Iron-catalyzed propylene epoxidation by nitrous oxide: studies on the effects of alkali metal salts

SBA-15-supported iron catalysts with and without alkali metal salt modifications were studied for propylene oxidation by nitrous oxide. The reaction route could be dramatically changed from allylic oxidation to epoxidation by modification of the FeOx/SBA-15 catalyst with alkali metal salts. The KCl-1 wt % FeOx/SBA-15 (K/Fe = 5) catalyst exhibited the best catalytic performances for propylene epoxidation, over which ca. 50% propylene oxide selectivity could be gained at a 10% propylene conversion at 648 K. Characterizations with diffuse reflectance UV-Vis, XANES, and Raman spectroscopic techniques revealed that the modification with KCl increased the dispersion of the iron species and changed the local coordination of iron into a tetrahedral configuration on the inner surface of SBA-15. This tetrahedrally coordinated iron site, which was probably stabilized by potassium ions, was proposed to account for the epoxidation of propylene by nitrous oxide. At the same time, the reactivity of lattice oxygen was inhibited, and the acidity of the FeOx/SBA-15 was eliminated. These changes should also contribute to the increase in the selectivity to propylene oxide. The counteranions in the alkali metal salts exerted a significant influence on the catalytic behaviors probably via an electronic effect.     

Mu-eta1:eta1-peroxo-bridged dinuclear peroxotungstate catalytically active for epoxidation of olefins

The reaction of the dinuclear peroxotungstate, [(n-C4H9)4N]2[{WO(O2)2}2(mu-O)] (II), with H2O2 gives the novel mu-eta1:eta1-peroxo-bridging dinuclear tungsten species, [(n-C4H9)4N]2[{WO(O2)2}2(mu-O2)] (I), which has been characterized by X-ray crystallography, elemental analysis, IR, Raman, UV-vis, and 183W NMR. Only I is active for the epoxidation of cyclic, internal, and terminal olefins, whereas II is inactive for each. The low XSO (XSO=(nucleophilic oxidation)/(total oxidation)) value of I (0.18+/-0.02) in comparison with that of II (0.39+/-0.01) for the stoichiometric oxidation of thianthrene 5-oxide, which is a mechanistic probe for determining the electronic character of an oxidant, reveals that I is more electrophilic than II. On the basis of the kinetic and spectroscopic results, the catalytic epoxidation proceeds by the reaction of I with an olefin to form II and the corresponding epoxide followed by the regeneration of I by the reaction of II with H2O2.     

Peroxo and alkylperoxidic molybdenum(VI) complexes as intermediates in the epoxidation of olefins by alkyl hydroperoxides

Novel oxoperoxomolybdenum(VI) complexes with the general formula MoO(O₂)L₂X₂ (III, L = DMF, HMPT) and MoO(O₂)Cl(ON)L(IV, ON) = pyridin-2-carboxylate (Pic), 8-hydroxyquinolinate (Quin) were prepared from the reaction of Ph₃COOH or H₂O₂ with the corresponding cis-dioxo complexes. In the reaction with Ph₃COOH both oxygen atoms of the peroxo moiety were found, by ¹⁸O labeling experiments, to come from the hydroperoxide. The X-ray crystal structure of MoO(O₂)Cl(Pic)(HMPT) revealed a bipyramidal pentagonal surounding with a rather short OO distance (1.41 Å). Complexes III were found to be more reactive than MoO(O₂)₂,HMPT for the epoxidation of olefins (oxidative cleavage products are consecutively formed) but react by the same cyclic peroxymetalation mechanism. The absence of reaction in the case of complexes IV illustrates the necessity for the metal to possess an equatorial releasable coordination site adjacent to the peroxo group for the oxygen transfer to occur. Catalytic oxidation of olefins using Ph₃COOH gave a selectivity in oxygenated products very different from that using t-BuOOH, and ¹⁸O labeling studies showed that alkyl-peroxidic rather than peroxo species are intermediates in this latter reaction. The mechanism of epoxidation of olefins by alkyl hydroperoxides catalyzed by d⁰ metal complexes is discussed.     

