Ethyl-benzene sulphuric acid

A 1500 ml. flask is fitted (preferably by means of a three-necked adaptor) with a rubber-sleeved or mercury-sealed stirrer (Fig. 20, p. 39), a reflux water-condenser, and a dropping-funnel cf. Fig. 23(c), p. 45, in which only a two-necked adaptor is shown or Fig. 23(G)). The dried zinc powder (20 g.) is placed in the flask, and a solution of 28 ml. of ethyl bromoacetate and 32 ml. of benzaldehyde in 40 ml. of dry benzene containing 5 ml. of dry ether is placed in the dropping-funnel. Approximately 10 ml. of this solution is run on to the zinc powder, and the mixture allowed to remain unstirred until (usually within a few minutes) a vigorous reaction occurs. (If no reaction occurs, warm the mixture on the water-bath until the reaction starts.) The stirrer is now started, and the rest of the solution allowed to run in drop-wise over a period of about 30 minutes so that the initial reaction is steadily maintained. The flask is then heated on a water-bath for 30 minutes with continuous stirring, and is then cooled in an ice-water bath. The well-stirred product is then hydrolysed by the addition of 120 ml. of 10% sulphuric acid. The mixture is transferred to a separating-funnel, the lower aqueous layer discarded, and the upper benzene layer then... 

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. 

Diethyl oxalate. Reflux a mixture of 45 g. of anhydrous oxalic acid (1), 81 g. (102-5 ml.) of absolute ethyl alcohol, 190 ml. of sodium-dried benzene and 30 g. (16-5 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid for 24 hours. Work up as for Diethyl Adipate and extract the aqueous laj er with ether distil under atmospheric pressure. The yield of ethyl oxalate, b.p. 182-183°, is 57 g. 

Ethyl maleate of almost equal purity may be obtained by refluxing a mixture of 20 g. of pure maleic a.oid, 37 g. (47 ml.) of absolute ethyl alcohol, 05 ml. of sodium-dried benzene and 4 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid for 12 hours. The ester is isolated as described for Diethyl Adipate (Section 111,100). The yield of diethyl maleate, b.p. 219-220°, is 26 g. 

Ethyl bromoacetate (1). Fit a large modified Dean and Stark apparatus provided with a stopcock at the lower end (a convenient size is shown in Fig. Ill, 126, 1) to the 1-htre flask containing the crude bromoacetic acid of the previous preparation and attach a double surface condenser to the upper end. Mix the acid with 155 ml. of absolute ethyl alcohol, 240 ml. of sodium-dried benzene and 1 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid. Heat the flask on a water bath water, benzene and alcohol will collect in the special apparatus and separate into two layers, the lower layer consisting of approximately 50 per cent, alcohol. Run ofi the lower layer (ca. 75 ml.), which includes all the water formed in the... 

Method 2. Ethyl p-nitrobenzoate. Place 21 g. of p-nitrobenzoic acid (Section IV,154), 11-5 g. of absolute ethyl alcohol, 3 8 g. of concentrated sulphuric acid, and 30 ml. of sodium-dried A.R. benzene in a 250 ml. round-bottomed flask, fit a reflux condenser, and heat the mixture under reflux for 16 hours. Add 50 ml. of ether to the cold reaction mixture, wash the extract successively with sodium bicarbonate soiution and water, dry with anhydrous magnesium sulphate or calcium chloride, and distil off the solvent on a water bath. Remove the last traces of benzene either by heating in an open evaporating dish on a water bath or in a bath at 100-110°. The residual ethyl p-nitrobenzoate (21 g.) solidifies completely on cooling and melts at 56°. 

In opocinchenine the hydroxyl group must, therefore, be in the ortho-position relative to the point of attachment of the benzene ring to the quinoline nucleus. The relative positions of the two ethyl groups are determined by the fact that apocincheninic acid ethyl ether on oxidation with lead peroxide and sulphuric acid gives the lactone of hydroxyopo-cincheninic acid ethyl ether (I), which, on oxidation by sodium hypo-bromite, yields quinolylphenetoledicarboxylic acid (II). 

Numerous further examples of protonation of variously substituted hydroxy- and alkoxy-benzenes in several acid solvent mixtures have been reported more recently and show a bewildering variety of behaviour. Several hydroxy- or alkoxy-groups favour C-protonation. Thus, 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene and its ethers have been known for some time to be C-protonated at moderate acid concentrations (35-65% perchloric acid) (Kresge et al., 1962). In partial methyl and ethyl ethers of 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene, there is a preference for protonation para to the hydroxy- rather than the alkoxy-group (Kresge et al., 1971a). 1,3-Dihydroxybenzene and its methyl ethers are also C-protonated in perchloric and sulphuric acid, whereas C-protonation of anisole would be expected only in >70%... 

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