On the Rearrangement in Dioxane/Water of (Z)-Arylhydrazones of 5-Amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole into (2-Aryl-5-phenyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)ureas:  Substituent Effects on the Different Reaction Pathways

We have recently evidenced an interesting differential behavior in the reactivity in dioxane/water between the (Z)-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (1a) and the (Z)-phenylhydrazone (1b) of 5-amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole. The former rearranges into the relevant triazole 2a only at pS + > 4.5 while undergoing hydrolysis at high proton concentration (pS + < 3.5); on the contrary, the latter rearranges into 2b in the whole pS + range examined (0.1 ≤ pS + ≤ 14.9). Thus, for a deeper understanding of these differences we have now collected kinetic data on the rearrangement in dioxane/water of a series of 3- or 4-substituted (Z)-phenylhydrazones (1c−l) of 5-amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole in a wide range of proton concentrations (pS + 0.1−12.3) with the aim of gaining information about the effect of the substituent on the course of the reaction. All of the (Z)-arylhydrazones studied rearrange via three different reaction routes (specific-acid-catalyzed, uncatalyzed, and general-base-catalyzed), and the relevant results have been examined by means of free energy relationships.