Active acetaldehyde

The price of acetaldehyde duriag the period 1950 to 1973 ranged from 0.20 to 0.22/kg. Increased prices for hydrocarbon cracking feedstocks beginning in late 1973 resulted in higher costs for ethylene and concurrent higher costs for acetaldehyde. The posted prices for acetaldehyde were 0.26/kg in 1974, 0.78/kg in 1985, and 0.92/kg in 1988. The future of acetaldehyde growth appears to depend on the development of a lower cost production process based on synthesis gas and an increase in demand for processes based on acetaldehyde activation techniques and peracetic acid. 

The alkoxyacetyl complexes 5 and 6 also serve as precursors, via reactions of the coordinated C2 ligands depicted in Scheme 4, for acetaldehyde. Activation of 5 and 6 as a,3-dialkoxyethylidene... 

In coffee, it could result from a fermentation similar to that produced by Enterobacterias or by other paths, such as condensation of two molecules of acetaldehyde activated by carboxydase (Vincent et al., 1976). 

This enzyme, sometimes also called the Schardinger enzyme, occurs in milk. It is capable of " oxidising" acetaldehyde to acetic acid, and also the purine bases xanthine and hypoxanthine to uric acid. The former reaction is not a simple direct oxidation and is assumed to take place as follows. The enzyme activates the hydrated form of the aldehyde so that it readily parts w ith two hydrogen atoms in the presence of a suitable hydrogen acceptor such as methylene-blue the latter being reduced to the colourless leuco-compound. The oxidation of certain substrates will not take place in the absence of such a hydrogen acceptor. 

This monomer polymerizes faster ia 50% water than it does ia bulk (35), an abnormaHty iaconsistent with general polymerization kinetics. This may be due to a complex with water that activates the monomer it may also be related to the impurities ia the monomer (eg, acetaldehyde, 1-methyl pyrroHdone, and 2-pyrroHdone) that are difficult to remove and that would be diluted and partitioned ia a 50% aqueous media (see Vinyl polymers, A/-VINYLAMIDE POLYPffiRS). 

Decomposition. Acetaldehyde decomposes at temperatures above 400°C, forming principally methane and carbon monoxide [630-08-0]. The activation energy of the pyrolysis reaction is 97.7 kj/mol (408.8 kcal/mol) (27). There have been many investigations of the photolytic and radical-induced decomposition of acetaldehyde and deuterated acetaldehyde (28—30). 

Oxidation. Acetaldehyde is readily oxidised with oxygen or air to acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and peracetic acid (see Acetic acid and derivatives). The principal product depends on the reaction conditions. Acetic acid [64-19-7] may be produced commercially by the Hquid-phase oxidation of acetaldehyde at 65°C using cobalt or manganese acetate dissolved in acetic acid as a catalyst (34). Liquid-phase oxidation in the presence of mixed acetates of copper and cobalt yields acetic anhydride [108-24-7] (35). Peroxyacetic acid or a perester is beheved to be the precursor in both syntheses. There are two commercial processes for the production of peracetic acid [79-21 -0]. Low temperature oxidation of acetaldehyde in the presence of metal salts, ultraviolet irradiation, or osone yields acetaldehyde monoperacetate, which can be decomposed to peracetic acid and acetaldehyde (36). Peracetic acid can also be formed directiy by Hquid-phase oxidation at 5—50°C with a cobalt salt catalyst (37) (see Peroxides and peroxy compounds). Nitric acid oxidation of acetaldehyde yields glyoxal [107-22-2] (38,39). Oxidations of /)-xylene to terephthaHc acid [100-21-0] and of ethanol to acetic acid are activated by acetaldehyde (40,41). 

Reactions with Ammonia and Amines. Acetaldehyde readily adds ammonia to form acetaldehyde—ammonia. Diethyl amine [109-87-7] is obtained when acetaldehyde is added to a saturated aqueous or alcohoHc solution of ammonia and the mixture is heated to 50—75°C in the presence of a nickel catalyst and hydrogen at 1.2 MPa (12 atm). Pyridine [110-86-1] and pyridine derivatives are made from paraldehyde and aqueous ammonia in the presence of a catalyst at elevated temperatures (62) acetaldehyde may also be used but the yields of pyridine are generally lower than when paraldehyde is the starting material. The vapor-phase reaction of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and ammonia at 360°C over oxide catalyst was studied a 49% yield of pyridine and picolines was obtained using an activated siHca—alumina catalyst (63). Brown polymers result when acetaldehyde reacts with ammonia or amines at a pH of 6—7 and temperature of 3—25°C (64). Primary amines and acetaldehyde condense to give Schiff bases CH2CH=NR. The Schiff base reverts to the starting materials in the presence of acids. 

