Methyl alcohol alkylation with

Methyl p-toluenesulphonate. This, and other alkyl esters, may be prepared in a somewhat similar manner to the n-butyl ester with good results. Use 500 g. (632 ml.) of methyl alcohol contained in a 1 litre three-necked or bolt-head flask. Add 500 g. of powdered pure p-toluene-sulphonyl chloride with mechanical stirring. Add from a separatory funnel 420 g. of 25 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution drop by drop maintain the temperature of the mixture at 23-27°. When all the alkali has been introduced, test the mixture with litmus if it is not alkaline, add more alkali until the mixture is neutral. Allow to stand for several hours the lower layer is the eater and the upper one consists of alcohol. Separate the ester, wash it with water, then with 4 per cent, sodium carbonate solution and finally with water. Dry over a little anhydrous magnesium sulphate, and distil under reduced pressure. Collect the methyl p-toluenesulphonate at 161°/10 mm. this solidifies on cooling and melts at 28°. The yield is 440 g. 

Reactions of alcohols with hydrogen halides (Section 4.7) Alcohols react with hydrogen halides to yield alkyl halides. The reaction is useful as a synthesis of alkyl halides. The reactivity of hydrogen halides decreases in the order HI > HBr > HCI > HF. Alcohol reactivity decreases in the order tertiary > secondary > primary > methyl. 

Reduction of l-methyl-2-alkyl-.d -pyrroline and l-methyl-2-alkyl-.d -piperideine perchlorates with complex hydrides prepared in situ by partial decomposition of lithium aluminum hydride with the optically active alcohols (—)-menthol and (—)-borneol affords partially optically active l-methyl-2-alkyl pyrrolidines (153, n = 1) and 1-methy 1-2-alkyl piperideines (153, n = 2), respectively (241,242). 

Methylamines can be synthesized by alkylating ammonia with methyl halides or with methyl alcohol. The reaction with methanol usually occurs at approximately 500°C and 20 atmospheres in the presence of an... 

From intermediate 28, the construction of aldehyde 8 only requires a few straightforward steps. Thus, alkylation of the newly introduced C-3 secondary hydroxyl with methyl iodide, followed by hydrogenolysis of the C-5 benzyl ether, furnishes primary alcohol ( )-29. With a free primary hydroxyl group, compound ( )-29 provides a convenient opportunity for optical resolution at this stage. Indeed, separation of the equimolar mixture of diastereo-meric urethanes (carbamates) resulting from the action of (S)-(-)-a-methylbenzylisocyanate on ( )-29, followed by lithium aluminum hydride reduction of the separated urethanes, provides both enantiomers of 29 in optically active form. Oxidation of the levorotatory alcohol (-)-29 with PCC furnishes enantiomerically pure aldehyde 8 (88 % yield). 

This chapter compares the reaction of gas-phase methylation of phenol with methanol in basic and in acid catalysis, with the aim of investigating how the transformations occurring on methanol affect the catalytic performance and the reaction mechanism. It is proposed that with the basic catalyst, Mg/Fe/0, the tme alkylating agent is formaldehyde, obtained by dehydrogenation of methanol. Formaldehyde reacts with phenol to yield salicyl alcohol, which rapidly dehydrogenates to salicyladehyde. The latter was isolated in tests made by feeding directly a formalin/phenol aqueous solution. Salicylaldehyde then transforms to o-cresol, the main product of the basic-catalyzed methylation of phenol, likely by means of an intramolecular H-transfer with formaldehyde. With an acid catalyst, H-mordenite, the main products were anisole and cresols moreover, methanol was transformed to alkylaromatics. 

Imidazolides can also be activated by N-alkylation with methyl triflate.116 Imidazolides react with alcohols on heating to give esters and react at room temperature with amines to give amides. Imidazolides are particularly appropriate for acylation of acid-sensitive materials. 

Alcohols can be dehydrated via xanthate esters at temperatures that are much lower than those required for acetate pyrolysis. The preparation of xanthate esters involves reaction of the alkoxide with carbon disulfide. The resulting salt is alkylated with methyl iodide. 

Preparation of the quaternary anticholinergic agent benzilonium bromide (47) is begun by conjugate addition of ethylamine to methylacrylate, giving aminoester 42. Alkylation of 42 with methyl bromo-acetate leads to diester 43, which is transformed into pyrrolidone 44 by Dieckmann cyclization, followed by decarboxylation. Reduction of 44 by lithium aluminum hydride leads to the corresponding amino-alcohol (45). Transesterification of alcohol 45 with methyl benzilate leads to 46. Benzilonium bromide (47) is obtained by alkylation of ester 46 with ethyl bromide. 2... 

Methoxymethylation of alcohols is generally achieved through alkylation with chloromethyl methyl ether. The procedure described here for the preparation of Bu3SnCH20CH20CH3 avoids the use of the highly toxic chloromethyl ether by employing an acid-catalyzed acetal exchange reaction with dimethoxymethane for the... 

Treatment of the alcohol 211 with f-butyklimethylsilyl triflate and 2,6-lutidine affords disiloxyester 212 with high yield. Reduction of the ester function of 212 with DIBAL followed by Swern oxidation gives the corresponding aldehyde 213, and subsequent alkylation with MeMgBr and Swern oxidation produce methyl ketone 214 (Scheme 7-70). 

A variety of other carbon nucleophiles have been alkylated with alcohols including malonate esters, nitroaUcanes, ketonitriles [119, 120], barbituric acid [121], cyanoesters [122], arylacetonitriles [123], 4-hydroxycoumarins [124], oxi-ndoles [125], methylpyrimidines [126], indoles [127], and esters [128]. Selected examples are given in Scheme 35. Thus, benzyl alcohol 15 could be alkylated with nitroethane 147, 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid 148, phenylacetonitrile 149, methyl-pyrimidine 150, and even f-butyl acetate 151 to give the corresponding alkylated products 152-156. 

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