Deamination via Nitrogen Derivatives of Sulfonic Acids: N-Alkyl-N-nitroso-4-toluenesulfonamides, N-Alkyl-N-nitro-4-toluenesulfonamides, and N-Alkyl-N'-(4-toluenesulfonyloxy)diimide N-Oxides

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00316a014

The thermal decomposition of several N-alkyl-N-nitroso-4-toluenesulfonamides, N-alkyl-N-nitro-4-toluenesulfonamides, and N-alkyl-N'-(4-toluenesulfonyloxy)diimide N-oxides was undertaken to determine whether the basicity of the negatively charged counterion in deamination reactions was a reaction variable.The nitrososulfonamides decompose following first-order kinetics to give the corresponding esters with retention of configuration.The reaction characteristics are very similar to those of the N-nitrosocarboxamides, and the reaction mechanisms are presumably very similar also.The N-nitrosulfonamides required high temperatures for decomposition, and they gave an anomalous set of products: amide (by denitration) and olefins, but no nitrous oxide or toluenesulfonate esters.The N'-toluenesulfonoxydiimide N-oxides, isomeric to the nitrosulfonamides, proved to be surprisingly stable compounds; they decompose by first-order kinetics to yield the corresponding esters and nitrous oxide.