Acetic anhydride adds to acetaldehyde in the presence of dilute acid to form ethyUdene diacetate [542-10-9], boron fluoride also catalyzes the reaction (78). Ethyfldene diacetate decomposes to the anhydride and aldehyde at temperatures of 220—268°C and initial pressures of 14.6—21.3 kPa (110—160 mm Hg) (79), or upon heating to 150°C in the presence of a zinc chloride catalyst (80). Acetone (qv) [67-64-1] has been prepared in 90% yield by heating an aqueous solution of acetaldehyde to 410°C in the presence of a catalyst (81). Active methylene groups condense acetaldehyde. The reaction of isobutfyene/715-11-7] and aqueous solutions of acetaldehyde in the presence of 1—2% sulfuric acid yields alkyl-y -dioxanes 2,4,4,6-tetramethyl-y -dioxane [5182-37-6] is produced in yields up to 90% (82). 

Acetyl chlotide is reduced by vatious organometaUic compounds, eg, LiAlH (18). / fZ-Butyl alcohol lessens the activity of LiAlH to form lithium tti-/-butoxyalumium hydtide [17476-04-9] C22H2gA102Li, which can convert acetyl chlotide to acetaldehyde [75-07-0] (19). Triphenyl tin hydtide also reduces acetyl chlotide (20). Acetyl chlotide in the presence of Pt(II) or Rh(I) complexes, can cleave tetrahydrofuran [109-99-9] C HgO, to form chlorobutyl acetate [13398-04-4] in about 72% yield (21). Although catalytic hydrogenation of acetyl chlotide in the Rosenmund reaction is not very satisfactory, it is catalyticaHy possible to reduce acetic anhydride to ethylidene diacetate [542-10-9] in the presence of acetyl chlotide over palladium complexes (22). Rhodium trichloride, methyl iodide, and ttiphenylphosphine combine into a complex that is active in reducing acetyl chlotide (23). 

A thkd method utilizes cooxidation of an organic promoter with manganese or cobalt-ion catalysis. A process using methyl ethyl ketone (248,252,265—270) was commercialized by Mobil but discontinued in 1973 (263,264). Other promoters include acetaldehyde (248,271—273), paraldehyde (248,274), various hydrocarbons such as butane (270,275), and others. Other types of reported activators include peracetic acid (276) and ozone (277), and very high concentrations of cobalt catalyst (2,248,278). 

In addition to these principal commercial uses of molybdenum catalysts, there is great research interest in molybdenum oxides, often supported on siHca, ie, MoO —Si02, as partial oxidation catalysts for such processes as methane-to-methanol or methane-to-formaldehyde (80). Both O2 and N2O have been used as oxidants, and photochemical activation of the MoO catalyst has been reported (81). The research is driven by the increased use of natural gas as a feedstock for Hquid fuels and chemicals (82). Various heteropolymolybdates (83), MoO.-containing ultrastable Y-zeoHtes (84), and certain mixed metal molybdates, eg, MnMoO Ee2(MoO)2, photoactivated CuMoO, and ZnMoO, have also been studied as partial oxidation catalysts for methane conversion to methanol or formaldehyde (80) and for the oxidation of C-4-hydrocarbons to maleic anhydride (85). Heteropolymolybdates have also been shown to effect ethylene (qv) conversion to acetaldehyde (qv) in a possible replacement for the Wacker process. 

Chain transfer also occurs to the emulsifying agents, leading to their permanent iacorporation iato the product. Chain transfer to aldehydes, which may be formed as a result of the hydrolysis of the vinyl acetate monomer, tends to lower the molecular weight and slow the polymerisation rate because of the lower activity of the radical that is formed. Thus, the presence of acetaldehyde condensates as a poly(vinyl alcohol) impurity strongly retards polymerisation (91). Some of the initiators such as lauryl peroxide are also chain-transfer agents and lower the molecular weight of the product. 

Reactions of Vinyl Ethers. Vinyl ethers undergo the typical reactions of activated carbon—carbon double bonds. A key reaction of VEs is acid-catalyzed hydrolysis to the corresponding alcohol and acetaldehyde, ie, addition of water followed by decomposition of the hemiacetal. Eor example, for MVE, the reaction is... 

