Here is a really interesting idea:
If:
R = Phenyl/C
6H
5-
R = Amine/NH
2-
Then:
RC(OH)CN = Mandelonitrile
RCHO = Formamide
And the product = Aminorex
Synthesis of Mandelonitrile From BenzaldehydeIt seems very very easy to me. See:
https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/mandelic.html
Preparation of FormamideTitrate a solution of aqueous ammonia with formic acid of any reasonable strength, and evaporate the water, followed by distillation. (Just boil the water away, keep heating to dehydrate the ammonium formate and vaporize the formamide, and collect the condensate in a recieving flask.)
Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall this being discussed before. You know, it's kind of cool if you think about it. If one used calcium hypochlorite to oxidize ethanol to ethanal and trichlorinate it, while the resulting calcium hydroxide induces C-C fission, one will form calcium formate and chloroform. Liberation of formic acid for distillation is possible with hydrochloric acid.
Ah, and yes, that lovely byproduct, chloroform.
Why not react it with ammonia and excess sodium hydroxide, to produce sodium cyanide, which is used in the page from Rhodium's above, to produce the mandelonitrile from benzaldehyde. Pretty efficient, isn't it? Almost seems like the chemistry of these compounds was discovered with these intentions in mind.
Don't have access to benzaldehyde? I've always wanted to see the writeups for the chlorination of toluene with.......you guessed it, more calcium hypochlorite. Monochlorination to benzyl chloride is well known, but the patent also says it can be used in excess to procure benz
al chloride, which of course reacts with sodium hydroxide to form a gem diol, that spontaneously dehydrates to yield benzaldehyde.
That's pretty fucking cool for an over the counter synthesis, if I do say so myself. What do you guys think about this one? Give me feedback, I got a lot more coming in the near future that I've been thinking about.
PrimoPyro
The Water Will Be Your Only Mirror