Sciencemadness Discussion Board

allyl phenylacetate

Fery - 24-8-2021 at 09:44

phenylacetic acid allyl ester synthesis - honey scent

I know you guys would use phenylacetic acid for something more juicy / spicy. I synthesized this harmless ester product. I already have commercial methyl and ethyl esters and both have sweet honey scent. Allyl ester is more clean honey with less side scents, it is artificial so it does not occur in nature.

http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1002911.html
prop-2-enyl 2-phenylacetate
Specific Gravity: 1.03300 to 1.04100 @ 25.00 °C (in my experiment I used isohexanes which diluted it so the final density was lower than the density of water, also better separation from water, but emulsion formed at same stage anyway)
Boiling Point: 239.00 to 240.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Boiling Point: 89.00 to 93.00 °C. @ 3.00 mm Hg
Odor Type: honey
Odor Strength: medium
honey fruity rummy
Odor Description at 100.00 % honey fruity rum
Flavor Type: honey
honey
Taste Description: honey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allyl_phenylacetate

Allyl phenylacetate is an ester with a fruity honey odor,[1] used in the perfume and flavoring industries. It is the ester resulting from the esterification of allyl alcohol and phenylacetic acid. It has not been reported to be found in nature.[2]

Allyl phenylacetate is one of only a few known ligands for the human olfactory receptor OR51L1.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OR51L1

there are only 2 ligands which bind to the above OR51L1 receptor, one is allyl phenylacetate and second one hexanoic acid - at least one of them must bind also to another receptor as their scent is very different

the synthesis:

phenylacetic acid 34,0 g = 0,25 mol (M = 136,15 g/mol)
allyl alcohol 14,5 g (M = 58,08 g/mol), I used 50 % excess = 21,8 g and I used approx 85% w/w allyl alcohol (approx 15% water content) = 25,6 g
H2SO4 0,25 ml (only catalyst)
isohexanes 30 ml (more than the volume of dean stark trap apparatus)

refluxed in 250 ml RBF with 10 ml Dean-Stark trap apparatus, after 1 h 13,0 ml bottom phase collected (0,25 mol = 4,5 g reaction H2O, approx. 3 ml H2O 15% content in 25 g allyl alcohol, 6,5 g allyl alcohol that's why excess of allyl alcohol used), rfx continued for extra 1 hour, no more bottom phase trapped

cooled down in cold water bath

transferred into 250 ml separatory funnel and washed:
100 ml cold water
100 ml cold water
100 ml 5% NaHCO3
100 ml 5% NaHCO3
100 ml cold water, emulsion formed, 25 ml of concentrated NaCl solution added to break it
100 ml cold water, emulsion formed, 25 ml of concentrated NaCl solution added to break it

upper phase transferred into 250 ml FBF where dried with Na2SO4 1 hour on magnetic stirrer and then overnight

filtered through funnel with small cotton plug into 250 ml RBF

isohexanes and traces of abundant allyl alcohol distilled out on oil bath, later weak vacuum applied (water aspirator) to remove more of them

vacuum distilled using 2-stage rotary oil vacuum pump, vacuum level unknow, distillate in range 65-70 C, most of it in range 69-70 C

yield 38,0 g (86%)
M = 176,2 g/mol, n = 0,25 mol, m = M * n = 44,05 g (100 %)



esterification

IMG_20210823_141408_4_sm.jpg - 27kB IMG_20210823_141649_5_sm.jpg - 32kB IMG_20210823_141711_4_sm.jpg - 24kB



washing, when emulsion (although isohexanes present, third picture) it was necessary to add 25 ml of concentrated NaCl solution to break the emulsion

IMG_20210823_165028_1_sm.jpg - 34kB IMG_20210823_170438_4_sm.jpg - 29kB IMG_20210823_181354_8_sm.jpg - 35kB



vacuum distillation

IMG_20210824_145302_3_sm.jpg - 47kB IMG_20210824_145823_3_sm.jpg - 17kB IMG_20210824_145829_2_sm.jpg - 30kB IMG_20210824_150202_7_sm.jpg - 21kB IMG_20210824_150353_7_sm.jpg - 35kB



video of vacuum distillation:
https://youtu.be/enP7xpe4yhI

Syn the Sizer - 24-8-2021 at 16:42

Interesting, I have been interested in doing a few phenyl acetic acid esters

draculic acid69 - 5-9-2021 at 02:50

When looking on Alibaba at other things the methylene dioxy paa seems to pop up quite often. I bet those esters would be quite interesting