Alkylation with ethylene

Styrene. Styrene is the largest benzene derivative with annual consumption about 11.5 billion lb in the United States. It is produced mainly by catalytic dehydrogenation of high-purity ethylbenzene (EB) in the vapor phase. The manufacture process for EB is based on ethylene alkylation with excess benzene. This can be done in a homogeneous system with aluminum chloride catalyst or a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst in either gas or liquid-phase reaction. In the past decade, the liquid-phase alkylation with zeolite catalyst has won acceptance. Those processes have advantages of easier product separation, reducing waste stream, and less corrosion. In addition, it produces less xylene due to lower... 

In contrast to alkylations with most of the alkyl halides, the reactions of anions with ethylene oxide in organic solvents such as diethyl ether and THE... 

Lithiated indoles can be alkylated with primary or allylic halides and they react with aldehydes and ketones by addition to give hydroxyalkyl derivatives. Table 10.1 gives some examples of such reactions. Entry 13 is an example of a reaction with ethylene oxide which introduces a 2-(2-hydroxyethyl) substituent. Entries 14 and 15 illustrate cases of addition to aromatic ketones in which dehydration occurs during the course of the reaction. It is likely that this process occurs through intramolecular transfer of the phenylsulfonyl group. 

Ethjlben ne Synthesis. The synthesis of ethylbenzene for styrene production is another process in which ZSM-5 catalysts are employed. Although some ethylbenzene is obtained direcdy from petroleum, about 90% is synthetic. In earlier processes, benzene was alkylated with high purity ethylene in liquid-phase slurry reactors with promoted AlCl catalysts or the vapor-phase reaction of benzene with a dilute ethylene-containing feedstock with a BF catalyst supported on alumina. Both of these catalysts are corrosive and their handling presents problems. 

Butene. Commercial production of 1-butene, as well as the manufacture of other linear a-olefins with even carbon atom numbers, is based on the ethylene oligomerization reaction. The reaction can be catalyzed by triethyl aluminum at 180—280°C and 15—30 MPa ( 150 300 atm) pressure (6) or by nickel-based catalysts at 80—120°C and 7—15 MPa pressure (7—9). Another commercially developed method includes ethylene dimerization with the Ziegler dimerization catalysts, (OR) —AIR, where R represents small alkyl groups (10). In addition, several processes are used to manufacture 1-butene from mixed butylene streams in refineries (11) (see BuTYLENEs). 

A tertiary carbonium ion is more stable than a secondary carbonium ion, which is in turn more stable than a primary carbonium ion. Therefore, the alkylation of ben2ene with isobutylene is much easier than is alkylation with ethylene. The reactivity of substituted aromatics for electrophilic substitution is affected by the inductive and resonance effects of a substituent. An electron-donating group, such as the hydroxyl and methyl groups, activates the alkylation and an electron-withdrawing group, such as chloride, deactivates it. 

Some substituted alkyl hydrogen sulfates are readily prepared. Eor example, 2-chloroethyl hydrogen sulfate [36168-93-1] is obtained by treating ethylene chlorohydrin with sulfuhc acid or amidosulfuhc acid. Heating hydroxy sulfates of amino alcohols produces the corresponding sulfuhc monoester... 

In the presence of alkah metals such as potassium and sodium, toluene is alkylated with ethylene on the methyl group to yield, successively, normal propylbenzene, 3-phenylpentane, and S-ethji-S-phenylpentane (21). 

Vinyltoluene. Viayltoluene is produced by Dow Chemical Company and is used as a resia modifier ia unsaturated polyester resias. Its manufacture is similar to that of styrene toluene is alkylated with ethylene, and the resulting ethyltoluene is dehydrogenated to yield vinyltoluene. Annual production is ia the range of 18,000—23,000 t/yr requiring 20,000—25,000 t (6-7.5 x 10 gal) of toluene. 

Benzene is alkylated with ethylene to produce ethylbenzene, which is then dehydrogenated to styrene, the most important chemical iatermediate derived from benzene. Styrene is a raw material for the production of polystyrene and styrene copolymers such as ABS and SAN. Ethylbenzene accounted for nearly 52% of benzene consumption ia 1988. 

In the production of a-olefins, ethylene reacts with an aluminum alkyl at relatively low temperature to produce a higher aLkylalumiaum. This is then subjected to a displacement reaction with ethylene at high temperatures to yield a mixture of a-olefins and triethylalumiaum. In an alternative process, both reactions are combiaed at high temperatures and pressures where triethylalumiaum fuactioas as a catalyst ia the polymerization process. 

Ethylbenzene can also be produced by catalytic alkylation of benzene with ethylene. Benzene is alkylated with ethylene in a fixed bed alkylator. An excess of benzene is used to suppress the formation of di- and triethyl- benzenes. The excess benzene is removed from the alkylate by fractionation and recycled to the alkylator. The ethylbenzene is separated from the polyalkylated benzenes which are in turn fed to a separate reactor. Here benzene is added to convert the polyalkylated benzenes to monoethylbenzene by transalkylation. 

A slightly more complex anti arrhythmic agent is pi rmentol (74). It is synthesized from 4-chloropropiophenone (72) by keto group protection as the dioxolane (with ethylene glycol and acid) followed by sodium iodide-mediated alkylation with cis 2,6-dimethyl pi peri dine to give 7. Deblocking with acid followed by addition of 2-1ithiopyridine completes the synthesis of pi rmentol (74). 