In contrast to the hydrolysis of prochiral esters performed in aqueous solutions, the enzymatic acylation of prochiral diols is usually carried out in an inert organic solvent such as hexane, ether, toluene, or ethyl acetate. In order to increase the reaction rate and the degree of conversion, activated esters such as vinyl carboxylates are often used as acylating agents. The vinyl alcohol formed as a result of transesterification tautomerizes to acetaldehyde, making the reaction practically irreversible. The presence of a bulky substituent in the 2-position helps the enzyme to discriminate between enantiotopic faces as a result the enzymatic acylation of prochiral 2-benzoxy-l,3-propanediol (34) proceeds with excellent selectivity (ee > 96%) (49). In the case of the 2-methyl substituted diol (33) the selectivity is only moderate (50). 

The reaction kinetics for the dehydrogenation of ethanol are also weU documented (309—312). The vapor-phase dehydrogenation of ethanol ia the presence of a chromium-activated copper catalyst at 280—340°C produces acetaldehyde ia a yield of 89% and a conversion of 75% per pass (313). Other catalysts used iaclude neodymium oxide and samarium hydroxide (314). 

Isomerization of ethylene oxide to acetaldehyde occurs at elevated temperatures ia the presence of catalysts such as activated alumina, phosphoric acid, and metallic phosphates (75). Iron oxides also catalyze this reaction. Acetaldehyde may be found as a trace impurity ia ethylene oxide. 

An active-site zinc ion stabilizes negative charge development on the oxygen atom of acetaldehyde, leading to an induced partial positive charge on the carbonyl C atom. Transfer of the negatively charged hydride ion to this carbon forms ethanol. 

The addition of water across carbon-carbon double bonds, a reaction thoroughly investigated by Lucas and Taft, requires strong activation and is catalyzed by hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions. Addition of water across the 0= =0 bond of aldehydes has also been studied kinetically. Whereas chloral and formaldehyde are largely hydrated (at equilibrium in dilute aqueous solution), acetaldehyde and other... 

In the discussion of benzylamines, we have met medicinal agents that owe their activity to some particular functionality almost without reference to the structure of the rest of the molecule. The hydrazine group is one such function in that it frequently confers monamine oxidase-inhibiting activity to molecules containing that group. Such agents frequently find use as antidepressants. Thus, reduction of the hydrazone of phenyl-acetaldehyde (84) affords the antidepressant phenelzine (85). Similar treatment of the derivative of phenylacetone (86) gives pheniprazine (87). ... 

An aryloxypyrimi done has been described as an anti ulcer agent this activity is of note since the agent does not bear any structural relation to better known anti ulcer drugs. Displacement of halogen on the acetal of chloro-acetaldehyde by alkoxide from m-cresol gives the intermediate This affords enaminoaldehyde when subjected... 

There are many ways to produce acetaldehyde. Historically, it was produced either hy the silver-catalyzed oxidation or hy the chromium activated copper-catalyzed dehydrogenation of ethanol. Currently, acetaldehyde is obtained from ethylene hy using a homogeneous catalyst (Wacker catalyst). The catalyst allows the reaction to occur at much lower temperatures (typically 130°) than those used for the oxidation or the dehydrogenation of ethanol (approximately 500°C for the oxidation and 250°C for the dehydrogenation). 

Absolute activity, 12, 13 Absolute intensity, 192 Acetaldehyde barrier height of internal rotation, 378, 382, 383, 388 Acetonitrile, in clathrate, 20... 

In general, pyruvate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.1) catalyzes the decarboxylation of a 2-oxocar-boxylic acid to give the corresponding aldehyde6. Using pyruvic acid, the intermediately formed enzyme-substrate complex can add an acetyl unit to acetaldehyde already present in the reaction mixture, to give optically active acetoin (l-hydroxy-2-butanone)4 26. Although the formation of... 

The Arrhenius activation energy,3 obtained from the temperature dependence of the three-halves-order rate constant, is Ea = 201 kJ mol-1. This is considerably less than the standard enthalpy change for the homolysis of acetaldehyde, determined by the usual thermodynamic methods. That is, reaction (8-5) has AH = 345 kJ mol-1. At first glance, this disparity makes it seem as if dissociation of acetaldehyde could not be a predecessor step. Actually, however, the agreement is excellent when properly interpreted. 

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