KAl (SO₄)₂.12H₂O or KHSO₄: Efficient and Inexpensive Catalysts for the One-Pot Synthesis of β-Acetamido Ketones by Dakin–West Reaction

Abstract

Aromatic aldehydes were reacted in a vessel with enolizable ketones, acetonitrile, and acetyl chloride at ambient temperature in the presence of KAl(SO 4 ) 2 .12H 2 O to furnish the corresponding β-acetamido ketones in excellent yields. KHSO 4 has also been used as another catalyst for this reaction at room temperature. Key features of this methodology are operational simplicity, mild reaction conditions, and excellent yields.

Potassium Alum [KAl(SO4)2∙12H2O] solid catalyst for effective and selective methoxylation production of alpha-pinene ether products

“…Potassium Alum (KAl(SO 4 ) 2 •12H 2 O) is an inexpensive, non-toxic, water-soluble, and commercially available compound frequently used in the laboratory with no special precautions [24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31]. Data on the characterization of the produced KAl(SO 4 ) 2 •12H 2 O by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR, and XRD, are illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 However, the latter are reportedly to be of a more rounded shape, with a size range of between 100-200 μm at higher temperatures of 1100-1200 C (Figure 1).…”

“…This study introduces the term "dreamland catalyst" to denote a heterogeneous catalyst which is a cheap, water-soluble, mild, efficient, safe, stable, nontoxic, reliable, incorruptible, recyclable and commercially available compound that can be used in the laboratory without special precautions (easy to use). Moreover, the catalyst has been commonly applied in several other synthetic reactions with good success, for example, including in the transesterification of palm oil [24], acylals [25], Azlactone [26]; coumarins [27], amides [28], β-acetamido ketones [29], novel bis[spiro(quinazoline-oxindole)] derivatives [30], and bispyrazole derivatives [31]. It was therefore decided to investigate alum (KAl(-SO 4 ) 2 .12H 2 O) in catalyzing certain synthetic reactions, this study assumed that this catalyst may be effective to catalyze the methoxylation of α-pinene to produce α-terpinyl methyl ether.…”