Hydrocarboxylic acids

Another very important ch ical that has been made from biological feedstocks by fermentation for many years is lactic acid. Lactic acid is the most important hydrocarboxylic acid and is nsed to make a number of chemicals including pyruvic acid, acrylic acid, 1,2-propauediol, lactate esters, and polylactic add polymer. Fermentation of glucose with the intermediate prodnction of pyruvic acid is the leading process for making lactic acid, as shown in Reaction 16.10 ... 

This is easily oxidised to dihydrocarboxylic acid CjoHsOio hydrocarboxylic acid CioH Oio, carboxylic acid C10H4O10, and croconic acid CgHgOg. Hie first three compounds are oxidised by nitric acid to oxy-carboxylic acid , CioHsgOgg. By the oxidation of croconic acid with nitric add. Will and Lerch obtained a colourless crystalline acid, which Will called leuconic add and Lerch oxycroconic acid, but the supposed sdts were really decomposition products. They found the formula CgOg + sHjO for leuconic add. 

Proch zka J, Heyberger A, Bizek V, KouSovA M, VolaufovA E (1994) Amine extraction of hydrocarboxylic acids. 2. Comparison of equilibria for lactic, malic, and citric acid. Ind Eng Chem 33 1565-1573... 

The use of superplasticizers, e.g., pol5maphthalene formaldehyde (PNS) and pol mielamine formaldehyde (PMS), appear to improve flowability of CAC concrete loss in workability appears to be too rapid. Normal range water reducers, e.g., hydrocarboxylic acids, function in a manner similar to their role in portland cement concrete. 

It has been known since the early 1950s that butadiene reacts with CO to form aldehydes and ketones that could be treated further to give adipic acid (131). Processes for producing adipic acid from butadiene and carbon monoxide [630-08-0] have been explored since around 1970 by a number of companies, especially ARCO, Asahi, BASF, British Petroleum, Du Pont, Monsanto, and Shell. BASF has developed a process sufficiendy advanced to consider commercialization (132). There are two main variations, one a carboalkoxylation and the other a hydrocarboxylation. These differ in whether an alcohol, such as methanol [67-56-1is used to produce intermediate pentenoates (133), or water is used for the production of intermediate pentenoic acids (134). The former is a two-step process which uses high pressure, >31 MPa (306 atm), and moderate temperatures (100—150°C) (132—135). Butadiene,... 

With the exception of acetic, acryUc, and benzoic all other acids in Table 1 are primarily produced using oxo chemistry (see Oxo process). Propionic acid is made by the Hquid-phase oxidation of propionaldehyde, which in turn is made by appHcation of the oxo synthesis to ethylene. Propionic acid can also be made by oxidation of propane or by hydrocarboxylation of ethylene with CO and presence of a rhodium (2) or iridium (3) catalyst. 

C-19 dicarboxyhc acid can be made from oleic acid or derivatives and carbon monoxide by hydroformylation, hydrocarboxylation, or carbonylation. In hydroformylation, ie, the Oxo reaction or Roelen reaction, the catalyst is usually cobalt carbonyl or a rhodium complex (see Oxo process). When using a cobalt catalyst a mixture of isomeric C-19 compounds results due to isomerization of the double bond prior to carbon monoxide addition (80). 

The nickel or cobalt catalyst causes isomerization of the double bond resulting in a mixture of C-19 isomers. The palladium complex catalyst produces only the 9-(10)-carboxystearic acid. The advantage of the hydrocarboxylation over the hydroformylation reaction is it produces the carboxyUc acids in a single step and obviates the oxidation of the aldehydes produced by hydroformylation. 

Carbonylation, or the Koch reaction, can be represented by the same equation as for hydrocarboxylation. The catalyst is H2SO4. A mixture of C-19 dicarboxyhc acids results due to extensive isomerization of the double bond. Methyl-branched isomers are formed by rearrangement of the intermediate carbonium ions. Reaction of oleic acid with carbon monoxide at 4.6 MPa (45 atm) using 97% sulfuric acid gives an 83% yield of the C-19 dicarboxyhc acid (82). Further optimization of the reaction has been reported along with physical data of the various C-19 dibasic acids produced. The mixture of C-19 acids was found to contain approximately 25% secondary carboxyl and 75% tertiary carboxyl groups. As expected, the tertiary carboxyl was found to be very difficult to esterify (80,83). 

