The first hydride-Meisenheimer adduct of electron-deficient 3-nitronaphthalimide: application to colorimetric borohydride determination

The first hydride-Meisenheimer adduct of 3-nitronaphthalimide was used for the colorimetric borohydride assay. To explain the regioselectivity of the adduct, the reaction enthalpies of the two most plausible Meisenheimer adducts were obtained via computational calculation. Using the adduct formation, the assay of borohydride reagents was successfully conducted. The first hydride-Meisenheimer adduct of electron-deficient 3-nitronaphthalimide was prepared, and the adduct formation was applied to the colorimetric borohydride assay.