1,2-Bis(1-aryl-3-alkyltriazen-3-yl)ethanes and related compounds

A series of novel bistriazenes, the 1,2-bis(1-aryl-3-methyltriazen-3-yl)ethanes, Ar-N T N-NMe-CH 2 CH 2 -NMe-N T N-Ar, have been synthesized by diazonium coupling with N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine. These bistriazenes are stable crystalline compounds and have been unequivocally characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy ( 1 H and 13 C), and elemental analysis. The structures of two compounds in the series have been confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The 1 H NMR spectra show significant line broadening of the N-methyl resonances arising from the restricted rotation around the N2-N3 bond of the triazene units. The presence of strongly electron-withdrawing groups on the aryl ring restricts the rotation to the point where the N-methyl signals of the rotamers are distinct even at room temperature; four resonances of the N-methyl signal are clearly evident and these can be assigned to the anti-anti, syn-syn, and syn-anti conformations of the bistriazene. Diazonium coupling with N,N'-diethylethylenediamine affords the N,N'-diethyl homologues of the bistriazenes, which have been similarly characterized. As model compounds to assist in spectroscopic analysis, a series of related triazenes, the 1-(1-aryl-3-methyltriazen-3-yl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-ethanamines, were prepared by diazonium coupling with N,N,N'-trimethylethylenediamine. These dialkyltriazenes exist mainly as oils, but characterization was achieved by IR, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, also showing the presence of two rotamers in solution when strongly electron-withdrawing substituents are bonded to the aryl moiety.Key words: triazene, bistriazene, diazonium, ethylenediamine, molecular dynamics, NMR.