The dimer acids [61788-89-4] 9- and 10-carboxystearic acids, and C-21 dicarboxylic acids are products resulting from three different reactions of C-18 unsaturated fatty acids. These reactions are, respectively, self-condensation, reaction with carbon monoxide followed by oxidation of the resulting 9- or 10-formylstearic acid (or, alternatively, by hydrocarboxylation of the unsaturated fatty acid), and Diels-Alder reaction with acryUc acid. The starting materials for these reactions have been almost exclusively tall oil fatty acids or, to a lesser degree, oleic acid, although other unsaturated fatty acid feedstocks can be used (see Carboxylic acids. Fatty acids from tall oil Tall oil). 

The hydrocarboxylation of an olefin, catalyzed by strong mineralic acids (Koch-Haaf reaction), leads to branched carboxylic acids [57] ... 

Having greater resemblance to natural fatty acids are the products of the coordination-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of olefins with water and carbon monoxide (Reppe reaction) [58] ... 

If cobalt carbonylpyridine catalyst systems are used, the formation of unbranched carboxylic acids is strongly favored not only by reaction of a-olefins but also by reaction of olefins with internal double bonds ( contrathermo-dynamic double-bond isomerization) [59]. The cobalt carbonylpyridine catalyst of the hydrocarboxylation reaction resembles the cobalt carbonyl-terf-phos-phine catalysts of the hydroformylation reaction. The reactivity of the cobalt-pyridine system in the hydrocarboxylation reaction is remarkable higher than the cobalt-phosphine system in the hydroformylation reaction, especially in the case of olefins with internal double bonds. This reaction had not found an industrial application until now. 

Monflier et al. (1997) have suggested Pd catalysed hydrocarboxylation of higher alpha olefins in which chemically modified P-cyclodextrin (especially dimethyl P-cyclodextrin) is u.sed in water in preference to a co-solvent like methanol, acetone, acetic acid, acetonitrile, etc. Here, quantitative recycling of the aqueous phase is possible due to easy phase separation without emulsions. A similar strategy has been adopted by Monflier et al. (1998) for biphasic hydrogenations for water-in.soluble aldehydes like undecenal using a water-soluble Ru/triphenylphosphine trisulphonate complex with a. suitably modified p-cyclodextrin. 

Historically, the rhodium catalyzed carbonylation of methanol to acetic acid required large quantities of methyl iodide co-catalyst (1) and the related hydrocarboxylation of olefins required the presence of an alkyl iodide or hydrogen iodide (2). Unfortunately, the alkyl halides pose several significant difficulties since they are highly toxic, lead to iodine contamination of the final product, are highly corrosive, and are expensive to purchase and handle. Attempts to eliminate alkyl halides or their precursors have proven futile to date (1). 

The hydroformylation reaction has been the subject of excellent reviews (for example I, 6-8) therefore, the object of this particular treatise is not to provide comprehensive coverage of all aspects. The basic chemistry is presented, along with recent developments of interest as reported in the literature, although not in chronological order. Stereochemical studies (6) are included only when pertinent to another point under consideration. Carbonylations or hydrocarboxylation reactions which produce ketones, esters, acids, esters, or amides are not included (/). Also not included is the so-called Reppe" synthesis, which is represented by Eq. (1). 

Until there is a sufficient excess of ethene over [PdH(TPPTS)3] their fast reaction ensures that aU palladium is found in form of tratts-[Pd C(CO)Et (TPPTS)2]. However, at low olefin concentrations (e.g. in biphasic systems with less water-soluble olefins) [PdH(TPPTS)3] can accumulate and through its equihbrium with [Pd(TPPTS)3] (eq. 5.5) can be reduced to metallic palladium. This is why the hydroxycarbonylation of olefins proceeds optimally in the presence of Brpnsted acid cocatalyts with a weekly coordinating anion. Under optimised conditions hydrocarboxylation of propene was catalyzed by PdC + TPPTS with a TOE = 2507 h and l = 57/43 (120 °C, 50 bar CO, [P]/[Pd] = 4, P-CH3C6H4SO3H) [38], In neutral or basic solutions, or in the presence of strongly coordinatmg anions the initial hydride complex cannot be formed, furthermore, the fourth coordination site in the alkyl- and acylpaUadium intermediates may be strongly occupied, therefore no catalysis takes place. 

