Acid catalysts degradation

Well, I thought previosly a bit of acetic acid can help reaction to prevent decomposition of catalyst. Now I m thinking after re-read JOC article 1425 times, acetic acid is not needed at all, because if catalyst degrades to Pd metal, is not more dissolved, so why add acetic acid My last test with 10 cc of safrol had 0 4 cc of acetic acid, but I ll omit it in next rxn. 

Cellulose valerates have been synthesized by conventional methods using valeric anhydride and sulfuric acid catalyst (25,26). Alternatively, the cellulose is activated by soaking in water, which is then displaced by methylene chloride or valeric acid the temperature is maintained at <38° C to minimize degradation. 

Solution Process. With the exception of fibrous triacetate, practically all cellulose acetate is manufactured by a solution process using sulfuric acid catalyst with acetic anhydride in an acetic acid solvent. An excellent description of this process is given (85). In the process (Fig. 8), cellulose (ca 400 kg) is treated with ca 1200 kg acetic anhydride in 1600 kg acetic acid solvent and 28—40 kg sulfuric acid (7—10% based on cellulose) as catalyst. During the exothermic reaction, the temperature is controlled at 40—45°C to minimize cellulose degradation. After the reaction solution becomes clear and fiber-free and the desired viscosity has been achieved, sufficient aqueous acetic acid (60—70% acid) is added to destroy the excess anhydride and provide 10—15% free water for hydrolysis. At this point, the sulfuric acid catalyst may be partially neutralized with calcium, magnesium, or sodium salts for better control of product molecular weight. 

There are several schemes for the synthesis of cellulose formates (slow) reaction of the polymer with formic acid faster reaction in the presence of a mineral acid catalyst, e.g., sulfuric or phosphoric acid. The latter route is usually associated with extensive degradation of the polymer chain. Reaction of SOCI2 with DMF produces the Vilsmeier-Haack adduct (HC(Cl) = N (CH3)2C1 ) [145]. In the presence of base, cellulose reacts with this adduct to form the unstable intermediate (Cell - O - CH = N" (CH3)2C1 ) from which cellulose formate is obtained by hydrolysis. The DS ranges from 1.2 to 2.5 and the order of reactivity is 5 > C2 > C3 [140-143,146]. 

Recently several pubhcations have examined replacing aqueous solvents with ionic liquids. Since simple and complex sugars are soluble in many imidazolium hahdes, water is not required as a co-solvent and degradation of HMF is minimal. Lansalot-Matras et al. reported on the dehydration of fmctose in imidazolium ionic liquids using acid catalyst (6). Moreau et al. reported that l-H-3-methylimidazolium chloride has sufficient acidity to operate without added acid (7). And we reported that a 0.5 wt% loading (6 mole% compared to substrate) of many metal halides in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazohum chloride ([EMIM]C1) result in catalytically active materials particularly useful for dehydration reactions (8). 

Halogenatlon. Poly(2,6-dimethyl- and 2,6-diphenyl-l,4-phenylene ether) can be aryl-brominated simply by exposure to a bromine solution no catalyst is required.6 In fact, the use of Lewis acid catalysts to promote the chlorination of poly(2,6-dimethy1-1,4-phenylene ether) leads to substantial degradation of the molecular weight of the chlorinated products.7 Membranes produced from ring brominated PPO (40% wt Br) exhibited enhanced permeability to CHi and CO2 and proved to be more selective in separating CH4/CO2 mixtures.8... 

Mixtures of C4 alkene isomers (largely isobutene) are polymerised commercially in contact with low levels of aluminium chloride (or other Lewis acid) catalysts. The highly exothermic runaway reactions occasionally experienced in practice are caused by events leading to the production of high local levels of catalyst. Rapid increases in temperature and pressure of 160°C and 18 bar, respectively, have been observed experimentally when alkenes are brought into contact with excess solid aluminium chloride. The runaway reaction appears to be more severe in the vapour phase, and a considerable amount of catalytic degradation contributes to the overall large exotherm. 

As for reaction of wood with carboxylic acids, the reaction of aldehydes also requires the use of an acid catalyst, which leads to degradation of the substrate. The most studied reaction in this category is that of formaldehyde with wood (Figure 4.10). 

When 3PN solution containing Ni[P(0-p-tolyl)3]4 is treated with trifluoromethylsulfonic acid (1 eq/Ni) at 50°C, rapid isomerization occurs for less than 30 sec before catalyst degrades. During this short burst of isomerization, 4PN and 2PN are produced in a ratio of 70 1. Similar results are obtained at 40°C and 25°C (61). 

The observation of Blume and Swezey (5) that cellulose dissolves extremely rapidly in acetic anhydride-dimethylformamide, containing sulfuric acid catalyst, suggested that we investigate the possibilities of this reaction for hydrolyzing celluloses. The cellulose acetate formed was not degraded, whereas our purpose was complete degradation. Accordingly, the depolymerization of the cellulose derivative in solution had to be examined. 

The most efficient method for the clean hydrolysis of sucrose is by the use of invertase, leading to an equimolar mixture of glucose and fructose (invert sugar). The presence of salts increases the rate of thermal degradation of sucrose.337 The reaction is also possible in the presence of such heterogeneous acidic catalysts as zeolites.338 The hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond is the first step of a number of subsequent reactions that can occur on the glucose and fructose residues, such as dehydrations, combinations with amino acids (Maillard reaction), and many other chemicals or fermentation processes.339... 

Stepwise degradation of sugars under catalytic conditions leads to shorter-chain sugars and such by-products as CO, C02, and H20 depending on the conditions (see also next section).348 Sucrose or other carbohydrates have been used for the preparation of new solid acidic catalysts by partial carbonization followed by sulfonation. This leads to sheets of amorphous carbon bearing hydroxyl, carboxyl, and sulfonic groups. These have been used for the production of biodiesel fuel.349... 

Hydroxymethylfurfural is not volatile by steam. It is prepared from hexoses in the presence of an acid catalyst by short heat treatment to avoid further degradation to levulinic acid. After recovery by solvent extraction hydroxymethylfurfural is purified by distillation. Levulinic acid can be prepared in good yield from hexose-based polysaccharides by heating with acids. In this reaction formic acid is liberated and levulinic acid is easily lactonized to form a- and /3-angelica lactones (Fig. 2-31). 

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