Hydrogen Peroxide → Di(1-methyl-cyclohexyl)peroxide

Participants

Reaction Steps

1-methylcyclohexanol (30 g, 0.26 mol) was placed in a 100 mL three necked round bottomed flask and was stirred. The flask was cooled in a brine/ice bath, dropping funnel fitted and fitted with a static N2 supply. The dropping funnel was charged with 98% sulfuric acid (16.14 ml) and water (6.45 ml) giving a 70% sulfuric acid solution. This was added dropwise to the 1-methylcyclohexanol and stirring continued to give a viscous brown mixture. The bath was recharged with ice/brine, dropping funnel rinsed with water and recharged with 35% hydrogen peroxide (6.98 mL, 0.125 mol) and added dropwise. The solution separated into two phases. Cyclohexanol (150 mL) was added and the mixture was transferred to a separating funnel. The aqueous fraction was extracted with another portion of cyclohexane (150 ml) and the combined organic fractions washed with 1M NaOH (2×100 mL), water (2×150 mL), dried and evaporated to give a viscous colourless oil. (12.98 g). The oil was sorbed onto silica gel then placed on a silica gel column and eluted with cyclohexane. After evaporation at reduced pressure 0.7 g colourless oil of di(1-methyl-cyclohexyl)peroxide was obtained. 13C-NMR (CDCl3) δ 22.45, 25.01, 25.95, 35.39, 78.58

Provenance & Evidence