A process for the manufacture of 3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate, and optionally therefrom tocopheryl acetate, comprises either C-alkylating 2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate with isophytol or phytol in the presence of a sulphur(VI) containing catalyst of the formula R
1
SO
2
OH, wherein R
1
signifies hydroxy, halogen, lower alkyl, halogenated lower alkyl or aryl, in an aprotic organic solvent, or O-alkylating 2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate with a phytyl halide in a polar aprotic organic solvent in the presence of a base, and subjecting the so-obtained 4-O-phytyl-2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate to a rearrangement reaction, and in each case optionally submitting the so-obtained 3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate to a ring closure reaction to produce tocopheryl acetate. The invention also includes the novel compound 3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate and certain stereoisomers thereof, and also the further novel compound 4-hydroxy-2,3,6-trimethyl-5-[3-(4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl)-but-3enyl]phenyl acetate which itself is one of several isomers of 3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate formed by isomerization under the influence of heating, e.g. during its distillation as part of the isolation and purification procedure following its manufacture as indicated above. (All-rac)-α-tocopherol, which may be derived from its acetate, is known to be the most active industrially important member of the vitamin E group.
一种制造 3-phytyl-2,5,6-三甲基
对苯二酚-1-乙酸酯和可选的
生育酚乙酸酯的工艺,包括
异植物醇或
植物醇在式 R 的含
硫(VI)催化剂存在下,将 2,3,6-三甲基
对苯二酚-1-乙酸酯 C-烷基化。
1
SO
2
OH,其中 R
1
表示羟基、卤素、低级烷基、卤代低级烷基或芳基,在非
丙烷有机溶剂中,或在极性非
丙烷有机溶剂中,在碱存在下,用卤代芳烷基将 2,3,6-
三甲基氢醌-1-乙酸酯 O-烷基化、将得到的 4-O-phytyl-2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate(4-O-phytyl-2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate)进行重排反应,并在每种情况下选择性地将得到的 3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate(3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-acetate)进行闭环反应,生成
生育酚乙酸酯。本发明还包括新型化合物 3-phytyl-2,5,6-
三甲基氢醌-1-乙酸酯及其某些立体异构体,以及进一步的新型化合物
4-羟基-2,3,6-三甲基-5-[3-(4、
4-羟基-2,3,6-三甲基-5-[3-(4,8,12-三甲基
十三烷基)-丁-3-烯基]
苯乙酸酯,其本身是 3-苯基-2,5,6-
三甲基氢醌-1-乙酸酯的几种异构体之一。例如,在上述生产过程中,作为分离和纯化程序的一部分,在蒸馏过程中形成。众所周知,(All-rac)-α-
生育酚(可从其
醋酸盐中提取)是
维生素 E 类中最具活性的重要工业成分。