Formic acid, anhydrous

Formic acid, anhydrous (M.W. 46.03, m.p. 8.5°, b.p. 100.8°, density 1.22), or a 90% aqueous solution, is an excellent hydrogen donor in catalytic hydrogen transfer carried out by heating in the presence of copper [77] or nickel [77]. Also its salt with triethylamine is used for the same purpose in the presence of palladium [72, 73], Conjugated double bonds, triple bonds, aromatic rings and nitro compounds are hydrogenated in this way. 

Ethyl Alcohol Formaldehyde, 35% Formic Acid (Anhydrous) Glycol... 

Lead formate separates from aqueous solution without water of crystallisation. It can therefore be used for the preparation of anhydrous formic acid. For this purpose, the powdered lead formate is placed in the inner tube of an ordinary jacketed cond ser, and there held loosely in position by plugs of glass-wool. The condenser is then clamped in an oblique position and the lower end fitted into a receiver closed with a calcium chloride tube. A current of dry hydrogen sulphide is passed down the inner tube of the condenser, whilst steam is passed through the jacket. The formic acid which is liberated... 

Formamide. Commercial formamide may contain excess of formic acid. It is purified by passing ammonia gas into the mixture until a slight alkaline reaction is obtained. The ammonium formate thus formed is precipitated by the addition of acetone the filtrate, after drying over anhydrous magnesium sulphate, is distilled under reduced pressure. Pure formamide has b.p. IO571I mm. 

Ethyl formate. Reflux a mixture of 61 g. (50 ml.) of A.R. formic acid (98/100 per cent.) and 31 g. (39-5 ml.) of absolute ethyl alcohol for 24 hours. Transfer to a Claisen flask with fractionating side arm (or attach a fractionating column to the flask), distil and collect the liquid passing over below 62°. Wash the distillate with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution and saturate with salt before removing the ester layer. Dry with anhydrous sodium or magnesium sulphate, filter, and distil. The ethyl formate passes over at 53-54°. The yield is 36 g. 

Treat the combined distiUates of b.p. 195-260° with anhydrous potassium carbonate to neutralise the Uttle formic acid present and to salt out the allyl alcohol. Distil the latter through a fractionating column and collect the fraction of b.p, up to 99° separately this weighs 210 g, and consists of 70 per cent, allyl alcohol. To obtain anli5 dious allyl alcohol, use either of the following procedures —... 

Anhydrous, monomeric formaldehyde is not available commercially. The pure, dry gas is relatively stable at 80—100°C but slowly polymerizes at lower temperatures. Traces of polar impurities such as acids, alkahes, and water greatly accelerate the polymerization. When Hquid formaldehyde is warmed to room temperature in a sealed ampul, it polymerizes rapidly with evolution of heat (63 kj /mol or 15.05 kcal/mol). Uncatalyzed decomposition is very slow below 300°C extrapolation of kinetic data (32) to 400°C indicates that the rate of decomposition is ca 0.44%/min at 101 kPa (1 atm). The main products ate CO and H2. Metals such as platinum (33), copper (34), and chromia and alumina (35) also catalyze the formation of methanol, methyl formate, formic acid, carbon dioxide, and methane. Trace levels of formaldehyde found in urban atmospheres are readily photo-oxidized to carbon dioxide the half-life ranges from 35—50 minutes (36). 

Intermediate formation of formyl chloride is not necessary since the actual alkylating agent, HCO", can be produced by protonation of carbon monoxide or its complexes. However, it is difficult to obtain an equimolar mixture of anhydrous hydrogen chloride and carbon monoxide. Suitable laboratory preparations involve the reaction of chlorosulfonic acid with formic acid or the reaction of ben2oyl chloride with formic acid ... 

To the white residue (Note 1) are added 25 g. of 98-100% formic acid and 2-3 drops of concentrated nitric acid. The mixture is heated for 24 hours on a steam bath. The resulting syrup is dissolved in 100 ml. of water and, with the temperature at 50°, is carefully treated with 25 g. of anhydrous sodium carbonate. The solution is then placed in an evaporating dish and evaporated to dryness on the steam bath. The residue is extracted twice by boiling it with 200-ml. portions of absolute ethanol, and the alcohol solutions are filtered. The alcohol is removed by evaporation and the residue triturated with 100 ml. of a mixture of equal... 

Anhydrous formic acid can be obtained by direct fractional distillation... 

Bromo-4-methoxy-A-homo-estra-2,4,5(10)-trien-17-one (44 0. 2g), is dissolved in formic acid, 2 ml of boron trifluoride etherate is added and the mixture is stirred vigorously at 0° for 2 hr. A brown mass ca. 0.12 g) is obtained after evaporation of the solvents at reduced pressure. This material is diluted with water and extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extracts are washed successively with water and saturated salt solution, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate and evaporated at reduced pressure to give 95 mg of a product which is purified by filtration through a column of neutral alumina and crystallization of the residue after evaporation of the solvent from ethyl acetate-petroleum ether. The resulting A-homo-estra-l(10),2,4a-triene-4,17-dione (45), mp 143-146°, is identical to the tropone (45) prepared from monoadduct 17-ketone (43a). 

