Sodium with alcohols

A remarkable feature of the Birch reduction of estradiol 3-methyl ether derivatives, as well as of other metal-ammonia reductions, is the extreme rapidity of reaction. Sodium and -butyl alcohol, a metal-alcohol combination having a comparatively slow rate of reduction, effects the reduction of estradiol 3-methyl ether to the extent of 96% in 5 minutes at —33° lithium also effects complete reduction under the same conditions as is to be expected. Shorter reaction times were not studied. At —70°, reduction with sodium occurs to the extent of 56 % in 5 minutes, although reduction with lithium is virtually complete (96%) in the same time. (The slow rates of reduction of compounds of the 5-methoxytetralin type is exemplified by 5-methoxy-tetralin itself with sodium and f-butyl alcohol reduction occurs to the extent of only 50% in 6 hours vs. 99+% with lithium.) The iron catalyzed reaction of sodium with alcohols must be very fast since it competes so well with the rapid Birch reduction. One cannot compensate for the presence of iron in a Birch reduction mixture containing sodium by adding additional metal to extend the reaction time. The iron catalyzed sodium-alcohol reaction is sufficiently rapid that the aromatic steroid still remains largely unreduced. 

The ether linkage is stable during the reduction of an aldehyde or ketone group by most reagents. A number of alkoxy and aryloxy alcohols are prepared in excellent yields by this method. Catalytic hydrogenation, sodium and wet ether, and sodium with alcohol have been used. 

In the reaction of sodium with alcohols, the electron is generated without the formation of other reactive species, thus providing a means of examining... 

Cj jH,2N202. Used as its sodium salt, which is a white hygroscopic powder. Unstable, readily absorbing carbon dioxide and liberating phenytoin. Made by treating a-bromodi-phenylacetylurea with alcoholic ammonia. It has a mild hypnotic and strong anticonvulsant action, and is used in the treatment of grand-mal and focal epilepsy. 

Piperitone is of considerable technical im portance. It is a colourless oil of a pleasant peppermint-like smell. (-)-Piperilone has b.p. 109-5-110-5 C/I5mm. Piperitone yields thymol on oxidation with FeCl. On reduction with hydrogen in presence of a nickel catalyst it yields menthone. On reduction with sodium in alcoholic solution all forms of piperitone yield racemic menthols and womenthols together with some racemic a-phel)andrene. 

SchifT s bases A -Arylimides, Ar-N = CR2, prepared by reaction of aromatic amines with aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes and ketones. They are crystalline, weakly basic compounds which give hydrochlorides in non-aqueous solvents. With dilute aqueous acids the parent amine and carbonyl compounds are regenerated. Reduction with sodium and alcohol gives... 

The reaction between 3,5 dinitrobenzoyl chloride and compounds containing the OH, NHj, or NH groups is very rapid, and therefore is particularly suitable for identification purposes cf. pp. 335, 338, 381). It is usual to have sodium hydroxide present during the reaction with phenols and amino-acids, but this is not necessary with alcohols if they are dry. 

Zinc cyanide. Solutions of the reactants are prepared by dis solving 100 g. of technical sodium cyanide (97-98 per cent. NaCN) in 125 ml. of water and 150 g. of anhydrous zinc chloride in the minimum volume of 50 per cent, alcohol (1). The sodium cyanide solution is added rapidly, with agitation, to the zinc chloride solution. The precipitated zinc cyanide is filtered off at the pump, drained well, washed with alcohol and then with ether. It is dried in a desiccator or in an air bath at 50°, and preserved in a tightly stoppered bottle. The yield is almost quantitative and the zinc cyanide has a purity of 95-98 per cent. (2). It has been stated that highly purified zinc cyanide does not react in the Adams modification of the Gattermann reaction (compare Section IV,12l). The product, prepared by the above method is, however, highly satisfactory. Commercial zinc cyanide may also be used. 

Hydrocinnamic acid may also be prepared by the reduction of cinnamic acid with sodium and alcohol or with sodium amalgam or with hydrogen in the presence of Adams platinum oxide catalyst (Section 111,150) ... 

