Hydrochloric Acid → Phosphorodichloridic acid, octyl ester

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Phosphoryl trichloride (3113 g; 20.3 moles) is placed in a 5-liter flask fitted with a condenser and mechanical stirrer, and cooled down to about 10° C. (external ice bath). Octanol (2380 g; 18.3 moles; 0.9 equivalents with respect to POCl3) is added at a rate such that the reaction temperature remains below 15° C. The reaction is exothermic and the HCl gas that evolves during this reaction is vented out with a flow of nitrogen through an aspirator operated with a slight vacuum of about 0.5 inches of mercury. When addition of alcohol is completed (2-3 hours), the ice bath is removed and the reaction mixture is allowed to warm to room temperature and then warmed to 60°-70° C. and stirred at this temperature for 1.5 hours to drive out most of the HCl gas. The product, octyl phosphorodichloridate, is obtained as a clear light yellow free-flowing liquid.

Provenance & Evidence