the fact that many natural compounds (verruculogen, dioxetanone) and antimalarial agents (RKA182 and OZ439) contain aza-peroxy moieties in the molecules. The extensive biological activity of nitrogen-containing peroxides promoted active research on the development of synthetic routes to new classes of acyclic and cyclic amino-peroxides.It is noteworthy that a compound containing both a nitrogen atom and a peroxide group in the molecule was first mentioned in the world literature back 1900 [1]. Despite more than a 100year history, amino-peroxides remain poorly studied because of complicated synthesis and small number of available preparation methods. In view of the high practical significance of fundamental and applied research dealing with the synthesis and use of amino-peroxides and extensive interest of researchers in this promising and intriguing field of chemistry, in the present review, we attempted to give a critical account of the achievements of both foreign and Russian researchers engaged in the synthesis and studies of the properties of three-, four-, five-, six-, and eight-membered cyclic and acyclic amino-peroxides with the goal of integrating published results.
Three-Membered Aza-PeroxidesThe simplest cyclic peroxide derivatives are composed of a 3-membered ring consisting of one nitrogen and two oxygen atoms. These dioxaziridine rings can be formed both from nitro compounds [RN (O) O] and from nitroso O-oxides (RNOO) (Scheme 1). Dioxaziridines 1 (aza-dioxiranes) have not been isolated in a pure state, but have been identified as unstable intermediates in solutions in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran at 77 K [2] or acetonitrile at 298 K [3].