Alkylation phenoxide

Another quite recently developed method for the controlled polymerization of methacrylates via anionic polymerization is the screened anionic polymerization (SAP), investigated by Haddleton et al. The systems are based on lithium aluminum alkyl/phenoxide initiators, which are synthesized in situ following the equation shown... 

Aryl ethers are best prepared by the Williamson method (Section 16 6) Alkylation of the hydroxyl oxygen of a phenol takes place readily when a phenoxide anion reacts with an alkyl halide... 

Section 24 11 Phenoxide anions are nucleophilic toward alkyl halides and the prepara tion of alkyl aryl ethers is easily achieved under 8 2 conditions... 

Dialkylaminoethyl acryhc esters are readily prepared by transesterification of the corresponding dialkylaminoethanol (102,103). Catalysts include strong acids and tetraalkyl titanates for higher alkyl esters and titanates, sodium phenoxides, magnesium alkoxides, and dialkyitin oxides, as well as titanium and zirconium chelates, for the preparation of functional esters. Because of loss of catalyst activity during the reaction, incremental or continuous additions may be required to maintain an adequate reaction rate. 

The most important appHcation of metal alkoxides in reactions of the Friedel-Crafts type is that of aluminum phenoxide as a catalyst in phenol alkylation (205). Phenol is sufficientiy acidic to react with aluminum with the formation of (CgH O)2Al. Aluminum phenoxide, when dissolved in phenol, greatiy increases the acidic strength. It is beheved that, similar to alkoxoacids (206) an aluminum phenoxoacid is formed, which is a strong conjugate acid of the type HAl(OCgH )4. This acid is then the catalyticaHy active species (see Alkoxides, metal). 

All lation. In alkylation, the dialkyl sulfates react much faster than do the alkyl haHdes, because the monoalkyl sulfate anion (ROSO ) is more effective as a leaving group than a haHde ion. The high rate is most apparent with small primary alkyl groups, eg, methyl and ethyl. Some leaving groups, such as the fluorinated sulfonate anion, eg, the triflate anion, CF SO, react even faster in ester form (4). Against phenoxide anion, the reaction rate is methyl triflate [333-27-7] dimethyl sulfate methyl toluenesulfonate [23373-38-8] (5). Dialkyl sulfates, as compared to alkyl chlorides, lack chloride ions in their products chloride corrodes and requires the use of a gas instead of a Hquid. The lower sulfates are much less expensive than lower bromides or iodides, and they also alkylate quickly. 

ButylatedPhenols and Cresols. Butylated phenols and cresols, used primarily as oxidation inhibitors and chain terrninators, are manufactured by direct alkylation of the phenol using a wide variety of conditions and acid catalysts, including sulfuric acid, -toluenesulfonic acid, and sulfonic acid ion-exchange resins (110,111). By use of a small amount of catalyst and short residence times, the first-formed, ortho-alkylated products can be made to predominate. Eor the preparation of the 2,6-substituted products, aluminum phenoxides generated in situ from the phenol being alkylated are used as catalyst. Reaction conditions are controlled to minimise formation of the thermodynamically favored 4-substituted products (see Alkylphenols). The most commonly used is -/ fZ-butylphenol [98-54-4] for manufacture of phenoHc resins. The tert-huty group leaves only two rather than three active sites for condensation with formaldehyde and thus modifies the characteristics of the resin. 

Substitution, All lation, and Rearrangement. The reaction of alkaline phenoxides with alkyl 3 -2-(chloro)- or 3 -2-(mesyloxy)propionate gives optically active R-2-aryloxyaIkanoic acid esters in good chemical and optical yields (>97% ee) (51—53) ... 

Detailed mechanistic studies have been carried out on aminolysis of substituted aryl acetates and aryl carbonates. Aryl esters are considerably more reactive than alkyl esters because the phenoxide ions are better leaving groups than alkoxide ions. The tetrahedral intermediate formed in aminolysis can exist in several forms which differ in extent and site of protonation ... 

Dichloro-s-triazine and its 6-alkyl analogs are as easily hydrolyzed by water as trichloro-s-triazine and, on suspension in aqueous ammonia (25°, 16 hr), the first is diaminated in good yield. 2,4-Bistrichloromethyl-6-methyl- and -6-phenyl-s-triazines (321) require a special procedure for mono-alkoxylation (0-20°, 16 hr, alcoholic triethylamine) disubstitution occurs at reflux temperature (8 hr). Aqueous triethylamine (100°, 3 hr) causes complete hydroxy-lation of 2,4,6-tris-trichloromethyl-s-triazine which can be mono-substituted with ammonia, methylamine, or phenoxide ion at 20°. 

