Dimerization of Aromatic C-Nitroso Compounds

Aromatic C-nitroso compounds (Ar-N═O) and related species have a rich chemical history, and they continue to interest researchers in many fields. Among the most distinctive and puzzling properties of these compounds is their ability to dimerize reversibly to form azodioxy compounds. The present review subjects this intriguing phenomenon to comprehensive analysis. All aspects of the subject are examined in detail, including the structures of monomeric and dimeric forms, the mechanism of dimerization, features that favor or disfavor dimerization, thermodynamic and kinetic factors, dimerization under specific conditions (including in solution, in the solid state, and on surfaces), and the special associative behavior of dinitroso and polynitroso compounds. By summarizing the current state of knowledge, the review promises to spur further advances in the evergreen field of C-nitroso chemistry, including the discovery of new ways to exploit the reversible dimerization of nitrosoarenes.