New Insights into the Acid-Promoted Reaction of Caffeic Acid and Its Esters with Nitrite: Decarboxylation Drives Chain Nitrosation Pathways toward Novel Oxime Derivatives and Oxidation/Fragmentation Products Thereof.

In 0.05 M acetate buffer, pH 4, containing 1% methanol, caffeic acid (1a) (2 x 10(-3) M) reacted smoothly with nitrite (NO2-) (4 x 10(-3) M) to afford as main products the novel 2-hydroxy- and 2-methoxyaldoximes 7a,b, the 2-oxoaldoxime 9a, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and the known furoxan 3c and benzoxazinone 4b in smaller amounts. At lower 1a concentration (e.g., 1 x 10(-4) M), 7a was the main product, whereas with 0.1 M 1a and 0.5 M NO2- 3c and 9a were prevailing. At pH 2, 7a was still the most abundant product, together with 3,4dihydroxybenzaldehyde and some 9a, whereas at pH 1 9a and 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde were formed in higher yields. No evidence for ring nitration products, including the previously reported 4,5-dihydroxy-2-nitrobenzaldehyde, was obtained. At 2 x 10(-3) M concentration and at pH 4, caffeic acid methyl ester (1b) reacted with NO2- chiefly via ring nitration and/or dimerization to give 5a, the novel nitrated neolignan derivative 10, and the parent 6. Chlorogenic acid (1c) afforded only the ring nitrated derivative 5b. A unifying mechanism for the reaction of 1a and its esters with NO2- is proposed involving reversible formation of nitroso intermediates via chain nitrosation at the 2-position of the (E)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propenoic system. In the case of 1a, decarboxylation would drive the nitroso intermediates toward the formation of oximes 7a,b and 3c, reflecting nucleophilic addition of water, methanol, and NO2-, and their oxidation or breakdown products, viz. 9a, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and the benzoxazinone 4b. In the case of esters 1b,c, to which decarboxylation is precluded, ring nitration or dimerization become the favored routes, triggered by preliminary oxidation at the catechol moiety.