Sulfuric Acid → Canthaxanthin

Participants

Reaction Steps

An aqueous solution of 3.2 g of sodium chlorate and 20 mg of sodium iodide, dissolved in 20 ml of water, is added to 500 mg of racemic isozeaxanthin dissolved in 50 ml of chloroform, the two-phase mixture is stirred thoroughly at room temperature, and 5 ml of 0.01N sulfuric acid is added. After an hour, the mixture is neutralized with dilute sodium carbonate solution, the phases are separated, and the organic phase is washed with water and dried over sodium sulfate. The solvent is distilled off under reduced pressure, 50 ml of heptane is added to the residue, and the whole is refluxed for 1 hour. After cooling, filtration gives 471 g (94% of theory) of canthaxanthin.

Provenance & Evidence