Scribd
Upload
95 views3 pages

Properties Physical Properties

Succinic acid has potential as a platform chemical for producing value-added products from renewable sources. It can be produced through fermentation of dextrose. Succinic acid has various industrial uses including in foods, medicines, dyes, and coatings. It undergoes many characteristic reactions of dicarboxylic acids including esterification, oxidation, halogenation, and condensation with aldehydes and ketones.

Uploaded by

Karthik Suresh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
95 views3 pages

Properties Physical Properties

Succinic acid has potential as a platform chemical for producing value-added products from renewable sources. It can be produced through fermentation of dextrose. Succinic acid has various industrial uses including in foods, medicines, dyes, and coatings. It undergoes many characteristic reactions of dicarboxylic acids including esterification, oxidation, halogenation, and condensation with aldehydes and ketones.

Uploaded by

Karthik Suresh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Introduction

Lignocellulose will likely make a significant contribution to a balanced renewable energy source,
especially for the sustainable production of environmental friendly fuels and chemicals which are
economical viable. Succinic acid has the chemical formula (CH2)2(CO2H)2. Succinic acid has been
reported as the one of the top 12 bio based molecules which will act as the platform for producing
value added products which are currently derived from petroleum based routes. Hirsch report
states that utilization of petroleum reserves has reached its peak and is on a downward trend
indicating a potential increase in the cost of crude petroleum and thereby the cost of its derivatives.
Bio based alternatives routes for these derivatives will prove to be an economically viable option in
the near future. Succinic acid also known as Spirit of Amber is used as a flavoring agent for food and
beverages. Producing five heterocyclic compounds, it is used as an intermediate for dyes, perfumes,
lacquers, photographic chemicals, alkyd resins, plasticizers, metal treatment chemicals, and
coatings. It is also used in the manufacture of medicines for sedatives, antispasmers, antiplegm,
antiphogistic, anrhoers, contraceptives, and cancer-curing.

Properties

Physical properties
Molecular weight 118 g/mol
Melting point 188 C
Boiling point (at 1 atm) 235 C
Density of solid at 25 C 1.572g/cm^3
Enthalpy of combustion -1491 KJ/mol
Enthalp y of formation at 298.15 K -940.5 KJ/mol
Solubility (in water at 0 C) 2.8 g/100 g of solvent
Solubility (in water at 100 C) 121 g/100 g of solvent

The acid occurs as colourless dry clinic prisms (alpha form) and as monoclinic prisms( Beta
form).Beta form is stable upto 137 C and alpha form is stable above this temperature.Hence
succinic acid found at room temperature in beta form.

Chemical properties

Succinic acid undergoes most reactions which are characteristic of dicarboxylic acids. Other
reactions take place at the active methylene groups. Some of the important chemical features of
succinic acid are given below:

Heat

Heating at 170 C,succinic acid loses water molecule and finally forms an internal anhydride with a
stable ring structure. Further heating above 210 C, causes decarboxylation and results in the
formation of dilactone of gamma ketopimelic acid. The same reaction takes place at the lower
temperatures in presence of alkali. At higher temperatures the presence of alkali causes an
explosion .Precautions must be taken to exclude the traces of alkali when handling succinic
anhydride.It is stabilized by adding addition of boric acid(0.5%), and also decreases the formation
of dilactone of gamma ketopimelic acid.

Oxidation

(1) Succinic acid reacts with hydrogen peroxide, giving different products(Peroxysuccinic acid,
Malonic acid, Malic acid, Mixture of Acetaldehyde )that depend on experimental
conditions. Potassium permanganate oxidizes succinic acid to a mixture of malic acid and
tartaric acid.
(2) Cerium Sulfate in sulfuric acid medium oxidizes succinic acid to oxaloacetic acid.

Esterification

Succinic anhydride reacts with alcohols to give monoesters of succinic acid which are readily
esterified with regular methods. Succinic acid diesters are obtained by

(1)One step hydrogenation(over Pd on charcoal).

(2) Esterification of maleic anhydride dissolved in alcohols, carbonylation of acrylates in


presence of alcohols and Co complex catalyst.

(3)Biochemical process from dextrose using Anaerobiumspirillum succiniciproducens.

One of the important method used to isolate succinic acid from waste stream of adipic acid is the
esterification of the mixture of succinic ,glutaric acid and followed by adipic acid followed by
fractionation.

Halogenation

Succinic acid heated in a closed vessel at 100 C with bromine yields 2,3 bromosuccinic acid by
through its active methylene groups. The yield is reduced in presence of excess water as a result of
the formation of brominated hydrocarbons.

Condensation with aldehyde and ketones

Succinic anhydride and succinic esters in the presence of catalysts react in the gas phase with
formaldehyde to give citraconic acidand itaconic acid. Succinic esters condense with aldehyde and
ketones in presence of NaOH to form monoesters of alkylidenesuccinic acids. This type of reaction is
known as stobbe condensation and its is specific for succinic esters and substituted succinic esters.

Reaction with Nitrogen compounds


Succinimide can be prepared by reaction of aqueous solutions of the acid with ammonia or urea.
succinimides are also obtained by vapour phase hydrogenation of the corresponding maleimides in
presence of a catalyst. N-Chlorosuccinimide forms orthorhombic crystals and has a chlorine like
odour.It is prepared from succinimide and hypochchlorous acid. Because of its germicide
properties, it is used in disinfectant for drinking water.

Friedel-Crafts Reactions

In presence of AlCl3, succinic anhydride reacts with alkyl benzene to form alkylbenzoyl propionic
acid.The viability of the Friedel Crafts acylation depends on the stability of the acyl chloride reagent.

Miscellaneous reactions

Radiolysis of aqueous solutions of succinic acid produces 1,2,3,4 butane tetracarboxylic acid which
has numerous industrial and agricultural uses.

You might also like