Trimethylsilyldiazomethane

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Trimethylsilyldiazomethane
Trimethylsilyldiazomethane Structural Formula V1.svg
Trimethylsilyldiazomethane-3D-balls.png
Names
IUPAC name
(Diazomethyl)trimethylsilane
Other names
Trimethylsilyldiazomethane
Diazo(trimethylsilyl)methane
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
1902903
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.131.243 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
EC Number
  • 605-915-4
MeSH Trimethylsilyldiazomethane
PubChem CID
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C4H10N2Si/c1-7(2,3)4-6-5/h4H,1-3H3 Yes check.svgY
    Key: ONDSBJMLAHVLMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Yes check.svgY
  • InChI=1/C4H10N2Si/c1-7(2,3)4-6-5/h4H,1-3H3
    Key: ONDSBJMLAHVLMI-UHFFFAOYAN
  • C[Si](C)(C)[CH-][N+]#N
  • [N-]=[N+]=C[Si](C)(C)C
Properties
C4H10N2Si
Molar mass 114.223 g·mol−1
Appearancegreenish-yellow liquid [1] [2]
Boiling point 96.0 [1]  °C (204.8 °F; 369.1 K)
Hazards
GHS labelling: [3]
GHS-pictogram-flamme.svg GHS-pictogram-skull.svg GHS-pictogram-silhouette.svg GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg
Danger
H330, H350, H370
P201, P202, P210, P233, P240, P241, P242, P243, P260, P261, P264, P270, P271, P273, P280, P281, P284, P302+P352, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P307+P311, P308+P313, P310, P311, P314, P320, P332+P313, P362, P370+P378, P391, P403+P233, P403+P235, P405, P501
Safety data sheet (SDS) External MSDS
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 ?)

Trimethylsilyldiazomethane is the organosilicon compound with the formula (CH3)3SiCHN2. It is classified as a diazo compound. Trimethylsilyldiazomethane is commercially available as solutions in hexanes, DCM, and ether. It is a specialized reagent used in organic chemistry as a methylating agent for carboxylic acids. It is a safer replacement for diazomethane, which is a sensitive explosive gas, whereas trimethylsilyldiazomethane is a relatively stable liquid and thus easier to handle. [4]

Preparation

Trimethylsilyldiazomethane can be prepared by treating (trimethylsilyl)methylmagnesium chloride with diphenyl phosphorazidate. [5] An isotopically labelled variant, with 13C at the diazomethyl carbon, is also known. [6]

Reactions

Trimethylsilyldiazomethane is useful for conversion of carboxylic acids to their methyl esters in high yield. The typical reaction conditions for this purpose use methanol as a cosolvent. Under these conditions, diazomethane itself is generated in situ as the active methylating agent, by an acid-catalyzed reaction between trimethylsilyldiazomethane and the alcohol with trimethylsilyldiazomethane as byproduct: [7]

When the methanol is omitted, substantial amounts of trimethylsilyl ester and trimethylmethyl ester products are formed as well. [7]

It also reacts with alcohols to give methyl ethers, whereas diazomethane may not. [8]

The compound is a reagent in the Doyle–Kirmse reaction with allyl sulfides and allyl amines.

Trimethylsilyldiazomethane is deprotonated by butyllithium:

(CH3)3SiCHN2 + BuLi → (CH3)3SiCLiN2 + BuH

The lithio compound is versatile. From it can be prepared other trimethylsilyldiazoalkanes:

(CH3)3SiCLiN2 + RX → (CH3)3SiCRN2 + LiX

(CH3)3SiCLiN2 reacts with ketones and aldehydes to give, depending on the substituents, acetylenes. [9]

Applications

It has also been employed widely in tandem with GC-MS for the analysis of various carboxylic compounds which are ubiquitous in nature. The fact that the reaction is rapid and occurs readily makes it attractive. However, it can form artifacts which complicate spectral interpretation. Such artifacts are usually the trimethylsilylmethyl esters, RCO2CH2SiMe3, formed when insufficient methanol is present. Acid-catalysed methanolysis is necessary to achieve near-quantitative yields of the desired methyl esters, RCO2Me. [7]

Safety

Trimethylsilyldiazomethane is highly toxic. It has been implicated in the death of at least two chemists, a pharmaceutical worker in Windsor, Nova Scotia and one in New Jersey. [10] [11] [12] Inhalation of diazomethane is known to cause pulmonary edema; trimethylsilyldiazomethane is suspected to behave similarly. [13]

It is possible that upon contact with water on the surface of the lung, trimethylsilyldiazomethane converts to diazomethane. [13]

Trimethylsilyldiazomethane is nonexplosive. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ester</span> Compound derived from an acid

In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group of that acid is replaced by an organyl group. These compounds contain a distinctive functional group. Analogues derived from oxygen replaced by other chalcogens belong to the ester category as well. According to some authors, organyl derivatives of acidic hydrogen of other acids are esters as well, but not according to the IUPAC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alkylation</span> Transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another

