[mosquito]

Can anyone tell me the chemical formula of this compound and the reactants I need to produce it.  It is a chemical used to stimulate a response in canines and is a constituent of urine.

Thank you

[Arkcon]

This would be difficult for a novice to make, it is a fairly large organic molecule (which is likely, given it has a biological effect) and would be prone to side reactions.  If this is a legal, safe chemical, you can probably get it cheaper, purer, and faster from Sigma-Aldrich or other chemical vendor.

[mosquito]

Thanks Arkcon I will give them a try

[fledarmus]

Actually it's not so bad. Decanoic acid is a straight chain carboxylic acid containing 10 carbons, also called capric acid because it smells like sweaty goats. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decanoic_acid

Trimethylamine is three methyl groups attached to a nitrogen atom. It is a mild base that smells like rotting fish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimethylamine

Since decanoic acid is a weak acid and trimethylamine is a weak base, if you mix the two together in water, you wil get trimethylammonium decanoate. I would expect this compound to smell terrible, and in fact the major use I found from a quick google search is its use as a coyote attractant.

[Arkcon]

I would expect this compound to smell terrible, and in fact the major use I found from a quick google search is its use as a coyote attractant.

Hey, don't blame the kaiotes, no mammal gets to choose which pheromones are going to work on it.  You can buy good quality trimethylamine from many vendors, but many amines are controlled for sale.  But good, pure, capric acid may even be more pricy than the product from an animal control supplies vendor.

[mosquito]

thanks fledarmus and not coyotes but dingoes.  And Arkcon, many vendors for trimethylamine, do you know of any in Australia.

[mosquito]

further to this subject I now read that aldehyde volatiles are as effect as above.  Can these be produced? They tested eight, the best response was by nonanal.

Any ideas

[fledarmus]

The aldehydes are fairly easy to obtain from either the carboxylic acid by partial reduction, or from the alcohol by partial oxidation. Unfortunately, since they are in the midpoint of the oxidative process, they aren't particularly stable - they can be air oxidized to form the acids, they can undergo Cannizzaro reactions to give an alcohol and a carboxylic acid, or if they have alpha hydrogens (which nonanal does) they can undergo aldol condensations to give longer chain products. You can keep them in a jar, but they will slowly degrade.

Both the aldehydes and the carboxylic acids are readily available from a wide variety of commercial suppliers, but the acid is far cheaper than the aldehyde.

[mosquito]

Thanks Fledarmus I will go with the acid