Tetracyanoethylene

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Tetracyanoethylene
Tetracyanoethylene.png
tetracyanoethylene TCNE3D.png
tetracyanoethylene
TCNEpowder.jpg
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
Ethenetetracarbonitrile
Other names
TCNE
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.010.527 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
PubChem CID
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C6N4/c7-1-5(2-8)6(3-9)4-10 Yes check.svgY
    Key: NLDYACGHTUPAQU-UHFFFAOYSA-N Yes check.svgY
  • InChI=1/C6N4/c7-1-5(2-8)6(3-9)4-10
    Key: NLDYACGHTUPAQU-UHFFFAOYAN
  • N#CC(C#N)=C(C#N)C#N
Properties
C2(CN)4
Molar mass 128.094 g·mol−1
Density 1.35 g/cm3
Melting point 199 °C (390 °F; 472 K)
Boiling point 130 to 140 °C (266 to 284 °F; 403 to 413 K) 0.1 mmHg (sublimes) [1]
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Yes check.svgY  verify  (what is  Yes check.svgYX mark.svgN ?)

Tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) is organic compound with the formula C2(CN)4. It is a colorless solid, although samples are often off-white. It is an important member of the cyanocarbons.

Contents

Synthesis and reactions

TCNE is prepared by brominating malononitrile in the presence of potassium bromide to give the KBr-complex, and dehalogenating with copper. [1]

Oxidation of TCNE with hydrogen peroxide gives the corresponding epoxide, which has unusual properties. [2]

In the presence of base, TCNE reacts with malononitrile to give salts of pentacyanopropenide: [3]

C2(CN)4 + CH2(CN)2[(NC)2C=C(CN)−C(CN)2] + CN + 2 H+

Redox chemistry

TCNE is an electron acceptor. Cyano groups have low energy π* orbitals, and the presence of four such groups, with their π systems (conjugated) to the central C=C double bond, gives rise to an electrophilic alkene. TCNE is reduced at -0.27 V vs ferrocene/ferrocenium: [4]

C2(CN)4 + e[C2(CN)4]

Because of its ability to accept an electron, TCNE has been used to prepare numerous charge-transfer salts. [5]

The central C=C distance in TCNE is 135 pm. [6] Upon reduction, this bond elongates to 141-145 pm, depending on the counterion. [7]

Safety

TCNE hydrolyzes in moist air to give hydrogen cyanide and should be handled accordingly. [1]

Related Research Articles

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In organic chemistry, a ketone is a functional group with the structure R−C(=O)−R', where R and R' can be a variety of carbon-containing substituents. Ketones contain a carbonyl group −C(=O)−. The simplest ketone is acetone, with the formula (CH3)2CO. Many ketones are of great importance in biology and in industry. Examples include many sugars (ketoses), many steroids, and the solvent acetone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyridine</span> Heterocyclic aromatic organic compound

Pyridine is a basic heterocyclic organic compound with the chemical formula C5H5N. It is structurally related to benzene, with one methine group (=CH−) replaced by a nitrogen atom. It is a highly flammable, weakly alkaline, water-miscible liquid with a distinctive, unpleasant fish-like smell. Pyridine is colorless, but older or impure samples can appear yellow, due to the formation of extended, unsaturated polymeric chains, which show significant electrical conductivity. The pyridine ring occurs in many important compounds, including agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and vitamins. Historically, pyridine was produced from coal tar. As of 2016, it is synthesized on the scale of about 20,000 tons per year worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium ferricyanide</span> Chemical compound

Potassium ferricyanide is the chemical compound with the formula K3[Fe(CN)6]. This bright red salt contains the octahedrally coordinated [Fe(CN)6]3− ion. It is soluble in water and its solution shows some green-yellow fluorescence. It was discovered in 1822 by Leopold Gmelin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrazone</span> Organic compounds - Hydrazones

Hydrazones are a class of organic compounds with the structure R1R2C=N−NH2. They are related to ketones and aldehydes by the replacement of the oxygen =O with the =N−NH2 functional group. They are formed usually by the action of hydrazine on ketones or aldehydes.

In organic chemistry, a nitrile is any organic compound that has a −C≡N functional group. The prefix cyano- is used interchangeably with the term nitrile in industrial literature. Nitriles are found in many useful compounds, including methyl cyanoacrylate, used in super glue, and nitrile rubber, a nitrile-containing polymer used in latex-free laboratory and medical gloves. Nitrile rubber is also widely used as automotive and other seals since it is resistant to fuels and oils. Organic compounds containing multiple nitrile groups are known as cyanocarbons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitro compound</span> Organic compound containing an −NO₂ group

In organic chemistry, nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups. The nitro group is one of the most common explosophores used globally. The nitro group is also strongly electron-withdrawing. Because of this property, C−H bonds alpha (adjacent) to the nitro group can be acidic. For similar reasons, the presence of nitro groups in aromatic compounds retards electrophilic aromatic substitution but facilitates nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Nitro groups are rarely found in nature. They are almost invariably produced by nitration reactions starting with nitric acid.

