Fischers Base Syntheses

The Fischer s bases, 2-alkylidene-l,3,3-trisubstituted indolines, which may be further substituted in the indoline ring, are the most versatile and useful bases for preparing spiropyrans. For convenience, the name Fischer s base will be used hereafter in the general sense indicated above, as well as for the specific compound 2-methylene-l,3,3-trimethylindoline. Substituents in the 1- and 3-positions are methyl unless otherwise specified thus 3-phenylFischer s base denotes the 1,3-dimethyl-3-phenyl compound. 

In a Fischer synthesis, the formation of the hydrazone and its cyclization to the indolenine in the crude reaction mixture can be monitored conveniently by IR spectra. The ketone C=0 absorption near 1720 cm 1 disappears as the phenylhy-drazone C=N absorption in the 1625-1640 cm 1 region appears, which in turn is replaced by the indolenine C=N absorption at 1570-1580 cm-1. If a Fischer s base is formed directly, the IR spectrum exhibits two peaks near 1615 and 1650 cm 1. All these absorption peaks are strong and sharp. 

In the second classical method (Bischler synthesis), an aromatic primary or secondary (arylalkyl, but not diaryl) amine is condensed with an obromo (or better, hydroxy) ketone to give a 2,3-dialkylindole. This in turn is alkylated directly to the 1,2,3,3-tetraalkylindoleninium salt. Use of acetoin gives 2,3-dimethylindole, which is easily isolated and purified. The Bischler synthesis from a substitued aniline, and especially from anilines bearing one or more alkoxy groups, is much preferred in practice for indoles substitued in the 4-7-positions, since the substituted aiylhy-drazines needed for the Fischer synthesis are costly, unstable, or unavailable. 

Any other synthesis that leads to a 2,3-dialkylindole can of course be considered, and several novel reported routes are mentioned later. Vigorous alkylation of a 2-substituted indole can introduce three identical alkyl groups for example, the best route to 1,3,3-triethylFischer s base is exhaustive ethylation of 2-methylin-dole,15 and methylation of 2-phenylindole also introduces three alkyl groups. 

A Bischler synthesis can be monitored best by IR,following the disappearance of the sharp, single N-H absorption of the indole, or also by the appearance of N-alkyl peaks in the NMR spectrum. 

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A number of chemical products are derived from Sasol s synthetic fuel operations based on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis including paraffin waxes from the Arge process and several polar and nonpolar hydrocarbon mixtures from the Synthol process. Products suitable for use as hot melt adhesives, PVC lubricants, cormgated cardboard coating emulsions, and poHshes have been developed from Arge waxes. Wax blends containing medium and hard wax fractions are useful for making candles, and over 20,000 t/yr of wax are sold for this appHcation. 

SASOL. SASOL, South Africa, has constmcted a plant to recover 50,000 tons each of 1-pentene and 1-hexene by extractive distillation from Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbons produced from coal-based synthesis gas. The company is marketing both products primarily as comonomers for LLDPE and HDPE (see Olefin polymers). Although there is still no developed market for 1-pentene in the mid-1990s, the 1-hexene market is well estabhshed. The Fischer-Tropsch technology produces a geometric carbon-number distribution of various odd and even, linear, branched, and alpha and internal olefins however, with additional investment, other odd and even carbon numbers can also be recovered. The Fischer-Tropsch plants were originally constmcted to produce gasoline and other hydrocarbon fuels to fill the lack of petroleum resources in South Africa. 

Fischer-Tropsch Waxes. Polymethylene wax [8002-74-2] production is based on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, which is basicaHy the polymerisation of carbon monoxide under high pressure and over special catalysts to produce hydrocarbons (see Fuels, synthetic-liquid fuels). 

Woodward s strychnine synthesis commences with a Fischer indole synthesis using phenylhydrazine (24) and acetoveratrone (25) as starting materials (see Scheme 2). In the presence of polyphosphor-ic acid, intermediates 24 and 25 combine to afford 2-veratrylindole (23) through the reaction processes illustrated in Scheme 2. With its a position suitably masked, 2-veratrylindole (23) reacts smoothly at the ft position with the Schiff base derived from the action of dimethylamine on formaldehyde to give intermediate 22 in 92% yield. TV-Methylation of the dimethylamino substituent in 22 with methyl iodide, followed by exposure of the resultant quaternary ammonium iodide to sodium cyanide in DMF, provides nitrile 26 in an overall yield of 97%. Condensation of 2-veratryl-tryptamine (20), the product of a lithium aluminum hydride reduction of nitrile 26, with ethyl glyoxylate (21) furnishes Schiff base 19 in a yield of 92%. 

Based on petrochemicals, linear alkyl benzene sulfonates (LAS) are the most important surfactants. First description can be found in patents from the mid-1930s [2] using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and Friedel-Crafts reactions. With the beginning of the 1950s the importance of the class of surfactants rose. The main use is in household and cleaning products. 

Figure 8.17. Hydrocarbon distribution of the products formed by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over cobalt-based catalysts and by additional hydrocracking, illustrating how a two-stage concept enables optimization of diesel fuel yield. [Adapted from S.T. Sie,...

