Stability and nitrosation efficiency of substitutedN-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides

Equilibrium constants and protonation site for N-methylbenzenesulfonamides

The protonation equilibria of four substituted N-methylbenzenesulfonamides, X-MBS: X = 4-MeO (3a), 4-Me (3b), 4-Cl (3c) and 4-NO₂ (3d), in aqueous sulfuric acid were studied at 25 °C by UV–vis spectroscopy. As expected, the values for the acidity constants are highly dependent on the electron-donor character of the substituent (the pK_BH+ values are −3.5 ± 0.2, −4.2 ± 0.2, −5.2 ± 0.3 and −6.0 ± 0.3 for 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, respectively). The solvation parameter m* is always higher than 0.5 and points to a decrease in the importance of solvation on the cation stabilization as the electron-donor character of the substituent increases. Hammett plots of the equilibrium constants showed a better correlation with the σ⁺ substituent parameter than with σ, which indicates that the initial protonation site is the oxygen atom of the sulfonyl group.

Evidence for complexes of different stoichiometries between organic solvents and cyclodextrins

The influence of the organic solvent on the acid and basic hydrolysis of N-methyl-N-nitroso-p-toluenesulfonamide (MNTS) in the presence of alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins has been studied. The observed rate constant was found to decrease through the formation of an unreactive complex between MNTS and the cyclodextrins. In the presence of dioxane, acetonitrile or DMSO, the inhibitory effect of beta-CD decreased on increasing the proportion of organic cosolvent as a result of a competitive reaction involving the formation of an inclusion complex between beta-CD and the cosolvent. The disparate size of the organic solvent molecules resulted in stoichiometric differences between the complexes; the beta-CD-dioxane and beta-CD-DMSO complexes were 1 : 1 whereas the beta-CD-acetonitrile complex was 1 : 2. The basic and acid hydrolysis of MNTS in the presence of alpha-CD showed a different behavior; thus, the reaction gave both 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 alpha-CD-MNTS complexes, of which only the former was reactive. This result was due to the smaller cavity size of alpha-CD and the consequent decreased penetration of MNTS into the cavity in comparison to beta-CD. The acid hydrolysis of MNTS in the presence of alpha-CD also revealed decreased penetration of MNTS into the cyclodextrin cavity, as evidenced by the bound substrate undergoing acid hydrolysis. In addition, the acid hydrolysis of MNTS in the presence of acetonitrile containing alpha-CD gave 1 : 1 alpha-CD-acetonitrile inclusion complexes, which is consistent with a both a reduced cavity size and previously reported data.

Determination of N−NO Bond Dissociation Energies of N-Methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides in Acetonitrile and Application in the Mechanism Analyses on NO Transfer

The heterolytic and homolytic N-NO bond dissociation energies of seven substituted N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides (abbreviated as G-MNBS, G = p-OCH(3), p-CH(3), p-H, p-Cl, p-Br, 2,5-2Cl, m-NO(2)) in acetonitrile solution were evaluated for the first time by using titration calorimetry and relative thermodynamic cycles according to Hess' law. The results show that the energetic scales of the heterolytic and homolytic N-NO bond dissociation energies of G-MNBS in acetonitrile solution cover the ranges from 44.3 to 49.5 and from 33.0 to 34.9 kcal/mol for the neutral G-MNBS, respectively, which indicates that N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides are much easier to release a NO radical (NO(*)) than to release a NO cation (NO(+)). The estimation of the heterolytic and homolytic (N-NO)(-)(*) bond dissociation energies of the seven G-MNBS radical anions in acetonitrile solution gives the energetic ranges of -15.8 to -12.9 and -3.1 to 1.8 kcal/mol for the (N-NO)(-)(*) bond homolysis and heterolysis, respectively, which means that G-MNBS radical anions are very unstable at room temperature and able to spontaneously or easily release a NO radical or NO anion (NO(-)), but releasing a NO radical is easier than releasing NO anion. These determined N-NO bond dissociation energies of G-MNBS and their radical anions have been successfully used in the mechanism analyses of NO transfer from G-MNBS to 3,6-dibromocarbazole and the reactions of NO with the substituted N-methyl-benzenesulfonamide nitranions (G-MBSN(-)) in acetonitrile solution.