Cyclohexene is a hydrocarbon with the formula C6H10. This cycloalkene is a colorless liquid with a sharp smell. It is an intermediate in various industrial processes. Cyclohexene is not very stable upon long term storage with exposure to light and air because it forms peroxides.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulfoxide</span> Organic compound containing a sulfinyl group (>SO)

In organic chemistry, a sulfoxide, also called a sulfoxide, is an organosulfur compound containing a sulfinyl functional group attached to two carbon atoms. It is a polar functional group. Sulfoxides are oxidized derivatives of sulfides. Examples of important sulfoxides are alliin, a precursor to the compound that gives freshly crushed garlic its aroma, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a common solvent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diazonium compound</span> Group of organonitrogen compounds

Diazonium compounds or diazonium salts are a group of organic compounds sharing a common functional group [R−N+≡N]X where R can be any organic group, such as an alkyl or an aryl, and X is an inorganic or organic anion, such as a halide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iminium</span> Polyatomic ion of the form >C=N< and charge +1

In organic chemistry, an iminium cation is a polyatomic ion with the general structure [R1R2C=NR3R4]+. They are common in synthetic chemistry and biology.

In organic chemistry, cyanocarbons are a group of chemical compounds that contain several cyanide functional groups. Such substances generally are classified as organic compounds, since they are formally derived from hydrocarbons by replacing one or more hydrogen atoms with a cyanide group. One of the simplest member is C(CN)4. Organic chemists often refer to cyanides as nitriles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1,4-Benzoquinone</span> Chemical compound

1,4-Benzoquinone, commonly known as para-quinone, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H4O2. In a pure state, it forms bright-yellow crystals with a characteristic irritating odor, resembling that of chlorine, bleach, and hot plastic or formaldehyde. This six-membered ring compound is the oxidized derivative of 1,4-hydroquinone. The molecule is multifunctional: it exhibits properties of a ketone, being able to form oximes; an oxidant, forming the dihydroxy derivative; and an alkene, undergoing addition reactions, especially those typical for α,β-unsaturated ketones. 1,4-Benzoquinone is sensitive toward both strong mineral acids and alkali, which cause condensation and decomposition of the compound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetracyanoquinodimethane</span> Organic compound with formula C12H4N4

Tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) is an organic compound with the chemical formula (N≡C−)2C=C6H4=C(−C≡N)2. It is an orange crystalline solid. This cyanocarbon, a relative of para-quinone, is an electron acceptor that is used to prepare charge transfer salts, which are of interest in molecular electronics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrosyl chloride</span> Chemical compound

Nitrosyl chloride is the chemical compound with the formula NOCl. It is a yellow gas that is commonly encountered as a component of aqua regia, a mixture of 3 parts concentrated hydrochloric acid and 1 part of concentrated nitric acid. It is a strong electrophile and oxidizing agent. It is sometimes called Tilden's reagent, after William A. Tilden, who was the first to produce it as a pure compound.

In organic chemistry, the Nef reaction is an organic reaction describing the acid hydrolysis of a salt of a primary or secondary nitroalkane to an aldehyde or a ketone and nitrous oxide. The reaction has been the subject of several literature reviews.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benzyl cyanide</span> Chemical compound

Benzyl cyanide (abbreviated BnCN) is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5CH2CN. This colorless oily aromatic liquid is an important precursor to numerous compounds in organic chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hexamethylbenzene</span> Chemical compound

Hexamethylbenzene, also known as mellitene, is a hydrocarbon with the molecular formula C12H18 and the condensed structural formula C6(CH3)6. It is an aromatic compound and a derivative of benzene, where benzene's six hydrogen atoms have each been replaced by a methyl group. In 1929, Kathleen Lonsdale reported the crystal structure of hexamethylbenzene, demonstrating that the central ring is hexagonal and flat and thereby ending an ongoing debate about the physical parameters of the benzene system. This was a historically significant result, both for the field of X-ray crystallography and for understanding aromaticity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithium naphthalene</span> Chemical compound

Lithium naphthalene is an organic salt with the chemical formula Li+C
10
H
8
. In the research laboratory, it is used as a reductant in the synthesis of organic, organometallic, and inorganic chemistry. It is usually generated in situ. Lithium naphthalene crystallizes with ligands bound to Li+.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Carboni, R. A. (1959). "Tetracyanoethylene". Organic Syntheses . 39: 64. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.039.0064.
  2. Linn, W. J. (1969). "Tetracyanoethylene Oxide". Organic Syntheses . 49: 103. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.049.0103.
  3. Middleton, W. J.; Wiley, D. W. (1961). "Tetramethylammonium 1,1,2,3,3-Pentacyanopropenide". Org. Synth. 41: 99. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.041.0099.
  4. Connelly, N. G.; Geiger, W. E. (1996). "Chemical Redox Agents for Organometallic Chemistry". Chemical Reviews. 96 (2): 877–910. doi:10.1021/cr940053x. PMID   11848774.
  5. Chittipeddi, Sailesh; Cromack, K. R.; Miller, Joel S.; Epstein, A. J. (1987-06-22). "Ferromagnetism in Molecular Decamethylferrocenium Tetracyanoethenide (DMeFc TCNE)". Physical Review Letters. 58 (25): 2695–2698. Bibcode:1987PhRvL..58.2695C. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.58.2695. ISSN   0031-9007. PMID   10034821.
  6. Becker, P.; Coppens, P.; Ross, F. K. (1973). "Valence electron distribution in cubic tetracyanoethylene by the combined use of x-ray and neutron diffraction". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 95 (23): 7604–7609. doi:10.1021/ja00804a010.
  7. Bock, H.; Ruppert, K. (1992). "Structures of charge-perturbed or sterically overcrowded molecules. 16. The cesium tetracyanoethylenide radical salt". Inorganic Chemistry. 31 (24): 5094–5099. doi:10.1021/ic00050a032.