Mechanism of nitration of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic N-acetonyl derivatives. General approach to the synthesis of N-dinitromethylazoles

A general synthetic procedure for the synthesis of N-dinitromethyl derivatives of nitrogen-containing heterocycles has been developed. The procedure includes the destructive nitration of heterocyclic N-acetonyl derivatives of tetrazoles, 1,2,4- and 1,2,3-triazoles, pyrazoles, imidazoles and their bicyclic analogs, as well as imides of carboxylic and sulfonic acids and substituted hydrazines with mixtures of sulfuric and nitric acids. The kinetic study of the reaction mechanism was performed using UV and NMR spectroscopy. It was found that the NO2 groups were sequentially introduced into the methylene fragment by the addition of the nitronium ion to multiple bonds of intermediate enols followed by hydrolysis of the acetyl moiety. The rate and direction of the enolization (due to the CH2 and CH3 groups) of the N-acetonyl compounds in sulfuric acid solutions were determined by the study of the deuterium exchange kinetics. The synthesis of the N-dinitromethyl compounds is complicated by side reactions, such as the decomposition of intermediate α-nitroketone, the nitration of the methyl group in the acetonyl moiety, and the nitration of the dinitromethyl products to trinitromethyl derivatives.