Friedel-Crafts Alkylation Reaction
Preparation of 1, 4-Di-t-butyl-2, 5-dimethoxybenzene
Microscale Experiment
Leah Monroe
April 8, 2003
Organic Chemistry Lab II
Experiment performed on March 20 and 25, 2003
Lab Partners (NMR only): Shannon Land and Jamie Yeadon
Abstract:
In this experiment, 1,4-dimethoxybenzene reacted with t-butyl alcohol to form 1, 4-Di-t-butyl-2, 5 dimethoxybenzene via a Friedel-Crafts Alkylation mechanism. A small amount of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene was dissolved in acetic acid and t-butyl alcohol, along with H2SO4. The reaction was then allowed to go to completion at room temperature, and the crystals were washed with water and methanol. The percent yield of the product was 57.48%. This was lower due to the fact that many of the crystals were stuck in the reaction tube and could not be removed for weighing. Also, when a Pasteur pipet was used to remove the solvent from the reaction tube, many crystals were lost. The observed melting point of the product was 96 - 98°C, which is considerably lower than the literature value of 104 105°C. This may be due to impurities in the product or the sample may still have been wet. An NMR spectrum of the sample indicated that the sample was 1, 4-Di-t-butyl-2, 5 dimethoxybenzene and that the reaction was successful.
Friedel-Crafts Alkylation Reaction
Introduction: The purpose of this experiment is to synthesize 1, 4-Di-t-butyl-2, 5 dimethoxybenzene by reacting 1, 4 dimethoxybenzene with tertiary-butyl alcohol in the presence of sulfuric acid as a Lewis acid catalyst. The reaction will occur via the Friedel-Crafts alkylation mechanism, and involves the attack of the aryl group at the electrophilic trimethylcarbocation. The resulting product will be recrystallized using methanol and characterized using IR spectroscopy and melting point analysis.
Materials Used:
1 beaker, 400-mL sand bath ice for ice bath Erlenmeyer flask, 25-mL several Pasteur pipets,