THE PREPARATION OF PHOSGENE

Phosgene is readily and cheaply available, in cylinders, or as a solution in toluene (usually 12.5 or 20 % w/w), from commercial suppliers, so that it is rarely necessary to prepare the material in the laboratory. For the preparation of small quantities of phosgene solution of alternative concentrations, or in other solvents, the following procedure may be used, based upon the reaction of tetrachloromethane with sulfuric acid  

Phosgene, contaminated to some degree with hydrogen chloride (typically 2 % w/w when toluene is employed), was absorbed in the non-aqueous solvent contained in the second Dreschel bottle. 

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During the war large quantities were obtained as a by-product in the preparation of phosgene from carbon tetrachloride and oleum (see p. 61). 

Fig, 5.6 Apparatus for the preparation of phosgene solutions on a laboratory scale B contains toluene and D contains 20 % aqueous sodium hydroxide solution [704a]. 

A novel method for the preparation of phosgene is based on the observation that considerable amounts of COClj are evolved when aliphatic aldehydes - CH3CHO, MejCHCHO, or (CHjO)3 - react with CCl in the presence of aluminium(III) chloride [1005,1006]. The reaction of paraformaldehyde HO(CHjO) H n = 8-100 with CCI in... 

An early patent describes the preparation of phosgene and calcium carbide by heating a mixture of calcium oxide, calcium chloride (or NaCl or MgClj) and carbon in an electric furnace [1289a]. The phosgene is formed from the combination of CO and Clj (in the presence of coke) released by heating the mixture. The overall stoicheiometry corresponds to ... 

Michler s ketone is prepared industrially by the interaction of phosgene (COCl,) and dimethyl aniline. 

Other acetyl chloride preparations include the reaction of acetic acid and chlorinated ethylenes in the presence of ferric chloride [7705-08-0] (29) a combination of ben2yl chloride [100-44-7] and acetic acid at 85% yield (30) conversion of ethyUdene dichloride, in 91% yield (31) and decomposition of ethyl acetate [141-78-6] by the action of phosgene [75-44-5] producing also ethyl chloride [75-00-3] (32). The expense of raw material and capital cost of plant probably make this last route prohibitive. Chlorination of acetic acid to monochloroacetic acid [79-11-8] also generates acetyl chloride as a by-product (33). Because acetyl chloride is cosdy to recover, it is usually recycled to be converted into monochloroacetic acid. A salvage method in which the mixture of HCl and acetyl chloride is scmbbed with H2SO4 to form acetyl sulfate has been patented (33). 

Preparation of Arylcarboxylic Acids and Derivatives. The general Friedel-Crafts acylation principle can be successfully appHed to the preparation of aromatic carboxyUc acids. Carbonyl haUdes (phosgene, carbonyl chloride fluoride, or carbonyl fluoride) [353-50-4] are diacyl haUdes of carbonic acid. Phosgene [75-44-5] or oxalyl chloride [79-37-8] react with aromatic hydrocarbons to give aroyl chlorides that yield acids on hydrolysis (133) ... 

Ketone formation can also be avoided if one of the functional acyl halogens ia phosgene is blocked. Carbamyl chlorides, readily obtained by the reaction of phosgene with ammonia or amines, are suitable reagents for the preparation of amides ia direct Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatics. The resulting amides can be hydroly2ed to the corresponding acids (134) ... 

Preparation from Amines. The most common method of preparing isocyanates, even on a commercial scale, involves the reaction of phosgene [75-44-5] and aromatic or aUphatic amine precursors. The initial reaction step, the formation of N-substituted carbamoyl chloride (1), is highly exothermic and is succeeded by hydrogen chloride elimination which takes place at elevated temperatures. 

Naphthol is mainly used in the manufacture of the insecticide carbaryl (59), l-naphthyl A/-methyicarbamate/ iJ-2j5 - (Sevin) (22), which is produced by the reaction of 1-naphthol with methyl isocyanate. Methyl isocyanate is usually prepared by treating methylamine with phosgene. Methyl isocyanate is a very toxic Hquid, boiling at 38°C, and should not be stored for long periods of time (Bhopal accident, India). India has developed a process for the preparation of aryl esters of A/-alkyl carbamic acids. Thus l-naphthyl methylcarbamate is prepared by refluxing 1-naphthol with ethyl methylcarbamate and POCl in toluene (60). In 1992, carbaryl production totaled > 11.4 x 10 t(35). Rhc ne-Poulenc, at its Institute, W. Va., facihty is the only carbaryl producer in United States. 

