It is shown by spectral evidence and independent synthesis that diazomethane and 2,2'-azopyridine yield N-formyl-2,2'-hydrazopyridine rather than a diazetidine, as previously suggested.COLOWA and RISALITI reported that diazomethane and 2,2'-azopyridine gave a crystalline product, m. p. 143-144", to which they assigned the diazetidine structure (I). This remarkable reaction seemed worthy of further investigation. The reaction as described did indeed yield a crystalline compound, m. p. 140--141", but elemental analysis and molecular-weight determination led to the molecular formula C,,H,,N,O, whereas structure (I) requires C,,H,,N,.It may be noted that the two formulae cannot be distinguished on the basis of nitrogen analysis alone. 4,4'-Dimethyl-and 5,5'-dichloro-2,2'-azopyridine are now shown to yield analogous products with diazomethane.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract