Benzoic acid reactions

Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, Ltd. practiced a Henkel II technology starting with toluene to produce benzoic acid. Reaction of benzoic acid with potassium hydroxide resulted in potassium benzoate, which was subjected to a disproportionation reaction to produce dipotassium terephthalate and benzene. Dipotassium terephthalate reacted with sulfuric acid, and the resulting terephthahc acid was recovered by filtration and drying (65,66). Here, dipotassium sulfate was the by-product. 

Reports have appeared claiming that triperoxo vanadates behave as nucleophilic oxidants. In particular, triperoxo vanadium complexes, A[V(02)3]3H20 (A=Na or K), are proposed as efficient oxidants of a,-unsaturated ketones to the corresponding epoxide, benzonitrile to benzamide and benzil to benzoic acid, reactions which are usually carried out with alkaline hydrogen peroxide. Subsequent studies concerning the oxidation of cyclobutanone to 4-hydroxybutanoic acid, carried out with the above-cited triperoxo vanadium compound, in alcohol/water mixtures, clearly indicated that such a complex does not act as nucleophilic oxidant, but only as a source of HOO anion. 

The oxidation of alkyl benzenes to benzoic acids [reaction (7.3)] is still carried out occasionally, and this oxidation is most likely the only one where potassium permanganate is the reagent of choice. Any carbon group attached to the aromatic ring is degraded to the carboxylic acid group under the very vigorous conditions of this oxidation. 

In benzene derivatives, electron-donating substituents direct into the ortho-and para-positions, while in the case of the electron-withdrawing substituents considerable meta-addition is observed (Table 3.1) otherwise a more equal distribution is established [reactions (6)-(9) and Table 3.1]. In agreement with the pronounced regioselectivity, ipso-addition at a bulky substituent such as the chlorine substituent in chlorobenzene is disfavored. Evidence for this is the low HC1 yield in the case of chlorobenzene, the low yield of para adduct in 4-methyl-phenol (Table 3.1), or the decarboxylation in the case of benzoic acid [reactions (6) and (10)]. 

Radiation chemical oxidation of benzaldehyde to benzoic acid is interpreted in terms of the disproportionation of the exocyclic OH adduct (structure 5) to give benzoic acid [reaction (5)], which can account for the complete consumption of OH. Dimerization of this adduct seems to be a minor process. 

The formation of benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, biphenyl and phenol may be explained by an addition of C02 to benzene, reaction (R26). Disproportionation of the adduct, C02 -CHD, yields benzene with elimination of formate, and benzoic acid, reaction (R27). Benzaldehyde would then be formed by the subsequent reduction of benzoic acid (see above). Alternatively, the C02 -CHD adduct may eliminate formate and add water, hence producing a hydroxycyclohexadienyl radical (HO-CHD), reaction (R28), in agreement with the observed reactivity of sulfate and phosphate radical adducts of aromatic substrates in aqueous solution and as expected for the relatively good leaving group HC02 . HO-CHD can either disproportionate to yield phenol and benzene with elimination of water, reaction (R29), or recombine yielding biphenyl as shown in reaction (R30). 

Prepared by the dehydration of benzamide. Hydrolysed by dilute acids and alkalis to benzoic acid. Good solvent. benzopheDone,C]3HioO,PhC(0)Ph. Colourless rhombic prisms, m.p. 49 C, b.p. 306°C. Characteristic smell. It is prepared by the action of benzoyl chloride upon benzene in the presence of aluminium chloride (Friedel-Crafts reaction) or by the oxidation of di-phenylmethane. It is much used in perfumery. Forms a kelyl with sodium. 

Cannizzaro reaction Two molecules of many aldehydes, under the influence of dilute alkalis, will interact, so that one is reduced to the corresponding alcohol, while the other is oxidized to the acid. Benzaldehyde gives benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid. Compare the aldol condensation. 

Hammen equation A correlation between the structure and reactivity in the side chain derivatives of aromatic compounds. Its derivation follows from many comparisons between rate constants for various reactions and the equilibrium constants for other reactions, or other functions of molecules which can be measured (e g. the i.r. carbonyl group stretching frequency). For example the dissociation constants of a series of para substituted (O2N —, MeO —, Cl —, etc.) benzoic acids correlate with the rate constant k for the alkaline hydrolysis of para substituted benzyl chlorides. If log Kq is plotted against log k, the data fall on a straight line. Similar results are obtained for meta substituted derivatives but not for orthosubstituted derivatives. 

