Fischer-Hepp rearrangement

The Fischer-Hepp rearrangement is a rearrangement reaction in which an aromatic N-nitroso or nitrosamine converts to a carbon nitroso compound:^[1][2]

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This organic reaction was first described by the German chemist Otto Philipp Fischer and Eduard Hepp^[3] in 1886, and is of importance because para-NO secondary anilines cannot be prepared in a direct reaction.

The rearrangement reaction takes place by reacting the nitrosamine precursor with hydrochloric acid. The chemical yield in general are good under these conditions, but often much poorer if a different acid is used. The exact reaction mechanism is unknown but there is evidence suggesting an intramolecular reaction.

References

1. ^ O Fischer, E Hepp. Ber Deutsch chem Ges 19 (1886) p2991
2. ^ M B Smith, J March. March's Advanced Organic Chemistry (Wiley, 2001) (ISBN 0-471-58589-0)
3. ^ W Pötsch. Lexikon bedeutender Chemiker (VEB Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig, 1989) (ISBN 3817110553