The thermolysis of polyazapentadienes. Part 1. 1,5-Diaryl-1,2,5-triazaderivatives

Abstract

Flash vacuum pyrolysis of the title compounds at 600 °C gives quinoxalines and arylamines, together with small quantities of nitrites, diarylamines, azobenzenes, and formamidines. The mechanism involves homolytic cleavage of the N–N bond to generate a conjugated iminyl radical, which can either cyclise to a quinoxaline, or fragment to simpler radicals which lead to the minor products by coupling reactions.