Methylation efficiency

Reconstruction experiments showed that methylation efficiency was the same in the solvent used to prepare the standard and that obtained from experimental parfait column concentrates. Chromatography was usually completed within 36 h of final concentration or methylation of a sample. Samples were stored in Teflon-lined crimp-sealed vials at —20 °C. 

Methytation of alcohols. Although alcohols alone are inert to diazomethane, they can be methylated efficiently by diazomethane under catalysis by boron trifluoride etherate or fluoroboric acid. A mineral acid cannot be used for catalysis because it itself reacts with the reagent, but a Lewis acid performs the function ascribed above to an organic acid. In investigating the structure of estriol D-glucosiduronic acid,... 

Place a mixture of 114 g. (140 ml.) of methyl -amyl ketone (2-hepta-none) (1), 300 ml. of rectified spirit (95 per cent, ethyl alcohol) and 100 ml. of water (2) in a 1500 ml. three-necked fiask or in a 1500 ml. round-bottomed fiask provided with a two-way addition tube (Fig. 11,13, 9). Attach an efficient double surface condenser to the fiask and close the... 

Ethyl acetate. Use 58 g. (73-5 ml.) of absolute ethyl alcohol, 225 g. of glacial acetic acid and 3 g. of concentrated sulphuric acid. Reflux for 6-12 hours. Work up as for n-propyl acetate. B.p. 76- 77°. Yield 32 g. Much ethyl acetate is lost in the washing process. A better yield may be obtained, and most of the excess of acetic acid may be recovered, by distilhng the reaction mixture through an efficient fractionating column and proceeding as for methyl acetate. 

Ethyl n-butyrate. Use a mixture of 88 g. (92 ml.) of n-butyric acid, 23 g. (29 ml.) of ethanol and 9 g. (5 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid. Reflux for 14 hours. Pour into excess of water, wash several times with water, followed by saturated sodium bicarbonate solution until all the acid is removed, and finally with water. Dry with anhydrous magnesium sulphate, and distU. The ethyl n-but3rrate passes over at 119 5-120-5°, Yield 40 g. An improved yield can be obtained by distilhng the reaction mixture through an efficient fractionating column until the temperature rises to 125°, and purifying the crude ester as detailed above under methyl acetate. 

Equip a 500 ml. three-necked flask with an efficient stirrer (e.g., a Hershberg stirrer. Fig. II, 7, 8) and a reflux condenser stopper the third neck. Place a solution of 30 g. of sodium hydroxide in 100 ml. of water, and also 20-5 g. (17-1 ml.) of pure nitrobenzene in the flask, immerse it in a water bath maintained at 55-60°, and add 21 g. of anhydrous dextrose in small portions, with continuous stirring, during 1 hour. Then heat on a boiUng water bath for 2 hours. Pour the hot mixture into a 1 litre round-bottomed flask and steam distil (Fig. II, 40, 1) to remove aniline and nitrobenzene. When the distillate is clear (i.e., after about 1 htre has been collected), pour the residue into a beaker cooled in an ice bath. The azoxybenzene soon sohdifies. Filter with suction, grind the lumps of azoxybenzene in a mortar, wash with water, and dry upon filter paper or upon a porous plate. The yield of material, m.p. 35-35-5°, is 13 g. Recrystallise from 7 ml. of rectified spirit or of methyl alcohol the m.p. is raised to 36°. ... 

In a 500 ml. three-necked flask, equipped with a thermometer, mechanical stirrer and efficient reflux condenser, dissolve 16 g. of sodium hydroxide pellets in 95 ml. of hot methyl alcohol. Add 49 g. of guanidine nitrate, stir the mixture at 50-65° for 15 minutes, and then cool to about 20°. Filter oflF the separated sodium nitrate and wash with two 12 ml. portions of methyl alcohol. Return the combined filtrates to the clean reaction flask, add 69 g. of sulphanilamide (Section IX,9) and stir at 50-55° for 15 minutes. Detach the reflux condenser and, with the aid of a still-head ( knee-tube ), arrange the apparatus for distillation from an oil bath with stirring about 100 ml. of methyl alcohol are recovered. Add 12 g. of pure cycZohexanol. Raise the temperature of the oil bath to 180-190° and continue the distillation. Reaction commences with the evolution of ammonia when the uiternal temperature reaches 145°. Maintain the... 

