Azo compounds are compounds bearing the functional group R-N=N-R', in which R and R' can be either
aryl or alkyl.
IUPAC defines azo compounds as: "Derivatives of diazene, HN=NH, wherein both hydrogens
are substituted by hydrocarbyl groups, e.g. PhN=NPh azobenzene or diphenyldiazene."
The more stable derivatives contain two aryl groups.
The N=N group is called an azo group.
The name azo comes from azote, the French name for nitrogen that is derived from the
Greek a + zoe.
Most colored textile and leather articles are treated with azo dyes and pigments.
As dyes and pigments
As a consequence of п-delocalization, aryl azo compounds have vivid colors, especially
reds, oranges, and yellows.
Therefore, they are used as dyes, and are commonly known as azo dyes, an example of
which is Disperse Orange 1.
Some azo compounds, e.g., methyl orange, are used as acid-base indicators due to the different
colors of their acid and salt forms.
Most DVD-R/+R and some CD-R discs use blue azo dye as the recording layer.
The development of azo dyes was an important step in the development of the chemical industry.
Azo pigments are colorless particles, which have been colored using an azo compound.
Azo pigments are important in a variety of paints including artist's paints.
They have excellent coloring properties, again mainly in the yellow to red range, as well
as lightfastness.
The lightfastness depends not only on the properties of the organic azo compound, but
also on the way they have been absorbed on the pigment carrier.
Many azo pigments are non-toxic, although some, such as dinitroaniline orange, ortho-nitroaniline
orange, or pigment orange 1, 2, and 5 have been found to be mutagenic.
Likewise, several case studies have linked azo pigments with basal cell carcinoma.
Organic chemistry Aryl azo compounds
Aryl azo compounds are usually stable, crystalline species.
Azobenzene is the prototypical aromatic azo compound.
It exists mainly as the trans isomer, but upon photolysis, converts to the cis isomer.
Aromatic azo compounds can be synthesized by using an azo coupling reaction, which entails
an electrophilic substitution reaction where an aryl diazonium cation is attacked by another
aryl ring, especially those substituted with electron-donating groups.
Since diazonium salts are often unstable near room temperature, the azo coupling reactions
are typically conducted near ice temperatures.
The oxidation of hydrazines also gives azo compounds.
Azo dyes derived from benzidine are carcinogens; exposure to them has classically been associated
with bladder cancer.
Accordingly, the production of benzidine azo dyes was discontinued in the 1980s "in the
most important western industrialized countries".
Alkyl azo compounds Aliphatic azo compounds are less commonly
encountered than the aryl azo compounds.
One example is diethyldiazene, EtN=NEt.
At elevated temperatures or upon irradiation, the carbon-nitrogen bonds in certain alkyl
azo compounds cleave with the loss of nitrogen gas to generate radicals.
Owing to this process, some aliphatic azo compounds are utilized as radical initiators.
Because of their instability, aliphatic azo compounds pose the risk of explosion.
A commercially important alkyl azo compound is azobisisobutyronitrile which is widely
used as an initiator in polymerization.
It achieves this initiation by decomposition, eliminating a molecule of nitrogen gas to
form two 2-cyanoprop-2-yl radicals:
These radicals can be initiate free radical polymerizations and other radical-induced
reactions.
For instance a mixture of styrene and maleic anhydride in toluene will react if heated,
forming the copolymer upon addition of AIBN.
AIBN is produced by converting acetone cyanohydrin to the hydrazine derivative followed by oxidation:
22C(CN)OH + N2H4 → [(CH3)2C(CN)]2N2H2 + 2 H2O
[(CH3)2C(CN)]2N2H2 + Cl2 → [(CH3)2C(CN)]2N2 + 2 HCl
European regulation Certain azo dyes can break down under reductive
conditions to release any of a group of defined aromatic amines.
Consumer goods which contain listed aromatic amines originating from azo dyes were prohibited
from manufacture and sale in European Union countries in September 2003.
As only a small number of dyes contained an equally small number of amines, relatively
few products were affected.
See also Azo coupling
Ponceau 4R Ponceau S
Glycoazodyes References