Catalyst hydrogen fluoride/boron trifluoride

The hydrogen fluoride catalyzed fluorination of norbornene by xenon difluoride at room temperature leads to a mixture of at least seven components,39 but under milder conditions (— 78 to 26 C, 22 hours) the reaction affords a mixture of two main products 2-e,xo-5-cxo-difluoro-norbornane and 2-c-wfo-5- Yo-difluoronorbornane, ratio 2 1, in a total yield of 51-76%. If the same reaction is carried out in a limited temperature range between — 46 and — 39 C the yield of these products decreases, their ratio becomes equal, and the main product is 2-exo-l-ff //-difluoronorbornane (42 %).40 The structure dependence of the fluorination products of norbornene with xenon difluoride was studied. Solvent, temperature, reaction duration, catalyst (hydrogen fluoride, boron trifluoride, trifluoroacetic acid, pentafluorobenzenethiol) and the routes of product isomerization were analyzed.41-42... 

The addition of chlorine monofluoridc across the C = 0 bonds in difluorophosgene, per-fluoroacyl fluorides, and perfluoroketones with the formation of hypochlorites occurs only in the presence of the catalysts potassium fluoride, rubidium fluoride, cesium fluoride80,81 or the strong Lewis acids hydrogen fluoride, boron trifluoride, or arsenic(V) fluoride.82 The cesium fluoride catalyzed reactions are carried out in an autoclave for 2-3 hours at — 20"C or left overnight.80... 

We used for the further tests the system hydrogen fluoride/ boron trifluoride as catalyst and olefins as means of alkylation. 

Xenon difluoride reacts with alcohols to form unstable alkoxyxenon fluoride intermediates. Alkoxyxenon fluorides react as positive oxygen electrophiles when boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex is used as a catalyst. However, these alkoxyxenon fluorides react as apparent fluorine electrophiles with proton catalysts (hydrogen fluoride generated in situ).49... 

Mild catalysts such as boron trifluoride (with an alcohol), hydrogen fluoride (with an olefin), or ferric chloride (with an alkyl halide) may produce almost pure para dialkylation products or 1,2,4-trialkylation compounds. An excess of aluminum chloride at elevated temperatures favors meta-dialkyl or symmetrical trialkyl derivatives. 

Other catalysts which may be used in the Friedel - Crafts alkylation reaction include ferric chloride, antimony pentachloride, zirconium tetrachloride, boron trifluoride, zinc chloride and hydrogen fluoride but these are generally not so effective in academic laboratories. The alkylating agents include alkyl halides, alcohols and olefines. 

Olefins are carbonylated in concentrated sulfuric acid at moderate temperatures (0—40°C) and low pressures with formic acid, which serves as the source of carbon monoxide (Koch-Haaf reaction) (187). Liquid hydrogen fluoride, preferably in the presence of boron trifluoride, is an equally good catalyst and solvent system (see Carboxylic acids). 

Isopropylnaphthalenes can be prepared readily by the catalytic alkylation of naphthalene with propjiene. 2-lsopropylnaphthalene [2027-17-0] is an important intermediate used in the manufacture of 2-naphthol (see Naphthalenederivatives). The alkylation of naphthalene with propjiene, preferably in an inert solvent at 40—100°C with an aluminum chloride, hydrogen fluoride, or boron trifluoride—phosphoric acid catalyst, gives 90—95% wt % 2-isopropylnaphthalene however, a considerable amount of polyalkylate also is produced. Preferably, the propylation of naphthalene is carried out in the vapor phase in a continuous manner, over a phosphoric acid on kieselguhr catalyst under pressure at ca 220—250°C. The alkylate, which is low in di- and polyisopropylnaphthalenes, then is isomerized by recycling over the same catalyst at 240°C or by using aluminum chloride catalyst at 80°C. After distillation, a product containing >90 wt % 2-isopropylnaphthalene is obtained (47). 

Toluene reacts with carbon monoxide and butene-1 under pressure in the presence of hydrogen fluoride and boron trifluoride to give 4-methyl-j iYbutyrophenone which is reduced to the carbinol and dehydrated to the olefin. The latter is cycHzed and dehydrogenated over a special alumina-supported catalyst to give pure 2,6- dim ethyl n aph th a1 en e, free from isomers. It is also possible to isomerize various dim ethyl n aph th a1 en es to the... 

