Recent advances in the synthetic applications of nitrosoarene chemistry

Nitroso groups are widely present in biologically active compounds in medicinal chemistry, and nitroso compounds serve as important building blocks in organic chemistry and materials science. Nitrosoarenes, in particular, showcase remarkable versatility, functioning as both electrophilic and nucleophilic reagents in a broad spectrum of organic reactions, thereby holding significant relevance in organic chemistry. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in nitrosoarene reactions spanning a decade. Special attention is given to the synthesis of products derived from nitrosoarenes and the conditions that promote these reactions, as well as the type of catalysts. The exploration covers various facets of nitrosoarene chemistry, including cyclization, reactions involving attacks at the oxygen or nitrogen terminus, dimerization, rearrangement, coordination, and other significant reactions. By delving into these diverse reaction pathways and mechanisms, this review aspires to serve as a valuable resource for researchers seeking to deepen their understanding of nitrosoarene chemistry and its applications in both fundamental and applied scientific research.

Ammonium Dinitramide as a Prospective N-NO2 Synthon: Electrochemical Synthesis of Nitro-NNO-Azoxy Compounds from Nitrosoarenes

In this study, the electrochemical coupling of nitrosoarenes with ammonium dinitramide is discovered, leading to the facile construction of the nitro-NNO-azoxy group, which represents an important motif in the design of energetic materials. Compared to known approaches to nitro-NNO-azoxy compounds involving two chemical steps (formation of azoxy group containing a leaving group and its nitration) and demanding expensive, corrosive, and hygroscopic nitronium salts, the presented electrochemical method consists of a single step and is based solely on nitrosoarenes and ammonium dinitramide. The dinitramide salt plays the roles of both the electrolyte and reactant for the coupling. Despite the fact that many side reactions can be expected due to the redox-activity of both the reagents and target products, under optimized conditions the synthesis is performed in an undivided cell under constant current conditions with high current density and can be easily scaled up without a reduction in the product yield. Moreover, the synthesized nitro-NNO-azoxy compounds are discovered to be potent fungicides active against a broad range of phytopathogenic fungi.

Iron-catalyzed one-pot cyclization and amination of 2-alkynylthioanisoles using nitrosobenzenes as the amine source

A direct strategy for the synthesis of 3-phenylaminobenzothiophene via iron-catalyzed cyclization of 2-alkynylthioanisoles and nitrosoarenes is presented in this work.

C–N coupling reactions with arenes through C–H activation: the state-of-the-art versus the principles of green chemistry

Herein, we discuss the state-of-the-art in arene C–N coupling through C–H activation and to what extent it complies with the principles of green chemistry, with a focus on heterogeneously catalysed systems.