Piperazine, N-alkylation with benzyl chloride, 42, 19 Piperazine, 1-benzyl-, 42,19 Piperidine, addition to ethylene, 43, 45 as catalyst for Claisen-Schmidt condensation, 41, 40 Piperidine, 1-ethyl-, 43, 45 Piperidine, 1-(2-naphthyl)-, 40,74 Pivalic acid, oxidative coupling to a,a,-a, a -tetramethyladipic add, 40, 92... 

A new growth reaction of the so formed aluminum alkyl with ethylene is performed ... 

ZSM-5 Benzene alkylation with ethylene Higher ethylbenzene yield [41]... 

Mordenite Benzene alkylation with ethylene Increased lifetime Higher activity and ethylbenzene selectivity [45]... 

Another catalytic application emanating from the Hieber base reaction was developed by Reppe and Vetter [108]. They showed that 1-propanol 126 could be generated by treatment of ethylene 125 with catalytic amounts of Fe(CO)5 78 under CO-pressure and basic reaction conditions (Scheme 33). Thereby, trimethylamine and V-alkylated amino acid derivatives mrned out to be optimal bases for this reaction. Like ethylene 125, propylene could be transferred mainly to 1-butanol diolefins like butadiene only reacted to monoalcohols. By employing these reaction conditions to olefins in the presence of ammonia, primary or secondary amines, mono-, di-, and trialkylamines were obtained whose alkyl chains were elongated with one carbon atom, compared to the olefins. 

Wherever possible, we have sought a direct comparison of the reactivities of structurally related Crni and q-II alkyls with ethylene. For example, after having established the catalytic activity of complexes of the type [( Cri (L)2R] (see above), we showed that the isostructural neutral compounds Cp Crn(L)2R did not polymerize ethylene instead facile P-hydrogen elimination was observed. [3) This difference in reactivity was not due to the charge of the complexes. Thus, we have subsequently shown that neutral Cr J alkyls are also active polymerization catalysts. For example, Cp Cr I(THF)Bz2 and even anionic Li[Cp Cr H(Bz)3] (Bz = benzyl) polymerized ethylene at ambient temperature and pressure, while the structurally related CpCrD(bipy)Bz proved inert.[5]... 

Based on our observation in these two systems, it would appear that Cp Cr -alkyls, if rendered electrophilic and/or sufficiently coordinatively unsaturated, will both bind and insert a-olefins. However, the more heavily substituted alkyl ligands thus formed (i.e. CrBl-CH2-CH(R)-P vs. Crni-CH2-CH2-P resulting from ethylene insertion) seem to be very susceptible to facile 3-hydrogen elimination. Rapid chain transfer and very low molecular weights are the results of this tendency. Whether the latter is an innate property of all chromium alkyls or reflects the particular chemical nature of the Cp Cr-moiety remains to be established. To this end, investigation of chromium alkyls with a variety of other ancillary ligands are needed. 

Similarly, a catalytic route to indigo was developed by Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals (Inoue et al, 1994) to replace the traditional process, which dates back to the nineteenth century (see earlier), and has a low atom efficiency/high E factor (Fig. 2.15). Indole is prepared by vapour-phase reaction of ethylene glycol with aniline in the presence of a supported silver catalyst. The indole is selectively oxidised to indigo with an alkyl hydroperoxide in the presence of a homogeneous molybdenum catalyst. 

Nitroimidazoles substituted by an aromatic ring at the 2-position are also active as antitrichomonal agents. Reaction of p-fluorobenzonitrile (83) with saturated ethanolic hydrogen chloride affords imino-ether 84. Condensation of that intermediate with the dimethyl acetal from 2-aminoacetaldehyde gives the imidazole 85. Nitration of that heterocycle with nitric acid in acetic anhydride gives 86. Alkylation with ethylene chlorohydrin, presumably under neutral conditions, completes the synthesis of the anti-... 

The use of phenylpiperidinols rather than the meperidine-related piperidines as the basic component in antidiarrheal compounds results in retention of activity. The fact that the base is not directly related to a narcotic presumably leads to greater selectivity of action on the gut. Ring scission of butyrolactone 98 (obtainable by alkylation of a diphenylacetate ester with ethylene oxide) with hydrogen bromide gives the bromo acid 99. This is then converted to the dimethylamide by successive treatment with thionyl chloride and dimethylamine. 

Daco-derived ligands, in particular derivatives alkylated with ethylene sulfide to provide pendent mercaptoethyl groups, have been used in model compounds for the active site of Ni11-containing hydrogenases.1407 1409... 

Functionalization of these reactive anionic chain ends can be achieved by a variety of methods all based on the general concepts of carbanion chemistry. For example, reaction with C02 or succinnic anhydride leads to the carboxy terminated derivatives [10], while hydroxy-terminated polymers can be easily obtained by reaction with ethylene oxide (Scheme 3) [11]. In select functionalization reactions, such as alkylation with p-vinyl benzyl chloride, the nucleophilicity of the carbanionic species may be necessary and this can be achieved by reaction of the chain end with 1,1-diphenylethene followed by functionalization [12,13]. 

In a quite analogous way ethylene reacts with nitric-sulphuric acid, nitroethyl nitrate (p. 164) being produced. How are alkyl sulphonic... 

The formulation for Impet from Ticona (a Division of the Hoechst Celanese Corporation) is described in United States Patent 6 020414 [43], The latter discloses toughened PET formulations based on an ethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymer and an ethylene-alkyl methacrylate copolymer. The crux of this patent is to use a combination of an elastomeric terpolymer functionalized with glycidyl acrylate or glycidyl methacrylate and an alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate (the latter forming the major part of the combination - up to 40wt%). For instance,... 

---