Dediazoniation of arenediazonium ions in homogeneous solution. Part VIII. Reaction kinetics and products in dimethyl sulfoxide

p-Nitrobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at 50° forms p-nitrophenol in 88–90% yield. The phenolic oxygen atom originates exclusively from the oxygen atom of DMSO as demonstrated by the use of ¹⁸O-labelled DMSO. The first-order rate of dediazoniation is the same under N₂ as it is in the presence of air. The rate is little influenced by the addition of benzene or iodobenzene. However, the products formed in the presence of these additives are significantly different. UV. spectra and the reactivity of diazonium salt solutions in DMSO when mixed with reagents in aqueous solution demonstrate that a relatively stable charge-transfer complex is formed between the diazonium ion and DMSO. The product analyses and the kinetic and spectral results of dediazoniation in DMSO with and without additives are consistent with a mechanism in which the rate-limiting step is the formation of a p-nitrophenyl radical from the charge-transfer complex. p-Nitrophenol and the products with benzene and iodobenzene are formed in subsequent fast competition steps. In the presence of small amounts of pyridine the dediazoniation is much faster and follows a different kinetic law. Pyridine effectively competes with DMSO in the reaction with diazonium ions.