Explore the mystery of 1-dodecanol

Introduction

1-Dodecanol, chemical formula C₁₂H₂₆O, is a mono alcohol, a member of the fatty alcohol family. At room temperature and pressure, it usually appears as a white solid or colorless oil-like liquid, emitting a charming flower fragrance, as if it were a spirit under the moon, dancing on the chemistry stage. This aroma makes it occupy a place in the fields of flavor, cosmetics, and so on, becoming one of the indispensable raw materials.¹

Structure and Properties

The molecular structure of 1-dodecanol is simple and elegant, consisting of a straight-chain hydrocarbon group composed of 12 carbon atoms connected with a hydroxyl group (-OH). This structure gives it unique physical and chemical properties, such as a melting point of about 24-26 ° C and a boiling point between 255-259 ° C. In addition, 1-dodecanol is not soluble in water but can be well dissolved in ethanol, benzene, chloroform, ether, and other organic solvents, which makes it flexible in industrial applications.

Preparation process

The preparation of 1-dodecanol is mainly derived from natural oils, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and butter. Among them, the preparation process of coconut oil is the most common. Fatty acids in coconut oil can be converted to alcohol by high-pressure catalytic hydrogenation or esterification hydrogenation. The former is a series of C8-C18 mixed alcohols obtained by continuous hydrogenation of coconut oil in a Cu-Cr catalyst, then separated by distillation to get 1-dodecanol. The latter is obtained by transesterification of coconut oil with methanol in the presence of sulfuric acid to produce methyl laurate, which is then obtained by catalytic hydrogenation and distillation.

Application

1-Dodecanol plays an all-rounder role in the chemical industry because of its unique physical and chemical properties and wide application fields. Whether it is daily chemical supplies, textile printing, and dyeing, or pharmaceutical pesticides, you can see its figure.

"Fragrance Master" of Daily Chemical Products

In daily chemical products, 1-Dodecanol is an indispensable flavor raw material. It has the fragrance of moonlight and violet and can be used to manufacture rose type, violet type, lily type, and narcissus type. These fragrances are widely used in perfumes, body washes, shampoos, and other personal care products to bring consumers a pleasant sensory experience. At the same time, it also has good stability and safety, so it is widely used in soap flavors.²

"Assistant Master" of Textile Printing and Dyeing

In the textile printing and dyeing industry, 1-dodecanol also plays an important role. It can be used as a textile aid and chemical fiber oil agent to help fibers better process and dye. By improving the wettability and dispersibility of the fibers, the dyeing rate and uniformity of the dyes are improved, so that the textiles show a more bright and lasting color. In addition, it can also be used as an emulsifier and flotation agent, which plays an important role in the post-treatment process of textiles.³

"Assistant expert" of pharmaceutical pesticides

In the field of medicine and pesticides, 1-dodecanol also has its unique application value. As a pharmaceutical excipient, it is often used in the preparation of ointments and creams, which can enhance the stability and permeability of drugs. At the same time, some surfactants of its and its derivatives also have good disinfection and sterilization effects and can be used for disinfection and cleaning of medical devices. In the field of pesticides, it can be used to prepare high-efficiency and low-toxicity pesticide additives to improve the utilization rate and effect of pesticides.⁴

The "green" road of 1-Dodecanol

With global attention to environmental protection and sustainable development, the production and application of 1-Dodecanol are also developing in a more green and environmentally friendly direction.

Green production process

To reduce environmental pollution and waste of resources, researchers continue to explore more green and efficient production processes of 1-dodecanol. For example, by optimizing catalytic hydrogenation conditions and improving catalyst selectivity, by-product generation and energy consumption can be reduced; At the same time, the purity and yield can be improved by using advanced separation and purification technology. In addition, there are some studies dedicated to the use of renewable resources (such as biomass) to prepare fatty alcohol compounds such as 1-dodecanol, in order to achieve resource recycling and sustainable development.

Environmental Application Promotion

In addition to the improvement of the production process, the environmental protection application of 1-Dodecanol has also been widely promoted. For example, in the detergent industry, it is used to prepare high-efficiency, low-foam, easily biodegradable surfactants, which can reduce environmental pollution and ecological damage during the washing process; In the cosmetics industry, it is also used as a natural and safe flavor raw material and moisturizer ingredient to meet the needs of consumers for health and environmental protection.

References

[1].Borum-Nicholas, L.; Wilson Jr, O., Surface modification of hydroxyapatite. Part I. Dodecyl alcohol. Biomaterials 2003, 24 (21), 3671-3679.

[2].Herzfeld, S.; Corrin, M.; Harkins, W. D., The The Effect of Alcohols and of Alcohols and Salts on the Critical Micelle Concentration of Dodecylammonium Chloride. The Journal of Physical Chemistry 1950, 54 (2), 271-283.

[3].Moroi, Y.; Motomura, K.; Matuura, R., Studies on the Interaction between Long Chain Alcohols and Alkyl Sulf ates. II. Molecular Association between Dodecyl Alcohol and Dodecyl Sulfate of Divalent Metals. Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan 1972, 45 (9), 2697-2702.

[4].Bravo, C.; Leis, J. R.; Pena, M. E., Effect of alcohols on catalysis by dodecyl sulfate micelles. The Journal of Physical Chemistry 1992, 96 (4), 1957-1961.