Dehydrogenation by air and alkali

From its alkali salt, which is partially hydrolysed, the large indigo white molecule is adsorbed by the fibre and then, in this finely divided condition, dehydrogenated by the oxygen of the air, so that the dye now remains as a fast blue pigment. The oxidation is analogous to that of indoxyl. 

The condensation of a, dicarbonyl compounds (49) with aj3-diamino compounds (50), which proceeds through the dihydropyrazine (51), has been much used for the synthesis of alkyl- and arylpyrazines (52). These reactions are usually carried out in methanol, ethanol, or ether in the presence of sodium or potassium hydroxide. The dihydropyrazines may be isolated, or oxidized directly to the pyrazine. Dehydrogenating agents that have been employed include oxygen in aqueous alkali (329), air in the presence of potassium hydroxide (330), sodium amylate in amyl alcohol (330a), alcoholic ferric chloride (24), and copper chromite catalyst at 300° (331) (see also Section 1). Pyrazines prepared by this method and modifications described below are listed in Table II.8 (2, 6, 24, 60, 80,195, 329-382) and some additional data are provided in Sections VI. 1 A, VlII.lA(l), and IX.4A(1). 

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