P Toluic acid

Hydrolysis of />-Tolunitrile. As in the case of benzonitrile, alkaline h> drolysis is preferable to hydrolysis by 70% sulphuric acid. Boil a mixture of 5 g. of p-tolunitrile, 75 ml. of 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and 15 ml. of ethanol under a reflux water-condenser. The ethanol is added partly to increase the speed of the hydrolysis, but in particular to prevent the nitrile (which volatilises in the steam) from actually crystallising in the condenser. The solution becomes clear after about i hour s heating, but the boiling should be continued for a total period of 1-5 hours to ensure complete hydrolysis. Then precipitate and isolate the p-toluic acid, CH3CgH4COOH, in precisely the same way as the benzoic acid in the above hydrolysis of benzonitrile. Yield 5 5 g. (almost theoretical). The p-toluic acid has m.p. 178°, and may be recrystallised from a mixture of equal volumes of water and rectified spirit. 

The methyl group in p-toluic acid may be oxidised to a -COOH group forming p-phthalic (or tere-phthalic) acid, C H4(C.OOH), but the oxidation is usually slow. 

For initial experience in the uae of Uthium, the preparation of either p-toluic acid or of a-napbtboic acid mcay be undertaken. For the former, p-bromotoluene is converted into the lithium derivative and the latter carbonated with soUd carbon dioxide ... 

C bol the solution of re-butyl-hthium to — 35° in a Dry Ice - acetone bath and add, whilst stirring vigorously, a solution of 48 g. of ni-chlorobromo-benzene (Section IV,62) in 75 ml. of anhydrous ether. Stir for 8-10 minutes and pour the mixture with stirring on to a large excess of sohd carbon dioxide in the form of a Dry Ice - ether slush contained in a -htre beaker. Isolate the acid as detailed above for p-Toluic acid and recrystal-lise it from hot water. The yield of ni-chlorobenzoic acid, m.p. 150-151°, is 27 g. 

Ethylbenzene. Prepare a suspension of phenyl-sodium from 23 g. of sodium wire, 200 ml. of light petroleum (b.p. 40-60°) and 56 3 g. (50 9 ml.) of chlorobenzene as described above for p-Toluic acid. Add 43 -5 g. (30 ml.) of ethyl bromide during 30-45 minutes at 30° and stir the mixture for a further hour. Add water slowly to decompose the excess of sodium and work up the product as detailed for n-Butylbenzene. The yield of ethylbenzene, b.p. 135-136°, is 23 g. 

Reaction.—p-Toluic Acid.—Boil up 10 grams tolylcyainidc with a mixture of 30 c.c. cone, sulphuric acid and 20 c.c. water, in i round flask with upright condenser until colourless crystals of toluic acid appear in the condenser tube (about half an hour). On cooling, the acid crystallises out, and is separated by filtration, washed with water, and recrystallised from liot water ni. p. i 79 . 

Acylation of ami noketone 8 with the acid chloride from p-toluic acid affords the corresponding ester (10) catalytic hydrogenation leads to the bronchodilator bitolerol (11). An analogous scheme starting from the N-methyl ketone (12) and pivaloyl chloride gives ami noalcohol (14). This compound is then resolved to isolate the levorotatory isomer. There is thus obtained the drug dipivefrin. 

Special precautions must be taken so that the reaction does not stop at the p-toluic acid stage. One approach is to esterify toluic acid as it is formed with methanol. This facilitates the oxidation of the second methyl group. The resulting dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) may be hydrolyzed to terephthalic acid. 

In the absence of bromide ion the p-xylene undergoes rapid autoxidation to p-toluic acid but oxidation of the second methyl group is difficult, due to deactivation by the electron-withdrawing carboxyl group, and proceeds only in low yield at elevated temperatures. Although bromide-free processes were subsequently developed (ref. 5) they require the use of much higher amounts of cobalt catalyst and have not achieved the same importance as the Amoco-MC process. Indeed, the... 

Consequently, as a result of increasing environmental pressure many chlorine and nitric acid based processes for the manufacture of substituted aromatic acids are currently being replaced by cleaner, catalytic autoxidation processes. Benzoic acid is traditionally manufactured (ref. 14) via cobalt-catalyzed autoxidation of toluene in the absence of solvent (Fig. 2). The selectivity is ca. 90% at 30% toluene conversion. As noted earlier, oxidation of p-xylene under these conditions gives p-toluic acid in high yield. For further oxidation to terephthalic acid the stronger bromide/cobalt/manganese cocktail is needed. 

In the oxidation of p-xylene the first methyl group undergoes rapid autoxidation to afford p-toluic acid (Fig. 8). The second methyl group is, however, deactivated by the electron-withdrawing carboxyl group, and further oxidation of p-toluic to terephthalic acid is much slower, i.e. the relative reactivities of toluene and p-toluic acid are 26 1 (Fig. 8). It is not surprising, therefore, that the autoxidation of p-xylene to terephthalic acid proved to be a difficult proposition. 

Pyridone IV was converted to its sodium salt by treatment with an equimolar amount of sodium methoxide in methanol (see procedure below under formation of the 3-phenyl-2(lH)pyridone sulfonates). The sodium salt was next treated with the methyl ester of a-bromo-p-toluic acid, obtained by treatment of the acid with BF3 etherate. 

It has been commonly understood that during the hydropurification process, CTA is first dissolved in water at about 280 °C then the CTA stream, mixed with dissolved hydrogen, flows through the Pd/C bed, wherein 4-CBA is hydrogenated to p-toluic acid (PT) and is washed out in the subsequent process. The reaction scheme can be illustrated in Fig.2. 

Oxidation of malonic acid by Cr(VI) has been noted briefly by Snethlage and later by Kemp and Waters . The kinetics are simple second-order but the acidity dependence is complex. Heckner et a/. find the alkaline permanganate oxidation of malonic acid (and also of o- and p-toluic acids and of p-toluene-sulphonic acid) to be retarded by added Mn(VI), viz. 

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