N-Propyl bromide

Two reactants. In the preparation of n-hexane, 61 5 g. of n-propyl bromide were treated with 23 g. of sodium and 18 0 g. of n-hexane were ultimately isolated. 

It is evident from the equation that the sodium is used in excess. Actually 61 5 g. of n-propyl bromide is 0 5 gram mol this will react with 0 5 gram atom or 11-5 g. of sodium, so that 100 per cent, excess was actually employed. The theoretical yield of n-hexane will be 0-25 gram mol or 21-5 g., since 2 mols of n-propyl bromide give 1 mol of n-hexane. The actual yield was 18 g., hence the percentage yield is (18/21-5) X 100 = 84 per cent. 

Cool the mixture and decant the solution from the sodium bromide wash the salt with two 20 ml. portions of absolute alcohol and add the washings to the main solution. Distil off the alcohol, which contains the slight excess of n-propyl bromide used in the condensation, through a short fractionating column from a water bath. The residue A) of crude ethyl n-propylacetoacetate may be used directly in the preparation of methyl n-butyl ketone. If the fairly pure ester is required, distil the crude product under diminished pressure and collect the fraction boihng at 109-113727 mm. (183 g.) (R). 

The fact that n-butylbenzene can be prepared in reasonable yield by the action of sodium upon a mixture of bromohenzene and n-butyl bromide can be partly explained on the assumption that n-butyl bromide reacts with phenyl-sodium more rapidly than does bromobenzene. It is interesting to note that n-butylbenzene can be prepared either from benzylsodium and n-propyl bromide or from phenylsodium and n-butyl bromide (Section VI,29). 

The experimental details for mono-M-propylanillne are as follows. Reflux a mixture of 230 g. of aniline and 123 g. of n-propyl bromide for 8-10 hours. Allow to cool, render the mixture alkafine, and add a solution of 150 g. of zinc chloride in 150 g. of water. Cool the mixture and stir after 12 hours, filter at the pump and drain well. Extract the thick paste several times with boiling light petroleum, b.p. 60-80° (it is best to use a Soxhlet apparatus), wash the combined extracts successively with water and dilute ammonia solution, and then dry over anhydrous potassium carbonate or anhydrous magnesium sulphate. Remove the solvent on a water bath, and distil the residue from a Claisen flask with fractionating side arm (well lagged). Collect the n-propyl-aniline at 218-220° the yield is 80 g. Treat the pasty solid zincichloride with an excess of. sodium hydroxide solution and steam distil 130 g. of pure aniline are recovered. 

The formation of alkylbenzenes, largely free from unaaturated compounds, provides another interesting application of organosodium compounds. Thus pure M-butylbenzene is readily obtained in good yield from benzyl sodium and n-propyl bromide. Benzyl-sodium is conveniently prepared by first forming phenyl-sodium by reaction between sodium and chlorobenzene in a toluene medium, followed by heating the toluene suspension of the phenyl-sodium at 105° for about 35 minutes ... 

One way to generate carbanions is to combine an acidic molecule with one equivalent of a very strong base, such as n-butyl lithium (n-BuLi). For example, reaction of the alkyne shown below with n-BuLi leads to a carbanion of formula CsH, 02 , which then undergoes an Sn2 reaction with n-propyl bromide (n-PrBr),... 

The reaction of trimethylamine with n-propyl bromide gives a quaternary ammonium salt ... 

As mentioned briefly in Chapter 5, the photodimerization of acenaphthylene is subject to a very interesting heavy-atom solvent effect. The results of the photolysis of acenaphthylene in some heavy-atom solvents are given in Table 10.6.<4a) The data in Table 10.6 show that the heavy-atom solvents n-propyl bromide and ethyl iodide yield product ratios similar to that obtained in the sensitized photolysis, indicating a greater role of the triplet state in... 

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