IChO 1976 · Theory problem 5

Organic compounds A-H from an ester C6H12O3

a) Compounds B and E are formed when an organic substance A (summary formula \(\ce{C6H12O3}\)) reacts with a sodium hydroxide solution (saponification).

b) Substance B can be oxidised in a two-step process to a substance C.

c) Substance C when reacted with bromine yields a substitution product D which can be hydrolysed by the reaction with sodium hydroxide solution to produce a substance E.

d) Substance E when allowed to react with a stoichiometric amount of hydrochloric acid gives a compound F (40.0 % C, 6.66 % H, the rest is oxygen).

e) Substance F is an important product of metabolism in biological processes.

f) Compound F when allowed to stand, splits off one mole of water from two moles of the substance that results in the formation of an unstable compound G.

g) Substance F can also be obtained from a compound H containing nitrogen, by one-step reaction with nitrous acid. Assuming the quantitative course of the reaction, 4.5 g of substance F are formed from 4.45 g of substance H.

Problems:

5.1 Write all equations for the above mentioned chemical reactions.

5.2 Give structural formulas of the organic compounds A – H.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 5.1. The balanced equations, labelled according to the statement, are:

(a) Saponification \[ \ce{CH3CH(OH)C(=O)OCH2CH2CH3 + NaOH -> CH3CH2CH2OH + CH3CH(OH)COONa} \]

(b) Two successive oxidations \[ \ce{CH3CH2CH2OH + [O] -> CH3CH2CHO + H2O} \] \[ \ce{CH3CH2CHO + [O] -> CH3CH2COOH} \]

(c) Bromination and alkaline hydrolysis \[ \ce{CH3CH2COOH + Br2 -> CH3CH(Br)COOH + HBr} \] \[ \ce{CH3CH(Br)COOH + 2NaOH -> CH3CH(OH)COONa + NaBr + H2O} \]

(d) Acidification \[ \ce{CH3CH(OH)COONa + HCl -> CH3CH(OH)COOH + NaCl} \]

(f) Intermolecular esterification \[ \ce{2CH3CH(OH)COOH <=> CH3CH(OH)C(=O)OCH(CH3)COOH + H2O} \]

(g) Deamination with nitrous acid \[ \ce{CH3CH(NH2)COOH + HNO2 -> CH3CH(OH)COOH + N2 + H2O} \]

Here \(\ce{[O]}\) denotes one oxygen-atom equivalent supplied by an oxidant. The intermediate in (b) is propanal, CCC=O. Statement (e) supplies identification evidence and specifies no additional reaction.

  • 5.2. The organic compounds are:
Compound Name Condensed structural formula SMILES
A Propan-1-yl 2-hydroxypropanoate; \(n\)-propyl lactate \(\ce{CH3CH(OH)C(=O)OCH2CH2CH3}\) CC(O)C(=O)OCCC
B Propan-1-ol \(\ce{CH3CH2CH2OH}\) CCCO
C Propanoic acid \(\ce{CH3CH2COOH}\) CCC(=O)O
D 2-Bromopropanoic acid \(\ce{CH3CH(Br)COOH}\) CC(Br)C(=O)O
E Sodium 2-hydroxypropanoate; sodium lactate \(\ce{CH3CH(OH)COO^-}\), \(\ce{Na+}\) CC(O)C(=O)[O-].[Na+]
F 2-Hydroxypropanoic acid; lactic acid \(\ce{CH3CH(OH)COOH}\) CC(O)C(=O)O
G Lactoyllactic acid; 2-[(2-hydroxypropanoyl)oxy]propanoic acid \(\ce{CH3CH(OH)C(=O)OCH(CH3)COOH}\) CC(O)C(=O)OC(C)C(=O)O
H 2-Aminopropanoic acid; alanine \(\ce{CH3CH(NH2)COOH}\) CC(N)C(=O)O

Solution

5.1. Reaction sequence and identification

Saponification in (a) identifies A as an ester: B is its alcohol component, and E is the sodium salt of its acid component.

The two-step oxidation in (b) is the characteristic sequence primary alcohol \(\rightarrow\) aldehyde \(\rightarrow\) carboxylic acid. This preserves the carbon skeleton. Bromination, hydrolysis and acidification in (c)–(d) also preserve that skeleton. Thus B, C, D, E and F all contain the same number of carbon atoms.