The hydrocarboxylation of styrene (Scheme 5.12) and styrene derivatives results in the formation of arylpropionic acids. Members of the a-arylpropionic acid family are potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory dmgs (Ibuprofen, Naproxen etc.), therefore a direct and simple route to such compounds is of considerable industrial interest. In fact, there are several patents describing the production of a-arylpropionic acids by hydroxycarbonylation [51,53] (several more listed in [52]). The carbonylation of styrene itself serves as a useful test reaction in order to learn the properties of new catalytic systems, such as activity, selectivity to acids, regioselectivity (1/b ratio) and enantioselectivity (e.e.) in the branched product. In aqueous or in aqueous/organic biphasic systems complexes of palladium were studied exclusively, and the results are summarized in Table 5.2. 

Higher olefins have negligible solubility in water therefore their hydrocarboxylation in aqueous/organic biphasic systems needs co-solvents or phase transfer agents. With the aid of various PT catalysts 1-octene and 1-dodecene were successfully carbonylated to the corresponding carboxylic acids with good yields (< 85 %) and up to 87 % selectivity towards the formation of the linear add with a [Co2(CO)g] catalyst precursor under forcing conditions (150 °C, 200 bar CO) [57],... 

Decene was hydrocarboxylated with a [PdClaj/TPPTS catalyst in acidic aqueous solutions (pH adjusted to 1.8) in the presence of various chemically modified cyclodextrins (Scheme 10.11) [18]. As in most cases, the best results were obtained with DiOMe-P-CD. In an interesting series of reactions 1-decene was hydrocarboxylated in 50 50 mixtures with other compounds. Although all additives decreased somewhat the rate of 1-decene hydroformylation, the order of this inhibitory effect was 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene < cumene < undecanoic acid, which corresponds to the order of the increasing stability of the inclusion complexes of additives with p-CD, at least for 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (60 M ) and cumene (1200 M ). These results clearly show the possible effect of competition of the various components in the reaction mixture for the cyclodextrin. 

Carboxylic acids and their derivatives like esters, amides, anhydrides, and acyl halides are formally synthesized from olefins, carbon monoxide, and compounds represented by Nu-H such as H2O, ROH, RNH2, RCOOH (Equations (4) and (5)). Alkynes also react under similar conditions to afford the corresponding unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives. These reactions have been named hydrocarboxylation, hydroalkoxycarbonylation, and hydroaminocarbonylation. 

Gonsidering that the chiral aldehydes obtained by asymmetric hydroformylation of vinylarenes are often oxidized to give the corresponding acids that exhibit biological activities, asymmetric hydrocarboxylation and its related reactions naturally attract much attention. Unfortunately, however, less successful work has not been reported on this subject than on the hydroformylation. Palladium(ii) is most commonly used for this purpose. Styrene and other vinylaromatics are most widely examined and the data for representative examples are summarized in Table 14. The products are of... 

Hydrocarboxylation of Alkynes Intramolecular addition of carboxylic acids (weak nucleophiles) to alkynes led to lactones, which were first reported by Schmidbaur et al. in the reaction of acetic add with 3-hexynes to obtain, in addition to enol ester, 3-hexanone. Traces of water were probably present in the solvent to enable the process to be carried out [99]. 

Metal-catalysed hydrocarboxylation of olefins (Equation 3) is the poor relative of the more famous hydroformylation. It generally requires forcing reaction conditions and suffers from mediocre activities and selectivities (n/i ratio). Moreover, the same products can be made via hydroformylation and oxidation of the aldehyde product.431 Consequently, there are few industrial applications of hydrocarboxylation e.g. Ni(CO)4-catalysed production of propionic acid by hydrocarboxylation of ethylene.432,433... 

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