Process for the preparation of substituted sulphonic acids and/or sulphonates

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of beta-substituted sulphonic acids and/or sulphonates which comprises reacting a beta-sultone of an internal olefin having the chemical formula wherein each of the groups R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ independently are linear or branched alkyl groups or hydrogen and the total number of carbon atoms of R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ is from 6 to 24, and at least one of R₁ and R₂ and one of R₃ and R₄ is an alkyl group, with a nucleophile, with the proviso that the nucleophile is not H₂O or hydroxide ion.

Description: The invention relates to the preparation of beta-substituted sulphonic acids and/or sulphonates and to beta-substituted sulphonic acids and/or sulphonates as novel compounds. In European Patent Application 293913 is disclosed a process for the preparation of substituted ethane sulfon compounds, in which process a mixture of dioxane and an olefin, dissolved in an inert solvent is contacted with sulphur trioxide in a falling film reactor and in which process the resulting 1,2-sultone is further reacted with an alcohol or an amine. The substituted ethane sulfon compounds are suitable as surface-active agents. In the process according to European Patent Application 293913 the use of an SO₃-dioxane complex is essential in order to obtain a good yield of 1,2-sultone. It is inevitable that traces of dioxane remain in the reaction products. For a number of applications of the surface active agent the presence of dioxane is nocuous, even at very low concentrations. Applicant has found that the use of dioxane can be avoided. The invention relates to a process for the preparation of beta-substituted sulphonic acids and/or sulphonates which comprises reacting a beta-sultone of an internal olefin having the chemical formula wherein each of the groups R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ independently are linear or branched alkyl groups or hydrogen and the total number of carbon atoms of R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ is from 6 to 24, and at least one of R₁ and R₂ and one of R₃ and R₄ is an alkyl group, with a nucleophile, with the proviso that the nucleophile is not H₂O or hydroxide ion. A nucleophile is a molecule capable of attacking a positive centre or a positively polarized site in e.g. another molecule. Nucleophiles are, for instance, aliphatic or aromatic (thio)alcohols or alkoxides thereof, (capped) polyethylene glycols or propylene glycols or their alkoxides, aliphatic or aromatic amines or the amides thereof, ammonia or heterocyclic nitrogen compounds. In the process according to the invention the reaction between the nucleophile and the sultone is preferably performed in the absence of dioxane. In Applicant's earlier European patent application 89201907 is described a process for the preparation of internal olefin sulphonates by reacting in a film reactor an internal olefin having from 8 to 26 carbon atoms with a sulphonating agent, in a mol ratio of sulphonating agent to internal olefin of 1:1 to 1.25:1, while cooling the reactor with a cooling means having a temperature not exceeding 35 °C, and allowing to neutralize and hydrolyze the reaction product of the sulphonating step. This reaction performs quite well in the absence of dioxane. The sulphonation of the internal olefins is preferably carried out with sulphur trioxide. A falling film reactor is preferred. The cooling means is preferably water having a temperature not exceeding 35 °C, more preferably in the range of from 0 °C to 25 °C. Lower temperatures may be used, depending upon the circumstances. It is further preferred that the reaction mixture comprising the beta-sultone, is not aged during a substantial time. The reaction mixture can better not be aged at all, since then the highest percentage of beta-sultones is obtained. This sulphonation may be carried out batchwise, semi-continuously or continuously. The reaction is preferably performed in a falling film reactor which is cooled by flowing a cooling means at the outside walls of the reactor. At the inner walls of the reactor the internal olefin flows in downward direction. SO₃ is diluted with nitrogen, air or any other gas, inert under the reaction conditions. The concentration of SO₃ generally lies between 1 and 6 percent by volume calculated on the volume of the carrier gas. The beta-sultone preferably reacts with a nucleophile which may be methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, n-pentanol, triethylene glycol mono-methyl ether, ethanolamine, n-butylamine, sodium n-propyl thiolate, sodium ethoxide or sodium phenolate. The beta-sultone can react with the nucleophile in several ways. Of these, two can generate surface active material, by 1. abstraction of a gamma-proton, resulting in the preparation of an alkene sulphonate, 2. substitution on the oxygen bearing beta-carbon atom, which is the desired reaction, resulting in the novel products of the invention. In many applications a combination of the latter with alkene sulphonate may be used as surface active agents. If desired the beta-substituted product is converted into a surface active ionic form by reaction with a base, e.g. sodium