title: 2-quinoxalinylnitrenes and 4-quinazolinylnitrenes: rearrangement to cyclic and acyclic carbodiimides and ring-opening to nitrile ylides.
abstract: This work was undertaken with the aim to obtain direct evidence for the interrelationships between hetarylnitrenes, their ring-expanded cyclic carbodiimide isomers, and ring-opened nitrile ylides. Tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoxaline 11T and tetrazolo[5.1-c]quinazoline 13T undergo valence tautomerization to the corresponding azides 11A and 13A on mild flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT). Photolysis in Ar matrixes at ca. 15 K affords the triplet nitrenes 12 and 14, identified by ESR, UV, and IR spectroscopy. The nitrenes are converted photochemically to the seven-membered ring carbodiimide 15 followed by the open-chain carbodiimide 22. The 3-methoxy- and 3-chloro-2-quinoxalinylnitrenes 24 yield the ring-expanded carbodiimides 26 very cleanly on matrix photolysis, whereas FVT affords N-cyanobenzimidazoles 28. The ring-opened nitrile ylides 36 and 49 are identified as intermediates in the photolyses of 2-phenyl-4-quinazolinylnitrene 32 and 7-nitro-2-phenyl-4- quinazolinylnitrene 47. In these systems, a photochemically reversible interconversion of the seven-membered ring carbodiimides 35 and 48 and the nitrile ylides 36 and 49 is established. Recyclization of open-chain nitrile ylides is identified as an important mechanism of formation of ring contraction products (N-cyanobenzimidazoles).
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kvaskoff
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vosswinkel
authors.forename: Curt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wentrup