Author Topic: Metal Alkoxides..  (Read 3543 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

chilly_willy

  • Guest
Metal Alkoxides..
« on: October 27, 2004, 11:12:00 AM »
Can anyone here offer any advice for getting a woking alkali methoxide solution for syringaldehyde production??
I have a few questions regarding the known procedures for OTC preparation..
1.  What's the best way to dry tech grade MeOH for use in methoxides?
--I know Magnesium methoxide but I would like to avoid having to make a buttload of Mg turnings for the procedure.
2.  Does anyone have first hand info about the potassium carbonate/MeOH synth of potassium methoxide? 
--I tried this method.  About half the carbonate dissolved after 7hr.  Upon concentrating the MeOH..the resulting liquid did not react vigorously in water or seem excessively flammable. Is it in there?
3.  Why is clean sodium always mentioned for production of the methoxide?? 
--Can adding NaOH to methanol be used instead?  It works for biodiesel production..so why not here?
4.  What about lithium methoxide? Is there any trick to making it?
--I tried adding 1.47g Li pieces to 100ml CaCl2 dried MeOH.  It stayed pretty much in control but about half way through a little exothermic heat built up, and the solution turned cloudy with a light grey precipitate.  The amount of Li Methoxide actually in solution could not be estimated because the precipitate (LiOH??) was very fine and nearly impossible to isolate.  What went wrong?