Alkylation is a chemical reaction that entails transfer of an alkyl group. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkyl carbocation, a free radical, a carbanion, or a carbene. Alkylating agents are reagents for effecting alkylation. Alkyl groups can also be removed in a process known as dealkylation. Alkylating agents are often classified according to their nucleophilic or electrophilic character. In oil refining contexts, alkylation refers to a particular alkylation of isobutane with olefins. For upgrading of petroleum, alkylation produces a premium blending stock for gasoline. In medicine, alkylation of DNA is used in chemotherapy to damage the DNA of cancer cells. Alkylation is accomplished with the class of drugs called alkylating antineoplastic agents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diazomethane</span> Simplest diazo compound and methylating agent

Diazomethane is an organic chemical compound with the formula CH2N2, discovered by German chemist Hans von Pechmann in 1894. It is the simplest diazo compound. In the pure form at room temperature, it is an extremely sensitive explosive yellow gas; thus, it is almost universally used as a solution in diethyl ether. The compound is a popular methylating agent in the laboratory, but it is too hazardous to be employed on an industrial scale without special precautions. Use of diazomethane has been significantly reduced by the introduction of the safer and equivalent reagent trimethylsilyldiazomethane.

In organic chemistry, the diazo group is an organic moiety consisting of two linked nitrogen atoms at the terminal position. Overall charge-neutral organic compounds containing the diazo group bound to a carbon atom are called diazo compounds or diazoalkanes and are described by the general structural formula R2C=N+=N. The simplest example of a diazo compound is diazomethane, CH2N2. Diazo compounds should not be confused with azo compounds or with diazonium compounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trimethylsilyl group</span> Functional group

A trimethylsilyl group (abbreviated TMS) is a functional group in organic chemistry. This group consists of three methyl groups bonded to a silicon atom [−Si(CH3)3], which is in turn bonded to the rest of a molecule. This structural group is characterized by chemical inertness and a large molecular volume, which makes it useful in a number of applications.

In organic chemistry, the Arndt–Eistert reaction is the conversion of a carboxylic acid to its homologue. It is named for the German chemists Fritz Arndt (1885–1969) and Bernd Eistert (1902–1978). The method entails treating an acid chlorides with diazomethane. It is a popular method of producing β-amino acids from α-amino acids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Favorskii rearrangement</span> Chemical reaction

The Favorskii rearrangement is principally a rearrangement of cyclopropanones and α-halo ketones that leads to carboxylic acid derivatives. In the case of cyclic α-halo ketones, the Favorskii rearrangement constitutes a ring contraction. This rearrangement takes place in the presence of a base, sometimes hydroxide, to yield a carboxylic acid, but usually either an alkoxide base or an amine to yield an ester or an amide, respectively. α,α'-Dihaloketones eliminate HX under the reaction conditions to give α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Note that trihalomethyl ketone substrates will result in haloform and carboxylate formation via the haloform reaction instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trimethylsilyl chloride</span> Organosilicon compound with the formula (CH3)3SiCl

Trimethylsilyl chloride, also known as chlorotrimethylsilane is an organosilicon compound, with the formula (CH3)3SiCl, often abbreviated Me3SiCl or TMSCl. It is a colourless volatile liquid that is stable in the absence of water. It is widely used in organic chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organosilicon chemistry</span> Organometallic compound containing carbon–silicon bonds

Organosilicon chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds containing carbon–silicon bonds, to which they are called organosilicon compounds. Most organosilicon compounds are similar to the ordinary organic compounds, being colourless, flammable, hydrophobic, and stable to air. Silicon carbide is an inorganic compound.

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

Trimethylsilyl cyanide is the chemical compound with the formula (CH3)3SiCN. This volatile liquid consists of a cyanide group, that is CN, attached to a trimethylsilyl group. The molecule is used in organic synthesis as the equivalent of hydrogen cyanide. It is prepared by the reaction of lithium cyanide and trimethylsilyl chloride:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolff rearrangement</span> Chemical reaction

The Wolff rearrangement is a reaction in organic chemistry in which an α-diazocarbonyl compound is converted into a ketene by loss of dinitrogen with accompanying 1,2-rearrangement. The Wolff rearrangement yields a ketene as an intermediate product, which can undergo nucleophilic attack with weakly acidic nucleophiles such as water, alcohols, and amines, to generate carboxylic acid derivatives or undergo [2+2] cycloaddition reactions to form four-membered rings. The mechanism of the Wolff rearrangement has been the subject of debate since its first use. No single mechanism sufficiently describes the reaction, and there are often competing concerted and carbene-mediated pathways; for simplicity, only the textbook, concerted mechanism is shown below. The reaction was discovered by Ludwig Wolff in 1902. The Wolff rearrangement has great synthetic utility due to the accessibility of α-diazocarbonyl compounds, variety of reactions from the ketene intermediate, and stereochemical retention of the migrating group. However, the Wolff rearrangement has limitations due to the highly reactive nature of α-diazocarbonyl compounds, which can undergo a variety of competing reactions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclopropanation</span> Chemical process which generates cyclopropane rings

