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Electrophilic nitration of alkanes with nitronium hexafluorophosphate
G A Olah1, P Ramaiah, G K Prakash
1Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute and Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1661, USA.
Abstract:
Nitration of alkanes such as methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, isobutane, neopentane, and cyclohexane was carried out with nitronium hexafluorophosphate in methylene chloride or nitroethane solution. Nitration of methane, albeit in poor yield, required protolytic activation of the nitronium ion. The results indicate direct electrophilic insertion of NO2+ into C-H and C-C final sigma-bonds.