Acidity of esters

Table 14. Equilibrium Acidities of Esters, Diketones, and Nitrometbanes [64]...

On heating the parent acid of ester VI (from condensation of D-glucose with diethyl 3-oxoglutarate) in aqueous solution,11 following the procedure employed to obtain the corresponding derivative of ethyl acetoacetate XXVI, a sirup results. However, its change in optical activity shows a parallelism with that in analogous cases where crystalline products are isolated, and apparently indicates anhydride formation (see the last line in Table V). 

The decreased acidity of ester a protons compared with those of aldehydes and ketones reflects the decreased electron-withdrawing ability of an ester carbonyl. Electron delocalization of the type ... 

The acidity of ester acids (p T values in water) decreases as the sulphur content increases ... 

The most common situation studied is that of a film reacting with some species in solution in the substrate, such as in the case of the hydrolysis of ester monolayers and of the oxidation of an unsaturated long-chain acid by aqueous permanganate. As a result of the reaction, the film species may be altered to the extent that its area per molecule is different or may be fragmented so that the products are soluble. One may thus follow the change in area at constant film pressure or the change in film pressure at constant area (much as with homogeneous gas reactions) in either case concomitant measurements may be made of the surface potential. 

Spanel P and Smith D 1998 SIFT studies of the reactions of FijO", NO and Ot with a series of volatile carboxylic acids and esters Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Proc. 172 137-47... 

Figure 3-8 a) The dissociation of substituted benzoic acids (X = substituent), and b) the hydrolysis of benzoic acid methyl esters. 

Methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-hutyl, benzyl, cyclohexyl esters of formic, acetic, oxalic, succinic, tartaric, citric, benzoic, salicylic (and other substituted benzoic acids), phthalic and cinnamic acids phenyl esters of acetic, benzoic and salicylic acids. 

Sodium and potassium hydroxides. The use of these efficient reagents is generally confined to the drying of amines (soda lime, barium oxide and quicklime may also be employed) potassium hydroxide is somewhat superior to the sodium compound. Much of the water may be first removed by shaking with a concentrated solution of the alkali hydroxide. They react with many organic compounds (e.g., acids, phenols, esters and amides) in the presence of water, and are also soluble in certain organic liquids so that their use as desiccants is very limited... 

Reduction of esters of monobasic acids with sodium and absolute ethyl alcohol (method of Bouveault and Blanc), for example ... 

The oxidation with excess of dichromate and dilute sulphuric acid is not always satisfactory for alcohols higher than n propyl because of the attendant production of appreciable amounts of esters indeed by using a fairly high concentration of sulphuric add, good yields of esters are obtained since esterification takes place at once, even in the cold, as long as an excess of alcohol is present, for example ... 

IsoValeric acid. Prepare dilute sulphuric acid by adding 140 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid cautiously and with stirring to 85 ml. of water cool and add 80 g. (99 ml.) of redistilled woamyl alcohol. Place a solution of 200 g. of crystallised sodium dicliromate in 400 ml. of water in a 1-litre (or 1-5 litre) round-bottomed flask and attach an efficient reflux condenser. Add the sulphuric acid solution of the isoamyl alcohol in amaU portions through the top of the condenser shake the apparatus vigorously after each addition. No heating is required as the heat of the reaction will suffice to keep the mixture hot. It is important to shake the flask well immediately after each addition and not to add a further portion of alcohol until the previous one has reacted if the reaction should become violent, immerse the flask momentarily in ice water. The addition occupies 2-2-5 hours. When all the isoamyl alcohol has been introduced, reflux the mixture gently for 30 minutes, and then allow to cool. Arrange the flask for distillation (compare Fig. II, 13, 3, but with the thermometer omitted) and collect about 350 ml. of distillate. The latter consists of a mixture of water, isovaleric acid and isoamyl isovalerate. Add 30 g. of potassium not sodium) hydroxide pellets to the distillate and shake until dissolved. Transfer to a separatory funnel and remove the upper layer of ester (16 g.). Treat the aqueous layer contained in a beaker with 30 ml. of dilute sulphuric acid (1 1 by volume) and extract the liberated isovaleric acid with two... 

I) A slightly better yield of ester can be obtained by increasing the quantity of acetic acid to 90-120 g. and refluxing for 12-18 hours. This modification is not worth while in a student s preparation. 

Place 200 g, (250 ml.) of rectified spirit in a 1-litre round-bottomed flask fitted with a reflux condenser. Cool in ice and run in, slowly and with frequent shaking, 200 g. (109 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid. Add 83 g. (104 ml.) of -butyl cyanide (Section 111,113) to the mixture and reflux the whole for 10 hours. Allow to cool, pour the reaction mixture into ice water, separate the upper layer of ester and alcohol, and dry over anhydrous magnesium or calcium sulphate. Distil through a fractionating column and collect the ethyl n-valerate at 143-146°. A further amovmt of the pure ester may be obtained by redrying the fraction of low boiling point and redistilling. The yield is 110 g. 

Anilides or p-toluidides of acids from esters. Esters are converted into the corresponding anilides or p-toluidides by treatment with anilino- or with p-toluidino-magnesium bromide, which are readily obtained from any simple Grignard reagent and aniline or p-toluidine ... 

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