Aromatic Aldehydes. Carbon monoxide reacts with aromatic hydrocarbons or aryl haHdes to yield aromatic aldehydes (see Aldehydes). The reaction of equation 24 proceeds with yields of 89% when carried out at 273 K and 0.4 MPa (4 atm) using a boron trifluoride—hydrogen fluoride catalyst (72), whereas conversion of aryl haHdes to aldehydes in 84% yield by reaction with CO + H2 requires conditions of 423 K and 7 MPa (70 atm) with a homogeneous palladium catalyst (73) and also produces HCl. 

Highly Branched Acids. These acids, called neoacids, are produced from highly branched olefins, carbon monoxide, and an acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid, hydrogen fluoride, or boron trifluoride. 2,2,2-Trimethylacetic acid (pivaUc acid) is made from isobutylene and neodecanoic acid is produced from propylene trimer (see Carboxylic Acids, trialkylacetic acids). 

In the case of ethylene, it is necessary to use high temperatures and pressures as well as active catalyst to effect esterification (82). Yields of 40—50% based on ethylene were obtained with boron trifluoride—hydrogen fluoride mixtures as catalysts at 150°C. 2-Butene under pressure at 115—120°C with an excess of glacial acetic acid containing 10% H2SO4 gave as much as a 60% yield of I -butyl acetate (83). 

In order to achieve high yields, the reaction usually is conducted by application of high pressure. For laboratory use, the need for high-pressure equipment, together with the toxicity of carbon monoxide, makes that reaction less practicable. The scope of that reaction is limited to benzene, alkyl substituted and certain other electron-rich aromatic compounds. With mono-substituted benzenes, thepara-for-mylated product is formed preferentially. Super-acidic catalysts have been developed, for example generated from trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, hydrogen fluoride and boron trifluoride the application of elevated pressure is then not necessary. 

The use of additional substances to increase the activity of a catalyst is a well known phenomenon. Hydrogen chloride or traces of water are known to promote aluminum chloride catalyzed reactions. In the same way the reaction of isoparaffins with olefins has been shown to be catalyzed by boron trifluoride in the presence of nickel powder and with water as the promoter (Ipatieff and Grosse, 76). Hydrogen fluoride can take the place of the water and thus serve as the promoter. 

Furthermore, boron trifluoride is used as a catalyst to prepare fluorinated ethers from alcohols and carbon tetrachloride in hydrogen fluoride.19... 

Boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex is used as catalyst in addition reactions of hydrogen fluoride to double bonds. If the alkene is halogenated on the C = C bond, fluorine adds to the carbon that bears the halogen.51... 

Boron trifluoride has been applied as catalyst in addition of hydrogen fluoride to asymmetrically halogenated alkenes in the liquid phase.52... 

If hydrogen fluoride is used as the catalyst, it is possible to use 3-halogenopropanoic acids in this route (68CB2494), whilst with boron trifluoride even 3-hydroxyalkanoic acids afford chromanones in a very fast reaction (63T77). 

To obtain high yields from the esterification of terminal alkenes, boron trifluoride-hydrogen fluoride is reported to be more effective than sulfuric acid as a catalyst (equation 275)456... 

Grown Ethers. Ethylene oxide forms cyclic oligomers (crown ethers) in the presence of fluorinated Lewis acids such as boron trifluoride, phosphorus pentafluoride, or antimony pentafluoride. Hydrogen fluoride is the preferred catalyst (47). The presence of BF 4, PF y, or SbF 6 salts of alkali, alkaline earth, or transition metals directs the oligomerization to the cyclic tetramer, 1,4,7,10-tetraoxacyclododecane [294-93-9] (12-crown-4), pentamer, 1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxacyclopentadecane [33100-27-6] (15-crown-6), andhexamer, 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadecane [17455-13-9]... 

As in the case of the fluorination of alkenes in methanol, reaction with 1,3-dienes depends strongly on the catalyst used, and five products were formed by reaction of 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene when hydrogen fluoride or boron trifluoride were used as catalysts83 (Scheme 27). 

Oxidative fluorodesulfuriztuion can also be achieved by the action of nitrosonium tetrafluo-roborate, as oxidant, and hydrogen fluoridc/pyridine, as a source of fluoride ions, on aryl sulfides. The starting compounds are easily prepared from ketones or aldehydes and ben-zenethiol using boron trifluoride monohydratc as catalyst, and subsequent reduction with triethylsihine. - ... 

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