Reaction of 4H- and 2H-imidazole oxides with organolithium compounds, a novel route to stable nitroxyl radicals of the 2(3)-imidazoline series

Article abstract of DOI:10.1007/BF00698955

Reactions of 4H- and 2H-imidazole oxides with phenyl- and methyllithium followed by oxidation afford stable nitroxyl radicals - derivatives of 2- and 3-imidazolines including otherwise inaccessible sterically hindered radicals of the latter group.An unusual reaction, the formation of 2-azabutadiene derivatives after NO elimination in the dark, has been observed for pentaphenyl- and 5-methyltetraphenyl-3-imidazoline-1-oxyls.