How would you synthesize ( \(R\) )-2-butanamine from (S)-2-butanol?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The synthesis of (R)-2-butanamine from (S)-2-butanol involves three steps: oxidation of the alcohol to the carboxylic acid using an oxidizing agent, reaction of the acid with ammonia to form an amine, and inversion of the stereochemistry to obtain the R isomer.

Step by step solution

01

Oxidation of Alcohol to Carboxylic Acid

Firstly, (S)-2-butanol is converted into 2-butanoic acid. This can be achieved by oxidizing the alcohol with a strong oxidizing agent such as KMnO4 (Potassium permanganate) or Na2Cr2O7 (Sodium dichromate). The reaction proceeds with retention of configuration. The general formula for this reaction is as follows: ROH (alcohol) + [O] (oxidizing agent) -> RCOOH (carboxylic acid).
02

Conversion of Carboxylic Acid to Amine

Next, the 2-butanoic acid is converted to an amine. This is accomplished by heating the acid with ammonia (NH3) in a process known as an amide formation. The carboxylic acid first reacts with the ammonia to form an amide and water. Water is then removed in the next step by heating, which forces the reaction to proceed in the forward direction, leading to the amine formation.
03

Stereochemical Inversion

The product from the previous reaction is (S)-2-butanamine. However, the question asks to synthesize (R)-2-butanamine, thus requiring inversion of stereochemistry. To accomplish this, we react the amine with a chiral acid to form a salt. The salt is then treated with base to give the amine, but now in the R configuration. This method allows for inversion of stereochemistry without changing the overall functionality and structure of the molecule.

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