Furfural, oxidation

Derivation Cannizzaro reaction from furfural, oxidation of furfural. 

Possibly, furfural was oxidized to 2-formyloxyfuran via acid-catalyzed Baeyer-ViUiger oxidation by H2O2, and then 2-hydroxyfuran and formic acid (FA) were formed [35]. The 2-hydroxyfuran has isomers of 2(3H)-furanone and 2(5H)-furanone, the former providing SA, whereas the latter yields MA and FA. From and NMR spectra recorded during the reaction to determine the intermediate species, the presence of MA, FA, 2(5H)-furanone, and SA was detected. However, further investigation to reveal the detailed reaction mechanism of furfural oxidation to SA over acid catalysts in the presence of H2O2 remains necessary. 

Fumaric acid is conveniently prepared by the oxidation of the inexpensive furfural with sodium chlorate in the presence of a vanadium pentoxide catalyst ... 

The oxidative coupling of thiophene, furan[338] and pyrrole[339,340] is also possible. The following order of reactivity was observed in the coupling of substituted furans[338] R = H > Me > CHO > CO Me > CH(OAc)i > CO2H. The cross-coupling of furans and thiophenes with arene is possible, and 4-phenylfurfural (397) is the main product of the cross-coupling of furfural and benzene[341]. 

Furfural can be oxidized to 2-furoic acid [88-14-2] reduced to 2-furanmethanol [98-00-0] referred to herein as furfuryl alcohol, or converted to furan by decarbonylation over selected catalysts. With concentrated sodium hydroxide, furfural undergoes the Cannizzaro reaction yielding both 2-furfuryl alcohol and sodium 2-furoate [57273-36-6]. 

Furfural reacts with ketones to form strong, crosslinked resins of technical interest in the former Soviet Union the U.S. Air Force has also shown some interest (42,43). The so-called furfurylidene acetone monomer, a mixture of 2-furfurylidene methyl ketone [623-15-4] (1 )> bis-(2-furfurylidene) ketone [886-77-1] (14), mesityl oxide, and other oligomers, is obtained by condensation of furfural and acetone under basic conditions (44,45). Treatment of the "monomer" with an acidic catalyst leads initially to polymer of low molecular weight and ultimately to cross-linked, black, insoluble, heat-resistant resin (46). 

Therapeutics. Compounds containing the furan or tetrahydrofuran ring are biologically active and are present in a number of pharmaceutical products. Eurfurjdamine [617-89-0] is an intermediate in the diuretic, furosemide. Tetrahydrofurfurylamine [4795-29-3] may also have pharmaceutical applications. 5-(E)imethyiaininomethyi)furfuryi alcohol [15433-79-17 is an intermediate in the preparation of ranitidine, which is used for treating ulcers. 2-Acet5dfuran [1192-62-7] prepared from acetic anhydride and furan is an intermediate in the synthesis of cefuroxime, a penicillin derivative. 2-Euroic acid is prepared by the oxidation of furfural. Both furoic acid [88-14-2] and furoyl chloride [527-69-5] are used as pharmaceutical intermediates. 

In acidic solution, the degradation results in the formation of furfural, furfuryl alcohol, 2-furoic acid, 3-hydroxyfurfural, furoin, 2-methyl-3,8-dihydroxychroman, ethylglyoxal, and several condensation products (36). Many metals, especially copper, cataly2e the oxidation of L-ascorbic acid. Oxalic acid and copper form a chelate complex which prevents the ascorbic acid-copper-complex formation and therefore oxalic acid inhibits effectively the oxidation of L-ascorbic acid. L-Ascorbic acid can also be stabilized with metaphosphoric acid, amino acids, 8-hydroxyquinoline, glycols, sugars, and trichloracetic acid (38). Another catalytic reaction which accounts for loss of L-ascorbic acid occurs with enzymes, eg, L-ascorbic acid oxidase, a copper protein-containing enzyme. 

When heated in the presence of a carboxyHc acid, cinnamyl alcohol is converted to the corresponding ester. Oxidation to cinnamaldehyde is readily accompHshed under Oppenauer conditions with furfural as a hydrogen acceptor in the presence of aluminum isopropoxide (44). Cinnamic acid is produced directly with strong oxidants such as chromic acid and nickel peroxide. The use of t-butyl hydroperoxide with vanadium pentoxide catalysis offers a selective method for epoxidation of the olefinic double bond of cinnamyl alcohol (45). 