This reaction, which is named after W. Williamson, is the most important method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical ethers 3. For this purpose an alkoxide or phenoxide 1 is reacted with an alkyl halide 2 (with R = alkyl, allyl or benzyl). Symmetrical ethers can of course also be prepared by this route, but are accessible by other routes as well. 

In most cases the alkoxide or phenoxide 1 reacts with the alkyl halide 2 by a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution mechanism ... 

With secondary and tertiary alkyl halides an Ea-elimination is often observed as a side-reaction. As the alkyl halide reactant an iodide is most often employed, since alkyl iodides are more reactive than the corresponding bromides or chlorides. With phenoxides as nucleophiles a C-alkylation can take place as a competing reaction. The ratio of 0-alkylation versus C-alkylation strongly depends on the solvent used. For example reaction of benzylbromide 4 with /3-naphth-oxide 5 in yV,A-dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent yields almost exclusively the /3-naphthyl benzylether 6, while the reaction in water as solvent leads via intermediate 7 to formation of the C-benzylated product—l-benzyl-2-naphthol 8—as the major product ... 

In an alternate synthesis of the intermediate ketone, the benzylic halide, 69, is used to alkylate sodium phenoxide. Cyclization of the acid (70) obtained on hydrolysis of the ester by means of trifluoroacetic anhydride again gives 67... 

Ethers can be prepared by reaction of an alkoxide or phenoxide ion with a primary alkyl halide. Anisole, for instance, results from reaction of sodium phenoxide with iodomethane. What kind of reaction is occurring Show the mechanism. 

Unlike the acid-catalyzed ether cleavage reaction discussed in the previous section, which is general to all ethers, the Claisen rearrangement is specific to allyl aryl ethers, Ar—O—CH2CH = CH2. Treatment of a phenoxide ion with 3-bromopropene (allyl bromide) results in a Williamson ether synthesis and formation of an allyl aryl ether. Heating the allyl aryl ether to 200 to 250 °C then effects Claisen rearrangement, leading to an o-allylphenol. The net result is alkylation of the phenol in an ortho position. 

Dichloro monomers can also be polymerized with bisphenols in the presence of fluorides as promoting agents.78 The fluoride ions promote the displacement of the chloride sites to form more reactive fluoride sites, which react with phenolate anion to form high-molecular-weight polymers. Adding 5-10 mol % phase transfer catalysts such as A-alkyl-4-(dialkylamino)pyridium chlorides significantly increased the nucleophilicity and solubility of phenoxide anion and thus shortened the reaction time to one fifth of the uncatalyzed reaction to achieve the same molecular weight.79... 

Phenoxide Ions. These ions, which are analogous to enolate ions, can undergo C- or 0-alkylation ... 

The solvent can also affect regioselectivity. Consider O- vs C-alkylation of phenoxide ion with allyl chloride or bromide. In water, with allyl chloride the O- to C-alkylation ratio is 49 41 with phenol as a solvent it is 22 78 with methanol, dimethylformamide, and dioxane 100% O-alkylation is achieved. The selective solvation of the more electronegative O by the more protic solvents perhaps leads to some C-alkylations. 

Alkylations of phenoxide ions in water have recently been carefully studied by Breslow et al.57 Alkylation can occur both at the phenoxide oxygen and on ortho and para positions of the ring when the phenoxide has at least one alkyl substituent (Eq. 5.4). Carbon alkylation occurs in water, but not in nonpolar organic solvents. This is attributed to the antihydrophobic effect of the organic solvents. 

For carbon-carbon bond-formation purposes, S 2 nucleophilic substitutions are frequently used. Simple S 2 nucleophilic substitution reactions are generally slower in aqueous conditions than in aprotic organic solvents. This has been attributed to the solvation of nucleophiles in water. As previously mentioned in Section 5.2, Breslow and co-workers have found that cosolvents such as ethanol increase the solubility of hydrophobic molecules in water and provide interesting results for nucleophilic substitutions (Scheme 6.1). In alkylations of phenoxide ions by benzylic chlorides, S/y2 substitutions can occur both at the phenoxide oxygen and at the ortho and para positions of the ring. In fact, carbon alkylation occurs in water but not in nonpolar organic solvents and it is observed only when the phenoxide has at least one methyl substituent ortho, meta, or para). The effects of phenol substituents and of cosolvents on the rates of the competing alkylation processes... 

TABLE 6.1 Product Distributions for the Reactions of Alkyl-Substituted Phenoxides with p-Carboxybenzyl Chloride in Water at 25°C... 

Breslow and co-workers have found that cosolvents such as ethanol increase the solubility of hydrophobic molecules in water and provide interesting results for nucleophilic substitutions of phenoxide ions by benzylic chlorides carbon alkylation occurs in water but not in nonpolar organic solvents, and it is observed only when the phenoxide has at least one methyl substituent (ortho, meta, or para). This has been discussed in Chapter 6 (Section 6.4.2). 

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