An important direct use of phosgene is in the preparation of polymers. Polycarbonate is the most significant and commercially valuable material (see Polycarbonates). However, the use of phosgene has been described for other polymer systems, eg, fiber-forming polymeric polyketones and polyureas (90,91). 

In the ketone method, the central carbon atom is derived from phosgene (qv). A diarylketone is prepared from phosgene and a tertiary arylamine and then condenses with another mole of a tertiary arylamine (same or different) in the presence of phosphoms oxychloride or zinc chloride. The dye is produced directly without an oxidation step. Thus, ethyl violet [2390-59-2] Cl Basic Violet 4 (15), is prepared from 4,4 -bis(diethylamino)benzophenone with diethylaruline in the presence of phosphoms oxychloride. This reaction is very useful for the preparation of unsymmetrical dyes. Condensation of 4,4 -bis(dimethylamino)benzophenone [90-94-8] (Michler s ketone) with AJ-phenjl-l-naphthylamine gives the Victoria Blue B [2580-56-5] Cl Basic Blue 26, which is used for coloring paper and producing ballpoint pen pastes and inks. 

Nitrophenyl isocyanate has been prepared by heating -nitrophenyl carbamyl chloride. The latter has been obtained by the action of phosgene on -nitroaniline in benzene-toluene solutions, and by the action of phosphorus pentachloride on methyl jii-nitrophenylcarbamate. The preparation given above is based upon recent publications of the authors. ... 

Dimethylaniline is also used for the preparation of tetra-methyldiaminobenzophenone(Michler s compound), which forms the basis of many colouring matters, and is obtained by acting upon dimethylaniline with phosgene (see p. 314))... 

The preparation of 3,5-diphenyl-4-oxazolin-2-one by reaction of phenacylaniline with phosgene was described by McCombie and Scarborough, who also showed that the 3,4,5-triphenyl analog was an extremely stable compound which failed to react with a variety of... 

An intermediate used in the preparation of the antihistamine, propiomazine, serves as starting material for a 2-substi-tuted major tranquilizer as well. Thus, reaction of the phosgene... 

Benzophenone has been prepared by the distillation of calcium benzoate,1 by the action of benzoyl chloride on benzene in the presence of aluminium chloride,2 by the action of phosgene on benzene in the presence of aluminium chloride,3 by the action of carbon tetrachloride on benzene in the presence of aluminium chloride followed by hydrolysis.4... 

An important example is the preparation of carbobenzoxy chloride (PhCH20C0Cl) from phosgene and benzyl alcohol. This compound is widely used for protection of amino groups during peptide synthesis (see 10-55). 

The mechanism of the condensation in Part D probably involves thioformylation of the metallated isocyanoacetate followed by intramolecular 1,1-addition of the tautomeric enethiol to the isonitrile. This thi2izole synthesis is analogous to the formation of oxazoles from acylation of metallated isonitriles with acid chlorides or anhydrides. " Interestingly, ethyl formate does not react with isocyanoacetate under the conditions of this procedure. Ethyl and methyl isocyanoacetate have been prepared in a similar manner by dehydration of the corresponding N-formylglycine esters with phosgene and trichloromethyl chloroformate, respectively. The phosphoryl chloride method described here was provided to the submitters by Professor U. Schollkopf and is based on the procedure of Bohme and Fuchs. The preparation of O-ethyl thioformate in Part C was developed from a report by Ohno, Koi/.uma, and Tsuchihaski. " ... 

Trichloromethyl chloroformate has proven effective in the preparation of N-carboxy-a-amino acid anhydrides from amino acids, and various compounds having isocyanate, acid chloride, and chloroformate groups.For example, trichloromethyl chloroformate may be used instead of phosgene in the preparation of 2-tert-butoxycarbonyloxyimino-2-phenylacetonitrile. The use of this reagent is illustrated here by the synthesis of 3-isocyanato-propanoyl chloride from 3-aminopropanoic acid hydrochloride. 

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