Method 1. Place 11 5 g, of clean metallic sodium (compare Section III,7, Note 1), cut into small pieces, into a dry 1 litre round-bottomed fiask fitted with a 25 cm. double surface reflux condenser. Introduce 250 ml. of absolute, but preferably super dry (see Section 11,47, 5) ethyl alcohol all at once. A vigorous reaction ensues if the condenser tends to become flooded with alcohol, cool the flask either by surrounding it with a wet towel or by directing the waste water from the condenser upon... 

Trimethylene dibromide (1 mol) condenses with ethyl malonate (1 mol) in the presence of sodium ethoxide (2 mols) to form ethyl cydobutane-1 1-dksrboxylate (I). Upon hydrolysis of the latter with alcoholic potassium hydroxide, followed by acidification cyciobutane-1 1-dicarboxylic acid (II) is obtained. 

The most common interfering substance, especially with alcohols of low mole cular weight, is water this may result in an inaccurate interpretation of the test if applied alone. Most of the water may usually be removed by shaking with a little anhydrous calcium sulphate,. though dry ethers (and also the saturated aliphatic and the simple aromatic hydrocarbons) do not react with sodium, many other classes of organic compounds do. Thus ... 

Reduction with sodium in alcohol was unsuccessful (54). The introduction of lithium aluminium hydride has provided an elegant method for the reduction of thiazole esters to hydroxythiazoles for example, ethyl 2-methyl-4-thiazolecarboxylate (11 with lithium aluminium hydride in diethyl ether gives 2-methyl-4-(hydroxymethyl)thiazole (12) in 66 to 69% yield (Scheme 7) (53),... 

Sodium hydroxide, aicohoiic dissolve 20 g of NaOH in alcohol and dilute to 1 liter with alcohol. 

All lnaphthalenesulfonic Acids. The aLkyLnaphthalenesulfonic acids can be made by sulfonation of aLkyLnaphthalenes, eg, with sulfuric acid at 160°C, or by alkylation of naphthalenesulfonic acids with alcohols or olefins. These products, as the acids or their sodium salts, are commercially important as textile auxiUaries, surfactants (qv), wetting agents, dispersants (qv), and emulsifying aids, eg, for dyes (qv), wettable powder pesticides, tars, clays (qv), and hydrotropes. 

Use of excess sodium drives the reaction, usually done under an argon or helium blanket, to completion. After cooling, the excess sodium is leached with alcohol and the sodium and potassium fluorides are extracted with water, leaving a mass of metal powder. The metal powder is leached with hydrochloric acid to remove iron contamination from the cmcible. 

The principal impurity in potassium metal is sodium. Potassium s purity can be accurately deterrnined by a melting point test (Fig. 2) or atomic absorption if necessary after quenching with alcohol and water. Traces of nonmetallic impurities such as oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen can be deterrnined by various chemical and physical methods (7,8). 

Manufacture is either by reaction of molten sodium with methyl alcohol or by the reaction of methyl alcohol with sodium amalgam obtained from the electrolysis of brine in a Castner mercury cell (78). Both these methods produce a solution of sodium methylate in methanol and the product is offered in two forms a 30% solution in methanol, and a soHd, which is a dry, free-flowing white powder obtained by evaporating the methanol. The direct production of dry sodium methylate has been carried out by the introduction of methanol vapors to molten sodium in a heavy duty agitating reactor. The sohd is supphed in polyethylene bags contained in airtight dmms filled in a nitrogen atmosphere. 

Hydroisoquinolines. In addition to the ring-closure reactions previously cited, a variety of reduction methods are available for the synthesis of these important ring systems. Lithium aluminum hydride or sodium in Hquid ammonia convert isoquinoline to 1,2-dihydroisoquinoline (175). Further reduction of this intermediate or reduction of isoquinoline with tin and hydrochloric acid, sodium and alcohol, or catalyticaHy using platinum produces... 

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