Toluene steam distillation

Heat a suspension of 22 g. of the diacetate in a mixture of 120 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid, 190 ml. of water and 35 ml. of alcohol under reflux for 45 minutes. Cool the mixture to 0°, filter the solid with suction, and wash with water. Purify the crude aldehyde by rapid steam distillation (Fig. II, 41, 3) collect about 1500 ml. of distillate during 15 minutes, cool, filter, and dry in a vacuum desiccator over calcium chloride. The yield of pure o-nitrobenzaldehyde, m.p. 44—45°, is 10 g. The crude solid may also be purified after drying either by distillation under reduced pressure (the distillate of rather wide b.p., e.g., 120-144°/3-6 mm., is quite pure) or by dissolution in toluene (2-2-5 ml. per gram) and precipitation with light petroleum, b.p. 40°-60° (7 ml. per ml. of solution). 

Acetone in conjunction with benzene as a solvent is widely employed. With cyclohexanone as the hydrogen acceptor, coupled with toluene or xylene as solvent, the use of higher reaction temperatures is possible and consequently the reaction time is considerably reduced furthermore, the excess of cyclohexanone can be easily separated from the reaction product by steam distillation. At least 0 25 mol of alkoxide per mol of alcohol is used however, since an excess of alkoxide has no detrimental effect 1 to 3 mols of aluminium alkoxide is recommended, particularly as water, either present in the reagents or formed during secondary reactions, will remove an equivalent quantity of the reagent. In the oxidation of steroids 50-200 mols of acetone or 10-20 mols of cyclohexanone are generally employed. 

After the addition of 2 1. of water, the mixture is steam-distilled as long as any oil comes over. The crude, heavy, yellow oil is separated and washed with two 200-cc. portions of 10 per cent sodium hydroxide, once with 100 cc. of water, twice with 150-cc. portions of concentrated sulfuric acid, and finally with 100 cc. of 5 per cent, sodium carbonate solution. It is dried with about 5 g. of calcium chloride, filtered through glass wool, and distilled using a long air condenser. Most of the product boils at i8o-i83°/75o mm. The yield of pure colorless material, b.p. i83°/76o mm., is 125-135 g. (36-39 per cent of the theoretical amount, based on the amount of -toluidine originally used, or 54-59 per cent based on the amount of 3-bromo-4-amino-toluene). 

These can be converted to their uranyl nitrate addition compounds. The crude or partially purified ester is saturated with uranyl nitrate solution and the adduct filtered off. It is recrystallised from -hexane, toluene or ethanol. For the more soluble members crystallisation from hexane using low temperatures (-40°) has been successful. The adduct is decomposed by shaking with sodium carbonate solution and water, the solvent is steam distilled (if hexane or toluene is used) and the ester is collected by filtration. Alternatively, after decomposition, the organic layer is separated, dried with CaCl or BaO, filtered, and fractionally distilled under high vacuum. 

Common impurities found in aldehydes are the corresponding alcohols, aldols and water from selfcondensation, and the corresponding acids formed by autoxidation. Acids can be removed by shaking with aqueous 10% sodium bicarbonate solution. The organic liquid is then washed with water. It is dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate and then fractionally distilled. Water soluble aldehydes must be dissolved in a suitable solvent such as diethyl ether before being washed in this way. Further purification can be effected via the bisulfite derivative (see pp. 57 and 59) or the Schiff base formed with aniline or benzidine. Solid aldehydes can be dissolved in diethyl ether and purified as above. Alternatively, they can be steam distilled, then sublimed and crystallised from toluene or petroleum ether. 

The common impurities found in amines are nitro compounds (if prepared by reduction), the corresponding halides (if prepared from them) and the corresponding carbamate salts. Amines are dissolved in aqueous acid, the pH of the solution being at least three units below the pKg value of the base to ensure almost complete formation of the cation. They are extracted with diethyl ether to remove neutral impurities and to decompose the carbamate salts. The solution is then made strongly alkaline and the amines that separate are extracted into a suitable solvent (ether or toluene) or steam distilled. The latter process removes coloured impurities. Note that chloroform cannot be used as a solvent for primary amines because, in the presence of alkali, poisonous carbylamines (isocyanides) are formed. However, chloroform is a useful solvent for the extraction of heterocyclic bases. In this case it has the added advantage that while the extract is being freed from the chloroform most of the moisture is removed with the solvent. 

Ethers that are solids (e.g. phenyl ethers) can be steam distilled from an alkaline solution which will hold back any phenolic impurity. After the distillate is made alkaline with sodium carbonate, the insoluble ether is collected either by extraction (e.g. with chloroform, diethyl ether or toluene) or by filtration. It is then crystallised from alcohols, alcohol/petroleum ether, petroleum ether, toluene or mixtures of these solvents, sublimed in a vacuum and recrystallised if necessary. 

Because phenols are weak acids, they can be freed from neutral impurities by dissolution in aqueous N sodium hydroxide and extraction with a solvent such as diethyl ether, or by steam distillation to remove the non-acidic material. The phenol is recovered by acidification of the aqueous phase with 2N sulfuric acid, and either extracted with ether or steam distilled. In the second case the phenol is extracted from the steam distillate after saturating it with sodium chloride (salting out). A solvent is necessary when large quantities of liquid phenols are purified. The phenol is fractionated by distillation under reduced pressure, preferably in an atmosphere of nitrogen to minimise oxidation. Solid phenols can be crystallised from toluene, petroleum ether or a mixture of these solvents, and can be sublimed under vacuum. Purification can also be effected by fractional crystallisation or zone refining. For further purification of phenols via their acetyl or benzoyl derivatives (vide supra). 