Obtained synthetically by one of the following processes fusion of sodium ben-zenesulphonate with NaOH to give sodium phenate hydrolysis of chlorobenzene by dilute NaOH at 400 C and 300atm. to give sodium phenate (Dow process) catalytic vapour-phase reaction of steam and chlorobenzene at 500°C (Raschig process) direct oxidation of cumene (isopropylbenzene) to the hydroperoxide, followed by acid cleavage lo propanone and phenol catalytic liquid-phase oxidation of toluene to benzoic acid and then phenol. Where the phenate is formed, phenol is liberated by acidification. 

Aluminum complex greases, obtained by the reaction of aluminum isopropylate with a mixture of benzoic acid and fatty acids. These greases have a remarkable resistance to water, very good adhesion to metallic surfaces, good mechanical stability properties and resistance to temperature. They are less common than the first two types. 

Place 20 g. of benzoic acid and 20 ml. (16 g.) of ethanol in A, connect up the apparatus, and then heat the flask on a sand-bath so that the solution in the flask boils gently. At the same time, pass a brisk current of hydrogen chloride into the reaction... 

Benzyl Alcohol, CeH5CH20H, and Benzoic Acid, CaHsCOOH. (Cannizzaro s Reaction). 

Undergoes Cannizzaro s reaction, giving benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid (p. 229). Warm gently for several minutes, cool, add a few ml. of water and then cone. HCl, and cool again. Crystals of benzoic acid separate out on scratching the sides of the tube with a glass rod. 

B) Benzoyl derivatives. Most amino-acids can be benzoyl-ated when their solutions in 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide are shaken with a small excess of benzoyl chloride until a clear solution is obtained (Schotten-Baumann reaction, p. 243). Acidification of the solution then precipitates the benzoyl derivative and the excess of benzoic acid, and the mixture must be filtered off, washed with water, and recrystallised (usually from ethanol) to obtain the pure derivative. (M.ps., p. 555 )... 

If the clear filtrate in the flask is strongly acidified with concentrated hydrochloric acid and then allowed to cool, benzoic acid (a by-proiluct of the reaction) separates in glistening plates. Filter at the pump, and recrystnilise from hot water m.p- 121°. 

Sodium hydroxide solution cannot be used at this stage since it may produce benzoic acid by the Cannizzaro reaction (Section IV,123) from any unchanged benzaldehyde. If, however, the reaction mixture is diluted with 3-4 volumes of water, steam distilled to remove the unreacted benzaldehyde, the residue may then be rendered alkaline with sodium hydroxide solution. A few grams of decolourising carbon are added, the mixture boiled for several minutes, and filtered through a fluted filter paper. Upon acidifying carefully with concentrated hydrochloric acid, cinnamic acid is precipitated. This is collected, washed and purified as above. 

Anthranilic acid. This substance, the ortho amino derivative of benzoic acid, may be conveniently prepared by the action of sodium hypobromite (or sodium hypochlorite) solution upon phthalimide in alkaline solution at 80°. The ring in phthalimide is opened by hydrolysis to phthalamidic acid and the latter undergoes the Hofmann reaction (compare Section 111,116) ... 

Many aromatic compounds are sufficiently basic to be appreciably protonated in concentrated sulphuric acid. If nitration occurs substantially through the free base, then the reactivity of the conjugate acid will be negligible. Therefore, increasii the acidity of the medium will, by depleting the concentration of the free base, reduce the rateof reaction. This probably accounts for the particularly marked fall in rate which occurs in the nitration of anthraquinone, benzoic acid, benzenesulphonic acid, and some nitroanilines (see table 2.4). 

The kinetics of nitration of benzene in solutions at c. 20 °C in carbon tetrachloride have been investigated. In the presence of an excess of benzene (c. 2-4 mol 1 ) the rate was kinetically of the first order in the concentration of benzoyl nitrate. The rate of reaction was depressed by the addition of benzoic anhydride, provided that some benzoic acid was present. This result suggested that benzoyl nitrate itself was not responsible for the nitration, but generated dinitrogen pentoxide... 

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