To 10 c.c. of the oil (otto of rose or rose-geranium oil) 10 c.c. of formic acid 100 per cent, (specific gravity 1 22) is added, and the mixture gently boiled under a reflux condenser for one hour. The mixture is cooled, 100 c.c. of water added, and the whole transferred to a separator. The aqueous layer is rejected, and the oil washed with successive quantities of water as in the acetylation process. The formylated oil is dried with anhydrous sodium sulphate, and about 2 grams neutralised and saponified with alcoholic potash in the usual manner. The percentage of citronellol is then calculated from the following formula —... 

Other preparations and isolations. If damp methylenedi(nitroformamide) is allowed to stand for several days, the odor of formic acid is noticed, and MEDINA can be isolated from the residue (Ref 11, p 14). The details of scale-up to 150 lb batches, including exp details and flow sheets, and further scale-up with the aim of prodn of 1000 lbs are given. The report describes a fume-off and fire which occurred during the S3rd run. The cause was attributed to a stuck valve which allowed nitric acid to build up in the reactor (Ref 13, p 57). In Ref 16, p 73 there are cost analysis data for pilot plant and large scale prodn, flow sheet for a proposed coml plant, and material balances. The action of acet anhydr on N,Nf-bis(hydroxy-methyl)MEDlNA regenerates MEDINA (Ref 6) the diNa salt of N. N trinitrotrimethylene-diamine, on warming with me ale, ppts the Na salt of MEDINA... 

Isothermal a—time curves were sigmoid [1024] for the anhydrous Ca and Ba salts and also for Sr formate, providing that nucleation during dehydration was prevented by refluxing in 100% formic acid. From the observed obedience to the Avrami—Erofe ev equation [eqn. (6), n = 4], the values of E calculated were 199, 228 and 270 kJ mole"1 for the Ca, Sr and Ba salts, respectively. The value for calcium formate is in good agreement with that obtained [292] for the decomposition of this solid dispersed in a pressed KBr disc. Under the latter conditions, concentrations of both reactant (HCOJ) and product (CO3") were determined by infrared measurements and their variation followed first-order kinetics. 

Scheme 10.1 gives some representative examples of laboratory syntheses involving polyene cyclization. The cyclization in Entry 1 is done in anhydrous formic acid and involves the formation of a symmetric tertiary allylic carbocation. The cyclization forms a six-membered ring by attack at the terminal carbon of the vinyl group. The bicyclic cation is captured as the formate ester. Entry 2 also involves initiation by a symmetric allylic cation. In this case, the triene unit cyclizes to a tricyclic ring system. Entry 3 results in the formation of the steroidal skeleton with termination by capture of the alkynyl group and formation of a ketone. The cyclization in Entry 4 is initiated by epoxide opening. 

Attempted dehydration of 95% acid to anhydrous formic acid caused rapid evolution... 

The reaction of 2,3-allenamide 547 with I2 and aqueous formic acid in aqueous THF afforded /f-iodobutenolides 548 and butenolides 549, respectively. With anhydrous formic acid, 2,4-alkadienamide 550 was formed via a protonation and deprotonation process [256]. 

K Narita. Reaction of anhydrous formic acid with proteins. J Am Chem Soc 81, 1751, 1959. 

Materials Required Methyldopa 0.2 g anhydrous formic acid 15 ml glacial acetic acid 30 ml dioxane 30 ml 0.1 N perchloric acid and crystal violet solution. 

Procedure Weigh accurately about 0.2 g and dissolve in 15 ml of anhydrous formic acid, 30 ml of glacial acetic acid and 30 ml of dioxane. Add 0.1 ml of crystal violet solution and titrate with 0.1 N perchloric acid. Perform a blank determination and make any necessary correction. Each ml of 0.1 N perchloric acid is equivalent to 0.02112 g of C10H13NO4. 

Methanol is not miscible with hydrocarbons and separation ensues readily in the presence of small quantities of water, particularly with reduction in temperature. On the other hand, anhydrous ethanol is completely miscible in all proportions with gasoline, although separation may be effected by water addition or by cooling. If water is already present, the water tolerance is higher for ethanol than for methanol, and can be improved by the addition of higher alcohols, such as butanol. Also benzene or acetone can be used. The wear problem is believed to be caused by formic acid attack, when methanol is used or acetic acid attack when ethanol is used. 

Somewhat different oxidation producrts were observed by Previeio et who performed the ozonization in anhydrous formic acid,... 

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