EXP014-+JanuPatel

Janaki Patel

Question: Why was methanol used over any other alcohol to carry out the Ugi reaction?
From the log of [|Exp 014]: 1. 9:00pm (05/30/2006) In a 50ml Erlenmeyer flask, 20ml of methanol placed. To it 623µl of phenyl acetaldehyde, 555µl of 5-methylfurfurylamine, 608µl of benzylisocyanide and 1.24604 gms of N-(tert) butoxycarbonyl) L-methionine was added. 2.The reaction was stirred at room temperature with a teflon coated stir bar on a stir plate for 15 hours (stopped stirring at 12:00 noon (05/31/2006). (Videos of the reaction being stirred) 3.Methanol was evaporated on a rotovap set at 100C, Obtained 3.239gms the crude product.

- In order to normally evaporate methanol at normal pressure, CH3OH, you have to raise it to its boiling point of [|64.7C]. - The temperature on the [|rotovap] was not needed to be set to 100C because by reducing pressure within the solution, it causes for an decrease in boiling point as well, which does not require as a high temperature for methanol to evaporate. - Since this is a Ugi Synthesis, an alcohol solvent is need which would allow for all solutes to be dissolved fairly easily. - Methanol was used instead of any other alcohol due to its small structure and light weight. - This simplicity in structure causes for a lower boiling pointing, indicating a weaker attraction between the molecules. - For example, if [|ethanol] was used in the solution, its larger structure (and thus higher boiling point) would cause for the time in which the crude product is dried to be extended even greater.


 * Full Marks.**

[|H-bonding between][| Methanol]: [|Structural Formula for Methanol]:



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