Maltol. Otsuka Chemical Co. in Japan has operated several electroorganic processes on a small commercial scale. It has used plate and frame and aimular cells at currents in the range of 4500—6000 A (133). The process for the synthesis of maltol [118-71 -8], a food additive and flavor enhancer, starts from furfural [98-01-1] (see Food additives Flavors and spices). The electrochemical step is the oxidation of a-methylfurfural to give a cycHc acetal. The remaining reaction sequence is acid-catalyzed ring expansion, epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide, and then acid-catalyzed rearrangement to yield maltol, ie ... 

Manufacturing. Almost all the THE in the United States is currendy produced by the acid-catalyzed dehydration of 1,4-butanediol [10-63-4]. Only one plant in the United States still makes THE by the hydrogenation of furfural (29). Du Pont recendy claimed a new low cost process for producing THE from / -butane that they plan to commercialize in 1995 (30—32). The new process transport-bed oxidizes / -butane to cmde maleic anhydride, then follows with a hydrogen reduction of aqueous maleic acid to THE (30). 

Furfural — see Furan-2-oarbaldehyde, 532 Furfuryl acetate, o -(butoxycarbonyl)-anodic oxidation, 1, 424 Furfuryi acrylate polymerization, 1, 279 Furfuryl alcohol configuration, 4, 544 2-Furfuryl alcohol polyoondensation, 1, 278 reactions, 4, 70-71 Furfuryl alcohol, dihydro-pyran-4-one synthesis from, 3, 815 Furfuryl alcohol, tetrahydro-polymers, 1, 276 rearrangement, 3, 773 Furfuryl chloride reactions... 

Dehydrogenation processes in particular have been studied, with conversions in most cases well beyond thermodynamic equihbrium Ethane to ethylene, propane to propylene, water-gas shirt reaction CO -I- H9O CO9 + H9, ethylbenzene to styrene, cyclohexane to benzene, and others. Some hydrogenations and oxidations also show improvement in yields in the presence of catalytic membranes, although it is not obvious why the yields should be better since no separation is involved hydrogenation of nitrobenzene to aniline, of cyclopentadiene to cyclopentene, of furfural to furfuryl alcohol, and so on oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde, of methanol to formaldehyde, and so on. 

Furancarboxylic acid may be prepared by the dry distillation of mucic acid, by the oxidation of furfural with potassium... 

By the oxidation of furfural with potassium dichromate and sulfuric acid in 75 per cent yield. Hurd, Garrett, and Osborne, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 55, 1084 (1933). 

Solvent Extraction - Solvent extraction uses solvents to dissolve and remove aromatics from lube oil feed stocks, improving viscosity, oxidation resistance, color, and gum formation. A number of different solvents are used, with the two most common being furfural and phenol. Typically, feed lube stocks are contacted with the solvent in a packed tower or rotating disc contactor. Each solvent has a different solvent-to-oil ratio and recycle ratio within the tower. 

Heating the sugar with strong acid yields furfural derivatives. Aldohexoses can eliminate water and formaldehyde under these conditions yielding furfural. This adehyde reacts with amines according to I to yield colored Schiff s bases. Ketohex-oses condense with diphenylamine in acid medium with simultaneous oxidation according to II to yield the condensation product shown. 

Furoic Acid (Coll. Vol. r, 270) Furfural is oxidized with oxygen in the presence of an activator, consisting mainly of silver, in dilute sodium hydroxide solutions. U. S. pat. 2,041,184 [C. A. 30, 4515 (1936)]. 

The hexoses that are the initial products of acid hydrolysis of sucrose (1) react at el vated temperature under the influence of acids to yield furfural derivatives (2). Thed condense, for example, with the phenols to yield triarylmethanes (3), these react furthei by oxidizing to yield colored quinoid derivatives (2, 4). Polyhydric phenols, e. g. resorj cinol, on the other hand, yield condensation products of Types 5 and 6 [2],... 

Examination of the permanganate oxidation of furfural and 5-substituted furfurals, at pH 11.5-13.3 in a stopped-flow apparatus, viz. 

Lead, which is formed by reducing lead oxide using furfural and heated at 290°C combusts spontaneously. 

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