Reactivity of sulfur nucleophiles with N-methyl-N-nitroso-p-toluenesulfonamide

The transfer of the nitroso group from N-methyl-N-nitroso-p-toluenesulfonamide (MNTS) to cysteine (CYS) and 2-aminoethanethiol (AET) has been studied in a pH range between pH = 7 and pH = 13. Kinetic results clearly indicate that both nucleophiles react through the corresponding thiolate to give the corresponding nitrosothiol. The existence of two (AET) or three (CYS) macroscopic acidity constants has been kinetically evidenced and the nitrosation rates of the corresponding bases have been identified. Nitrosation rate constants of the different species present in the reaction medium have been determined and a Bronsted-type plot has been established giving a beta(nuc) value approximately equal to 0.08 clearly different from the values of beta(nuc) approximately equal to 0.7 obtained in the nitrosation of primary and secondary amines by MNTS. The low beta(nuc) value has been attributed to the need for previous desolvation of the nucleophile.

Mechanism for basic hydrolysis of N-nitrosoguanidines in aqueous solution

A kinetic study was carried out on the hydrolysis of two N-nitrosoguanidines, 1-nitroso-1-methyl-3-tolylsulfonylguanidine (TSGNO) and 1-nitroso-1-methyl-3-benzoylguanidine (BCGNO). We observed an absence of buffer catalysis using H(2)PO(4)(-)/HPO(4)(2)(-), H(3)BO(3)/H(2)BO(3)(-), and HCO(3)(-)/CO(3)(2)(-) regulators and a complex dependency of the rate constant on the pH. We discovered the existence of three simultaneous reaction paths: spontaneous decomposition of the neutral form of the N-nitrosoguanidine, decomposition of the monoanion, and decomposition through the form of the dianion. The analysis of the kinetic data has allowed us to obtain the acidity constant for the formation of the monoanion of the N-nitrosoguanidine, with values of p = 11.5. The reaction rate for the process through the monoanion, k(2), decreases as the acidity increases. The application of the principle of nonperfect synchronization shows that the basicity and reactivity do not correlate when there exists a possibility of stabilization of the negative charge by resonance. This behavior is consistent with the mechanism E1cB whereby the stabler the negative charge, the slower the elimination reaction. When dealing with the case of the elimination through the neutral form we observe that the reaction rate increases together with the capacity of stabilization of the positive charge on the nitrogen atom adjacent to the imino group. For the reaction through the dianion we used a maximum value of k(3) = 10(10) s(-)(1) to estimate the value of p for the formation of the dianion of the N-nitrosoguanidine, obtaining values of p < 24.

Nitroso group transfer from substituted N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides to amines. Intrinsic and apparent reactivity

We have studied the nitroso group transfer from substituted N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides to primary and secondary amines, observing that the rate of the reaction increases as a consequence of the presence of electron withdrawing groups on the aromatic ring of the nitrosating agents. The rate constants determined for the nitroso group transfer, ktr, give good Bronsted-type relationships between log ktr (rate constant for nitroso group transfer) and pKaR2NH2+ and pKaleaving group. The study of the nitrosation processes of secondary amines catalyzed by ONSCN and denitrosation catalyzed by SCN-, in combination with the formation equilibrium of ONSCN, has enabled us to calculate the value of the equilibrium constant for the loss of the NO+ group from a protonated N-nitrosamine (pKNOR2N+HNO), which can be defined by analogy with pKaR2NH2+. The value of pKNOX-NO for the loss of the NO+ group from an N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamide was obtained in a similar way. By using values of delta pKNO = pKNOR2N+HNO - pKNOX-NO, we were able to calculate the equilibrium constant for the nitroso group transfer and characterize the transition state. On the basis of Bronsted-type correlations, we have obtained values of beta nuclnorm and alpha lgnorm approximately equal to 0.55, showing a perfectly balanced transition state. In terms of the Marcus theory, the calculation of the intrinsic barriers for the nitroso group transfer reaction shows that the presence of electron withdrawing groups on the aromatic ring of the N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides does not cause these barriers to vary.