The Esters

This generalization eventually led to the preparation of a large number of analogous esters. It was, however, observed that esters of higher alkyl groups and those with the normal chains are most active. During the period 1904 to 1909, several esters of basic alcohols with benzoic acid were prepared, viz., amylocaine (1904), procaine (1906) and orthoform (1909). 

The local anaesthetics may be classified on the basis of their chemical structures as described 

The earlier observations made by Einhom really stimulated research towards the synthesis of a number of benzoic acid esters which exhibited significant local anaesthetic properties. A few 

Examples Ethyl-p-amino benzoate Butamben Orthocaine Procaine Hydrochloride Tetracaine Hydrochloride Butacaine Sulfate Cyclomethycaine Sulphate Proxymetacaine Hydrochloride Propoxycaine Hydrochloride Hexylcaine Hydrochloride, etc. 

Being insoluble it is generally used as an ointment to get rid of the pain eaused due to wounds, uleers and mucous surfaces. Its anaesthetic action is usually displayed for the period it remains in eontact with the skin or mucosal surface. Hence, it forms an important ingredient in various types of ereams, ointments, powders, lozenges and aerosol sprays so as to relieve the pain of naked surfaees and severely inflamed mucous membranes. 

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C2H4N2O3, NH2CONHCOOH. Unknown in the free state as it breaks down immediately to urea and COi- The NH4, Ba, Ca, K and Na salts are known and are prepared by treating ethyl allophanate with the appropriate hydroxide. The esters with alcohols and phenols are crystalline solids, sparingly soluble in water and alcohol. They are formed by passing cyanic acid into alcohols or a solution of an alcohol or phenol in benzene. The amide of allophanic acid is biuret. Alcohols are sometimes isolated and identified by means of their allophanates. 

More selective than reduction with L1AIH4 and, e.g., will not reduce the ester group in keto-esters. 

HOOC-[CHa]8-COOH, CioH.aO. Colourless leaflets m.p. 134°C. Manufactured by heating castor oil with alkalis or by distillation of oleic acid. Forms an anhydride, m.p. 78 C. The esters of sebacic acid are used as plasticizers, especially for vinyl resins. 

Loss of water now gives the protonated form (V) of the ester (VI),... 

This method is to be recommended when only a small quantity of the acid is availa ble, since both the conversion of the acid into its silver salt (p. 445) and of the latter to the ester give almost quantitative yields. 

Similarly, since 60 g. of acetic acid should theoretically give 88 g. of ethyl acetate, 52 g. should give 77 g. of the ester, and hence the yield. 

The hydrolysis of as little as 0 5 ml. of the ester can be carried out in the combined reflux-distillation apparatus shown in Fig. 38 (p, 63). Pass a stream of cold water through the vertical condenser. Place in the 10 ml. pear-shaped flask 0 5 ml. of the ester, 5 ml. of 10% NaOH solution and one or two minute fragments of unglazed porcelain and heat the mixture gently for 15 minutes so that the vapours do not rise more than about half-way up the vertical water ondenser. Now run the water out of the ver ical condenser, insert a thermometer at the top, and pass water through the inclined condenser. Heat the flask sufficiently strongly to collect 1--2 ml. of distillate. This is dilute ethanol. 

When the solution has been boiling for hours, remove A, cool the contents, and then pour the ethanolic solution of the ester into a separating-funnel containing about 200 ml. of water, finally rinsing out the flask with a few ml. of water which are also doured into the funnel. Since the pensity of ethyl benzoate is only... 

Method (1) is most frequently used for aliphatic acid amides, while Methods (2a), (2b) and (zc) are used most frequently for aromatic acid amides. Of the last three methods, the Acid Chloride Method (zb) is the most rapid and certain. The Ester Method (za) is practicable only when the amide is insoluble in water, and even then is often very slow unless the ester itself is appreciabb soluble in the aqueous ammonia solution. 

