Potassium Carbonate → Benzene, 1,1'-selenobis-

Participants

Reaction Steps

A 100 ml Fischer-Porter glass pressure reactor, equipped with a magnetic stirring bar was successively charged with 2.5 g (0.01 moles) of diphenylselenoxide, 10 ml acetone, 10 ml 0.1 N potassium carbonate solution, and 0.63 ml of an osmium tetroxide solution (4% OsO4 in 0.1 N K2CO3). The reactor was attached to a gas manifold, flushed with nitrogen and then pressurized with 80 psig ethylene. The mixture was magnetically stirred at room temperature for two hours until the reaction of the gaseous olefin ceased as evidenced by a constant gas pressure. Sodium bisulfate (5 ml of a 10 wt. % aqueous solution) was added to reduce both the remaining selenoxide and osmium tetroxide. The reaction mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel and the oily layer of diphenylselenide, formed during reaction, separated from the aqueous layer containing the solvent and glycol product. The wateracetone layer contained 0.49 g ethylene glycol (80% yield based on the amount of diphenylselenoxide used) as determined by gas chromatographic analysis.

Provenance & Evidence