Pyridine-N-oxide is the heterocyclic compound with the formula C5H5NO. This colourless, hygroscopic solid is the product of the oxidation of pyridine. Its synthesis was first reported by Jakob Meisenheimer, who used peroxybenzoic acid as the oxidant.[1] The compound is used infrequently as an oxidizing reagent in organic synthesis.[2]
The structure of pyridine-N-oxide is very similar to that of pyridine with respect to the parameters for the ring. The molecule is planar. The N–O distance is 1.34Å. The C–N–C angle is 124°, 7° wider than in pyridine.[3]
Pyridine N-oxide is five orders of magnitude less basic than pyridine: the pKa of protonated pyridine-N-oxide is 0.8.[9] Protonated derivatives are isolable, e.g., [C5H5NOH]Cl.[4] Further demonstrating its (feeble) basicity, pyridine-N-oxide also serves as a ligand in coordination chemistry. A host of transition metal complexes of pyridine-N-oxides are known.
Some electrophilic substitutions on pyridine rings are usefully effected using pyridine N-oxide followed by deoxygenation. Addition of oxygen suppresses further reactions at nitrogen atom and promotes substitution at the 2- and 4-carbons.[10] For example, 4-nitropyridine can be prepared from nitrating pyridine-N-oxide and subsequent deoxygenation with PCl3.[11] Deoxygenation can also be carried out with POCl3 to give 2-chloropyridines.[12]
Preparation of 4-nitropyridine.
Related pyridine-N-oxides
Pyridine-N-oxides are uncommon in nature. 2-(Methyldithio)pyridine-N-oxide and related compounds have been isolated from species of Allium.[13]
The N-oxides of various pyridines are precursors to useful drugs:[14]
↑Ülkü, D.; Huddle, B. P.; Morrow, J. C. (1971). "The Crystal Structure of Pyridine 1-oxide". Acta Crystallographica Section B: Structural Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry27 (2): 432–436. doi:10.1107/S0567740871002334. Bibcode: 1971AcCrB..27..432U.
↑Varma, Rajender S.; Naicker, Kannan P. (1999). "The Urea−Hydrogen Peroxide Complex: Solid-State Oxidative Protocols for Hydroxylated Aldehydes and Ketones (Dakin Reaction), Nitriles, Sulfides, and Nitrogen Heterocycles". Org. Lett.1 (2): 189–192. doi:10.1021/ol990522n.
↑McKillop, Alexander; Kemp, Duncan (1989). "Further functional group oxidations using sodium perborate". Tetrahedron45 (11): 3299–3306. doi:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)81008-5.
↑Jain, Suman L.; Joseph, Jomy K.; Sain, Bir (2006). "Rhenium-Catalyzed Highly Efficient Oxidations of Tertiary Nitrogen Compounds to N-Oxides Using Sodium Percarbonate as Oxygen Source". Synlett2006 (16): 2661–2663. doi:10.1055/s-2006-951487.
↑Ferrer, Marta; Sánchez-Baeza, Francisco J.; Messeguer, Angel (17 November 1997). "On the preparation of amine N-oxides by using dioxiranes". Tetrahedron53 (46): 15877-15888.
↑Chmurzyński, L. (1996). "Studies on correlations of acid-base properties of substituted pyridine N-oxides in solutions. Part 1. Correlations of the p Ka values in non-aqueous solvents and water". Analytica Chimica Acta321 (2–3): 237–244. doi:10.1016/0003-2670(95)00594-3.
↑Campeau, Louis-Charles; Fagnou, Keith (2011). "Synthesis of 2-aryl Pyridines By Palladium-catalyzed Direct Arylation of Pyridine N-oxides". Org. Synth.88: 22. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.088.0022.