Cryptates, phase-transfer catalysis

Dietrich, Lehn and Sauvage recognized not only the possibility of enclosing a cation completely in a lipophilic shell, but they also recognized the potential for using such systems for activating associated anions. This is made particularly clear in a paper which appeared some years later One of the original motivations for our work on cryptates rested on their potential use for salt solubilization, anion activation and phase transfer catalysis . This particular application is discussed below in Sect. 8.3. 

Crown ethers and cryptates represent new classes of heterocyclic catalysts having the ability to complex cations and thereby to promote solid-liquid phase transfer catalysis. A detailed description of their properties is found in the literature.12,21-31... 

Reviews. Gokel and Weber have reviewed the principles involved in phase-transfer catalysis and the applications to synthesis (128 references). The review includes crown ethers and cryptates as well as quaternary ammonium and phos-phonium salts. 

Phase-tiansfei catalysis (PTC) is a technique by which leactions between substances located in diffeient phases aie biought about oi accelerated. Typically, one OI more of the reactants are organic Hquids or soHds dissolved in a nonpolar organic solvent and the coreactants are salts or alkah metal hydroxides in aqueous solution. Without a catalyst such reactions are often slow or do not occur at ah the phase-transfer catalyst, however, makes such conversions fast and efficient. Catalysts used most extensively are quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts, and crown ethers and cryptates. Although isolated examples of PTC can be found in the early Hterature, it is only since the middle of the 1960s that the method has developed extensively. 

Phase transfer processes rely on the catalytic effect of quaternary onium or crown type compounds to solubilize in organic solutions otherwise insoluble anionic nucleophiles and bases. The solubility of the ion pairs depends on lipophilic solvation of the ammonium or phosphonium cations or crown ether complexes and the associated anions (except for small amounts of water) are relatively less solvated. Because the anions are remote from the cationic charge and are relatively solvation free they are quite reactive. Their increased reactivity and solubility in nonpolar media allows numerous reactions to be conducted in organic solvents at or near room temperature. Both liquid-liquid and solid-liquid phase transfer processes are known the former ordinarily utilize quaternary ion catalysts whereas the latter have ordinarily utilized crowns or cryptates. Crowns and cryptates can be used in liquid-liquid processes, but fewer successful examples of quaternary ion catalysis of solid-liquid processes are available. In most of the cases where amines are reported to catalyze phase transfer reactions, in situ quat formation has either been demonstrated or can be presumed. 

---