Ethanol Labeling With Stable Isotope ¹³C

A novel mild and convenient method for the synthesis of ¹³C₂ -ethanol was described. Acetylene was first prepared by means of lithium method, and then hydrated to form acetaldehyde, which was reduced by NaBH₄ and hydrolyzed to ethanol. The influences of parameters such as reaction temperature, catalyst promoter on the yield of product were investigated. The yield of ¹³C₂ -ethanol was more than 50% based on Ba¹³CO₃ consumed. The product was characterized by IR，GC and NMR, the chemical purity and ¹³C abundance of ¹³C₂-ethanol were more than 99% and 95% respectively. Compared to raw materials, the reduction of relative isotopic abundance of product was less than 3%.