Electrophilic Tetraalkylammonium Nitrate Nitration. II. Improved Anhydrous Aromatic and Heteroaromatic Mononitration with Tetramethylammonium Nitrate and Triflic Anhydride, Including Selected Microwave Examples

Abstract

A new one-pot nitration employing tetramethylammonium nitrate and trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride in dichloromethane to provide a ready source of the nitronium triflate nitrating agent is presented. Rapid and selective nitration with a variety of aromatic and heteroaromatic substrates is achieved resulting in the synthesis of several novel organic compounds. A distinct advantage is the removal of undesired byproducts by aqueous workup. This very mild nitration permits large-scale syntheses and gives high isolated product yields that often require no further purification. This tetramethylammonium nitrate-based nitration also has been applied to microwave-assisted conditions, and the results with several compounds are outlined.