Kinetics and Mechanism of the Change of the 4-Nitrobenzylthio-System into 4,4′-Diformylazoxybenzene in Alkaline Dioxane-Water Media

Sodium hydroxide reacts with α -(4-nitrobenzylthio)-acetic acid in aqueous-dioxane media to give 4,4'-diformylazoxybenzene as the main product besides 4,4'-dicarboxyazoxybenzene and a nitrone acid. This reaction was kinetically studied in presence of excess of alkali in different dioxane-water media at different temperatures. It started by a fast reversible a-proton abstraction step followed by two consecutive irreversible first-order steps forming two intermediates (α -hydroxy, 4-nitrosobenzylthio)-acetic acid and 4-nitrosobenzaldehyde. The latter underwent a Cannizzaro's reaction, the products of which changed in the reaction medium into 4,4'-diformylazoxybenzene and 4,4'-dicarboxyazoxybenzene. The rate constants and the thermodynamic parameters of the two consecutive steps were calculated and discussed. A mechanism was put forward for the formation of the nitrone acid. Other six 4-nitrobenzyl, aryl sulphides were qualitatively studied and they gave mainly 4,4'-diformylazoxybenzene beside 4,4'-dicarboxyazoxybenzene or its corresponding azo acid.