In organic chemistry, cyclopropanation refers to any chemical process which generates cyclopropane rings. It is an important process in modern chemistry as many useful compounds bear this motif; for example pyrethroid insecticides and a number of quinolone antibiotics. However, the high ring strain present in cyclopropanes makes them challenging to produce and generally requires the use of highly reactive species, such as carbenes, ylids and carbanions. Many of the reactions proceed in a cheletropic manner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lead(IV) acetate</span> Organometallic compound (Pb(C2H3O2)4)

Lead(IV) acetate or lead tetraacetate is an metalorganic compound with chemical formula Pb(C2H3O2)4. It is a colorless solid that is soluble in nonpolar, organic solvents, indicating that it is not a salt. It is degraded by moisture and is typically stored with additional acetic acid. The compound is used in organic synthesis.

Bis(trimethylsilyl)amine (also known as hexamethyldisilazane and HMDS) is an organosilicon compound with the molecular formula [(CH3)3Si]2NH. The molecule is a derivative of ammonia with trimethylsilyl groups in place of two hydrogen atoms. An electron diffraction study shows that silicon-nitrogen bond length (173.5 pm) and Si-N-Si bond angle (125.5°) to be similar to disilazane (in which methyl groups are replaced by hydrogen atoms) suggesting that steric factors are not a factor in regulating angles in this case. This colorless liquid is a reagent and a precursor to bases that are popular in organic synthesis and organometallic chemistry. Additionally, HMDS is also increasingly used as molecular precursor in chemical vapor deposition techniques to deposit silicon carbonitride thin films or coatings.

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

Trimethylsilyl azide is the organosilicon compound with the formula (CH3)3SiN3. A colorless liquid, it is a reagent in organic chemistry, serving as the equivalent of hydrazoic acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide</span> Chemical compound

Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide is a lithiated organosilicon compound with the formula LiN(Si(CH3)3)2. It is commonly abbreviated as LiHMDS or Li(HMDS) (lithium hexamethyldisilazide - a reference to its conjugate acid HMDS) and is primarily used as a strong non-nucleophilic base and as a ligand. Like many lithium reagents, it has a tendency to aggregate and will form a cyclic trimer in the absence of coordinating species.

In organic chemistry, a homologation reaction, also known as homologization, is any chemical reaction that converts the reactant into the next member of the homologous series. A homologous series is a group of compounds that differ by a constant unit, generally a methylene group. The reactants undergo a homologation when the number of a repeated structural unit in the molecules is increased. The most common homologation reactions increase the number of methylene units in saturated chain within the molecule. For example, the reaction of aldehydes or ketones with diazomethane or methoxymethylenetriphenylphosphine to give the next homologue in the series.

An insertion reaction is a chemical reaction where one chemical entity interposes itself into an existing bond of typically a second chemical entity e.g.:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Trimethylsilyl)methyllithium</span> Chemical compound

(Trimethylsilyl)methyllithium is classified both as an organolithium compound and an organosilicon compound. It has the empirical formula LiCH2Si(CH3)3, often abbreviated LiCH2TMS. It crystallizes as the hexagonal prismatic hexamer [LiCH2TMS]6, akin to some polymorphs of methyllithium. Many adducts have been characterized including the diethyl ether complexed cubane [Li43-CH2TMS)4(Et2O)2] and [Li2(μ-CH2TMS)2(TMEDA)2].

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

Methyldiazonium is an organic compound consisting of a methyl group attached to a diazo group. This cation is the conjugate acid of diazomethane, with an estimated pKa<10.

References

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  2. Seyferth, Dietmar; Menzel, Horst; Dow, Alan W.; Flood, Thomas C. (1972). "Trimethylsilyl-substituted diazoalkanes I. Trimethylsilyldiazomethane". J. Organomet. Chem. 44 (2): 279–290. doi:10.1016/S0022-328X(00)82916-2.
  3. "Trimethylsilyldiazomethane". pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
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  6. Nottingham, Chris; Lloyd-Jones, Guy C. (2018). "Trimethylsilyldiazo[13C]methane: A Versatile 13C-Labelling Reagent". Organic Syntheses. 95: 374–402. doi: 10.15227/orgsyn.095.0374 . hdl: 20.500.11820/c801073c-6b4b-4a85-be68-2c4313b6e53d .
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  10. "Guilty plea in N.S. drug lab death".
  11. "N.S. probe into pharma worker's death finds vent hoods turned off in lab | SaltWire". www.saltwire.com. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
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