Place 25 g. of methyl methacrylate polymer (G.B. Diakon (powder). Perspex (sheet) U.S.A. Lucite, Plexiglass) in a 100 ml. Claisen flask, attach an efficient condenser e.g., of the double smface type) and distil with a small luminous flame move the flame to and fro around the sides of the flask. At about 300° the polymer softens and undergoes rapid depolymerisation to the monomer, methyl methacrylate, which distils over into the receiver. Continue the distillation until only a small black residue (3-4 g.) remains. Redistil the hquid it passes over at 100-110°, mainly at 100-102°. The yield of methyl methacrylate (monomer) is 20 g. If the monomer is to be kept for any period, add 0 -1 g. of hydro quinone to act as a stabiUser or inhibitor of polymerisation. 

Because the protonation of ozone removes its dipolar nature, the electrophilic chemistry of HOs, a very efficient oxygenating electrophile, has no relevance to conventional ozone chemistry. The superacid-catalyzed reaction of isobutane with ozone giving acetone and methyl alcohol, the aliphatic equivalent of the industrially significant Hock-reaction of cumene, is illustrative. 

Another even more significant use of methyl alcohol can be as a fuel in its own right in fuel cells. In recent years, in cooperation with Caltech s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), we have developed an efficient new type of fuel cell that uses methyl alcohol directly to produce electricity without the need to first catalytically convert it to produce hydrogen. 

The conventional electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide tends to give formic acid as the major product, which can be obtained with a 90% current efficiency using, for example, indium, tin, or mercury cathodes. Being able to convert CO2 initially to formates or formaldehyde is in itself significant. In our direct oxidation liquid feed fuel cell, varied oxygenates such as formaldehyde, formic acid and methyl formate, dimethoxymethane, trimethoxymethane, trioxane, and dimethyl carbonate are all useful fuels. At the same time, they can also be readily reduced further to methyl alcohol by varied chemical or enzymatic processes. 

Two efficient syntheses of strained cyclophanes indicate the synthetic potential of allyl or benzyl sulfide intermediates, in which the combined nucleophilicity and redox activity of the sulfur atom can be used. The dibenzylic sulfides from xylylene dihalides and -dithiols can be methylated with dimethoxycarbenium tetrafiuoroborate (H. Meerwein, 1960 R.F. Borch, 1968, 1969 from trimethyl orthoformate and BFj, 3 4). The sulfonium salts are deprotonated and rearrange to methyl sulfides (Stevens rearrangement). Repeated methylation and Hofmann elimination yields double bonds (R.H. Mitchell, 1974). 

Synthesis of camptothecin (163) is another example[133]. The iboga alkaloid analog 164 has been synthesized smoothly by the intramolecular coupling of iodoindole and unsaturated ester to form an eight-membered ring. Af-Methyl protection of the indole is important for a smooth reaction[134]. An efficient construction of the multifunctionalized skeleton 165 of congeners of FR900482 has been achieved[135]. 

The fungus responsible for Dutch elm disease is spread by European bark beetles when they burrow into the tree Other beetles congregate at the site attracted by the scent of a mixture of chemicals some emitted by other beetles and some coming from the tree One of the compounds given off by female bark beetles is 4 methyl 3 heptanol Suggest an efficient synthesis of this pheromone from alcohols of five carbon atoms or fewer... 

Ethers are formed under conditions of the Williamson ether synthesis Methyl ethers of carbohydrates are efficiently prepared by alkylation with methyl iodide m the presence of silver oxide... 

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