Olefin epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by lacunary polyoxometalate [gamma-SiW10O34H2O2]4-

The tetra-n-butylammonium (TBA) salt of the divacant Keggin-type polyoxometalate [TBA](4)[gamma-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] (I) catalyzes the oxygen-transfer reactions of olefins, allylic alcohols, and sulfides with 30 % aqueous hydrogen peroxide. The negative Hammett rho(+) (-0.99) for the competitive oxidation of p-substituted styrenes and the low value of (nucleophilic oxidation)/(total oxidation), X(SO)=0.04, for I-catalyzed oxidation of thianthrene 5-oxide (SSO) reveals that a strongly electrophilic oxidant species is formed on I. The preferential formation of trans-epoxide during epoxidation of 3-methyl-1-cyclohexene demonstrates the steric constraints of the active site of I. The I-catalyzed epoxidation proceeds with an induction period that disappears upon treatment of I with hydrogen peroxide. (29)Si and (183)W NMR spectroscopy and CSI mass spectrometry show that reaction of I with excess hydrogen peroxide leads to fast formation of a diperoxo species, [TBA](4)[gamma-SiW(10)O(32)(O(2))(2)] (II), with retention of a gamma-Keggin type structure. Whereas the isolated compound II is inactive for stoichiometric epoxidation of cyclooctene, epoxidation with II does proceed in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The reaction of II with hydrogen peroxide would form a reactive species (III), and this step corresponds to the induction period observed in the catalytic epoxidation. The steric and electronic characters of III are the same as those for the catalytic epoxidation by I. Kinetic, spectroscopic, and mechanistic investigations show that the present epoxidation proceeds via III.     

Olefin epoxidation by alkyl hydroperoxide with a novel cross-bridged cyclam manganese complex: demonstration of oxygenation by two distinct reactive intermediates

Olefin epoxidation provides an operative protocol to investigate the oxygen transfer process in nature. A novel manganese complex with a cross-bridged cyclam ligand, MnIV(Me2EBC)(OH)2(2+) (Me2EBC = 4,11-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[6.6.2]hexadecane), was used to study the epoxidation mechanism with biologically important oxidants, alkyl hydroperoxides. Results from direct reaction of the freshly synthesized manganese(IV) complex, [Mn(Me2EBC)(OH)2](PF6)2, with various olefins in neutral or basic solution, and from catalytic epoxidation with oxygen-labeled solvent, H2 18O, eliminate the manganese oxo moiety, Mn(IV)=O, as the reactive intermediate and obviate an oxygen rebound mechanism. Epoxidations of norbornylene under different conditions indicate multiple mechanisms for epoxidation, and cis-stilbene epoxidation under atmospheric 18O2 reveals a product distribution indicating at least two distinctive intermediates serving as the reactive species for epoxidation. In addition to alkyl peroxide radicals as dominant intermediates, an alkyl hydroperoxide adduct of high oxidation state manganese(IV) is suggested as the third kind of active intermediate responsible for epoxidation. This third intermediate functions by the Lewis acid pathway, a process best known for hydrogen peroxide adducts. Furthermore, the tert-butyl peroxide adduct of this manganese(IV) complex was detected by mass spectroscopy under catalytic oxidation conditions.     

Switching on the electrocatalytic ethene epoxidation on nanocrystalline RuO2

Ruthenium-based oxides with rutile structure were examined regarding their properties in electrocatalytic ethene oxidation in acid media. A possible promoting effect of chloride ions toward oxirane formation was explored. Online differential electrochemical mass spectrometry combined with electrochemical polarization techniques were used to monitor the potential dependence of organic products resulting from ethene oxidation as well as the reaction solution decomposition products. Quantum chemical modeling by means of density functional theory was employed to study key reaction steps. The ethene oxidation in acid media led to CO(2), whereas oxirane was formed in the presence of 0.3 M Cl(-). In the Cl(-) promoted oxidation on RuO(2), oxirane and a small amount of CO(2) were the only detected electro-oxidation products at potentials below the onset of Cl(2) and O(2) evolution, resulting from Cl(-) and water oxidation. It is demonstrated here that the epoxidation is a surface-related electrocatalytic process that depends on the surface properties. Cl acts as the epoxidation promoter that switches off the combustion pathway toward CO(2) and enables the epoxidation reaction channel by surface reactive sites blocking. The proposed epoxidation mechanism implies binuclear (recombination) mechanism for O(2) evolution reaction on considered surfaces.     

