Potassium Carbonate → (12Z,14Z)-heptadeca-1,12,14-triene

Participants

Reaction Steps

(Z,Z)-1,12,14-heptadecatriene (TRIENE) was synthesized conveniently from Wittig Salt and aldehyde in aqueous dioxide-potassium carbonate heterogeneous medium (Lechat 1982). A mixture of 3.57 g (0.01 mol) of methyl triphenylphosphonium bromide (Alfa Inorganics), 1.7 g (0.14 mol) of potassium carbonate, 10 ml of 1,4-dioxane, 0.15 ml of water and 2.36 g (0.01 mol) of (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadienal (AL. Albany International) was prepared in a 100 ml round bottomed flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer, thermometer and reflux condenser. The mixture was heated to reflux at 105-110° with stirring while aliquots of 15 ul were withdrawn periodically and partitioned between 1 ml of H2O and 1 ml of hexane. Analysis by gas-liquid chromatography, showed 66,70 and 99% triolefin and 30%, 26% and 1% starting aldehyde at 1.1 and 2.2 and 17 hr, respectively. More potassium carbonate (1.7 g) was added at 212 hr to drive the reaction to completion. The reaction mixture was cooled and extracted 3 times with 25 ml of hexane, then the organic layer was extracted with water, dried and the solvent removed to leave 1.8 g of yellow oil and a few crystals of triphenylphosphine oxide. The oil was taken up in hexane and passed through a 1×45 cm column of silica gel (60-200 mesh, Baker) with hexane, to yield 1.7 g (73% yield) of clear oil.

Provenance & Evidence