The Darbeau-White-Gibble reaction: An N-nitrosoamide-mediated Ritter-type reaction. Part I. A study of electronic, steric, and orbital effects in the nucleophile^1a

Benzyl cations were generated via thermal decomposition of N-benzyl-N-nitrosopivalamide in molten 4-R-substituted benzonitriles (R = NH₂, Me₂N, MeO, Me, H, F, and CF₃). In each case, the benzyl cation was intercepted competitively by pivalate ion to yield benzyl pivalate and by the benzonitriles to yield the corresponding N-4-R-benzonitrilium ion. The latter onium ions reacted with pivalate ion to form benzimidic anhydrides which rearranged to yield N-4-R-benzoyl-N-pivaloylbenzylamines (i.e. unsymmetrical diacylamines). The yield of diacylamines (maximum ∼10.6% for R = H) is smaller than from the corresponding reactions in acetonitrile and varied systematically with the nature and location of the R group on the aromatic nucleus. Both electron-releasing and electron-withdrawing groups at the para position effected a diminution of the yield of diacylamine; indeed for R = NH₂, no diacylamine was formed. ortho Substitution of the aromatic nucleus resulted in significantly diminished yields of diacylamine, as did nucleophilic attack on the nitrilium ion by pivalate rather than acetate. Thus, both electronic and steric effects in nucleophilic attack on the nitrilium carbon were observed. The ratios of counterion-derived product to solvent-derived product for both the first-formed benzyl cation and the less reactive benzonitrilium ion are similar. This observation is interpreted in terms of the intermediacy of nitrogenous entity-separated ion-pairs in these deaminations.