Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Synthesis and Purification of Iodoaziridines Involving Quantitative Selection of the Optimal Stationary Phase for Chromatography
Published on: May 16, 2014
Solvent-controlled selective transformation of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines to functionalized aziridines and
Sonja Stanković1, Hannelore Goossens, Saron Catak
1Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Abstract:
The reactivity of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines toward oxygen, sulfur, and carbon nucleophiles in different solvent systems was investigated. Remarkably, the choice of the solvent has a profound influence on the reaction outcome, enabling the selective formation of either functionalized aziridines in dimethylformamide (through direct bromide displacement) or azetidines in acetonitrile (through rearrangement via a bicyclic aziridinium intermediate). In addition, the experimentally observed solvent-dependent behavior of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines was further supported by means of DFT calculations.
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of 1° Amines: Azide Synthesis
Azide ions act as good nucleophiles and react with unhindered alkyl halides to form alkyl azides. Alkyl azides do not participate in further nucleophilic substitution reactions, thereby eliminating the chances of polyalkylated products. Alkyl azides are reduced by hydride-based reducing agents, like lithium aluminum...
Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution of Aryldiazonium Salts: Aromatic SN1
In the Sandmeyer reaction, for example, the diazonio group is replaced by a chloro, bromo, or cyano...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Fluorination and Iodination of Benzene
Diazonium Group Substitution with Halogens and Cyanide: Sandmeyer and Schiemann Reactions
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Chlorination and Bromination of Benzene
Preparation of 1° Amines: Hofmann and Curtius Rearrangement Overview

