Acetaldehyde synthesis

Oxidative dehydrogenation of alcohols is a new approach in the development of industrial processes for the synthesis of aldehydes and ketones [103-105], In this regard, the technologically most suitable is the method of acetaldehyde synthesis in the presence of melted vanadium oxide, alkaline metals with promoting additives, alkaline metal sulfates or chlorides as catalysts [105], The target product yield equals 65.9% per used alcohol at 69.2% conversion. The disadvantage of the method is the relatively low yield of the target product... 

Reactions that combine C-H activation with a C-C bond-forming event are invaluable synthetic tools, allowing concise construction of carbon frameworks. Rhodium(i) catalysts have been shown to catalyze alkane carbonylation [21]. Recently, Sakakura and co-workers succeeded in subjecting methane to a catalytic acetaldehyde synthesis [22], They found that, in dense carbon dioxide, the complex [RhCl(PMe3)3] catalyzed the carbonylation of methane with 77 turnovers. 

Fortunately, most of the palladium addition reactions with olefins can be carried out catalytically in the palladium compound so that large amounts of the expensive palladium compounds are not needed. As in the inorganic palladium salt additions, cupric chloride is a useful reoxidant. This, of course, limits the catalytic reaction to cases where olefin isomerization is not a problem. The cupric chloride is reduced to cuprous chloride during the reaction. As in the acetaldehyde synthesis, the reaction may be made catalytic in copper as well as palladium by adding oxygen and, in this case, hydrogen chloride also. 

The zerovalent Pd formed can be promptly reoxidized by Cu(II) and the catalytic cycle closed in the same way as for acetaldehyde synthesis (Figure 27). 

The existence of a free carbonium ion such as VII in a strongly solvating medium is highly improbable. Only if VII could exist in association with the palladium could decomposition to vinyl acetate be expected to occur with a reasonable degree of frequency, in competition with the reaction with acetate to form ethylidene diacetate. Similar results have been reported in the Wacker acetaldehyde synthesis when D2O is used as the solvent (25). Stern (54) has reported results in which 2-deuteropropylene was used as substrate in the reaction. Based on assumed /J-acetoxyalkylpalladium intermediates, on the absence of an appreciable isotope effect in the proton-loss step, and on the product distribution observed, excellent agreement between calculated (71%) and observed (75%) deuterium retention was obtained. Several problems inherent in this study (54) have been discussed in a recent review (I). Hence, considerable additional effort must be expended before a clear-cut decision can be made between a simple / -hydrogen elimination and a palladium-assisted hydride shift in this reaction. 

Reaction Mechanism. Any mechanism proposed for the vinylation of acetic acid by the hexenes must be able to account for the production of the high boiling products, 1,2-hexandiol mono- and diacetates (VIII, IX and X), and possibly hexylidene diacetate, as well as the hexenyl acetates. The currently accepted mechanism for synthesizing vinyl acetate from ethylene and acetic acid is derived from that postulated by Henry (i, 19), based on studies of the Wacker acetaldehyde synthesis. The key step in this mechanism is an insertion reaction (18). 

Rearrangement of a two-carbon insertion product could also lead to intermediates of these structures. Similar one-carbon insertion products have recently been proposed for the Wacker acetaldehyde synthesis (i, 27, 39). Elimination of a proton and palladium could occur from the intermediates XVIIa and XVIIb in a manner analogous to that proposed for the two-carbon insertion product in Reaction 13. This proposed pathway conforms with all observations, including the deuterium studies (36, 54),... 

Acetaldehyde synthesis by dehydrogenation or partial oxidation of ethanol in the vapor phase (Fig. 8.1)... 

Acetaldehyde synthesis by liquid phase oxidation of ethylene (Wacker-Hoechst processes)... 

Acetaldehyde, synthesis using metal catalysts, 118-119 Acetoacetate esters, replacement for isocyanates, 13... 

The industrial synthesis of acetaldehyde from ethylene IS shown on page 644... 

Not so for synthesis in the chemical industry where a compound must be prepared not only on a large scale but at low cost There is a pronounced bias toward reactants and reagents that are both abundant and inexpensive The oxidizing agent of choice for example in the chemical industry is O2 and extensive research has been devoted to develop mg catalysts for preparing various compounds by air oxidation of readily available starting materials To illustrate air and ethylene are the reactants for the industrial preparation of both acetaldehyde and ethylene oxide Which of the two products is ob tamed depends on the catalyst employed... 

