Benzene by distillation

Place 100 g. of adipic acid in a 750 ml. round-bottomed flask and add successively 100 g. (127 ml.) of absolute ethyl alcohol, 250 ml. of sodium-dried benzene and 40 g. (22 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid (the last-named cautiously and with gentle swirling of the contents of the flask). Attach a reflux condenser and reflux the mixture gently for 5-6 hours. Pour the reaction mixture into excess of water (2-3 volumes), separate the benzene layer (1), wash it with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution until eflfervescence ceases, then with water, and dry with anhydrous magnesium or calcium sulphate. Remove most of the benzene by distillation under normal pressure until the temperature rises to 100° using the apparatus of Fig. II, 13, 4 but substituting a 250 ml. Claisen flask for the distilling flask then distil under reduced pressure and collect the ethyl adipate at 134-135°/17 mm. The yield is 130 g. 

Make a thin paste of 21 5 g. of finely-powdered o-tolidine (a commercial product) with 300 ml. of water in a 1-litre beaker, add 25 g. (21 ml.) of concentrated hydrochloric acid, and warm until dissolved. Cool the solution to 10° with ice, stir mechanically, and add a further 25 g. (21 ml.) of concentrated hydrochloric acid (1) partial separation of o tolidine dihydrochloride will occur. Add a solution of 15 g, of sodium nitrite in 30 ml. of water as rapidly as possible, but keep the temperature below 15° a slight excess of nitrous acid is not harmful in this preparation. Add the clear, orange tetrazonium solution to 175 ml. of 30 per cent, hypophosphorous acid (2), and allow the mixture to stand, loosely stoppered, at room temperature for 16-18 hours. Transfer to a separatory funnel, and remove the upper red oily layer. Extract the aqueous layer with 50 ml, of benzene. Dry the combined upper layer and benzene extract with anhydrous magnesium sulphate, and remove the benzene by distillation (compare Fig. II, 13, 4) from a Widmer or similar flask (Figs. II, 24, 3-5) heat in an oil bath to 150° to ensure the removal of the last traces of benzene. Distil the residue at ca. 3 mm. pressure and a temperature of 155°. Collect the 3 3 -dimethyldiphenyl as a pale yellow liquid at 114-115°/3 mm. raise the bath temperature to about 170° when the temperature of the thermometer in the flask commences to fall. The yield is 14 g. 

Chlorodiphenyl. Diazotise 32 g. of o-chloroaniline (Section IV,34) in the presence of 40 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid and 22 -5 ml. of water in the usual manner (compare Section IV,61) with concentrated sodium nitrite solution. Transfer the cold, filtered diazonium solution to a 1 5 htre bolt-head flask surrounded by ice water, introduce 500 ml. of cold benzene, stir vigorously, and add a solution of 80 g. of sodium acetate trihydrate in 200 ml. of water dropwise, maintaining the temperature at 5-10°. Continue the stirring for 48 hours after the first 3 hours, allow the reaction to proceed at room temperature. Separate the benzene layer, wash it with water, and remove the benzene by distillation at atmospheric pressure distil the residue under reduced pressure and collect the 2-chlorodiphenyl at 150-155°/10 mm. The yield is 18 g. Recrystalliae from aqueous ethanol m.p. 34°. 

The purified commercial di-n-butyl d-tartrate, m.p. 22°, may be used. It may be prepared by using the procedure described under i o-propyl lactate (Section 111,102). Place a mixture of 75 g. of d-tartaric acid, 10 g. of Zeo-Karb 225/H, 110 g. (136 ml.) of redistilled n-butyl alcohol and 150 ml. of sodium-dried benzene in a 1-litre three-necked flask equipped with a mercury-sealed stirrer, a double surface condenser and an automatic water separator (see Fig. Ill, 126,1). Reflux the mixture with stirring for 10 hours about 21 ml. of water collect in the water separator. FUter off the ion-exchange resin at the pump and wash it with two 30-40 ml. portions of hot benzene. Wash the combined filtrate and washings with two 75 ml. portions of saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, followed by lOu ml. of water, and dry over anhydrous magnesium sulphate. Remove the benzene by distillation under reduced pressure (water pump) and finally distil the residue. Collect the di-n-butyl d-tartrate at 150°/1 5 mm. The yield is 90 g. 

