Catalyst alkoxide

Keywords Michael addition. Amine, Phase transfer catalyst, Alkoxide, Crown ether. Transition metal complex, Lewis acid... 

OH groups. With Lewis-acid catalysts alkoxide formation occurs on co-ordina-tively unsaturated metal sites, probably assisted by neighboring oxygen sites (Scheme 2). 

Acrylonit e is one of the most reactive monomers toward anionic catalysts. A wide range of initiators of this type has been used and include the alfin catalysts, alkoxides, butyUithium, metal ketyls, and solutions of alkali metals in ethers. In a number of anionic polymerizations, there is no termination reaction if pure reagents are used, and so-called living polymers are formed. Sudi living" systems are more difficult to observe in the case of acrylonitrile owing to the insolubility of the polymer in most of the usual solvents. It is possible to produce block co-polymers with acrylonitrile from other living" polymeric anions. 

Clalsen aldol condensation. This consists in the condensation of an aromatic aldehyde and an ester R—CHjCOOCjHj in the presence of finely divided sodium and a trace of alcohol at a low temperature. The catalyst is the alkoxide ion aqueous alkalis caimot be employed since they will hydrolyse the resulting ester. The product is an ap-unsaturated ester, for example ... 

The widely used Moifatt-Pfltzner oxidation works with in situ formed adducts of dimethyl sulfoxide with dehydrating agents, e.g. DCC, AcjO, SO], P4O10, CCXTl] (K.E, Pfitzner, 1965 A.H. Fenselau, 1966 K.T. Joseph, 1967 J.G. Moffatt, 1971 D. Martin, 1971) or oxalyl dichloride (Swem oxidation M. Nakatsuka, 1990). A classical procedure is the Oppenauer oxidation with ketones and aluminum alkoxide catalysts (C. Djerassi, 1951 H. Lehmann, 1975). All of these reagents also oxidize secondary alcohols to ketones but do not attack C = C double bonds or activated C —H bonds. 

When butyrolactone and alcohols are heated for long times and at high temperatures in the presence of acidic catalysts, 4-alkoxybutytic esters are formed. With sodium alkoxides, sodium 4-alkoxybutyrates are formed (150). 

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. 

In earlier studies (24), the reaction was carried out at temperatures above 200°C under autogenous pressure conditions usiag alkaU metal hydroxide or alkoxide catalysts significant amounts of carboxyUc acid, RCH2COOH, were formed as were other by-products. More recent reports describe catalysts which minimize by-products MgO—K CO —CUC2O2 (25), less basic but stiU requiring high temperatures Rh, Ir, Pt, or Ru complexes (26) and an alkaU metal alkoxide plus Ni or Pd (27), effective at much lower temperatures. 

RandomiZation/Interesterification. Transesterification occurs when a carboxyUc acid (acidolysis) or alcohol (alcoholysis) reacts with an ester to produce a different ester (20). Ester—ester interchange is also a form of transesterification. If completely unsaturated triglyceride oil (UUU) reacts with a totally saturated fat (SSS) in the presence of an active catalyst such as sodium, potassium, or sodium alkoxide, triglycerides of intermediate composition may be formed. 

Early in the twentieth century, the first attempts to manufacture formamide directiy from ammonia and carbon monoxide under high temperature and pressure encountered difficult technical problems and low yields (23). Only the introduction of alkaU alkoxides in alcohoHc solution, ie, the presence of alcoholate as a catalyst, led to the development of satisfactory large-scale formamide processes (24). 

Metal Alibis and Alkoxides. Metal alkyls (eg, aluminum boron, sine alkyls) are fairly active catalysts. Hyperconjugation with the electron-deficient metal atom, however, tends to decrease the electron deficiency. The effect is even stronger in alkoxides which are, therefore, fairly weak Lewis acids. The present discussion does not encompass catalyst systems of the Ziegler-Natta type (such as AIR. -H TiCl, although certain similarities with Friedel-Crafts systems are apparent. 

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). 

