Abstract: | Gas‐phase pyrolysis reactions of 4(2′‐dimethylaminoethenyl)‐2‐oxo‐2H‐benzob]pyran‐3‐carbonitrile ( 1 ), 4(2′‐dimethylaminoethenyl)‐2‐oxo‐2H‐naphtho1,2‐b]pyran‐3‐carbonitrile ( 2 ), 1,6‐dihydro‐4‐(2′‐dimethylaminoethenyl)‐6‐oxo‐1‐phenylpyridazine‐3,5‐dicarbonitrile ( 3 ), 2‐cyano‐5‐dimethylamino‐3‐phenyl‐2,4‐pentadienonitrile ( 4 ), 2‐cyano‐5‐dimethylamino‐3‐(2‐thienyl)‐2,4‐pentadienonitrile( 5 ), 1,2‐dihydro‐4‐(2′‐dimethylaminoethenyl)‐oxo‐quinoline‐4‐carbonitrile ( 6 ), 6‐(ethylthio)‐4‐(2′‐dimethylaminoethenyl)‐2‐phenylpyrimidine‐5‐carbonitrile ( 7 ) (Scheme 1) have been carried out. The rates of gas‐phase pyrolytic reactions of compounds 3, 4, 5, and 7 have been measured and found to correspond to unimolecular first‐order reactions. Product analyses together with kinetic data were used to outline a feasible pathway for the pyrolytic reactions of the compounds under study. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 12:47–51, 2001 |