Quaternary Nitrogen Heterocycles. I. Equilibrium and Spectral Data for Pseudobase Formation by the N-Methyl Cations of Diazanaphthalenes

Equilibrium constants have been measured at 25° for the formation of pseudobases from the 2-methyl-phthalazinium, 1-methylquinoxalinium, 1-methyl- 1,5-naphthyridinium, 6-methyl-1,6-naphthyridinium, 7-methyl-1,7-naphthyridinium, 1-methyl-1,8-naphthyridinium, 1-methyl-3-nitroquinolinium, and 2-methyl-4-nitroisoquinolinium cations. Ionization constants have also been obtained for ionization of some of these pseudobases to alkoxide anions. For each cation the site of hydroxide attack has been determined by comparison of the u.v. and p.m.r. spectra of the pseudobases, the corresponding methoxide adducts, and the lithium aluminum hydride reduction products. In all cases, except for the 1-methylquinoxalinium cation, only one major pseudobase species is present in solution, and ring-opening does not occur to any appreciable extent. The pseudobase of the 1-methylquinoxalinium cation exists in equilibrium with a considerable amount of its covalent hydrate from addition of water across the C3—N4 bond.