Benzyltriethylammonium chloride, as phase transfer catalyst

Pha.se-Tra.nsfer Ca.ta.lysts, Many quaternaries have been used as phase-transfer catalysts. A phase-transfer catalyst (PTC) increases the rate of reaction between reactants in different solvent phases. Usually, water is one phase and a water-iminiscible organic solvent is the other. An extensive amount has been pubHshed on the subject of phase-transfer catalysts (233). Both the industrial appHcations in commercial manufacturing processes (243) and their synthesis (244) have been reviewed. Common quaternaries employed as phase-transfer agents include benzyltriethylammonium chloride [56-37-17, tetrabutylammonium bromide [1643-19-2] tributylmethylammonium chloride [56375-79-2] and hexadecylpyridinium chloride [123-03-5]. 

The following quaternary ammonium salts are used as phase transfer catalyst tetra-K-butylammonium chloride (TBAC), tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB), benzyltriethylammonium chloride (BTEAC), and benzyltriethylammo-nium bromide (BTEAB). Chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as dichloromethane (DCM), chloroform (CF), tetrachloromethane (TCM), 1,2-dichloromethane (DCE), and nitrobenzene (NB) are used as solvents. The effects of phase-transfer catalyst and solvent on the yield and reduced viscosity are summarized in Table 9.1. 

Chloroform added dropwise at room temp, to a stirred mixture of N-methyl-aniline, aq. 50%-NaOH, benzyltriethylammonium chloride, and, optionally, methylene chloride, and stirring continued 1-2 hrs. -> N-formyl-N-methylaniline. Y 76%. F. e. s. J. Grafe, I. Frohlidi, and M. Muhlstadt, Z. Chem. 14, 434 (1974) s. a. M. Makosza and A. Kacprowicz, Rocz. Chem. 49, 1627 (1975) (Eng) C. A. 84, 43265 N-alkylation with alkyl halides, ibid. 49, 1203 (Eng) C. A. 84, 30793 cf. R. Brehme, Synthesis 1976, 113 with tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate as phase transfer catalyst, indole derivs., cf. A. Barco et al., Synthesis 1976, 124. 

Quaternary alkylammonium salts, tertiary amines, and crown ethers have all been utilized as catalysts in the reaction of hydroxide with chloroform to yield dichlorocarbene. The most commonly utilized catalyst has been benzyltriethylammonium chloride (see Sect. 1.7) but other quaternary ammonium chloride catalysts have proved effective. Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride and tricaprylmethylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) have both been used effectively in the cyclopropanation of simple alkenes. The use of Z e a-hydroxyethyltrialkylammonium hydroxides as phase transfer catalysts results in increased regioselectivity in the addition of dichlorocarbene to olefins [12]. Crown ethers such as dibenzo and dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 have both been utilized in place of quaternary ammonium compounds. 18-Crown-6 has also been used as a catalyst in the phase transfer thermal decomposition of sodium trichloroacetate to yield dichlorocarbene [13]. 

The highest yields in the Ciamician-Dennstedt reaction have been achieved using phase transfer catalysts (Table 8.3.1). In the reaction, the pyrrole or indole and a phase transfer catalyst (PTC, in this case benzyltriethylammonium chloride) are dissolved in chloroform and aqueous sodium hydroxide is added. Yields are typically in the 40s to 60s (rather than in the 20s for a typical Ciamician-Dennstedt reaction). More recently, yields as high as 80% have been reported using tetra-n-butylammonium hydrogen sulphate as the phase transfer catalyst. ... 

It is worth mentioning at this point that according to Normant et al. (1975) simple polyamines such as tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) are even more active than [2.2.2]-cryptand in the benzylation of acetates in acetonitrile under liquid-solid conditions. These authors suggested that the activity was due to salt solubilization by cation complexation and not to formation of a quaternary ammonium ion since the latter showed no activity. This statement, however, is not in line with the results of Cote and Bauer (1977), who were unable to detect any interaction between K+ and TMEDA in acetonitrile. Furthermore, Vander Zwan and Hartner (1978) found Aliquat 336 (tricaprylylmethylammonium chloride) to be almost as effective as TMEDA in this reaction (Table 30). It might well be, however, that in amine-catalysed benzylation reactions the quaternary salt formed in situ acts both as a reactant and as a phase-transfer catalyst, since Dou et al. (1977) have shown that the benzyltriethylammonium ion is a powerful benzylation agent. 

