ISOMERIC TRIAZOCINNAMIC ACIDS AND RELATED COMPOUNDS

Nuclear substituted triazocinnamic and triazobenzoic acids have been prepared and their properties, with relative stabilities. investigated. The triazocinnamic acids give on oxidation the corresponding triazobenzoic acids and on reduction, different products depending on the agent employed With concentrated sulphuric acid, the triazocinnamic acids and p-triazobenzoic acid evolve two-thirds of the nitrogen content, the o- and m-triazobenzoic acids yielding a quantity of nitrogen which approximates more closely to one-half rather than two-thirds of the nitrogen content. Formation of carbon monoxide, which is unusual, was noticed during these decompositions A striking difference in. the comparative stabilities of the two series towards sulphuric acid of different strengths was brought to light by these experiments. The pare-derivative is the least stable in the cinnamic acid series, whereas it is the most stable in the benzoic acids This is probably due to the different orienting influences of the original substituents in the two series. Methyl e-triazocinnamate has been prepared and its properties examined.