Pyrolysis isomerization, thermal

In the thermal reaction of 1-butene, considerable amounts of liquid hydrocarbons were produced at 700°C and at conversion levels around 30 mole % (13), whereas 2-butene isomers did not give significant yields of liquid hydrocarbons at comparable pyrolysis conditions. Thermal reaction of 1-butene is mainly the scission of the C-C bond that proceeds by a radical mechanism, while reaction of cis- and frans-2-butene involves isomerization that proceeds by a molecular mechanism (6, 17). 

Heat s. Isomerization, thermal, Pyrolysis, Rearrangement, -Helferich-Schmitz-Hillebrecht reaction 22, 243 Helicenes 20, 645 suppl. 23 Helium 23, 719... 

Thermal and Photochemical Reactions. Unsubstituted ethyleneimine has astonishing thermal stabihty. The reaction of ethyleneimine diluted with argon proceeds to give a mixture of unidentified compounds only at temperatures above 400°C (339). In a flow pyrolysis system under pressures of <1.33 kPa (<10 mm Hg) on quartz wool, isomerization to give /V-methylenemethylamine and ethylideneimine was observed only ia the temperature range 510—535°C. Higher temperatures result ia fragmentation (340). 

An excess of crotonaldehyde or aUphatic, ahcyhc, and aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives is used as a solvent to produce compounds of molecular weights of 1000—5000 (25—28). After removal of unreacted components and solvent, the adduct referred to as polyester is decomposed in acidic media or by pyrolysis (29—36). Proper operation of acidic decomposition can give high yields of pure /n j ,/n7 j -2,4-hexadienoic acid, whereas the pyrolysis gives a mixture of isomers that must be converted to the pure trans,trans form. The thermal decomposition is carried out in the presence of alkaU or amine catalysts. A simultaneous codistillation of the sorbic acid as it forms and the component used as the solvent can simplify the process scheme. The catalyst remains in the reaction batch. Suitable solvents and entraining agents include most inert Hquids that bod at 200—300°C, eg, aUphatic hydrocarbons. When the polyester is spHt thermally at 170—180°C and the sorbic acid is distilled direcdy with the solvent, production and purification can be combined in a single step. The solvent can be reused after removal of the sorbic acid (34). The isomeric mixture can be converted to the thermodynamically more stable trans,trans form in the presence of iodine, alkaU, or sulfuric or hydrochloric acid (37,38). 

Thermal isomerization of a-pinene, usually at about 450°C, gives a mixture of equal amounts of dipentene (15) and aHoocimene (16) (49,50). Ocimene (17) is produced initially but is unstable and rearranges to aHoocimene, which is subject to cyclization at higher temperatures to produce a- and P-pyronenes (18 and 19). The pyrolysis conditions are usually optimized to give the maximum amount of aHoocimene. Ocimenes can be produced by a technique using shorter contact time and rapid quenching or steam dilution (51). 

Uses ndReactions. Some of the principal uses for P-pinene are for manufacturing terpene resins and for thermal isomerization (pyrolysis) to myrcene. The resins are made by Lewis acid (usuaUy AlCl ) polymerization of P-pinene, either as a homopolymer or as a copolymer with other terpenes such as limonene. P-Pinene polymerizes much easier than a-pinene and the resins are usehil in pressure-sensitive adhesives, hot-melt adhesives and coatings, and elastomeric sealants. One of the first syntheses of a new fragrance chemical from turpentine sources used formaldehyde with P-pinene in a Prins reaction to produce the alcohol, Nopol (26) (59). 

Myrcene Manufacture. An important commercial source for mycene is its manufacture by pyrolysis of p-piaene at 550—600°C (87). The thermal isomerization produces a mixture of about 75—77 wt % myrcene, 9% limonene, a small amount of T -limonene [499-97-8] and some decomposition products and dimers. The cmde mixture is usually used without purification for the production of the important alcohols nerol and geraniol. Myrcene may be purified by distillation but every precaution must be taken to prevent polymerization. The use of inhibitors and distillation at reduced pressures and moderate temperatures is recommended. Storage or shipment of myrcene in any purity should also include the addition of a polymerization inhibitor. 

