Sulfuric acid esters, hydrolysis

Sulfuric acid esters also undergo chemical hydrolysis, which can be acid- or base-catalyzed [170], As a rule, the former reaction is faster than the latter, the slowest rates being found around neutrality. High dependence on chemical structure is another characteristic of sulfuric acid ester hydrolysis. 

Castor oil sulfation results largely in a sulfuric acid ester in which the hydroxyl group of ricinoleic acid has been esterified. However, other reactions can also take place. For example, the double bond can be attacked to produce an ester or the hydroxysulfonic acid (33). Hydrolysis of the sulfuric acid esters occurs during the reaction and subsequent treatment forming hydroxy acids and sulfuric acid. These hydroxy acids can be further sulfated. 

Some sulfatases (sulfuric ester hydrolases, EC 3.1.6) play a pharmacological role in the hydrolysis of sulfuric acid ester metabolites and the few such esters that are used as prodrugs. Arylsulfatase (sulfatase, arylsulfohydrolase,... 

Hydrolysis of Sulfuric Acid Esters and Related Compounds... 

A number of enzymes known as sulfuric ester hydrolases (EC 3.1.6) are able to hydrolyze sulfuric acid esters. They comprise arylsulfatase (sulfatase, EC 3.1.6.1), steryl-sulfatase (steroid sulfatase, steryl-sulfate sulfohydrolase, arylsulfatase C, EC 3.1.6.2), choline-sulfatase (choline-sulfate sulfohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.6), and monomethyl-sulfatase (EC 3.1.6.16). Whereas mono-methyl-sulfatase is highly specific and does not act on higher homologues, arylsulfatase has a broad substrate specificity and is of particular significance in the hydrolysis of sulfate conjugates of phenols, be they endogenous compounds, drugs, or their metabolites [167-169],... 

One class of organic reactions in sulfuric acid is hydrolysis, which affects functional groups such as ethers, esters, nitriles, halogenated organics, and converts amides to the corresponding carboxylic acid, as follows ... 

Hydrolysis of an epoxide with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid as catalyst may proceed poorly because of formation of a sulfuric acid ester or a chloride, and use of an acid incapable of forming an ester is indicated. The reagent of choice is aqueous perchloric acid in tetrahydrofurane, but the more eostly periodic acid is also effective. 

Formation of sulfate esters is one of the metabolic conjugation reactions (phase II reactions, see Chapter 31). Sulfates of estradiol, glucose, menadiol, and hydro-xyethyl-theophylline have been prepared (Fig. 36.9). As a rule sulfuric acid esters, compared with their phosphoric analogues, are resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis in and their conversion to the parent drug is questionable. 

Arylsulfates are decomposed by hydrolytic enzymes, a reaction similar to the hydrolysis of phosphoric acid esters by phosphatases (66, 66). It has been suggested that the true substrates of arylsulfatases are sulfuric acid esters of sterol hormones (67). 

The amide group is readily hydrolyzed to acrylic acid, and this reaction is kinetically faster in base than in acid solutions (5,32,33). However, hydrolysis of N-alkyl derivatives proceeds at slower rates. The presence of an electron-with-drawing group on nitrogen not only facilitates hydrolysis but also affects the polymerization behavior of these derivatives (34,35). With concentrated sulfuric acid, acrylamide forms acrylamide sulfate salt, the intermediate of the former sulfuric acid process for producing acrylamide commercially. Further reaction of the salt with alcohols produces acrylate esters (5). In strongly alkaline anhydrous solutions a potassium salt can be formed by reaction with potassium / /-butoxide in tert-huty alcohol at room temperature (36). 

The sulfuric acid hydrolysis may be performed as a batch or continuous operation. Acrylonitrile is converted to acrylamide sulfate by treatment with a small excess of 85% sulfuric acid at 80—100°C. A hold-time of about 1 h provides complete conversion of the acrylonitrile. The reaction mixture may be hydrolyzed and the aqueous acryhc acid recovered by extraction and purified as described under the propylene oxidation process prior to esterification. Alternatively, after reaction with excess alcohol, a mixture of acryhc ester and alcohol is distilled and excess alcohol is recovered by aqueous extractive distillation. The ester in both cases is purified by distillation. 

