Pentane residual atmosphere

M f-BuLi in pentane (14.7 mL, 22 mmol) was added dropwise to a stirred solution of 8 (R = /-Bu 2.63 g, 10 mmol) in anhyd THF (40 mL) at — 80C under an argon atmosphere, and the mixture was stirred at — 80 C for 1 h. After the addition of sublimed sulfur powder (320 mg, 10 mmol), the mixture was allowed to warm to rt over a 2-h period with stirring, and then EtOH (10 mL) was added. The mixture was heated at 55 C with stirring for 2-4 h, poured into ice-water (lOOmL), and then the whole was extracted with Et20 (3 x lOOmL). The combined extract was washed with brine, dried (MgS04), and concentrated in vacuo, and the residue was chromatographed (silica gel, hexane) yield 0.54 g (25%). 

A solution of 25.8 g. (0.20 mole) of 4-amino-2,2,4-trimethyl-pentane (ierf-octylamine) (Note 1) in 500 ml. of C.P. acetone is placed in a 1-1. three-necked flask equipped with a Tru-Bore stirrer and a thermometer and is diluted with a solution of 30 g. of magnesium sulfate (Note 2) in 125 ml. of water. Potassium permanganate (190 g., 1.20 moles) is added to the well-stirred reaction mixture in small portions over a period of about 30 minutes (Note 3). During the addition the temperature of the mixture is maintained at 25-30° (Note 4), and the mixture is stirred for an additional 48 hours at this same temperature (Note 5). The reaction mixture is stirred under water-aspirator vacuum at an internal temperature of about 30° until most of the acetone is removed (Note 6). The resulting viscous mixture is steam-distilled approximately 500 ml. of water and a pale-blue organic layer are collected. The distillate is extracted with pentane, the extract is dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, and the pentane is removed by distillation at atmospheric pressure. The residue is distilled through a column (Note 7) at reduced pressure to give 22-26 g. (69-82%) of colorless 4-nitro-2,2,4-trimethylpentane, b.p. 53-5473 mm., < 1.4314, m.p. 23.5-23.7°. 

A mixture of diethyl 2-bromo-l-phenylethenylphosphonite (30.3 g, 0.1 mol) and dimethyl maleate (14.4 g, 0.1 mol) was stirred for 4 h at room temperature under an argon atmosphere. At this time, hexane was added to the reaction mixture sufficient for complete precipitation, and the resultant crystals (unreacted dimethyl maleate) were removed by filtration. The oily residue was treated on a silica gel column (40/100 pm) using a pentane/acetone (8 2) mixture, allowing the elution and isolation after evaporation of pure l-ethoxy-2-phenyl-4,5-dimetho x yea rb o n y I - A2-X5-phospholene 1-oxide (8.9 g, 27%), which exhibited spectra and analytical data in accord with the proposed structure. 

Reflux 6.9 g triphenylphosphine and 6.6 g lauryl bromide (or equimolar amount of homolog) in 40 ml xylene for 60 hours. Remove solvent and wash residue with 5X20 ml ether (by decanting) to get 11 g lauryl triphenylphosphonium bromide (I). To a stirred suspension of 5.6 g (0.011M)(I) in 50 ml ether add 0.01M butyllithium solution (see Organic Reactions 8,258(1954) for preparation). Stir Vz hour at room temperature and slowly add 1.66 g 3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (preparation given elsewhere here) in 10 ml ether over Vi hour. After 15 hours, filter, wash filtrate with water and dry, evaporate in vacuum. Dilute residue with pentane, filter and remove solvent. Dissolve the residual oil in 25 ml ethyl acetate and hydrogenate over O.lg Adams catalyst at one atmosphere and room temperature for 2 hours. Filter and evaporate in vacuum to get the 5-alkylresorcinol dimethyl ether which can be reciystallized from pentane and demethylated as described elsewhere here. 

B. 2,2-(Trimethylenedithio)cyclohexanone. A solution of 3.02 g. (0.02 mole) of freshly distilled 1-pyrrolidinocyclohexene, 8.32 g. (0.02 mole) of trimethylene dithiotosylate4 (Note 2), and 5 ml. of triethylamine (Note 3) in 40 ml. of anhydrous acetonitrile (Note 4), is refluxed for 12 hours in a 100-ml., round-bottom flask under a nitrogen atmosphere. The solvent is removed under reduced pressure on a rotary evaporator, and the residue is treated with 100 ml. of aqueous 0.1 N hydrochloric acid for 30 minutes at 50° (Note 5). The mixture is cooled to ambient temperature and extracted with three 50-ml. portions of ether. The combined ether extracts are washed with aqueous 10% potassium bicarbonate solution (Note 6) until the aqueous layer remains basic to litmus, and then with saturated sodium chloride solution. The ethereal solution is dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated on a rotary evaporator. The resulting oily residue is diluted with 1 ml. of benzene and then with 3 ml. of cyclohexane. The solution is poured into a chromatographic column (13 x 2.5 cm.), prepared with 50 g. of alumina (Note 7) and a 3 1 mixture of cyclohexane and benzene. With this solvent system, the desired product moves with the solvent front, and the first 250 ml. of eluent contains 95% of the total product. Elution with a further 175 ml. of solvent removes the remainder. The combined fractions are evaporated, and the pale yellow, oily residue crystallizes readily on standing. Recrystallization of this material from pentane gives 1.82 g. of white crystalline 2,2-(trimethylenedithio)cyclo-hexanone, m.p. 52-55° (45% yield) (Note 8). 

Typical procedure Phenyltellurotrimethylsilane (2.10 mL, 10.9 mmol) was added into astirred solution of benzoyl chloride (1.42 g, 10.1 mmol) in 30 mL of dry tetrahydrofuran under an argon atmosphere. The mixture was stirred for 3 h at room temperature and concentrated under a reduced pressure. The residual Te-phenyl tellurobenzoate was purified by recrystallization from pentane to give yellow needles. Yield 2.71 g (87%). 

A solution of 2.0 g N-ethyl-N-isopropylindol-3-ylglyoxylamide in 50 mL anhydrous THF was added, dropwise, to 1.5 g LAH in 50 mL anhydrous THF which was well-stirred under an inert atmosphere. This was brought to reflux and held there for 3 h. The reaction mixture was cooled, and the excess hydride destroyed by the cautious addition of wet THF. A 15% NaOH solution was then added until the solids had a loose white cottage cheese character to them, and the mobile phase tested basic by external damp pH paper. These formed solids were removed by filtration, washed first with THF and then MeOH. The filtrate and washings were combined, dried over anhydrous MgS04, and the solvent removed under vacuum. The residue set up to a crystalline mass weighing 1.6 g (90%). This was recrystallized from pentane to provide N-ethyl-N-isopropyltryptamine (EIPT) as a free base with a mp of 71-73°C. Indole can also serve as a precursor to NET which is easily transformed into EIPT. 

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