Dichloroacetal

Chlorine is introduced into 1 1. of 94-99% ethanol at 25-30° until no more is absorbed. (Hood.) The lower layer is separated, mixed with 1 1. of ethanol, and treated with excess powdered calcium carbonate. The resulting liquid portion of the mixture is poured into excess water the precipitated oil is separated, dried, and distilled to give 850-900 g. of dichloroacetal, b.p. 178-185°. 

Five milliliters of concentrated sulfuric acid is added with agitation to a mixture of 50 g. (0.27 mole) of dichloroacetal (p. 108) and 65 g. of benzoic anhydride in a distillation flask. The flask is heated rapidly to a bath temperature of 170-180° and finally to 200° as the rate of distillation slackens. The distillate is redistilled through a fractionating column to give 21.4 g. (71%) of dichloroacetaldehyde, b.p. 88-90°. 

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Fig. 1. The rate-determining step in the neutral hydrolysis of paramethoxy-phenyl dichloroacetate. In the reactant state (a) a water molecule is in proximity of the carbonyl carbon after concerted proton transfer to a second water molecule and electron redistribution, a tetrahedral intermediate (b) is formed.

Dichloroacetic acid is conveniently prepared by the action of calcium carbonate in the presence of a little sodium cyanide upon chloral hydrate, followed by acidification with concentrated hydrochloric acid ... 

Fit a 1500 ml. bolt-head flask with a reflux condenser and a thermometer. Place a solution of 125 g. of chloral hydrate in 225 ml. of warm water (50-60°) in the flask, add successively 77 g. of precipitated calcium carbonate, 1 ml. of amyl alcohol (to decrease the amount of frothing), and a solution of 5 g. of commercial sodium cyanide in 12 ml. of water. An exothermic reaction occurs. Heat the warm reaction mixture with a small flame so that it reaches 75° in about 10 minutes and then remove the flame. The temperature will continue to rise to 80-85° during 5-10 minutes and then falls at this point heat the mixture to boiling and reflux for 20 minutes. Cool the mixture in ice to 0-5°, acidify with 107-5 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Extract the acid with five 50 ml. portions of ether. Dry the combined ethereal extracts with 10 g. of anhydrous sodium or magnesium sulphate, remove the ether on a water bath, and distil the residue under reduced pressure using a Claiseii flask with fractionating side arm. Collect the dichloroacetic acid at 105-107°/26 mm. The yield is 85 g. 

Another example is the successive reduction of trichloroacetate to dichloroac-etate, and of dichloroacetate to monochloroacetate... 

Mixtures of trichloroacetate and dichloroacetate are analyzed by selecting an initial potential at which only the more easily reduced trichloroacetate is reduced. When its electrolysis is complete, the potential is switched to a more negative potential at which dichloroacetate is reduced. The total charge for the first electrolysis is used to determine the amount of trichloroacetate, and the difference in total charge between the first and second electrolyses gives the amount of dichloroacetate. 

Gas chromatography or Hquid chromatography (23) are commonly used to measure impurities such as acetic, dichloroacetic, and trichloroacetic acids. High purity 99+% chloroacetic acid will contain less than 0.5% of either acetic acid or dichloroacetic acid. Other impurities that may be present in small amounts are water and hydrochloric acid. 

Dichloroacetic acid [79-43-6] (CI2CHCOOH), mol wt 128.94, C2H2CI2O2, is a reactive intermediate in organic synthesis. Physical properties are mp 13.9°C, bp 194°C, density 1.5634 g/mL, and refractive index 1.4658, both at 20°C. The Hquid is totally miscible in water, ethyl alcohol, and ether. Dichloroacetic acid K = 5.14 X 10 ) is a stronger acid than chloroacetic acid. Most chemical reactions are similar to those of chloroacetic acid, although both chlorine... 

Dichloroacetic acid is produced in the laboratory by the reaction of chloral hydrate [302-17-0] with sodium cyanide (31). It has been manufactured by the chlorination of acetic and chloroacetic acids (32), reduction of trichloroacetic acid (33), hydrolysis of pentachloroethane [76-01-7] (34), and hydrolysis of dichloroacetyl chloride. Due to similar boiling points, the separation of dichloroacetic acid from chloroacetic acid is not practical by conventional distillation. However, this separation has been accompHshed by the addition of a eotropeforming hydrocarbons such as bromoben2ene (35) or by distillation of the methyl or ethyl ester. 

Dichloroacetic acid is used in the synthesis of chloramphenicol [56-75-7] and aHantoin [97-59-6]. Dichloroacetic acid has vimcidal and fungicidal activity. It was found to be active against several staphylococci (36). The oral toxicity is low the LD q in rats is 4.48 g/kg. It can, however, cause caustic bums of the skin and eyes and the vapors are very irritating and injurious (28). 

Trichloroacetic acid K = 0.2159) is as strong an acid as hydrochloric acid. Esters and amides are readily formed. Trichloroacetic acid undergoes decarboxylation when heated with caustic or amines to yield chloroform. The decomposition of trichloroacetic acid in acetone with a variety of aUphatic and aromatic amines has been studied (37). As with dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid can be converted to chloroacetic acid by the action of hydrogen and palladium on carbon (17). 

Chloroacetate esters are usually made by removing water from a mixture of chloroacetic acid and the corresponding alcohol. Reaction of alcohol with chloroacetyl chloride is an anhydrous process which Hberates HCl. Chloroacetic acid will react with olefins in the presence of a catalyst to yield chloroacetate esters. Dichloroacetic and trichloroacetic acid esters are also known. These esters are usehil in synthesis. They are more reactive than the parent acids. Ethyl chloroacetate can be converted to sodium fluoroacetate by reaction with potassium fluoride (see Fluorine compounds, organic). Both methyl and ethyl chloroacetate are used as agricultural and pharmaceutical intermediates, specialty solvents, flavors, and fragrances. Methyl chloroacetate and P ionone undergo a Dar2ens reaction to form an intermediate in the synthesis of Vitamin A. Reaction of methyl chloroacetate with ammonia produces chloroacetamide [79-07-2] C2H ClNO (53). 

Approximately 50% of an absorbed dose is transformed to fluoride ion, dichloroacetic acid, methoxydifluoroacetic acid, and oxaHc acid (50). 

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