nitrenes
Synonym: aminylenes
-
The neutral compound
HN:
having univalent nitrogen, and its derivatives RN. Aminylenes is a recognized but
less widely used synonym. Other names that have been used include aminediyls, imidogens, azenes. They may exist in either a singlet or a triplet electronic state (four spin-paired electrons, or two spin-paired and two with parallel spins, respectively),
e.g.
CH3N:
methylnitrene.
-
Until the 1960s, nitrenes had a totally different meaning: analogues of nitrones in which the double-bonded oxygen is replaced by double-bonded carbon, thus azomethine ylides.
Source:
PAC, 1995, 67, 1307
(Glossary of class names of organic compounds and reactivity intermediates based on
structure (IUPAC Recommendations 1995))
on page 1350
PAC, 1993, 65, 1357
(Revised nomenclature for radicals, ions, radical ions and related species (IUPAC
Recommendations 1993))
on page 1357
See also:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077
(Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994))
on page 1145