Liquid-phase epoxidation of styrene with O2 over alkali metal salt impregnated CoAPO-5

Liquid-phase epoxidation of styrene with atmospheric O₂ was conducted over CoAPO-5 molecular sieves.The catalytic performance of CoAPO-5 can be significantly improved by alkali metal salt impregnated on it,and styrene conversion and selectivity to styrene oxide reached 85%and 69%respectively when CsCl was impregnated on it.The catalyst was recyclable and exhibited similar catalytic activity and selectivity even after three catalytic reaction cycles.     

Structural and dynamical aspects of alkylammonium salts of a silicodecatungstate as heterogeneous epoxidation catalysts

The structural and dynamical aspects of alkylammonium salts of a silicodecatungstate [(CH(3))(4)N](4)[γ-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] [C1], [(n-C(3)H(7))(4)N](4)[γ-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] [C3], [(n-C(4)H(9))(4)N](4)[γ-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] [C4], and [(n-C(5)H(11))(4)N](4)[γ-SiW(10)O(34)(H(2)O)(2)] [C5] were investigated. The results of sorption isotherms, XRD analyses, and solid-state NMR spectroscopy show that facile sorption of solvent molecules, flexibility of structures, and high mobility of alkylammonium cations are crucial to the uniform distribution of reactant and oxidant molecules throughout the bulk solid, which are related to the high catalytic activities for epoxidation of alkenes.     

Activation of nitrous oxide and selective epoxidation of alkenes catalyzed by the manganese-substituted polyoxometalate, [Mn(III)2ZnW(Zn2W9O34)2]10-

A manganese(III)-substituted polyoxometalate of the "sandwich" structure, [MnIII2ZnW(ZnW9O34)2]10-, catalyzed the highly selective (>99.9%) epoxidation of alkenes, such as 1-octene, 2-octene, and cyclohexene with nitrous oxide. Reactions occurred in homogeneous media at 150 degrees C under 1 atm N2O. The epoxidation had a linear reaction profile; turnover frequencies of 0.5-1.4 h-1 were measured. The reactions were also stereoselective; for example, cis-stilbene gave cis-stilbene oxide. From ESR spectroscopy, it was shown that a Mn(II) octahedral species is reversibly formed by reaction between the original Mn(III) polyoxometalate and N2O. Therefore, it would appear that a Mn(V)-oxo active species is not formed; it is possible that the activation of nitrous oxide was by its oxidation by the Mn(III) polyoxometalate.     

Enhancement of chemoselectivity in epoxidation reactions over TS-1 catalysts by alkali and alkaline metal ions

Alkali metal ions, when present during the synthesis of TS-1, lead to inactive oxidation catalysts. However, when added, in small amounts, to the reaction medium during the epoxidation of allyl alcohol or allyl chloride by H₂O₂ over TS-1, they increase the selectivity for the epoxide. To probe this phenomenon in detail, the influence of pH and alkali and alkaline earth ions on the structure and catalytic activities of the oxo-Ti species generated in H₂O₂. TS-1 and TiMCM-41 systems have been investigated using EPR and diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopies. In acidic and neutral pH, two types of superoxo-Ti species (Ti(O₂√⁻)), A and B, are observed over TS-1. In the presence of alkali and alkaline metal ions or at high pH, Ti³⁺ ions and a new type of Ti(O₂√⁻) species, A′ are observed. Only the B-type species, however, is observed on TiMCM-41. The A-type are more reactive than the B-type. Epoxide selectivities approaching 100% can be achieved by a proper control of the reaction medium.     

Mechanism of [gamma-H2SiV2W10O40](4-)-catalyzed epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide

The mechanism of [gamma-H2SiV2W10O40]4--catalyzed epoxidation of alkenes with hydrogen peroxide in acetonitrile/tert-butyl alcohol was investigated. The negative Hammett rho+ (-0.88) for the competitive oxidation of p-substituted styrenes and the low XSO (XSO = (nucleophilic oxidation)/(total oxidation)) value of <0.01 for the [gamma-H2SiV2W10O40]4--catalyzed oxidation of thianthrene-5-oxide reveal that the strong electrophilic oxidant species is formed on [gamma-H2SiV2W10O40]4- (I). The preferable formation of trans-epoxide for the epoxidation of 3-substituted cyclohexenes shows the steric constraints of the active oxidant on I. The 51V NMR, 183W NMR, and CSI-MS spectroscopy show that the reaction of I with hydrogen peroxide leads to the reversible formation of a hydroperoxo species [gamma-HSiV2W10O39OOH]4- (II). The successive dehydration of II forms III, which possibly has an active oxygen species of a mu-eta2:eta2-peroxo group. The kinetic and spectroscopic studies show that the present epoxidation proceeds via III. The energy diagram of the epoxidation with density functional theory (DFT) supports the idea.     

