Octylation

Fig. Ill-IS. Surface tension data for aqueous alcohol illustration of the use of the Gibbs equation. (1) -butyl (2) -amyl (3) -hexyl (4) -heptyl (5) -octyl. (Data from Ref. 126).

Successful results have been obtained (Renfrew and Chaney, 1946) with ethyl formate methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec.-butyl and iso-amyl acetat ethyleneglycol diacetate ethyl monochloro- and trichloro-acetates methyl, n-propyl, n-octyl and n-dodecyl propionates ethyl butyrate n-butyl and n-amyl valerates ethyl laurate ethyl lactate ethyl acetoacetate diethyl carbonate dimethyl and diethyl oxalates diethyl malonate diethyl adipate di-n-butyl tartrate ethyl phenylacetate methyl and ethyl benzoates methyl and ethyl salicylates diethyl and di-n-butyl phthalates. The method fails for vinyl acetate, ieri.-butyl acetate, n-octadecyl propionate, ethyl and >i-butyl stearate, phenyl, benzyl- and guaicol-acetate, methyl and ethyl cinnamate, diethyl sulphate and ethyl p-aminobenzoate. 

RESOLUTION OF sec.-OCTYL ALCOHOL (d/-2-OCTA-NOL) INTO ITS OPTICALLY ACTIVE COMPONENTS (d- AND f-2-OCTANOL)... 

MC.-Octyl alcohol methyl n-hexyl carbinol CH3CH(OH)(CHj)jCH3 = CgH,OH is converted by heating with phthalic anhydride into sec.-octyl hydrogen phthalate ... 

The latter upon decomposition with dilute hydrochloric acid yields laevo sec.-octyl hydrogen phthalate the crystalline brucine salt, when similarly treated, affords the dextro sec.-octyl hydrogen phthalate. These are reerystallised and separately hydrolysed with sodium hydroxide solution to yield pure I- and d-sec.-octyl alcohols ... 

Introduce 197 g. of anhydrous brucine or 215 g. of the air-dried dihydrate (4) into a warm solution of 139 g. of dZ-acc.-octyl hj drogen phthalate in 300 ml. of acetone and warm the mixture vmder reflux on a water bath until the solution is clear. Upon cooling, the brucine salt (dA, IB) separates as a crystalline solid. Filter this off on a sintered glass funnel, press it well to remove mother liquor, and wash it in the funnel with 125 ml. of acetone. Set the combined filtrate and washings (W) aside. Cover the crystals with acetone and add, slowly and with stirriug, a slight excess (to Congo red) of dilute hydrochloric acid (1 1 by volume about 60 ml.) if the solution becomes turbid before the introduction of... 

Concentrate the combined filtrate and washings (W) to about half the original volume, and pour it into sUghtly more than the calculated amount of dilute hydrochloric acid (use a mixture of 30 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid and 30 ml. of ice-water) then add about 300 ml. of water. Collect the active aec.-octyl hydrogen phthalate (crude lA) as above (5). The weight of the air-dried ester is about half that of the dl-ester originally used (7). 

Crystallise the two lots of crude active aec. -octyl hydrogen phthalates separately twice from 90 per cent, acetic acid use 2 g. of acetic acid to each gram of soUd. The recrystaUised esters, if optically pure (8), will melt sharply at 75° if the melting points are below 75°, further recrystallisation is necessary. The yields of optically pure products, m.p. 75°, are 48 g. and 49 g. respectively. 

To obtain optically pure I- and daec.-octyl alcohols, steam distil the respective esters with 30 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution use the proportions 1 mol of ester to 2 mols of sodium hydroxide. Separate the alcohols from the steam distillate, dry over anhydrous potassium carbonate, and distil under diminished pressure. Both samples boU at 86°/20 mm. (9) and have the following rotations ... 

The yields from the acc.-octyl hydrogen phthalates are almost quantitative. Notes. 

This is due to methyl n-hexyl ketone in the original aec.-octyl alcohol it is most easily separated by steam distillation as described. 

The inactive aec.-octyl hydrogen phthalate may be recrystallised from light petroleum, b.p. 60-80°, or from glacial acetic acid, and then melts at 55°. 

If the aec.-octyl alcoliol is pure the yield of pure material is almost quantitative. 

The 1,6-difunctional hydroxyketone given below contains an octyl chain at the keto group and two chiral centers at C-2 and C-3 (G. Magnusson, 1977). In the first step of the antithesis of this molecule it is best to disconnect the octyl chain and to transform the chiral residue into a cyclic synthon simultaneously. Since we know that ketones can be produced from add derivatives by alkylation (see p. 45ff,), an obvious precursor would be a seven-membered lactone ring, which is opened in synthesis by octyl anion at low temperature. The lactone in turn can be transformed into cis-2,3-dimethyicyclohexanone, which is available by FGI from (2,3-cis)-2,3-dimethylcyclohexanol. The latter can be separated from the commercial ds-trans mixture, e.g. by distillation or chromatography. 

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