THE CATALYTIC EFFECTS OF OXYGEN AND AMINES IN THE REDOX-INITIATED DIMERIZATION OF N-VINYLCARBAZOLE*

Abstract

The redox reaction between N-vinylcarbazole (NVC) and various oxidants including Ce(Ⅳ), Fe(Ⅲ)and benzoylperoxide in methanol proceeds via the initial formation of the NVC N-cation radical which in turn leads to the formation of the NVC cyclic dimer, trans-1,2-dicarbazylcyclobutane. Molecular oxygen and a few arylamines are able to accelerate the rate of the formation and increase the yield of the dimer. The mechanism of this process and the functions of oxygen and arylamines are presented as follows: The participation of molecular oxygen is to facilitate the dissociation of the resulting reduced metal ion and the NVC N-cation radical ion pair or charge transfer complex, thereby releasing the free NVC N-cation radical and increase the rate of the formation and yield of the dimer. The arylamine in this reaction between NVC and oxidants can be viewed as electron transfer agent between NVC and the oxidant. Because the amines are present in small amount relative to the oxidants and can be regenerated in process, it is essentially catalytic in nature.