Degree Name

MS (Master of Science)

Program

Chemistry

Date of Award

8-2003

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Tammy A. Davidson

Committee Members

Hamid S. Kasmai, Jeffrey G. Wardeska

Abstract

The first step of the synthesis of the hydrocarbon-based chiral surfactant (2) involved the methylation of (S)-leucinol to give (2S)-N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-(1-hydroxy-4-methyl-1-pentyl)-2-ammonium bromide (2.92g, 67%). The chiral surfactant was synthesized by reacting (2S)-N,N-dimethyl-2-amino-4-methyl-1-pentanol (1) with bromohexadecane (2.06g, 71%). The functionalized styrene for the polymer supported chiral catalyst (6) was synthesized by reacting (1) with 4-vinylbenzyl chloride. The polymerization was carried out with 10% of the functionalized monomer (5) (1.26g, 70.2%), 5% cross-linking agent divinylbenzene, and 85% of styrene with AIBN as the initiator. The structure of each of the products was confirmed by using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. The activity of the hydrocarbon surfactant and polymeric catalyst were examined by using them as additives in a standard reduction of 2-pentanone with sodium borohydride to yield (R)- and (S)-2-pentanol (3) (4gm, 25%). The resulting alcohol was then esterified with (2S)-methylbutyric acid with iodine as the catalyst and the ester was characterized.

Document Type

Thesis - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

Included in

Chemistry Commons

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