Abstract
The decomposition of 1,2,3,4‐tetrahydronaphthyl‐1‐hydroperoxide (α‐tetralyl hydroperoxide) in the presence of catalytic amounts of zinc and magnesium stearate has been investigated in chlorobenzene and other solvents. For comparison, α, α‐dimethylbenzyl hydroperoxide (α‐cumyl hydroperoxide) and tert.butyl hydroperoxide have also been decomposed in the presence of the above catalysts.
With zinc stearate, α‐tetralyl hydroperoxide predominantly yields phenolic products, the zinc soap apparently acting as a Lewis acid. Hydrogen is also obtained; it is probably generated by interaction of the phenolic aldehyde formed (γ‐(ortho‐hydroxyphenyl) butyraldehyde) and the hydroperoxide. The zinc stearate shows little effect, however, on the decomposition of α‐cumyl and tert.butyl hydroperoxide.
Magnesium stearate causes a free‐radical chain decomposition of α‐tetralyl hydroperoxide (see Part IH. B. van Leeuwen et al., Rec. trav. chim. 77, 17 (1958).
) yielding mainly tetralone and tetralol. This metal soap also accelerates the decomposition of tert.butyl hydroperoxide and, to a less extent, of cumyl hydroperoxide.
The catalytic influence of both magnesium and zinc stearate is markedly affected by the solvents employed.