Succinimide: A Multifaceted Compound Driving Advances in Chemistry and Industry

Introduce

Succinimide is a colorless needle-shaped crystal or thin solid with a light brown luster, with a sweet taste. Has various medicinal properties, such as anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and antibacterial activity. They are widely used in drug discovery and have been extensively studied due to their biological activity and structure-activity relationship. Easy to dissolve in water, alcohol, or sodium hydroxide solution, insoluble in ether, chloroform, etc. It is irritating and should be avoided from inhalation and skin contact. Main applications: organic synthesis, pharmaceuticals, electroplating, chemical analysis, etc. [1].

Figure 1 Characteristics of Succinimide

The use of Succinimide

Disinfectant: Succinimide can be used as an organic disinfectant and is widely used for disinfection in swimming pools, bathing areas, and other places.

Bleach: It can also be used as a bleaching agent, especially for bleaching dyed fibers or in the production of bleaching agents.

Preservative: Succinimide can be used as an ingredient in wood and fiber preservatives to prevent decay and damage.

Other: Succinimide is used in analytical chemistry as part of methods for detecting aldehydes and ketones in various samples. This application is useful in environmental monitoring and quality control in industries such as food and beverage production.

It can also be employed as a stabilizer in the formulation of photographic chemicals, helping to maintain the quality of images during the development process.

The synthesis method of Succinimide

There are various methods for synthesizing Succinimide, with the main method being the reaction of succinic acid with ammonia to produce ammonium succinate monoacid or ammonium succinate. Then, the distillate is collected at 275-290 ° C by heating, ring closing, and distillation, and then recrystallized from ethanol. The yield is 78%, and the product is white or slightly light yellow. There is also a method of reaction at 250 ° C for 1 hour, followed by recrystallization in ethanol, but the yield has not been reported. According to this method, the yield is only 70% to 72%. Due to the high reaction temperature and severe carbonization phenomenon of these two methods, the difficulty of post-treatment has increased.

It can be improved, for example, by adding 0.5mol of succinic acid and 54mL of 17% industrial ammonia water to a distillation flask equipped with mechanical stirring, 300 ° C thermometer, heating and cooling device, stirring and dissolving, and the temperature during sample dissolution generally does not exceed 70 ° C. After dissolving succinic acid, 0.1% to 0.3% (based on the mass of succinic acid) of phosphoric acid is added, heated and dehydrated, and when the system temperature reaches 120 ° C, it is kept for 1 hour to remove excess ammonia, then gradually heated to 195 ° C, kept for 5 hours, cooled down to 80 ° C, 40mL of water is added, 1g of activated carbon is decolorized, cooled and filtered to obtain crude product, and finally recrystallized with ethanol.

This process is an effective synthesis method with readily available raw materials, mild reaction conditions, high product yield, and good quality. And it has been tested in actual factory production, with good stability and ease of industrialization, making it particularly suitable for small-scale chemical enterprises.

Security information

Succinimide can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract, and direct contact should be avoided during use. Therefore, personal protective measures should be taken when using Succinimide, such as wearing appropriate protective goggles, gloves, and masks. Secondly, when storing and handling Succinimide, it is necessary to ensure a well-ventilated working environment, avoid contact with flammable materials, and prevent sparks or electrostatic discharge. If accidental ingestion or contact with Succinimide occurs, seek medical assistance immediately and bring packaging or labels to the hospital.

Physical and chemical properties

Succinimide is a colorless needle-shaped crystalline or light brown glossy thin sheet substance with a sweet taste. Its melting point is 125 ℃, but it will decompose slightly at this temperature. Succinimide is soluble in water, alcohol, or sodium hydroxide solution, but it is insoluble in ether and cannot dissolve in chloroform.

Reference

[1] Zhao Z, Yue J, Ji X, et al. Research progress in biological activities of succinimide derivatives[J]. Bioorganic Chemistry, 2021, 108: 104557.

[2] Clarke S. Propensity for spontaneous succinimide formation from aspartyl and asparaginyl residues in cellular proteins[J]. International journal of peptide and protein research, 1987, 30(6): 808-821.

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