Propionaldehyde, reactions

Fig. 6. Rate of formation in the oxidation of propylene over Cu + Pd -TSM O, acetone A, carbon dioxide , propionaldehyde. Reaction temperature, 250°C space velocity, 50 ml/min g feed composition, C3H6 02 H20 N2 = 0.036 0. 373 0. 500 0.091.

A cmde acetone product is recovered by distillation from the reaction mass. One or two additional distillation columns may be required to obtain the desired purity. If two columns are used, the first tower removes impurities such as acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde. The second tower removes undesired heavies, the major component being water. 

Reactions with Alcohols. The addition of alcohols to acrolein may be catalyzed by acids or bases. By the judicious choice of reaction conditions the regioselectivity of the addition maybe controlled and alkoxy propionaldehydes, acrolein acetals, or alkoxypropionaldehyde acetals produced in high yields (66). 

Aldehydes fiad the most widespread use as chemical iatermediates. The production of acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and butyraldehyde as precursors of the corresponding alcohols and acids are examples. The aldehydes of low molecular weight are also condensed in an aldol reaction to form derivatives which are important intermediates for the plasticizer industry (see Plasticizers). As mentioned earlier, 2-ethylhexanol, produced from butyraldehyde, is used in the manufacture of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [117-87-7]. Aldehydes are also used as intermediates for the manufacture of solvents (alcohols and ethers), resins, and dyes. Isobutyraldehyde is used as an intermediate for production of primary solvents and mbber antioxidants (see Antioxidaisits). Fatty aldehydes Cg—used in nearly all perfume types and aromas (see Perfumes). Polymers and copolymers of aldehydes exist and are of commercial significance. 

Propionic acid made in butane LPO probably comes by a minor variation of reaction 38 that produces methyl radicals and propionaldehyde. It is estimated that up to 18% of the j -butoxy radicals may decompose in this manner (213) this may be high since propionic acid is a minor product. 

The mechanism of the cobalt-cataly2ed oxo reaction has been studied extensively. The formation of a new C—C bond by the hydroformylation reaction proceeds through an organometaUic intermediate formed from cobalt hydrocarbonyl which is regenerated in the aldehyde-forrning stage. The mechanism (5,6) for the formation of propionaldehyde [123-38-6] from ethylene is illustrated in Figure 1. 

Fig. 1. Mechanism for the unmodified cobalt oxo reaction which produces propionaldehyde from ethylene.

Miscellaneous Reactions. Ahyl alcohol can be isomerized to propionaldehyde [123-38-6] in the presence of sohd acid catalyst at 200—300°C. When copper or alumina is used as the catalyst, only propionaldehyde is obtained, because of intramolecular hydrogen transfer. On the other hand, acrolein and hydrogen are produced by a zinc oxide catalyst. In this case, it is considered that propionaldehyde is obtained mainly by intermolecular hydrogen transfer between ahyl alcohol and acrolein (31). 

In this process, the fine powder of lithium phosphate used as catalyst is dispersed, and propylene oxide is fed at 300°C to the reactor, and the product, ahyl alcohol, together with unreacted propylene oxide is removed by distihation (25). By-products such as acetone and propionaldehyde, which are isomers of propylene oxide, are formed, but the conversion of propylene oxide is 40% and the selectivity to ahyl alcohol reaches more than 90% (25). However, ahyl alcohol obtained by this process contains approximately 0.6% of propanol. Until 1984, ah ahyl alcohol manufacturers were using this process. Since 1985 Showa Denko K.K. has produced ahyl alcohol industriahy by a new process which they developed (6,7). This process, which was developed partiy for the purpose of producing epichlorohydrin via ahyl alcohol as the intermediate, has the potential to be the main process for production of ahyl alcohol. The reaction scheme is as fohows ... 

Although the selectivity is high, minor amounts of by-products can form by dehydration, condensation, and oxidation, eg, propylene [115-07-17, diisopropyl ether, mesityl oxide [141-79-7] acetaldehyde [75-07-0], and propionaldehyde [123-38-6]. Hydrotalcites having different Al/(A1 + Mg) ratios have been used to describe a complete reaction network for dehydrogenation (17). This reaction can also be carried out in the Hquid phase. 

Acrolein and ammonia give P-picoline (3, R — H) (eq. 17). Acrolein, ammonia, and acetaldehyde give pyridine (1) (eq. 19). Acrolein, ammonia, and propionaldehyde give (3) (eq. 20) (52—56). Reactions are performed in the vapor phase with proprietary catalysts. 

With Unsaturated Compounds. The reaction of unsaturated organic compounds with carbon monoxide and molecules containing an active hydrogen atom leads to a variety of interesting organic products. The hydroformylation reaction is the most important member of this class of reactions. When the hydroformylation reaction of ethylene takes place in an aqueous medium, diethyl ketone [96-22-0] is obtained as the principal product instead of propionaldehyde [123-38-6] (59). Ethylene, carbon monoxide, and water also yield propionic acid [79-09-4] under mild conditions (448—468 K and 3—7 MPa or 30—70 atm) using cobalt or rhodium catalysts containing bromide or iodide (60,61). 