Benzyltriethylammonium chloride is frequently used as the phase-transfer catalyst, but it has been noted that the catalyst itself produces phenylacetic acid under the carbonylation conditions [6]. Trimethyl(phenyl)ammonium chloride and tetra-n-butylammonium chloride both catalyse the reaction efficiently. 

Complexes of other metals are also capable of catalyzing useful carbonylation reactions under phase transfer conditions. For example, certain palladium(o) catalysts, like Co2(C0)g, can catalyze the carbonylation of benzylic halides to carboxylic acids. When applied to vinylic dibromides, unsaturated diacids or diynes were obtained, using Pd(diphos)2[diphos l,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane] as the metal catalyst, benzyltriethylammonium chloride as the phase transfer agent, and t-amyl alcohol or benzene as the organic phase(18),... 

Morris Jr. and Kiely37 in 1987 noted a great acceleration in the oxidation of alcohols, with catalytic Ru04 in a biphasic system, upon addition of 1% molar benzyltriethylammonium chloride (BTEAC) as a phase-transfer catalyst. 

Oxidation of l,2 5,6-di-0-isopropylidene-a-D-glucofuranose (217) with ruthenium tetraoxide, using a phase-transfer catalyst, gave the 3-ulose derivative 218, which by further hydrolysis afforded D-n Zw-hexos-3-ulose 219. Benzyltriethylammonium chloride (BTEAC) was used as the catalyst. Using the same oxidant and conveniently derivatized starting materials, a-D-xy/o-hexofuranos-5-ulose, a-D-n Zw-hexofuranos-5-ulose, and /f-L-arabino-hexofuranos-5-ulose derivatives were obtained.436... 

Michael addition to a, -unsaturated aldehydes The Michael addition of malonic ester and acetoacetic ester to a,0-unsaturated aldehydes can be carried out in moderate yields under phase-transfer conditions with sodium or potassium carbonate as base and benzyltriethylammonium chloride as catalyst (equation I). 

Benzyltriethylammonium chloride functions as a phase-transfer catalyst. The chloride is soluble in the basic aqueous phase and is converted into bcnzyltricthyl-ammonium hydroxide, soluble in the organic phase. The hydroxide ion reacts with chloroform to give dichlorocarbene with regeneration of benzyltriethylammonium chloride. 

Acetates and benzoates of unbranched aldehyde enols react with chloroform in a phase-transfer catalytic system, with benzyltriethylammonium chloride as a catalyst, to form mainly or exclusively products of trichloromethyl anion addition (however, vinyl pivalate under these conditions forms the dichlorocarbene addition product almost exclusively). ... 

The synthesis of 1,1-diiodocyclopropane is carried out via addition of diiodocarbene (car-benoid) to alkenes the carbene, in turn, is generated from iodoform and a base. The process is realized using phase-transfer catalysis,(33% or 50%aqueous sodium hydroxide and a quaternary ammonium salt, typically benzyltriethylammonium chloride, as a catalyst) or in the presence of potassium ter/-butoxide in /ert-butyl alcohol 25,127,128 g... 

Dichlorocyclopropanes have been converted to l,l-bis(phenylsulfanyl)cyclopropanes in good yield under phase-transfer conditions using sodium hydroxide as base, benzene as organic solvent, and tetrabutylammonium bromide or benzyltriethylammonium chloride as catalyst. Typically, ler/-butyl 2,2-bis(phenylsulfanyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate (3) was obtained in 71 /o yield from tert-butyl 2,2-dichlorocyclopropanecarboxylate by this method. ... 

Good yields (81-88%) for tosylation have also been observed under biphasic conditions where Benzyltriethylammonium Chloride is employed as a phase-transfer catalyst between benzene and aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. ... 

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