Synthesis of Organonitrogen Compounds from Eugenol through The Ritter Reaction and The Toxicity Test on Artemia salina Leach.

Eugenol or 4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol is the main component in clove oil which can be used as a starting material in organic synthesis. One of the example is synthesis of organonitrogen compound through the Ritter reaction. Eugenol as a carbocation precursor is reacted with acetonitrile, in the presence of a strong acid catalyst H 2 SO 4 , to form organonitrogen compounds. The number of moles in the reaction of eugenol:acetonitrile:H 2 SO 4 is 0.1:0.5:0.1 moles. The reaction was carried out at several conditions namely at ice temperature (0°C) for 4-hours reaction time, at room temperature (27°C) for 4 hours reaction time, and at reflux temperature (90°C) for 4, 8 and 16 hours reaction times. The products were characterized using UV-Vis, IR, and GC-MS. The 4-hours (0°C) and 4-hours (27°C) reactions did not produce any organonitrogen compounds. Meanwhile the 4-hours (90°C) reaction produces organonitrogen compounds, eugenyl acetamide. The 8 - and 16-hours reflux temperature (90°C) reactions are also gives organonitrogen compounds, namely eugenyl acetamide (8% yield in 8-hours reaction time and 13% yield in 16-hours reaction time) and isoquinoline (7% yield in 8-hours reaction time and 11% yield in 16-hours reaction time), in which the yield was increased as the reaction time increased. The toxicity level of the crude obtained from the 16-hours reflux temperature (90°C) reaction time was tested using the Brain Shrimp Lethality Test method to Artemia salina . The result shows that LC 50 value is 16 ppm (higher than that of eugenol) and is classified as having a strong toxicity activity.