Mechanistic studies on the Mukaiyama epoxidation

A detailed mechanistic study on the Mukaiyama epoxidation of limonene with dioxygen as oxidant, bis(acetylacetonato)nickel(II) as catalyst, and an aldehyde as co-reagent is reported. All major products of the reaction have been quantitatively identified, both with isobutyraldehyde and 2-methylundecanal as co-reacting aldehydes. Limonene epoxide is formed in good yield. The main products evolving from the aldehyde are carboxylic acid, CO(2), CO, and lower molecular weight ketone and alcohol (K + A). A mechanism is proposed in which an acylperoxy radical formed by the autoxidation of the aldehyde is the epoxidizing species. The observation of carbon dioxide and (K + A) in a 1:1 molar ratio supports this mechanism. CO(2) and (K + A) are formed in molar amounts of 50-60% with respect to the amount of epoxide produced, indicating that epoxidation takes place not only via acylperoxy radicals but also via a peracid route. Cyclohexene epoxidation was also investigated with a number of different metal complexes as catalysts. Cyclohexene is very sensitive for allylic oxidation, which provides information about the action of the catalyst, e.g., metals that form strongly oxidizing stable high-valence complexes are more likely to induce allylic oxidation. Color changes in the reaction mixture indicate the presence of such high-valence species. In the case of nickel, it was found that low-valence compounds predominate during the reaction, which is in line with the fact that this metal displays the highest selectivity for epoxide. A mechanism that accounts for the observations is presented.     

Effect of size of catalytically active phases in the dehydrogenation of alcohols and the challenging selective oxidation of hydrocarbons

The size of the active phase is one of the most important factors in determining the catalytic behaviour of a heterogeneous catalyst. This Feature Article focuses on the size effects in two types of reactions, i.e., the metal nanoparticle-catalysed dehydrogenation of alcohols and the metal oxide nanocluster-catalysed selective oxidation of hydrocarbons (including the selective oxidation of methane and ethane and the epoxidation of propylene). For Pd or Au nanoparticle-catalysed oxidative or non-oxidative dehydrogenation of alcohols, the size of metal nanoparticles mainly controls the catalytic activity by affecting the activation of reactants (either alcohol or O(2)). The size of oxidic molybdenum species loaded on SBA-15 determines not only the activity but also the selectivity of oxygenates in the selective oxidation of ethane; highly dispersed molybdenum species are suitable for acetaldehyde formation, while molybdenum oxide nanoparticles exhibit higher formaldehyde selectivity. Cu(II) and Fe(III) isolated on mesoporous silica are highly efficient for the selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde, while the corresponding oxide clusters mainly catalyse the complete oxidation of methane. The lattice oxygen in iron or copper oxide clusters is responsible for the complete oxidation, while the isolated Cu(I) or Fe(II) generated during the reaction can activate molecular oxygen forming active oxygen species for the selective oxidation of methane. Highly dispersed Cu(I) and Fe(II) species also function for the epoxidation of propylene by O(2) and N(2)O, respectively. Alkali metal ions work as promoters for the epoxidation of propylene by enhancing the dispersion of copper or iron species and weakening the acidity.     

席夫碱修饰的MCM-41介孔分子筛与碳酸钾共同催化查尔酮的环氧化反应

将介孔分子筛MCM-41依次与3-氯丙基三乙氧基硅烷、二氨基硫脲和水杨醛反应,得到席夫碱修饰的介孔分子筛MCM-41催化剂,以过氧化氢为氧源,研究了其与K2CO3共同催化α,β-不饱和酮的环氧化反应。 化合物的结构经1H NMR和IR分析确认。 考察了金属盐、溶剂、催化剂用量、反应时间等因素对环氧化反应的影响。 结果表明,室温下α,β-不饱和酮的环氧化反应在短时间内均以较高的产率(最高达93%)得到了相应的产物。 同时,对催化剂的重复利用进行了研究,发现重复使用4次,仍能以较高产率得到环氧化产物。     

Chiral hydroperoxides as oxygen source in the catalytic stereoselective epoxidation of allylic alcohols by sandwich-type polyoxometalates: control of enantioselectivity through a metal-coordinated template