Another important process for linalool manufacture is the pyrolysis of i j -pinanol, which is produced from a-pinene. The a-pinene is hydrogenated to (73 -pinane, which is then oxidized to cis- and /n j -pinane hydroperoxide. Catalytic reduction of the hydroperoxides gives cis- and /n j -pinanol, which are then fractionally distilled subsequendy the i j -pinanol is thermally isomerized to linalool. Overall, the yield of linalool from a-pinene is estimated to be about 30%. 

In contrast with the relatively facile thermal rearrangement of sulfinates to sulfones discussed in the preceding section, the reverse process is relatively, rarely encountered and is usually observed only at elevated temperatures. One of the first thermal sulfone to sulfinate isomerizations has been invoked by Fields and Meyerson to occur during the pyrolysis of dibenzothiophene S, S-dioxide (26) to dibenzofuran, through elimination of sulfur monoxide from the sultine intermediate 27 (equation 27). More recently, the flash vapor-phase pyrolysis of various 2,5-dialkyl and diaryl thiophene-S, S-dioxides has also been shown to involve SO extrusion and formation of the corresponding furans in good yields . 

More recently, a number of reports dealing with 1,3-sulfonyl shifts which proceed by other mechanisms have been published. For example, Baechler and coworkers suggested that the higher activation enthalpy observed for the isomerization of the deuterium labeled methallyl sulfone 72 in nitrobenzene at 150°C as compared to the corresponding sulfide, together with the positive entropy of activation may be taken as evidence for a homolytic dissociation mechanism (equation 44). A similar mechanism has also been suggested by Little and coworkers for the gas-phase thermal rearrangement of deuterium labelled allyl sec-butyl sulfone, which precedes its pyrolysis to alkene and sulfur dioxide. 

S-37 (see above) it is also possible to prepare and to matrix-isolate the silicon species 124, 125, and 126, which again exist in a photoequilibrium. Our first entry to 1-silacyclopropenylidene (124) was the pulsed flash pyrolysis of 2-ethynyl-l,l,l-trimethyldisilane (123).71,72 Even though the structure of educt molecule 123 suggests formation of ethynylsilylene (125), the isolated product was 124. Obviously 125 had already thermally isomerized to the most stable isomer 124 before the products were condensed at 10 K. 

It was also found that the ring expansion could be accomplished photo-chemically, from either phenyldiazomethane or triplet phenylcarbene.7 Both the thermal and photochemical ring expansions were found to be reversible,5c, thus providing rare examples of carbene-to-carbene interconversions. One remarkable example of this reversibility is the interconversion of the isomeric tolylcarbenes upon pyrolysis — the ultimate products of which include styrene and benzocyclobutene (Scheme 3).6,8,9... 

The flash vacuum pyrolysis of alkynes, arynes, and aryl radicals has been reviewed. A discussion of secondary reactions and rearrangements is included. The pyrolysis of cyclopentadienes has also been examined. The rates for the initial C—H bond fission and the decomposition of C-C5H5 have been calculated. A single-pulse shock study on the thermal decomposition of 1-pentyl radicals found alkene products that are formed by radical isomerization through 1,4- and 1,3-hydrogen migration to form 2- and 3-pentyl radicals. The pyrrolysis of f-butylbenzene in supercritical water was the subject of a report. ... 

Although it is generally agreed that the thermal isomerization of bicyclo[2.2.0]hexanes to hexa-l,5-dienes takes place via diradical intermediates,113 118 121,123 125 experimental evidence has been obtained which implies otherwise.115,116 While a radical stabilization energy of approximately 4 kcal mol"1 was obtained for the pyrolysis of methyl 4-chlorobicy-clo[2.2.0]hexane-l-carboxylate (28 b) to methyl 5-chlorohexa-l,5-diene-2-carboxylate (29b),115116 as related to the parent 2-chlorohexa-1,5-diene (29a),115-l16-118 kinetic studies have indicated that there is a small but significant increase in activation energy of about 1 kcal mol-1 for the gas-phase and solution pyrolysis of l-chloro-4-methylbicy-clo[2.2.0]hexane (28c), as compared to l-chlorobicyclo[2.2.0]hexane (28a).115-116 In the light of this result, the commonly accepted diradical mechanism must be questioned and it is likely that the isomerization of these compounds occurs via a concerted process. 

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