Methyl acetate preparation

The Eastman Chemicals from Coal faciUty is a series of nine complex interrelated plants. These plants include air separation, slurry preparation, gasification, acid gas removal, sulfur recovery, CO /H2 separation, methanol, methyl acetate, and acetic anhydride. A block flow diagram of the process is shown in Eigure 3. The faciUty covers an area of 2.2 x 10 (55 acres) at Eastman s main plant site in Kingsport, Teimessee. The air separation plant is... 

CeUulose triacetate is insoluble in acetone, and other solvent systems are used for dry extmsion, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons (eg, methylene chloride), methyl acetate, acetic acid, dimethylformamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide. Methylene chloride containing 5—15% methanol or ethanol is most often employed. Concerns with the oral toxicity of methylene chloride have led to the recent termination of the only triacetate fiber preparation faciHty in the United States, although manufacture stiH exists elsewhere in the world (49). 

The high cost of coal handling and preparation and treatment of effluents, compounded by continuing low prices for cmde oil and natural gas, has precluded significant exploitation of coal as a feedstock for methanol. A small amount of methanol is made from coal in South Africa for local strategic reasons. Tennessee Eastman operates a 195,000-t/yr methanol plant in Tennessee based on the Texaco coal gasification process to make the methyl acetate intermediate for acetic anhydride production (15). 

Bisamides. Methylenebisamides are prepared by the reaction of the primary fatty amide and formaldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst. AijAT-Methylenebisoleamide has been made via this route without the use of refluxing solvent (55). Polymethylenebisamides can be made from fatty acid, esters, or acid haUdes with diamines while producing water, alcohol, or mineral acid by-products. Eatty acids and diamines, typically ethylenediamine, have been condensed in the presence of NaBH and NaH2P02 to yield bisamides (56). When stearic acid, ethylenediamine, and methyl acetate react for 6 h at... 

In an integrated continuous process, cellulose reacts with acetic anhydride prepared from the carbonylation of methyl acetate with carbon monoxide. The acetic acid Hberated reacts further with methanol to give methyl acetate, which is then carbonylated to give additional acetic anhydride (100,101). 

Carboxylic acids such as acetic acid react with alcohols such as methanol or with methoxytrimethylsilane 13 a in the presence of trimethylchlorosilane (TCS) 14 in THF or 2-methyl-THF to give esters such as methyl acetate in 97% yield and hex-amethyldisiloxane 7. Even methyl pivalate can be readily prepared in 91% yield [111]. Reaction of a variety of carboxylic acids, for example N-benzoylglycine 329, with two equivalents of yS-trimethylsilylethanol 330 and with 14 has been shown to afford esters such as 331 in 98% yield [112, 112 a]. Likewise, silylated carboxylic acids react with silylated alcohols or thiophenols in the presence of 4-trifluoro-methylbenzoic anhydride and TiCl4/AgCl04 to furnish esters or thioesters in high yields [113, 114] (Scheme 4.43). 

All solvents used for general applications were of reagent grade. For special purposes, purification of solvents was effected using standard procedures. All other reagents were used as supplied commercially except as noted. A solution of chloromethyl methyl ether (6 mmole/mL) in methyl acetate was prepared by adding acetyl chloride (141.2 g, 1.96 mol) to a mixture of dimethoxy methane (180 mL, 2.02 mol) and anhydrous methanol (5.0 mL, 0.12 mol).20 The solution was diluted with 300 mL of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and used as a stock solution for the chloromethylation experiments. 

Three independent syntheses of ( + )-peshawarine (43) have been carried out. Shamma et al. (3,30), in a biogenetictype transformation, prepared it from ( )-aobamine (1) which had been obtained from coptisine (14) (see Scheme 2, Section II,A,l,a). Under the action of ethyl chloroformate, 1 was converted to cyclic hemiacetal 46, whose methyl acetal was reduced to the tertiary base 47. 

Various kinds of chiral acyclic nitrones have been devised, and they have been used extensively in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, which are documented in recent reviews.63 Typical chiral acyclic nitrones that have been used in asymmetric cycloadditions are illustrated in Scheme 8.15. Several recent applications of these chiral nitrones to organic synthesis are presented here. For example, the addition of the sodium enolate of methyl acetate to IV-benzyl nitrone derived from D-glyceraldehyde affords the 3-substituted isoxazolin-5-one with a high syn selectivity. Further elaboration leads to the preparation of the isoxazolidine nucleoside analog in enantiomerically pure form (Eq. 8.52).78... 

The reaction of alcohols with CO was catalyzed by Pd compounds, iodides and/or bromides, and amides (or thioamides). Thus, MeOH was carbonylated in the presence of Pd acetate, NiCl2, tV-methylpyrrolidone, Mel, and Lil to give HOAc. AcOH is prepared by the reaction of MeOH with CO in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a Pd compound, an ionic Br or I compound other than HBr or HI, a sulfone or sulfoxide, and, in some cases, a Ni compound and a phosphine oxide or a phosphinic acid.60 Palladium(II) salts catalyze the carbonylation of methyl iodide in methanol to methyl acetate in the presence of an excess of iodide, even without amine or phosphine co-ligands platinum(II) salts are less effective.61 A novel Pd11 complex (13) is a highly efficient catalyst for the carbonylation of organic alcohols and alkenes to carboxylic acids/esters.62... 