The catalytic partial oxidation of methane for the production of synthesis gas is an interesting alternative to steam reforming which is currently practiced in industry [1]. Significant research efforts have been exerted worldwide in recent years to develop a viable process based on the partial oxidation route [2-9]. This process would offer many advantages over steam reforming, namely (a) the formation of a suitable H2/CO ratio for use in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis network, (b) the requirement of less energy input due to its exothermic nature, (c) high activity and selectivity for synthesis gas formation. 

Krishnamoorthy, S., Tu, M., Ojeda, M. P., Pinna, D., and Iglesia, E. 2002. An investigation of the effects of water on rate and selectivity for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on cobalt-based catalysts. J. Catal. 211 422-33. 

Iglesia, E. 1997. Design, synthesis, and use of cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysis. Appl. Catal. 161 59-78. 

An Overview of Reported Claims of Bulk Cobalt Carbide Being Observed after/when Performing Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis over Supported Cobalt-Based Catalysts... 

Moodley, D. J., van de Loosdrecht, J., Saib, A. M., Overett, M. J., Datye, A. K., and Niemantsverdriet, J. W. 2009. Carbon deposition as a deactivation mechanism of cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts under reahstic conditions. Appl. Catal. A, 354 102-10. 

Tihay, F., Pourroy, G., Richard-Plouet, M., Roger, A. C., and Kiennemann, A. 2001. Effect of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on the micro structure of Fe-Co-based metal/spi-nel composite materials. Appl. Catal. A 206 29 -2. 

Zhan, X., Arcuri, K., Huang, R., Agee, K., Engman, J., and Robota, H. J. 2004. Regeneration of cobalt-based slurry catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Prep. Pap.-Am. Chem. Soc. Div. Pet. Chem. 49 179-81. 

The aim of this work was to apply combined temperature-programmed reduction (TPR)/x-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to provide clear evidence regarding the manner in which common promoters (e.g., Cu and alkali, like K) operate during the activation of iron-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts. In addition, it was of interest to compare results obtained by EXAFS with earlier ones obtained by Mossbauer spectroscopy to shed light on the possible types of iron carbides formed. To that end, model spectra were generated based on the existing crystallography literature for four carbide compounds of... 

Ngantsoue-Hoc, W., Zhang, Y., O Brien, R.J., Luo, M., and Davis, B.H. 2002. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis Activity and selectivity for Group I alkali promoted iron-based catalysts. Appl. Catal. 236 77-89. 

Li, S., Li, A., Krishnamoorthy, S., and Iglesia, E. 2001. Effects of Zn, Cu, and K promoters on the structure and on the reduction, carburization, and catalytic behavior of iron-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts. Catal. Lett. 77 197-205. 

Govender, N.S., Janse van Vuuren, M., Claeys, M., Van Steen, E. 2006. Importance of the usage ratio in iron-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with recycle. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 45 8629. 

Botes, F.G. 2007. Proposal of a new product characterisation model for the iron-based low-temperature Fischer Tropsch synthesis. Energy Fuels 21 1379. 

Jacobs, G., Das, T.K., Li, J., Luo, M., Patterson, P.M., and B.H. Davis. 2007. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis Influence of support on the impact of co-fed water for cobalt-based catalysts. In Fischer-Tropsch synthesis Catalysts and catalysis, ed. B.H. Davis and M.L. Occelli, 217-53 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Elsevier. 

Iron-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts are preferred for synthesis gas with a low H2/CO ratio (e.g., 0.7) because of their excellent activity for the water-gas shift reaction, lower cost, lower methane selectivity, high olefin... 

At this point, the system was tested with catalyst for activation and FTS, in the hopes that the seal leak rates would be impeded by the presence of small catalyst particles. The FTFE 20-B catalyst (L-3950) (Fe, 50.2% Cu, 4.2% K, 1.5% and Si, 2.4%) was utilized. This is part of the batch used for LaPorte FTS run II.20 The catalyst was activated at 543 K with CO at a space velocity (SV) of 9 sl/h/g catalyst for 48 h. A total of 1,100 g of catalyst was taken and 7.9 L of C30 oil was used as the start-up solvent. At the end of the activation period, an attempt was made for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis at 503 K, 175 psig, syngas SV = 9 sl/h/g catalyst, and H2/CO = 0.7. However, the catalyst was found to be completely inactive for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Potential reasons for catalyst poisoning under present experimental conditions were investigated. Sulfur and fluorine are known to poison iron-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts.21,22 Since the stator of the pump is... 

Detailed Kinetic Study and Modeling of the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis over a State-of-the-Art Cobalt-Based Catalyst... 

In this work, a detailed kinetic model for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) has been developed. Based on the analysis of the literature data concerning the FT reaction mechanism and on the results we obtained from chemical enrichment experiments, we have first defined a detailed FT mechanism for a cobalt-based catalyst, explaining the synthesis of each product through the evolution of adsorbed reaction intermediates. Moreover, appropriate rate laws have been attributed to each reaction step and the resulting kinetic scheme fitted to a comprehensive set of FT data describing the effect of process conditions on catalyst activity and selectivity in the range of process conditions typical of industrial operations. 

The idealized target for a two-stage process based on current processes can be determined. First, coal is gasified to produce syngas in a two one ratio (H2and CO), and second, the syngas is converted to hydrocarbons (Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) ... 

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