Direct Electrochemical Synthesis of Diaziridines

Abstract

The possibility of direct electrosynthesis of mono- and bicyclic diaziridines is studied using, respectively, 1,2-dimethyldiaziridine and 1,5-diazobicyclo[3,1,0]hexane as an example. In either case the process is realized in a galvanostatic electrolysis in the anodic space of a diaphragm cell and proceeds through intermediate formation of alkylchloramines; other electrosynthesis conditions depend on the structure of the source aminoalkane. In the synthesis of monocyclic diaziridines, for the electrolyte, a 4 M solution of NaCl in water was used, which contained high concentrations of 0.5 and 2.0 M of, respectively, CH2O and MeNH2, and the amine excess served, in particular, for binding protons in the reaction of diaziridine synthesis. The process occurs in a homogeneous phase, and the current efficiency for 1,2-dimethyldiaziridine amounted to 40–50% in optimum conditions. In the synthesis of bicyclic diaziridines, the electrolyte was a 4 M solution of NaCl in a 20-% aqueous methanol, containing a low—0.1 M concentration of H2N(CH2)3NH2 and an equimolar quantity of CH2O, and additives of NaHCO3 were used for binding protons in the reaction of diaziridine synthesis. The process occurs in a heterophase environment because of an incomplete dissolution in the conditions of experiment of NaCl and intermediately-formed chloraminoalkane. The current efficiency for 1,5-diazobicyclo[3,1,0]hexane reached 80–85% in optimum conditions, but the loads of the source aminoalkane were 20 times lower than in the synthesis of monocyclic diaziridines. Compared are the results of a direct and an earlier-described indirect method of electrosynthesis of mono- and bicyclic diaziridines.