2 , 3-Dibromo -3-nitrohexane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,4-Dibromo-3-nitroheptane.. . . . . . . . . . . .. 4,5-Dibromo-4-nitrooctane.. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2,3-Dichloro-3-nitropentane. . . . . . . . . . . ... 2,3-Dichloro-2-nitrohexane. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 4-Dichloro-3-nitrohept ane . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
~

98.4 60.0 (m.p.) 102.8 113.0 111.8 115.5 122-121 69.4 89.6 90.5

1.9151 61.27 61.27 1.5169 1.8097 58.14 1.5112 55.32 1.5101 1.7057 55.32 1.5062 52.76 1.5018 1.4621 1.4617 1.2170 35.46 1.4630 1.1916 33.14

1.5217

61.37 61.15 55.12 55.15 55.37 51.78

35.53 33.25

The halogen content of the dihalides was determined by the Carius sealed-tube method. Ten new dihalides of nitro alkenes are reported in Table VIII.

Hydrolysis of Nitro Alkenes It was found that the nitro alkenes dissolve readily in sulfuric acid (3:1, HzS04:Hz0by volume) with decomposition. In all cases the nitro alkene was cleaved a t the double bond with the simultaneous formation of an aldehyde fragment. This may be interpreted as follows:

14

H. B HAM, A. Q. SUSIE, AND R. L REIDER . .

RCH=C(NOz)R

+ HzO _Hf
---+

RCHOHCH(N02)R

RCHOHCH(N02)R & RCHO RCHzN02

+ HzO + H2S04

+ RCH2NOz RC02H + NHsOH*HSOa

Polymerization of nitro alkenes. All nitro alkenes polymerize with more or less rapidity. For this reason they should be used promptly after synthesis. The polymerization products are black, viscous materials readily soluble in acetone and benzene. Acknowledgment. The authors wish to express their appreciation to the Purdue Research Foundation and the Commercial Solvents Corporation for the financial support of these researches.
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA REFERENCES (1) HASSAND RILEY,Chem. Revs., 32, 373 (1943). (2) VANDERBILT Hass, Ind. Eng. Chem., 32, 34 (1940). AFTD (3) SCHMIDT RUTZ, AND Ber., 61,2142 (1928). (4) KVOEVXNAGEL AND WALTER, Ber., 37,4502 (1904). (5) BOUVEAULTAND Compt. rend., 134,1145 (1902); Bull. soc. chim. (3) 29,519 (1903). WAHL, J (6) KAKAO, . Pharm. Soc. Japan (550), 1019 (1927); Chem. Abst., 22, 1588 (1928). (7) DARZENS, Compt. rend., 142,215 (1006). ( 8 ) CERFDE MAIJNY, BulE. soc. chim., 7,133 (1940). (9) NIGHTINGALE JAKES, Am. Chem. Soc., 66,352 (1944). LVD J.