MDP produced without any use of natural tree components !!!

petrophilum · Fri Sep 09, 2005 6:00 pm

I think this is rather significant.
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04/02/2004
UBE INDUSTRIES developed a new process to efficiently synthesize alpha;-methyl-1,3-benzenedioxl-5-propanal (MDP) from existing chemical substances. The synthesized aromatic, having a fresh, marine aroma, is produced without any use of natural tree components. UBE has applied for a trademark under the name Heliofresh and commercialisation will begin in 2004.

A major breakthrough in the application of the new technology was achieved in 2002, when UBE became the first company to produce pure synthetically derived Heliotropin from MDB. This is mainly used in flavours and fragrances, though also in pharmaceuticals.

Natural Heliotropin is a base aromatic extracted from sassafras oil. It has hitherto been made via steam distillation of the roots of sassafras trees to produce safrole, after which it is synthesised and derived after MDP. In recent years, however, balmy marine aromas have become trendy and demand for MDP has risen, so deforestation has worsened due to indiscriminate cutting of the same woods. For a stable supply of MDP, establishment of a new process of synthesis that is not via the plant route has been awaited desperately. In addition to the environmental advantage, price, availability and quality of the synthetically produced MDP are stable.

One further extraordinary achievement is that through the unique UBE technology Heliofresh is synthesized directly from Methylenedioxybenzene without going via Heliotropin. Heliofresh does therefore not require plant components and is a breakthrough to effectively synthesize the aromatic in short processes completely from existing chemical substances. This new process will not only contribute to preservation of the global environment but also to cost reduction.
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So MDP without Safrole or Heliotropin. If this is possible i wonder about the possibilities to get to MDP-2-P without Safrole via an fully synthetic route. If MDP-2-P were commercially viable i have no doubt a group of nicely paid engineers could synthesize a solution.

The search is now on...Safrole is rapidly becoming much harder to obtain without the govt's knowing exactly where it came from and where it is being distributed to, since now they are closely monitoring the sales in the cottage industries -> oil dealers -> customers. International treaties are now forcing oil dealers to specify the exact constituents of essential oils and the amount of Safrole as their number 1 target.

The walls are closing.. FAST!!

Vitriodor · Sat Sep 10, 2005 12:25 am

Hmm, they claim to make MDB from diphenol....

Product Description Heliotropine

UBE is a strong supplier of Diphenols in the world and we have developed new technology of synthetic route from diphenol.
We do not need to use sassafrass tree as raw material therefore we will contribute for enviromental protection of earth.

http://www.ube.com/itemInq.php3?country=US&id=679

About Heliofresh:

Ube Industries to Install Full-scale Marine Fragrance Production System at Its Ube Chemical Plant

Tokyo (JCN) - Ube Industries announced on august 24 (2005 Vit.) that it will set up a system to produce its Heliofresh marine fragrance, at its Ube Chemical plant. The world's first fully synthetic marine fragrance successfully derived from catechol, Heliofresh is now used in many popular perfumes as a trendy aroma.

Marine fragrance has been produced from safrole extracted from sassafras trees grown in southern China and Vietnam. However, the supply of safrole has become unstable due to the reduced availability of sassafras trees caused by deforestation.

Ube Industries has set out to develop a new process to synthesize the fragrance without using botanical components. Since its introduction, Heliofresh has gained an excellent reputation, and is rapidly poised to replace the natural marine fragrance in the market.

The new system will enable Ube Industries to increase its annual production capacity to 500 tons, enough to cover the global demand. The company plans to launch commercial production in fiscal 2007.

http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=10747

hahas · Sat Sep 10, 2005 6:07 am

i fail to see what is so interesting about the above, perhaps i am retarded. perhaps if anything was actually known and suitable for a simple laboratory using inexpensive reagents, at least it would have that going for it. i could not find any patents of their aldehyde in a fast search of espacenet. i would think that buying and oxidizing their aldehyde to the acid and going the obvious route from there is more interesting than anything else, because i am unaware of any other use for it.

if they have methylenation patents, they are likely in Japanese, nothing new, and/or not practical outside of industry. they do not mention MDB production patents in their application and patent using it as precursor for piperonal, via the known route from the mandelic acid by glyoxylic acid.

http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US6603024&F=0&QPN=US6603024

http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US2003013897&F=0&QPN=US2003013897