After the reaction is completed, the mixture should be cooled to RT and diluted with water. The gel should separate by floating up. If this does not happen the organic solvents need to be steam distilled off first. Filter off the floating gel and wash it with water, acetone, toluene, and again with acetone. 

When the solution has all been added the toluene is distilled off in steam, separated from the water, and dehydrated over calcium chloride. It distils at 110°. Yields—6 grams. See p. 284. 

Step 2 A mixture of 118 parts of the product of Step 1, having hydroxyl number of 260, 2 parts of solid NaH, and 100 parts of toluene was heated to 125° to 150°C In an autoclave. Ethylene oxide was added slowly over a period of 2 /2 hours until 261 parts of ethylene oxide were absorbed. This corresponds to 11 mols of ethylene oxide per mol of phenol in the product of Step 1. The toluene was then removed by steam distillation and the water by vacuum distillation at 10°C. The product was obtained as a viscous paste having a corrected hydroxyl number of 97. It was readily soluble in water and had marked detergent properties. 

When the mixture has cooled to about 6o°, there are added from the separatory funnel, first, a solution of 114 g. (0.5 mole) of ethyl laurate (Note 3) in 150 cc. of absolute alcohol (Note 4), then 500 cc. more of alcohol, as rapidly as is possible (Note 5) without loss of material through the condenser. The time required for the addition of the ester solution and the alcohol is less than five minutes, usually two or three minutes. When the reaction has subsided, the flask is heated on a steam bath until the sodium is completely dissolved (Note 6). The mixture is then steam distilled to remove the toluene and ethyl alcohol. 

To 23 g Na in 350 ml ethanol add 146 g ethyl-oxalate and 171 g 2-nitro-6-CI-toluene and reflux forty minutes. Dilute the red solution with water and steam distill until no more starting material is distilled. The aqueous residue is filtered, acidified with HC1 and filtered to get 102 g 2-nitro-6-CI-phenylpyruvic acid (I) (recrystallize-benzene). Add 81 g (I) in dilute NH4OH to a solution of 560 g FeS04.7H20 and 230 ml concentrated NH4OH and 2 L water and boil five minutes. Filter, wash precipitate with dilute NH4OH, water and acidify filtrate with dilute HCI to get 60 g 4-CI-2-indole-COOH (11) (recrystallize-aqueous ethanol). 9.78 g (II) and 6.7 g CuCN in 35 g quinoline and reflux (about 237°) for twenty hours. Pour the hot solution into a mixture of 25 ml concentrated HCI and ice. Stir and filter wash precipitate with water and extract the filtrate and precipitate three times with ether. Wash the ether with HCI, water and dry, evaporate in vacuum to get 3.6 g 4-CN-indole (recrystallize-water). Or, heat (II) alone at 290° until fusion then heat at 250° for ten minutes until C02 evolution ceases to get 4-CN-indole. For conversion to 4-formyl-indole see HC A 51,1616(1968). 

Mix 0.25M substituted benzaldehyde, 0.3M nitroethane, 50 ml dry toluene and 5 ml n-butylamine (or other amine), and reflux 3 hours with a Dean-Stark trap (or prepare the nitro-propene as described elsewhere here). Add 50 g iron powder and 1 g FeCl3 optional) and reflux while adding 90 ml concentrated HCI over 3 hours. Reflux 1 hour more, add 2 liters of water and extract 3 times with ether, then dry and evaporate in vacuum (or steam distill until about 3.5 liters of distillate is obtained extract the distillate 3 times with toluene wash the toluene layers with 7 g NaHS03 in 225 ml of water, then 3 times with water and dry, evaporate in vacuum) to get the ketone. Mix 0.13M ketone, 28 g formamide (or dimethyl-formamide if the N.N-dimethylamine is desired) and 3 ml formic acid and heat at 160°. Add 3 more ml formic acid and heat 16 hours at 170-180° adding formic acid from time to time to keep the pH acid. Distill off the water formed (about 16 ml), cool and extract with 3X70 ml benzene. Distill off the benzene and reflux the residue 7 hours with 30 ml concentrated HCI. Chill, basify with 10% NaOH and extract with 3X70 ml ether. Dry and evaporate the ether in... 

On the Theory of Steam Distillation.—The ideal case occurs when the substance to be distilled is insoluble, or, more accurately, sparingly soluble in water (examples toluene, bromobenzene, nitrobenzene) so that the vapour pressures of water and the substance do not affect each other, or hardly so. The case of substances which are miscible with water (alcohol, acetic acid) is quite different and involves the more complicated theory of fractional distillation. Let us consider the first case only and take as our example bromobenzene, which boils at 155°. If we warm this liquid with water, its vapour pressure will rise in the manner shown by its own vapour pressure curve and independently of that of water. Ebullition will begin when the sum of the vapour pressures of the two substances has become equal to the prevailing atmospheric pressure. This is the case, as we can find from the vapour pressure curves, at 95-25° under a pressure of 760 mm. 

Ten or 20 g. of unchanged nitro toluene can be recovered from the reaction mixture by steam distillation, but the value of the by-product would not pay for the time spent in recovery. 

Methyl-2-aminobenzophenone can be prepared similarly by substituting toluene for benzene. The yield of crude material, m.p. 85-88°, is 70%. On recrystallization from 95% ethanol, using 5 ml. per g., there is obtained, in two crops, a 70% recovery of 4/-methyl-2-aminobenzophenone, m.p. 92-93°. Because of the higher temperature required in the steam distillation (cf. Note 5), the sulfonamide is obtained in a form difficult to purify. As a result the crude aminoketone usually contains 1-2 g. of aluminum oxide. 

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