The epoxidation of allylic alcohols is shown to be efficiently and selectively catalyzed by the oxidatively resistant sandwich-type polyoxometalates, POMs, namely [WZnM(2)(ZnW(9)O(34))(2)](q)(-) [M = OV(IV), Mn(II), Ru(III), Fe(III), Pd(II), Pt(II), Zn(II); q = 10-12], with organic hydroperoxides as oxygen source. Conspicuous is the fact that the nature of the transition metal M in the central ring of polyoxometalate affects significantly the reactivity, chemoselectivity, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity of the allylic alcohol epoxidation. For the first time, it is demonstrated that the oxovanadium(IV)-substituted POM, namely [ZnW(VO)(2)(ZnW(9)O(34))(2)](12-), is a highly chemoselective, regioselective, and also stereoselective catalyst for the clean epoxidation of allylic alcohols. A high enantioselectivity (er values up to 95:5) has been achieved with [ZnW(VO)(2)(ZnW(9)O(34))(2)](12)(-) and the sterically demanding TADOOL-derived hydroperoxide TADOOH as regenerative chiral oxygen source. Thus, a POM-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of excellent catalytic efficiency (up to 42 000 TON) has been made available for the development of sustainable oxidation processes. The high reactivity and selectivity of this unprecedented oxygen-transfer process are mechanistically rationalized in terms of a peroxy-type vanadium(V) template.     

Mechanism of cis-dihydroxylation and epoxidation of alkenes by highly H(2)O(2) efficient dinuclear manganese catalysts

In the presence of carboxylic acids the complex [Mn(IV)2(micro-O)3(tmtacn)2]2+ (1, where tmtacn = N,N',N'-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) is shown to be highly efficient in catalyzing the oxidation of alkenes to the corresponding cis-diol and epoxide with H2O2 as terminal oxidant. The selectivity of the catalytic system with respect to (w.r.t.) either cis-dihydroxylation or epoxidation of alkenes is shown to be dependent on the carboxylic acid employed. High turnover numbers (t.o.n. > 2000) can be achieved especially w.r.t. cis-dihydroxylation for which the use of 2,6-dichlorobenzoic acid allows for the highest t.o.n. reported thus far for cis-dihydroxylation of alkenes catalyzed by a first-row transition metal and high efficiency w.r.t. the terminal oxidant (H2O2). The high activity and selectivity is due to the in situ formation of bis(micro-carboxylato)-bridged dinuclear manganese(III) complexes. Tuning of the activity of the catalyst by variation in the carboxylate ligands is dependent on both the electron-withdrawing nature of the ligand and on steric effects. By contrast, the cis-diol/epoxide selectivity is dominated by steric factors. The role of solvent, catalyst oxidation state, H2O, and carboxylic acid concentration and the nature of the carboxylic acid employed on both the activity and the selectivity of the catalysis are explored together with speciation analysis and isotope labeling studies. The results confirm that the complexes of the type [Mn2(micro-O)(micro-R-CO2)2(tmtacn)2]2+, which show remarkable redox and solvent-dependent coordination chemistry, are the resting state of the catalytic system and that they retain a dinuclear structure throughout the catalytic cycle. The mechanistic understanding obtained from these studies holds considerable implications for both homogeneous manganese oxidation catalysis and in understanding related biological systems such as dinuclear catalase and arginase enzymes.     

Steady-state photocatalytic epoxidation of propene by O2 over V2O5SiO2 photocatalysts

A silica-supported, lowly loaded vanadium oxide (V2O5/SiO2) photocatalyst promotes the photocatalytic epoxidation of propene with O2 at steady state in a flow reactor system. Very little deep oxidation of propene into CO2 takes place over V2O5/SiO2, in contrast to the results obtained over a TiO2 photocatalyst in which total oxidation is the main path. With each loading, the sums of the selectivities into propene oxide (PO) and propanal (PA) at steady state were almost the same. The monomeric VO4 tetrahedral species dispersed on SiO2 yield PO under UV irradiation. The less dispersed vanadium oxide species on SiO2 promote the isomerization of PO into PA. We utilized a flow reactor system in which the short contact time reduced the isomerization and resultant decomposition of PO over the catalyst surface.     

