Flash vacuum pyrolysis of azo and nitrosophenols: new routes towards hydroxyarylnitrenes and their reactions

Flash vacuum pyrolysis of phenylazonaphthols and nitrosonaphthols at 700°C and 0.02 Torr yielded quinoline, isoquinoline, indene and naphthols (and aniline only from the phenylazo derivatives). Similar FVP of p-nitroso and p-phenylazophenol gave pyridine. Also, FVP of phenanthraquinonemonophenylhydrazone and monooxime gave phenathridine and fluorenone. The formation of the heterocyclic system was assumed to involve nitrene and azatropone intermediates.