hydroxide. The invention further relates to beta-substituted sulphonic acids and/or sulphonates of the formula wherein each of the groups R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ independently are linear or branched alkyl groups or hydrogen and the total number of carbon atoms of R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ is from 6 to 24, and at least one of R₁ and R₂ and one of R₃ and R₄ is an alkyl group, Nu is an aliphatic or aromatic (thio)ether radical, a (capped) polyethylene glycol- or polypropylene glycol ether radical, an amine radical or positively charged amine radical and M is hydrogen, an (earth) alkali metal, ammonium or a negative charge. Specifically may be mentioned that Nu may be wherein n is an integer of 0 to 3 and R₅ is a straight chain or branched alkylene radical. EXAMPLE 1 The sulphonation of C₁₈ internal olefin was performed in a glass falling film reactor, having a diameter of 0.5 cm and a length of 1 m. The C₁₈ internal olefin flowed along the inner part of the reactor wall as a flowing film in downward direction. Cocurrently with the olefin a SO₃ containing stream of dry nitrogen was fed into the reactor; the SO₃ containing nitrogen stream was prepared by evaporating liquid SO₃ at a carefully controlled rate in a heater. The following conditions were applied in the falling film sulphonation reactor: cooling water temperature: 15 °C SO₃/olefin ratio (mol/mol) 1.2 SO₃ in N₂ (% vol.) 3 olefin feed rate (mol/h) 1.5 The cooling water, cooling the falling film sulphonation reactor, flowed countercurrently through the cooling jacket of the reactor. The sulphonation product leaving the falling film reactor was led through a cyclone to vent unreacted SO₃ and nitrogen. The subsequent reaction with a nucleophile was carried out batchwise by leading 40 g of beta-sultone containing product directly out of the cyclone into 80 g of monoethanol amine, that had been charged into a three-necked reaction flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer. The resulting mixture was subsequently allowed to stir overnight without external cooling. After that the total surfactant (active matter, AM) formed was determined on a sample withdrawn from the product mixture by direct two phase titration using hyamine under alkaline conditions using dichlorofluoresceine (Diederich indicator). The AM obtained in this way amounted 91% mol. Determination of the anionic surface active AM by direct two phase titration using hyamine under acid conditions with a mixed acid indicator yielded a much lower value (25% mol) demonstrating the betaine structure of the other 66% mol. Subsequently, the remainder of the product mixture was converted into the anionic form with an aqueous alcoholic NaOH solution. After that the unreacted olefins and apolar components were removed from the product mixture by three successive extractions with n-pentane. The resulting aqueous product mixture containing the surface active material was concentrated to constant weight using a rotary evaporator under reduced pressure, leaving a solid product mass. The molar ratio of alkene sulphonates and the desired betaines [beta-(monoethanolammonium) sulphonates] was determined by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy: this ratio amounted to 25:75. It should be noted that the sulphonation of internal olefins in this way always yields an initial beta-sultone mixture containing approximately 10% mol of alkene sulphonic acids which do not participate in the subsequent reaction with nucleophiles. If the yield of the desired betaines is corrected accordingly (i.e. based on 100% beta-sultone intake), a yield of 77% mol is obtained. EXAMPLE 2 Sulphonation of a C 13/14 internal olefin and subsequent reaction of the obtained beta-sultone with n-butyl amine was performed in the same way as described in Example 1. The following results were obtained: AM (Diederich) : 92% mol AM (mixed acid): 18% mol betaine yield (by difference): 74% mol Alkene sulphonate/betaine molar ratio by ¹³C NMR: 20:80. Corrected betaine yield: 82%. EXAMPLES 3-9 Sulphonation of the internal olefin was performed in the same way as described in Example 1. The sultone containing product leaving the cyclone was led into 80 g of the alcohol (indicated in Table I) present in a three-necked reaction flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer. The resulting mixture was subsequently allowed to stir overnight without external cooling. Thereafter the total anionic surfactant formed was determined on an aliquot withdrawn from the product mixture, by direct two phase titration using hyamine under acid conditions with a mixed acid indicator. The total anionic active matter (AM) is indicated in Table I for each individual alcohol. Subsequently the remainder of the product mixture was neutralized to pH 7 with an aqueous alcoholic NaOH solution. After that the unreacted olefins and apolar components were removed from the product mixture by three successive extractions with n-pentane. The resulting aqueous alcoholic product mixture containing the anionic AM was concentrated to constant weight using a rotary evaporator under reduced pressure, leaving a solid product mass. The molar ratio of alkene sulphonates and the desired beta-substituted sulphonates was determined