Cinnamic acid can be readily esterified by the Fischer-Speier method without any risk of the addition of hydrogen chloride at the double bond. Proceed precisely as for the preparation of ethyl benzoate (p. 104), using 20 g. of cinnamic acid and 20 ml. of rectified spirit. When the crude product is poured into water, a sharp separation of the ester is not readily obtained, and hence the addition of about 10 ml. of carbon tetrachloride is particularly desirable. Finally distil off the carbon... 

Place I ml. of benzyl alcohol in a boiling-tube and add 6 ml. of 10% sodium hydroxide solution add also 6 ml. of water to moderate the subsequent reaction, otherwise the rise in temperature may cause hydrolysis of some of the ester produced. Now add r-q g. of finely powdered />-nitrobenzoyl chloride, and shake the well-corked tube vigorously. The mixture becomes warm, and the solid ester rapidly... 

Place I g. of powdered 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl chloride in a small conical flask, add 2 5 ml. of dry methanol, and warm on a water-bath until the solid has dissolved. Cool and filter off the 3,5-dinitrobenzoate which has separated. Recrystallise from ethanol or petroleum (b.p. 60-80°). The ester separates in colourless crystals, m.p. 108°. Yield,... 

If a vacuum-distillation apparatus is not available for the above preparation, the crude product may be distilled at atmospheric pressure and the acetoacetate collected as the fraction boiling at i75 -i85 . A pure preparation cannot be obtained in this way, however, because the ester decomposes slightly when distilled at atmospheric pressure. 

Demonstrate both the presence and the interconversion of the keto and enol forms in the ester thus ... 

To 2 ml. of the ester in a test-tube add slightly more than the same volume of a cold saturated aqueous copper acetate solution. The blue colour of the latter turns immediately to a pale green. Now shake the tube vigorously in order to produce an emulsion of the ester in the aqueous layer. Scratch the sides of the tube with a rod, and shake vigorously as before. Crystallisation may be delayed for about 5 minutes, but, when once started, rapidly gives a copious precipitate... 

To 2 ml. of the ester, add 2--3 drops of a saturated freshly prepared solution of scdium bisulphite. On shaking, a gelatinous precipitate of the bisulphite addition product (D) of the keto form separates, and on standing for 5-10 minutes usually crystallises out. This is a normal reaction of a ketone (see p. 344) hydrogen cyanide adds on similarly to give a cyanhydrin. 

Synthetic use of Ethyl Acetoacetate, In view of the great importance of the ester in synthetic work, the following practical points concerning its use should be borne in mind. 

Mono and Di-iubstitution Derivatives. The enolic sodium derivative of ethyl acetoacetate (E) is prepared by mixing ethanolic solutions of the ester and of sodium ethoxide. It should not be prepared by the direct action of metallic sodium on the ester, as the reaction is slow and the nascent hydrogen evolved reduces some of the ester to ethyl p4iydroxy- butyrate, CH3CH(OH)CHjCOOEt. 

Ethane tetracarboxylic ethyl ester can be regarded as composed of two malonic ester residues, each acting as a mono-alkyl substituent to the other. The two remaining hydrogen atoms therefore still retain acidic properties, and consequently the ester gives with sodium ethoxide a di-sodium derivative. 

The compound (III) can however lose ethanol by an internal Claisen ester condensation (p. 264) to give the cyclohexane derivative (IV), which, being the ester of a (3-keto acid, in turn readily undergoes hydrolysis and decarboxylation to give 5,5Hiimethyl cyclohexan-i,3Hiione (V) or Dimedone, a valuable reagent for the detection and estimation of formaldehyde. 

This synthesis of the pyrrole ring system, due to Knorr, consists in the condensation of an a-aminoketone with a 1,3-diketone or the ester of a p-keto-acid, a-Aminoketones are unstable in the free state, readily undergoing self-condensation consequently they must be prepared, by the reduction of an a-nitroso (or oximino) ketone, in the presence of the 1,3-diketone or p-ketoester, to ensure rapid interaction. 

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