Manufacture. Hydroxypivalyl hydroxypivalate may be produced by the esterification of hydroxypivaUc acid with neopentyl glycol or by the intermolecular oxidation—reduction (Tishchenko reaction) of hydroxypivaldehyde using an aluminum alkoxide catalyst (100,101). 

Commercially, polymeric MDI is trimerized duting the manufacture of rigid foam to provide improved thermal stabiUty and flammabiUty performance. Numerous catalysts are known to promote the reaction. Tertiary amines and alkaU salts of carboxyUc acids are among the most effective. The common step ia all catalyzed trimerizations is the activatioa of the C=N double boad of the isocyanate group. The example (18) highlights the alkoxide assisted formation of the cycHc dimer and the importance of the subsequent iatermediates. Similar oligomerization steps have beea described previously for other catalysts (61). 

Similarly, thioalcohols and thiophenols react with isocyanates to form thiocarbamates. Although these reactions are generally found to be much slower than that of the corresponding alcohol, alkoxide catalysts have successfully been used to provide moderate levels of rate enhancement (68). 

Other Rea.ctions, The photolysis of ketenes results in carbenes. The polymeriza tion of ketenes has been reviewed (49). It can lead to polyesters and polyketones (50). The polymerization of higher ketenes results in polyacetals depending on catalysts and conditions. Catalysts such as sodium alkoxides (polyesters), aluminum tribromide (polyketones), and tertiary amines (polyacetals) are used. Polymers from R2C—C—O may be represented as foUows. 

Transesterification of methyl methacrylate with the appropriate alcohol is often the preferred method of preparing higher alkyl and functional methacrylates. The reaction is driven to completion by the use of excess methyl methacrylate and by removal of the methyl methacrylate—methanol a2eotrope. A variety of catalysts have been used, including acids and bases and transition-metal compounds such as dialkjitin oxides (57), titanium(IV) alkoxides (58), and zirconium acetoacetate (59). The use of the transition-metal catalysts allows reaction under nearly neutral conditions and is therefore more tolerant of sensitive functionality in the ester alcohol moiety. In addition, transition-metal catalysts often exhibit higher selectivities than acidic catalysts, particularly with respect to by-product ether formation. 

Most nitroparaffins do not react with ketones, but ia the presence of alkoxide catalysts, nitromethane and lower aUphatic ketones give nitro alcohols ia the presence of amine catalysts dinitro compounds are obtained. 

Numerous modifications of chromium-based catalysts have been made through the introduction of various additives, the most effective of which are titanium alkoxides (38,39). These additives apparentiy reduce surface silyl chromate moieties to chromium titanates, which are then oxidized to titanyl chromates. These catalysts offer a better control of the resin molecular weight (39). 

Unsaturation Value. The reaction temperature, catalyst concentration, and type of counterion of the alkoxide affect the degree of unsaturation. The tendency for rearrangement of PO to aHyl alcohol is greatest with lithium hydroxide and decreases in the following order (100) Li+ >... 

Titanium alkoxides are used for the hardening and cross-linking of epoxy, siUcon, urea, melamine, and terephthalate resins in the manufacture of noncorrodable, high temperature lacquers in the sol-gel process as water repellents and adhesive agents (especially with foils) to improve glass surfaces as catalyst in olefin polymeri2ation, and for condensation and esterification. 

Vanadium Alkoxides. Except for the soHd methoxide, the lower vanadium alkoxides are slightly colored, yeUow, or yeUow-brown Hquids. They are easily hydroly2ed and decompose on heating above 100°C they darken. They are made from V20 or VOQ. -Vanadium alkoxides are used mostly in olefin polymeri2ation as catalysts also as hardeners and for coatings. 

With the exception of the soHd methoxide [19727-40-3], the lower antimony trialkoxides are colorless or slightly colored distillable Hquids, easily hydroly2ed. Thermally these alkoxides are rather stable. The lower antimony trialkoxides are manufactured from antimony trichloride, the higher from antimony trioxide, both on a small scale. They are used in polyester manufacture, in fireproofing, as catalysts, and for coatings. For further information about antimony trialkoxides, see references 21, 65, 98. 

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