If that number is \(n\), the ester A contains \(n\) carbons from its alcohol component and \(n\) from its acid component. Therefore, \[ 2n=6,\qquad n=3. \]

The three-carbon primary alcohol B is consequently propan-1-ol. Its oxidation first gives propanal and then propanoic acid C, as shown in the two balanced equations for (b).

In (c), α-bromination of propanoic acid replaces a hydrogen on the carbon adjacent to the carboxyl group, giving 2-bromopropanoic acid D. This is understood as the usual Hell–Volhard–Zelinsky reaction under suitable phosphorus-assisted conditions, for example using phosphorus tribromide, BrP(Br)Br, followed by aqueous workup.

Treatment of D with aqueous sodium hydroxide replaces bromine by a hydroxy group and neutralizes the carboxyl group. Hence two equivalents of sodium hydroxide are required: one for substitution and one for neutralization. The product E is sodium lactate.

In (d), one equivalent of hydrochloric acid protonates the carboxylate group, yielding lactic acid F. Its composition can be checked independently. For a \(100\ \mathrm{g}\) sample, using the usual rounded atomic molar masses, \[ \begin{aligned} n(\ce{C})&=\frac{40.0\ \mathrm{g}}{12\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}} \approx3.33\ \mathrm{mol},\\ n(\ce{H})&=\frac{6.66\ \mathrm{g}}{1\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}} =6.66\ \mathrm{mol},\\ n(\ce{O})&=\frac{53.34\ \mathrm{g}}{16\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}} \approx3.33\ \mathrm{mol}. \end{aligned} \] Thus the atomic ratio is approximately \[ \ce{C}:\ce{H}:\ce{O}=1:2:1. \] The empirical formula is \(\ce{CH2O}\). Since F has three carbon atoms, its molecular formula is \(\ce{C3H6O3}\), consistent with lactic acid and the metabolic clue in (e).

In (f), lactic acid contains both an alcohol group and a carboxyl group. The carboxyl group of one molecule esterifies the alcohol group of another, eliminating one molecule of water. The resulting G, lactoyllactic acid, has formula \[ \ce{C6H10O5}. \] It is an open-chain monoester dimer, retaining one free alcohol group and one free carboxyl group. Its formation is reversible by hydrolysis. Formation of a cyclic diester would require elimination of two water molecules from two lactic acid molecules.

In (g), nitrous acid converts a primary amino group into a hydroxy group, with evolution of nitrogen. Replacing the hydroxy group of lactic acid by an amino group therefore identifies H as alanine.

Using rounded atomic molar masses, \[ M(\mathrm{H})=M(\ce{C3H7NO2})=89\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}, \qquad M(\mathrm{F})=M(\ce{C3H6O3})=90\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \] The balanced deamination equation gives a \(1:1\) molar conversion: \[ n(\mathrm{H}) =\frac{4.45\ \mathrm{g}}{89\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}} =0.0500\ \mathrm{mol}. \] Consequently, \[ m(\mathrm{F}) =0.0500\ \mathrm{mol}\times90\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}} =4.50\ \mathrm{g}, \] which agrees with the stated \(4.5\ \mathrm{g}\).

For completeness, the inorganic species in the equations are sodium hydroxide [Na+].[OH-], water O, bromine BrBr, hydrogen bromide Br, sodium bromide [Na+].[Br-], hydrogen chloride (aqueous hydrochloric acid) Cl, sodium chloride [Na+].[Cl-], nitrous acid ON=O, and nitrogen N#N.

5.2. Structural formulas

The structures are given in the answer table. In particular, joining the carboxyl group of lactic acid to the alcohol component propan-1-ol gives A, \(n\)-propyl lactate. Its molecular formula provides a final check: \[ \ce{C3H6O3 + C3H8O - H2O}=\ce{C6H12O3}. \]

E is an ionic sodium carboxylate; the sodium is not covalently bonded to the organic skeleton. G contains an ester linkage between the two lactic acid units.

No stereochemistry is specified in the problem, so the SMILES leave absolute configurations unspecified. Under ordinary achiral conditions, bromination of C produces racemic D.

The solution was checked against the official solution.