Pathways of decomposition of N-cyclopropyl N nitrosoureas in methanol

Decomposition of a series of N-cyclopropyl-N-nitrosoureas (CNU) in CD₃OD was studied. These decompose much more rapidly than N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, one of the decomposition pathways being denitrosation, which is atypical of alkylnitrosoureas under the reaction conditions used. The nature of substituents in the cyclopropane ring has a great effect on the stability of CNU and the product ratio. In the presence of H₂ SO₄, decomposition occurs much more rapidly. Possible pathways of the formation of the major decomposition products of CNU are proposed based on the experimental data.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 359–370, February, 2005.