Isobutene, Prins condensation

Scheme 5.6-2 Prins condensation of isobutene with formaldehyde (MBD 3-methylbutane-l,3-diol, DMD 4,4-dimethyl-l,3-diol, MBOH 3-methyl-3-buten-l-ol catalyzed by tin (IV) chloride species [75].

The acidic 10 and 12 membered ring zeolites (H-MOR, ZSM-5, ZSM-11) can also be used to catalyze the condensation of alkenes with aldehydes to form unsaturated alcohols, acetals etc. (Prins reaction)[92]. Chang et a/. [93] showed that this reaction involves in the initial step the activation of the aldehyde by a Bronsted acid site to generate an electrophilic species. The condensation with, e.g., isobutene leads then to a primary alcohol with a positive charge at the tertiary carbon atom. Elimination of water and addition of further aldehyde molecules may lead to a broad variety of products. Some of these reactions can be effectively blocked by chosing zeolites with the appropriate pore size [94,95]. 

The continuous increase of isoprene demand has determined the enhancement of researches focused on the elaboraticxi of new and efficient routes for the industrial synthesis of this valuable diene. The acid-catalyzed cc ensation of formaldehyde and isobutene, known as Prins reacticxi, is already a recognized industrial route for the isoprene synthesis, being applied as two-stages process, condensation to form 4,4-dimethyl-l,3-dioxane in the presence of an aqueous sulphuric acid and its decomposition to isoprene using solid phosphoric acid catalysts. 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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