Cyclododecatriene

Cyclododecatriene C₁₂H₁₈ is a cycloalkene with three alkene groups. The 1,3,5-trans-trans-cis isomer has some industrial importance ^[1] and is obtained by cyclotrimerization of butadiene with titanium tetrachloride and an organoaluminium co-catalyst ^[2]:

This compound is the raw material for the production of dodecanedioic acid (4) through hydrogenation to cyclododecane (2) followed by air oxidation in the presence of boric acid at elevated temperatures to a mixture of the alcohol (3a) and the ketone (3b). In the final step this mixture oxidized further by nitric acid:

The acid is used in the production of polyamides.

External links

• commercial supplier Degussa

References

1. ^ 1995 figures for global annual capacity 8000 ton
2. ^ Industrial Organic Chemistry, Klaus Weissermel, Hans-Jurgen Arpe John Wiley & Sons; 3rd 1997 ISBN 3-527-28838-4