Miscellaneous Reactions. Sodium bisulfite adds to acetaldehyde to form a white crystalline addition compound, insoluble in ethyl alcohol and ether. This bisulfite addition compound is frequendy used to isolate and purify acetaldehyde, which may be regenerated with dilute acid. Hydrocyanic acid adds to acetaldehyde in the presence of an alkaU catalyst to form cyanohydrin the cyanohydrin may also be prepared from sodium cyanide and the bisulfite addition compound. Acrylonittile [107-13-1] (qv) can be made from acetaldehyde and hydrocyanic acid by heating the cyanohydrin that is formed to 600—700°C (77). Alanine [302-72-7] can be prepared by the reaction of an ammonium salt and an alkaU metal cyanide with acetaldehyde this is a general method for the preparation of a-amino acids called the Strecker amino acids synthesis. Grignard reagents add readily to acetaldehyde, the final product being a secondary alcohol. Thioacetaldehyde [2765-04-0] is formed by reaction of acetaldehyde with hydrogen sulfide thioacetaldehyde polymerizes readily to the trimer. 

Since 1960, the Hquid-phase oxidation of ethylene has been the process of choice for the manufacture of acetaldehyde. There is, however, stiU some commercial production by the partial oxidation of ethyl alcohol and hydration of acetylene. The economics of the various processes are strongly dependent on the prices of the feedstocks. Acetaldehyde is also formed as a coproduct in the high temperature oxidation of butane. A more recently developed rhodium catalyzed process produces acetaldehyde from synthesis gas as a coproduct with ethyl alcohol and acetic acid (83—94). 

From Synthesis Gas. A rhodium-catalyzed process capable of converting synthesis gas directly into acetaldehyde in a single step has been reported (83,84). 

This process comprises passing synthesis gas over 5% rhodium on Si02 at 300°C and 2.0 MPa (20 atm). Principal coproducts are acetaldehyde, 24% acetic acid, 20% and ethanol, 16%. Although interest in new routes to acetaldehyde has fallen as a result of the reduced demand for this chemical, one possible new route to both acetaldehyde and ethanol is the reductive carbonylation of methanol (85). 

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. 

Currently, almost all acetic acid produced commercially comes from acetaldehyde oxidation, methanol or methyl acetate carbonylation, or light hydrocarbon Hquid-phase oxidation. Comparatively small amounts are generated by butane Hquid-phase oxidation, direct ethanol oxidation, and synthesis gas. Large amounts of acetic acid are recycled industrially in the production of cellulose acetate, poly(vinyl alcohol), and aspirin and in a broad array of other... 

Other possible chemical synthesis routes for lactic acid include base-cataly2ed degradation of sugars oxidation of propylene glycol reaction of acetaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and water at elevated temperatures and pressures hydrolysis of chloropropionic acid (prepared by chlorination of propionic acid) nitric acid oxidation of propylene etc. None of these routes has led to a technically and economically viable process (6). 

Pyridine undergoes 2- and 4-alkylation with Grignard reagents, depending on whether free metal is present (19). Free metal gives mixtures or exclusive 4-alkylation. Substituent-directed metaHation (eq. 5) has become an important approach to the synthesis of disubstituted pyridines (12). For example, 2- uoro-pyridine [372-48-5] reacts with butyUithium and acetaldehyde to give a 93% yield of alcohol [79527-61-1]. 

The vapor-phase synthesis of pyridines and picolines from formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and ammonia falls in the category of four-bond formation reactions (Fig. 1). Reactions are performed in the vapor phase with proprietary catalysts. 

Commercial Manufacture of Pyridine. There are two vapor-phase processes used in the industry for the synthesis of pyridines. The first process (eq. 21) uti1i2es formaldehyde and acetaldehyde as a co-feed with ammonia, and the principal products are pyridine (1) and 3-picoline (3). The second process produces only alkylated pyridines as products. 

Acrolein (CH2=CHCHO) can be substituted for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in the above reaction to give similar results, but the proportion of (3) is higher than when acetaldehyde and formaldehyde are fed separately. Acrolein may be formed as one of the first steps to pyridine (1) and P-picoline (3) formation. There are many variations on the vapor-phase synthesis of pyridine itself. These variations are the subject of many patents in the field. 

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