Two important widely used sulfonic acids are known as TwitcheU s reagents, or as in Russia, the Petrov catalysts. These reagents are based on benzene or naphthalene ( ) and (12), [3055-92-3] and [82415-39-2] respectively. The materials are typically made by the coupling of an unsaturated fatty acid with benzene or naphthalene in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid (128). These sulfonic acids have been used extensively in the hydrolysis of fats and oils, such as beef tallow (129), coconut oil (130,131), fatty methyl esters (132), and various other fats and oils (133—135). TwitcheU reagents have also found use as acidic esterification catalysts (136) and dispersing agents (137). 

Sulfated Natural Oils and Fats. Sulfated natural triglycerides were the first nonsoap commercial surfactants introduced in the middle of the nineteenth century. Since then sulfates of many vegetable, animal, and fish oils have been investigated (see also Fats AND FATTY oils). With its hydroxyl group and a double bond, ricinoleic acid (12-hydroxy-9,10-octadecenoic acid) is an oil constituent particularly suited for sulfation. Its sulfate is known as turkey-red oil. Oleic acid is also suited for sulfation. Esters of these acids can be sulfated with a minimum of hydrolysis of the glyceride group. Polyunsaturated acids, with several double bonds, lead to dark-colored sulfation products. The reaction with sulfuric acid proceeds through either the hydroxyl or the double bond. The sulfuric acid half ester thus formed is neutralized with caustic soda ... 

The principal constituents of rosin (qv) are abietic and related acids. Tall oil (qv) is a mixture of unsaturated fatty and aHcycHc acids of the abietic family. Refined tall oil may be high in rosin acids or unsaturated acids, depending on the refining process. Ethoxylates of rosin acids, eg, dehydro abietic acid, are similar to fatty acid ethoxylates in surfactant properties and manufacture, except for thek stabiHty to hydrolysis. No noticeable decomposition is observed when a rosin ester of this type is boiled for 15 min in 10% sulfuric acid or 25% sodium hydroxide (90). Steric hindrance of the carboxylate group associated with the aHcycHc moiety has been suggested as the cause of this unexpectedly great hydrolytic stabiHty. 

Uses ndReactions. Dihydromyrcene is used primarily for manufacture of dihydromyrcenol (25), but there are no known uses for the pseudocitroneUene. Dihydromyrcene can be catalyticaUy hydrated to dihydromyrcenol by a variety of methods (103). Reaction takes place at the more reactive tri-substituted double bond. Reaction of dihydromyrcene with formic acid gives a mixture of the alcohol and the formate ester and hydrolysis of the mixture with base yields dihydromyrcenol (104). The mixture of the alcohol and its formate ester is also a commercially avaUable product known as Dimyrcetol. Sulfuric acid is reported to have advantages over formic acid and hydrogen chloride in that it is less compUcated and gives a higher yield of dihydromyrcenol (105). 

Cellulose acetate [9004-35-7] is the most important organic ester because of its broad appHcation in fibers and plastics it is prepared in multi-ton quantities with degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from that of hydrolyzed, water-soluble monoacetates to those of fully substituted triacetate (Table 1). Soluble cellulose acetate was first prepared in 1865 by heating cotton and acetic anhydride at 180°C (1). Using sulfuric acid as a catalyst permitted preparation at lower temperatures (2), and later, partial hydrolysis of the triacetate gave an acetone-soluble cellulose acetate (3). The solubiUty of partially hydrolyzed (secondary) cellulose acetate in less expensive and less toxic solvents such as acetone aided substantially in its subsequent commercial development. 

In this reaction, three steps, ie, acylation, cyclization, and replacement of the chlorine atom by the hydroxyl group, take place simultaneously in concentrated sulfuric acid. In the course of cyclization 2,7-dichlorofluoran (31) may be formed as a by-product presumably through the carbonium ion (30) ihustrated as follows. The addition of boric acid suppresses this pathway and promotes the regular cyclization to form the anthraquinone stmcture. The stable boric acid ester formed also enables the complete replacement of chlorine atoms by the hydroxyl group. Hydrolysis of the boric acid ester of quinizarin is carried out by heating in dilute sulfuric acid. The purity of quinizarin thus obtained is around 90%. Highly pure product can be obtained by sublimation. 