by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy; the molar ratios obtained are given in Table I. It should be noted that the sulphonation of internal olefins in this way always yields an initial beta-sultone mixture containing about 10% mol of alkene sulphonic acids which do not participate in subsequent reaction with nucleophiles. The last column in the table gives the yields of beta-substituted sulphonates calculated by taking into account that the mixture leaving the cyclone contained 10% mol of alkene sulphonates. EXAMPLES 10-11 Sulphonation of the internal olefins (indicated in Table II) was performed in the same way as described in Example 1. The sultone containing product leaving the cyclone was introduced into a three-necked reaction flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer and containing 1,2 equivalents (calculated on acid intake ex cyclone) nucleophile in 80 g of solvent in a nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting mixture was subsequently stirred overnight without external cooling. After that the total anionic surfactant formed was determined on an aliquot withdrawn from the product mixture, by direct two phase titration using hyamine under acid conditions with a mixed acid indicator. The total anionic active matter (AM) is indicated in Table II for each individual nucleophile. Subsequently the remainder of the product mixture was extracted three times with n-pentane at pH of 7 in order to remove unreacted olefins and apolar components. The resulting aqueous alcoholic product mixture containing the anionic AM was concentrated to a solid product mass. The molar ratio of alkene sulphonates and beta-substituted sulphonates was determined by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. EXAMPLE 12 Sulphonation of the C₁₈ internal olefin was performed in the same way as described in Example 1. The sultone containing product leaving the cyclone was introduced into a three-necked reaction flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer and a reflux condenser, and containing 1.0 equivalents (calculated on acid intake ex cyclone) of lithium ethoxide (from n-butyllithium and ethanol in n-hexane) in a solvent mixture of 50 g n-hexane and 20 g anhydrous tetrahydrofuran under a nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting mixture subsequently was stirred for one hour at 35 °C and then was refluxed for 18 hours. After cooling the product mixture was analysed as indicated in Examples 10-11. The results are shown in Table II.

Claims: A process for the preparation of beta-substituted sulphonic acids and/or sulphonates which comprises reacting a beta-sultone of an internal olefin having the chemical formula wherein each of the groups R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ independently are linear or branched alkyl groups or hydrogen and the total number of carbon atoms of R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ is from 6 to 24, and at least one of R₁ and R₂ and one of R₃ and R₄ is an alkyl group, in the absence of dioxane with a nucleophile, with the proviso that the nucleophile is not H₂O or hydroxide ion. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nucleophile is an aliphatic or aromatic (thio)alcohol or an alkoxide thereof, a (capped) polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol or the alkoxide thereof, an aliphatic or aromatic amine or an amide thereof, ammonia or a heterocyclic nitrogen compound. A process as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the nucleophile is methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, n-pentanol, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethanolamine, n-butylamine, sodium n-propylthiolate, sodium ethoxide or sodium phenolate. A process as claimed in any one of the claims 1-3, wherein the beta-sultone has been prepared by reacting in a film reactor an internal olefin having from 8 to 26 carbon atoms with a sulphonating agent, in a mol ratio of sulphonating agent to internal olefin of 1:1 to 1.25:1 while cooling the reactor with a cooling means having a temperature not exceeding 35 °C. A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein ageing of the obtained beta-sultone is omitted or minimized. Beta-substituted sulphonic acids and/or sulphonates of the formula wherein each of the groups R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ independently are linear or branched alkyl groups or hydrogen and the total number of carbon atoms of R₁, R₂, R₃ and R₄ is from 6 to 24 and at least one of R₁ and R₂ and one of R₃ and R₄ is an alkyl group, Nu is an aliphatic or aromatic (thio)ether radical, a (capped) polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol ether radical, an amine radical or positively charged amine radical and M is hydrogen, an (earth) alkali metal, ammonium or a negative charge. Beta-substituted sulphonates as claimed in claim 6, wherein Nu is wherein n is an integer of 0 to 3 and R₅ is a straight chain or branched alkylene radical.

Inventors: DEULING HENDRIKUS HYACINTHUS, STAPERSMA JOHAN, VAN GINKEL ROELOF, DEULING, HENDRIKUS HYACINTHUS, STAPERSMA, JOHAN, VAN GINKEL, ROELOF
Applicants: SHELL INT RESEARCH, SHELL INTERNATIONALE RESEARCH MAATSCHAPPIJ B.V.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: C07C303
IPC codes: C07C309, C07C323, C07C319, C07C303