A New Product, being Pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic Acid, and a Process or Processes of Manufacturing the same
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Product, being Pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic Acid, and
a Process or Processes of Manufacturing the same.
A communication from abroad by THE CHEMISCHE FABRIK VON HEYDEN,
GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRAENKTER HAFTUNG, of Radebeul, near
Dresden, Saxony, German Empire, Manufacturers.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of the Firm of J. C. Mewburn and Ellis of
55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention consists of a new product, being pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-
acetic acid, and it also comprises a process or processes of manufacturing the same.
According to the invention pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic acid is produced
from pyro-catechin and mono-chloracetyl-chloride, or from pyro-catechin and
mono-chloracetic acid, or from pyro-catechin-mono-acetic acid and its alkyl-esters
or its amide. The process of manufacture may be variously inodified. The
simplest method is carried out as follows :-
44 parts by weight of pyro-catechin, 48 parts of mono-chloracetyl-chloride and
about 25 parts of precipitated chalk, are mixed together at a moderate heat (for
instance in a water bath) until the chloracetyl chloride has disappeared. Carbonic
oxide is given off during the reaction. The reaction takes place smoothly and
straightforwardly according to the equation
он
O-CH
Instead of chalk it is obvious that other substances can be used, that combine
with or bind bydrochloric acid, such for instance as MgCO, Na,CO₂, &c.
The production of pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic acid is less simple when
mono-chloracetic acid is used instead of mono-chloracetyl-chloride. Pyro-catechin
with mono-chloracetic acid yields first pyro-catechin-acetic acid, but the mono-
acetic acid

page_text: latter with diacetic acid CH(OCH2COOH),; or mostly only the latter alone.
This diacetic acid must first be re-converted into mono-acetic acid, which operation
causes a loss of chloracetic acid.
Pyro-catechin-mono-acetic acid when heated to or beyond its melting point,
becomes converted into its anhydride according to the equation
OH
осо
CnH2n+1-OH.
Example. Pyro-catechin-mono-acetic-acid-alkyl-ester is heated until the alkyl-
hydroxide given up has been distilled off. The residue is distilled over and the
product is crystallized from alcohol.
Instead of the alkyl-ester the amide of the acid can be employed which yields
the anhydride, ammonia being given up.
Pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic acid is specially intended for pharmaceutical
purposes, and it is also adapted for use as "smelling salts," because it has an odor
similar to that of the oil of bitter almonds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The process of manufacturing pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic acid, which
consists in heating pyro-catechin together with mono-chloracetyl-chloride and
precipitated chalk (or its equivalents) and then subjecting the resulting product to
further operations, whereby pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic acid is obtained,
substantially as herein before described.
2. The process of manufacturing pyro-catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic acid, which
consists in heating pyro-catechin-mono-acetic acid and its alkyl-ester or its amide,
substantially as herein before described.
3. The new product adapted for pharmaceutical or other purposes, namely pyro-
catechin-anhydro-mono-acetic acid.
Dated this 17th day of April 1896
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.