Other Methods of Preparation. In addition to the direct hydration process, the sulfuric acid process, and fermentation routes to manufacture ethanol, several other processes have been suggested. These include the hydration of ethylene by dilute acids, the hydrolysis of ethyl esters other than sulfates, the hydrogenation of acetaldehyde, and the use of synthesis gas. None of these methods has been successfilUy implemented on a commercial scale, but the route from synthesis gas has received a great deal of attention since the 1974 oil embargo. 

The most convenient laboratory method for the preparation of 2,4-dimethyl-5-carbethoxypyrrole is that given above. A cheaper method of obtaining large quantities consists in the partial hydrolysis of 2,4-dimethyl-3,5-dicarbethoxypyrrole with sulfuric acid, followed by decarboxylation. The ester has been obtained also by the alcoholysis of 5-trichloroaceto-2,4-dimethyl-pyrrole in the presence of sodium ethylate. The free acid has been obtained fronii-[2,4-dimethylpyrrole-5]-2,4-dimethylpyrrole-5-carboxylic acid and from 2,4-dimethylpyrrole-5-aldehyde. ... 

As esters of sulfuric acid, the hydrophilic group of alcohol sulfates and alcohol ether sulfates is the sulfate ion, which is linked to the hydrophobic tail through a C-O-S bond. This bond gives the molecule a relative instability as this linkage is prone to hydrolysis in acidic media. This establishes a basic difference from other key anionic surfactants such as alkyl and alkylbenzene-sulfonates, which have a C-S bond, completely stable in all normal conditions of use. The chemical structure of these sulfate molecules partially limits their conditions of use and their application areas but nevertheless they are found undoubtedly in the widest range of application types among anionic surfactants. 

Alcohol sulfates are half esters of sulfuric acid and contain a C-O-S bond in the molecule. This bond is only relatively stable in water and can hydrolyze, mainly under acidic conditions. The hydrolysis is favored by temperature as was proven in the study of Maurer et al. with octadecyl sulfuric acid [57]. They found that a 0.05 M solution in distilled water at 100°C hydrolyzed to 50% in less than 30 min, whereas at 60°C the hydrolysis was 10% after 3 h and 16% after 7 h. 

Oae found that for both base- and acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of phenyl benzenesul-fonate, there was no incorporation of 0 from solvent into the sulfonate ester after partial hydrolysis. This was interpreted as ruling out a stepwise mechanism, but in fact it could be stepwise with slow pseudorotation. In fact this nonexchange can be explained by Westheimer s rules for pseudorotation, assuming the same rules apply to pentacoordinate sulfur. For the acid-catalyzed reaction, the likely intermediate would be 8 for which pseudorotation would be disfavored because it would put a carbon at an apical position. Further protonation to the cationic intermediate is unlikely even in lOM HCl (the medium for Oae s experiments) because of the high acidity of this species a Branch and Calvin calculation (See Appendix), supplemented by allowance for the effect of the phenyl groups (taken as the difference in between sulfuric acid and benzenesulfonic acid ), leads to a pA, of -7 for the first pisTa of this cation about -2 for the second p/sTa. and about 3 for the third Thus, protonation by aqueous HCl to give the neutral intermediate is likely but further protonation to give cation 9 would be very unlikely. 

Pure parathion is a pale yellow, practically odorless oil, which crystallizes in long white needles melting at 6.0° C. (17). It is soluble in organic solvents, except kerosenes of low aromatic content, and is only slightly soluble in water (15 to 20 p.p.m. at 20° to 25° C.). Peck (35) measured its rate of hydrolysis to diethyl thiophosphate and nitro-phenate ions in alkaline solutions. He found that the reaction kinetics are first order with respect to the ester and to hydroxyl ion. In normal sulfuric acid the rate of hydrolysis was the same as in distilled water. Peck concluded that hydrolysis takes place by two mechanisms—a reaction catalyzed by hydroxyl ions and an independent uncatalyzed reaction with water. He calculated that at a pH below 10 the time for 50% hydrolysis at 25° C. is 120 days in the presence of saturated lime water the time is 8 hours. The over-all velocity constant at 25° C. is k = 0.047 [OH-] + 4 X 10-6 min.-1... 

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