Phenylethyl Ketone. 200 g of finely powdered anhydrous aluminum chloride is suspended in 300 g of dry benzene in a flask that is cooled and equipped with a good stirring device. A mixture of 126 g of propionyl chloride and 105 g of benzene is added dropwise, with stirring, over 3 hours. After the 3 hours, the reaction mixture temp is kept at 50°. The contents of the flask are cooled and poured over crushed ice. Add 50 cc of coned HCl acid and remove the phenylethyl ketone and benzene by distillation with steam at 200-220° to yield 152 g of the ketone. 

B. Hydrogenolysis of the Phenolic Ether Biphenyl. To a solution of 10 g. (0.032 mole) of the product from Part A in 200 ml. of benzene is added 2 g. of 5% palladium-on-charcoal, and the mixture is shaken with hydrogen in a Parr apparatus at 40 p.s.i. and 35-40° for 8 hours (Note 3). The mixture is filtered, and the insoluble residue is washed with three 100-ml. portions of hot ethanol (Note 4). The filtrates are combined, and the solvent is removed by means of a rotary evaporator at 60° (12 mm.) to leave a solid residue. The product is dissolved in 100 ml. of benzene, and 100 ml. of 10% sodium hydroxide solution is added. The mixture is shaken, and the layers are separated. The aqueous layer is extracted with 100 ml. of benzene, and the original benzene layer is washed with 100 ml. of water (Note 5). The benzene solutions are combined and dried over magnesium sulfate. Removal of the benzene by distillation yields 4.0-4.7 g. (82-96%) of biphenyl as a white powder, m.p. 68-70° (Note 6). The infrared spectrum is identical with that of an authentic sample, and a purity of at least 99.5% was indicated by gas chromatography analysis. 

Cognate preparations. Butyl 2-mtrophenyl ether (o-Butoxynitrobenzene). Place a mixture of 28 g (0.2 mol) of o-nitrophenol (Expt 6.102), 28 g (0.2 mol) of anhydrous potassium carbonate, 30g (23.5 ml, 0.22 mol) of butyl bromide and 200 ml of dry acetone in a 1-litre round-bottomed flask fitted with an efficient reflux condenser, and reflux on a steam bath for 48 hours. Distil off the acetone, add 200 ml of water and extract the product with two 100 ml portions of benzene (CAUTION). Wash the combined benzene extracts with three 90 ml portions of 10 per cent sodium hydroxide solution, remove the benzene by distillation at atmospheric pressure and distil the residue under reduced pressure. Collect the o-butoxynitrobenzene at 171-172°C/19mmHg (or at 127-129 °C/2mmHg) the yield is 30 g (77%). 

After the removal of the benzene by distillation, steam is passed into the residue (flask in oil bath at 150-175°). The 4-methylbiphenyl which comes over solidifies readily. After distillation at atmospheric pressure (b.p. 267-268°), it weighs 38 g. (22%) and melts at 47°. Vacuum distillation is recommended forworking up larger quantities. The product from three runs (321 g. of p-toluidine) is distilled at 20 mm. pressure. The fraction boiling at 145-153° is nearly pure 4-methylbiphenyl yield, 109 g. (21%). 

The checkers dried the benzene by distillation from calcium hydride immediately before use. The submitters report that toluene may be... 

The calculated quantities of benzene and aluminium chloride are placed in an enamelled vessel and maintained at 25° C. The chloroacetyl chloride is then added in small quantities while the mixture is agitated. At the end of this addition, the mass is warmed to 60° to 70° C. for 2 hours and then poured into cold water. The layer containing the chloroacetophenone is freed from benzene by distillation and the chloroacetophenone finally purified by steam distillation. 

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