Quantitative solid-state reactions of amines with carbonyl compounds and isothiocyanates

A series of solid-state reactions is reported of gaseous or solid amines with aldehydes to give imines, with solid anhydrides to give diamides (therefrom imides) or amidic carboxylic salts or imides, with solid imides to give diamides, with solid lactones or carbonates to give functionalized carbamic esters, with polycarbonates to give degradative aminolysis, and with solid isothiocyanates to give thioureas. Diamides give imides by solid-state thermolysis or acid catalysis. Various double, two-step, 3-cascade, and sequential reactions are reported in the solid state without melting. The yields are quantitative in 53 reported reaction examples and no workup (except for washings in four cases) is required in the 100% yield reactions. Three initially solid-state reactions but with liquid product were not quantitative. An upscaling to the kg scale shows promise of the technique for large scale applications. Supermicroscopic analyses with AFM elucidate the solid-state mechanism by virtue of far-reaching anisotropic molecular movements in three-step processes. Gas-solid aminolyses of polycarbonates are also studied with AFM. The implications to sustainable chemistry are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.