Sciencemadness Discussion Board
Not logged in [Login ]
Go To Bottom

Printable Version  
Author: Subject: Alternative Solvent for Allylbenzene and Allyltoluene synthesis
plutonium243
Harmless
*




Posts: 2
Registered: 24-11-2022
Location: U.S.
Member Is Offline

Mood: e

[*] posted on 26-1-2023 at 17:31
Alternative Solvent for Allylbenzene and Allyltoluene synthesis


I'm looking for an alternative, and Ideally more common, high temperature solvent to use for the catalytic synthesis of allylaromatic hydrocarbons. In the paper I read (DOI: 10.1007/BF00845602), they added the hydrocarbon (say toluene or benzene) and catalyst of zinc chloride to a solution of allyl alcohol and either n-nonane or n-undecane, and then boiled until completion at ~108-120° C. Due to the high boiling point of toluene, they managed to run it solvent free, however all of their runs required undecane for the benzene version. I looked around, and it seems that undecane is somewhat rare and rather pricy. Can anyone think of a more common (and ideally less expensive) solvent that can be used. I was thinking using something like DMSO, as it seems to be miscible with benzene, dissolve both allyl alcohol and zinc chloride, and has a boiling point well above what is required. Does anyone know if there is any problems in using it? Alternatively, dodecane was more accessible, although still quite far from ideal. I would assume that there should be no problems with it instead, right?
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
DraconicAcid
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 4278
Registered: 1-2-2013
Location: The tiniest college campus ever....
Member Is Offline

Mood: Semi-victorious.

[*] posted on 26-1-2023 at 17:48


If you use an alkyl halide instead of an alcohol, you can often get away with dichloromethane and FeCl3.



Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
plutonium243
Harmless
*




Posts: 2
Registered: 24-11-2022
Location: U.S.
Member Is Offline

Mood: e

[*] posted on 27-1-2023 at 08:27


Wait, an alkyl halide and not an allyl halide? I would think that something like, say, propyl chloride would react to produce propyl or isopropyl benzene rather than allylbenzene. Also do the chlorides work well, since they seem more common than the bromides?
View user's profile View All Posts By User
DraconicAcid
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 4278
Registered: 1-2-2013
Location: The tiniest college campus ever....
Member Is Offline

Mood: Semi-victorious.

[*] posted on 27-1-2023 at 09:33


I use t-butyl chloride/FeCl3 in dichloromethane. Allyl chloride would probably work just as well because allyl cations are resonance stabilized. A secondary or primary alkyl chloride would probably not work as well (but I haven't tried them).



Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
View user's profile View All Posts By User

  Go To Top