Garbonylation of Olefins. The carbonylation of olefins is a process of immense industrial importance. The process includes hydroformylation and hydrosdylation of an olefin. The hydroformylation reaction, or oxo process (qv), leads to the formation of aldehydes (qv) from olefins, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and a transition-metal carbonyl. The hydro sdylation reaction involves addition of a sdane to an olefin (126,127). One of the most important processes in the carbonylation of olefins uses Co2(CO)g or its derivatives with phosphoms ligands as a catalyst. Propionaldehyde (128) and butyraldehyde (qv) (129) are synthesized industrially according to the following equation ... 

Addition. Addition reactions of ethylene have considerable importance and lead to the production of ethylene dichloride, ethylene dibromide, and ethyl chloride by halogenation—hydrohalogenation ethylbenzene, ethyltoluene, and aluminum alkyls by alkylation a-olefms by oligomerization ethanol by hydration and propionaldehyde by hydroformylation. 

This procedure is representative of a new general method for the preparation of noncyclic acyloins by thiazol ium-catalyzed dimerization of aldehydes in the presence of weak bases (Table I). The advantages of this method over the classical reductive coupling of esters or the modern variation in which the intermediate enediolate is trapped by silylation, are the simplicity of the procedure, the inexpensive materials used, and the purity of the products obtained. For volatile aldehydes such as acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde the reaction Is conducted without solvent in a small, heated autoclave. With the exception of furoin the preparation of benzoins from aromatic aldehydes is best carried out with a different thiazolium catalyst bearing an N-methyl or N-ethyl substituent, instead of the N-benzyl group. Benzoins have usually been prepared by cyanide-catalyzed condensation of aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes.Unsymnetrical acyloins may be obtained by thiazol1um-catalyzed cross-condensation of two different aldehydes. -1 The thiazolium ion-catalyzed cyclization of 1,5-dialdehydes to cyclic acyloins has been reported. 

Table 2. Reaction of (S)-3-Ben2yloxy-2-fluoro-2-methyl-propionaldehyde with Various Metal Enolates [d]...

Azides can use enamines as dipolarophiles for ],3 cycloadditions to form triazolines. These azides can be formate ester azides (186), phenyl azides (187-195), arylsulfony] azides (191-193,196), or benzoylazides (197,198). For example, the reaction between phenyl azide (138) and the piperidine enamine of propionaldehyde (139) gives 1 -phenyl-4-methy l-5-( 1 -piperidino)-4,5-dihydro-l,2,3-triazole (140), exclusively, in a 53% yield (190). None of the isomeric l-phenyl-5-methyl product was formed. This indicates that the... 

A mixture of 2.9 grams of 5-chloro-2,4-disulfamvl-aniline in 20 ml of anhydrous diethylene-glycol dimethylether, 0.44 gram of propionaldehyde and 0.5 ml of a solution of hydrogen chloride in ethyl acetate (109.5 grams hydrogen chloride per 1,000 ml) Is heated to 80° to 90°C and maintained at that temperature for 1 hour. The reaction mixture is concentrated under reduced pressure on addition of water, the product separates and is then recrystal-lized from ethanol or aqueous ethanol to yield the desired 6-chloro-3-ethvl-7-sulfamyl-3,4-dihydro-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine-1,1-dioxide, MP 269° to 270°C. 

Further reactions of allyl organometallics with a-alkoxyaldimines 1, prepared from (S)-2-(methoxymcthoxy)propionaldehyde and (R)- and (S)-l-phenylethylamine, illuminate the difference in the influence of the nitrogen chiral auxiliary and the x-alkoxy center7. 

Propionaldehyde was poured into a container that was intended for collecting residues from different chemical reactions and that already contained methyl methacrylate. The medium detonated not long after this operation and when closing the container. This could be explained (as has already been seen with vinyi acetate) by the fact that propionaidehyde was peroxidised and catalysed the methacrylate polymerisation that could not be controlled. 

Following an incident in which a drum containing bulked drainings (from other drums awaiting reconditioning) finned and later exploded after sealing, it was found that methyl methacrylate and propionaldehyde can, under certain conditions of mixing, lead to a rapid exothermic reaction. Precautions are discussed. 

So far we have not touched on the fact that the important topic of solvation energy is not yet taken into account. The extent to which solvation influences gas-phase energy values can be considerable. As an example, gas-phase data for fundamental enolisation reactions are included in Table 1. Related aqueous solution phase data can be derived from equilibrium constants 31). The gas-phase heats of enolisation for acetone and propionaldehyde are 19.5 and 13 keal/mol, respectively. The corresponding free energies of enolisation in solution are 9.9 and 5.4 kcal/mol. (Whether the difference between gas and solution derives from enthalpy or entropy effects is irrelevant at this stage.) Despite this, our experience with gas-phase enthalpies calculated by the methods described in this chapter leads us to believe that even the current approach is most valuable for evaluation of reactivity. 

A closer examination by ex situ analysis using NMR or gas chromatography illustrates that intrazeolite reaction mixtures can get complex. For example photooxygenation of 1-pentene leads to three major carbonyl products plus a mixture of saturated aldehydes (valeraldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, acetaldehyde)38 (Fig. 33). Ethyl vinyl ketone and 2-pentenal arise from addition of the hydroperoxy radical to the two different ends of the allylic radical (Fig. 33). The ketone, /i-3-penten-2-one, is formed by intrazeolite isomerization of 1-pentene followed by CT mediated photooxygenation of the 2-pentene isomer. Dioxetane cleavage, epoxide rearrangement, or presumably even Floch cleavage130,131 of the allylic hydroperoxides can lead to the mixture of saturated aldehydes. 

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