Part III extraction solvents that may be used for the preparation of flavourings from natural flavouring materials diethyl ether, hexane, methyl acetate, butan-l-ol, butan-2-ol, ethylmethyl ketone, dichloromethane,... 

Furthermore, even the ligand, necessary to stabilize the catalyst, can reduce Pd(II) to Pd(0) complexes and formation of phosphine oxides [62-64], In the preparation of [Pd(AcO)2(dppp)], from Pd(AcO)2 and dppp in MeOH, phosphine oxides have been found to form together with methyl acetate and palladium metal [65]. The reaction can be schematized as follows ... 

In high polarity solvents, such as acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, methyl acetate, and methanol, the branched dimer, 4-methyl azelate precursor, is formed in high yield. In methanol, a methoxy dimer (CH302CCgH] 4(0013)0020113) is also formed in moderate yield. Heavies contain both an acyclic methyl, 4-pentadienoate trimeric product and high molecular weight methyl, 4-pentadienoate homopolymer. Polymerization in the absence of air(48) appears to be catalyzed by traces of the tertiary phosphine which is used to prepare the palladium dimerization catalyst. 

The catalyst is generally a palladium compound promoted with a trivalent amine or phosphine in the presence of methyl iodide as described earlier. Systems proven to bias acetaldehyde are utilized, of course (e.g. see Table I, run 12). A yield of 85% acetaldehyde from methyl acetate is typical by this method. It can be utilized in stoichiometric addition to easily prepared acetic anhydride resulting in EDA formation. When considering that the "boiling pot" reaction by-products are recyclable acetic acid, acetic anhydride and small amounts of EDA, the yield to vinyl acetate related products is 95%. 

The infrared spectra of l,4-anhydro-3,5-0-methylene- and -2-0-methyl-DL-xylitol have been studied.60 The 2-methyl ether was obtained by converting l,4-anhydro-3,5-0-methylene-DL-xylitol into its monomethyl ether, and then hydrolyzing off the methylene group. A methyl ether prepared from the known l,4-anhydro-3,5-0-isopro-pylidene-2-O-methyl-DL-xylitol proved to be identical with this compound, thus establishing at the same time that the methylene group in the known acetal is attached to 0-3 and 0-5 of 1,4-anhydro-DL-xylitol. The methylene group, having a 1,3-dioxolane structure, was characterized by an absorption band at about 2800 cm 1. 

Note 5) in 400 ml. of water and piperidine acetate (prepared by adding piperidine to 8 ml. of glacial acetic acid in 20 ml. of water until the solution is just basic to litmus). The flask is equipped with a reflux condenser, and the mixture is heated under reflux for 2 hours. At the end of this time 200 ml. of water is added, and the solution is acidified (to litmus) with acetic acid, causing separation of the product as a voluminous yellow precipitate. The mixture is cooled in an ice bath for 2 hours, and the product is collected on a suction filter, washed on the filter with three 100-ml. portions of ice water, and dried (Note 6). The yield of 3-cyano-6-methyl-2(l)-pyridone is 59-67 g. (55-62%) m.p. 292-294° (dec., cor.) (Notes 7, 8, and 9). 

Methyl cinnamate is a colorless crystalline solid mp 36.5 °C) with a fruity, sweet-balsamic odor. In addition to the common esterification methods, it can be prepared by Claisen condensation of benzaldehyde and methyl acetate in the presence of sodium. Methyl cinnamate is used in soap perfumes, as well as in blossom and oriental perfumes, and is sometimes added to aromas. 

B. o-Methylbenzyl alcohol. A solution of 5 g. (0.12 mole) of sodium hydroxide in 50 ml. of water is added to a solution of 16.4 g. (0.1 mole) of 2-methylbenzyl acetate (prepared as described above, part A) in 50 ml. of methanol contained in a 250-ml. round-bottomed flask fitted with a reflux condenser. The mixture is boiled under reflux for 2 hours, cooled, diluted with 50 ml. of water, and extracted with three 75-ml. portions of ether. The combined ether solutions are washed with 50 ml. of water and 50 ml. of saturated sodium chloride solution and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The solvent is removed by distillation, finally at reduced pressure to remove the last traces of methyl alcohol, and the residue is dissolved in 50 ml. of boiling 30-60° petroleum ether. The colorless crystals obtained on cooling, finally in the ice bath, are collected by suction filtration, washed with a few milliliters of cold petroleum ether, and air-dried. Concentration of the mother liquors to 6-7 ml. and cooling gives an additional crop. The total yield of product melting between 33-34° and 35-36° is 11.6-11.8 g. (95-97%) (Note 7). 

Preparation of the complex. The solution of bis[2-(hydroseleno)ethyl]methyl-amine prepared above is gradually added to a solution of nickel acetate tetrahydrate (4.32 g, 17.4 mmole) in ethanol (100 mL) and stirred for 1 h. The solvent is removed under reduced pressure to obtain a dark mass, which is extracted with benzene (10 x 80 mL). These green extracts are combined, and the benzene is removed under vacuum. The resulting solid is washed with 10 mL of methanol and 50 mL of ether and dried in vacuo to obtain the desired product. Yield = 2.01 g (38.2%). 

This last method has been used by Ramsey and Taft"5 to prepare a series of simple alkoxymethyl cations. The nmr chemical shifts, 8, of the protons of methylated methyl acetate and formate, given by Ramsey and Taft (measured in 30% S03 in H2S04) are compared below with the figures for the corresponding protonated esters, measured in FS0 tH-SbF5-S02 H. 

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