Iron-catalyzed olefin epoxidation in the presence of acetic acid: insights into the nature of the metal-based oxidant

The iron complexes [(BPMEN)Fe(OTf)2] (1) and [(TPA)Fe(OTf)2] (2) [BPMEN = N,N'-bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)-N,N'-dimethyl-1,2-ethylenediamine; TPA = tris-(2-pyridylmethyl)amine] catalyze the oxidation of olefins by H2O2 to yield epoxides and cis-diols. The addition of acetic acid inhibits olefin cis-dihydroxylation and enhances epoxidation for both 1 and 2. Reactions carried out at 0 degrees C with 0.5 mol % catalyst and a 1:1.5 olefin/H2O2 ratio in a 1:2 CH3CN/CH3COOH solvent mixture result in nearly quantitative conversions of cyclooctene to epoxide within 1 min. The nature of the active species formed in the presence of acetic acid has been probed at low temperature. For 2, in the absence of substrate, [(TPA)FeIII(OOH)(CH3COOH)]2+ and [(TPA)FeIVO(NCCH3)]2+ intermediates can be observed. However, neither is the active epoxidizing species. In fact, [(TPA)FeIVO(NCCH3)]2+ is shown to form in competition with substrate oxidation. Consequently, it is proposed that epoxidation is mediated by [(TPA)FeV(O)(OOCCH3)]2+, generated from O-O bond heterolysis of the [(TPA)FeIII(OOH)(CH3COOH)]2+ intermediate, which is promoted by the protonation of the terminal oxygen atom of the hydroperoxide by the coordinated carboxylic acid.     

主（脱铝Y分子筛纳米腔）-客（Co，Mn和Cox/Mnx三核金属簇合物）纳米复合物催化剂高效催化环己烯环氧化反应

采用模板合成法制备了在脱铝Y分子筛纳米腔中含有Co, Mn,和Co/Mn混合物的三核金属簇合物的复合物催化剂,包括[Mn3(O)(CH3COO)6-(py)3]-Y,[Co3(O)(CH3COO)6-(py)3],[Co2Mn(O)(CH3COO)6-(py)3]-Y和[CoMn2(O)(CH3COO)6-(py)3]-Y],并运用傅里叶变换红外光谱、紫外-可见光光谱、前场扫描电镜、X射线衍射和原子吸收光谱对其进行了表征.包裹的金属簇合物在环己烯环氧化反应中表现出较高的催化活性,反应以H2O2/O2为氧化剂,在加热机械搅拌下进行,所得环氧化物产率在82.5%?90.7%.在该催化体系中, NaBr用作氧化助剂可以提高反应性能.在所制多相催化体系中,含单核的金属簇合物催化活性更高,其中以Mn3(O)-DAZY化合物的效率最高.各催化剂活性顺序为Mn3(O)-DAZY> Co3(O)-DAZY> Mn2Co(O)-DAZY> MnCo2(O)-DAZY.     

E versus Z Diazeniumdiolation of Acetoacetate-Derived Carbanions

Nitric oxide adds to methyl acetoacetate in the presence of KOH in methanol at room temperature to form potassium acetylsydnonate N-oxide (K1) with an (E)-diazeniumdiolation and potassium acetate diazenium diolate (K(2)2) from a (Z)-diazeniumdiolation. A study of the reaction with LiOH, NaOH, and NMe(4)OH and with ethyl acetate substrate reveals that the temperature of the reaction greatly influences the nitric oxide reactivity. At 23 °C, nitric oxide adds to give both E and Z products, whereas at -5 °C the gas reacts almost exclusively to give Z addition. The (Z)-diazeniumdiolation products, namely, the alkali metal and NMe(4)(+) salts of methyl and ethylbutenoate-2-diazeniumdiolate-3-hydroxylate (3(2-) and 4(2-)), are isolated in good yields. The alkali metal salts are not amenable for recrystallization because of their ready decomposition in aqueous solutions. However, [NMe(4)](2)[MeC(O)C(N(2)O(2))CO(2)Me] is readily recrystallized from a methanol/acetonitrile solvent mixture. The crystals are unambiguously characterized by X-ray crystallography. NMR spectra for all of the 3(2-) and 4(2-) salts reveal the presence of two isomers in aq solutions. But the structure of the NMe(4)(+) salt contains only one of the isomers. Our attempts to cyclize the isolated and purified butenoatediazeniumdiolates from the (Z)-diazeniumdiolation to the E-containing sydnonate products were unsuccessful. TGA/DSC data for all of the products demonstrate the thermal instability of the salts at high temperatures. The salts decompose exothermally possibly with the release of N(2)O among other gases.