Sulfates, monoalkyl

All lation. In alkylation, the dialkyl sulfates react much faster than do the alkyl haHdes, because the monoalkyl sulfate anion (ROSO ) is more effective as a leaving group than a haHde ion. The high rate is most apparent with small primary alkyl groups, eg, methyl and ethyl. Some leaving groups, such as the fluorinated sulfonate anion, eg, the triflate anion, CF SO, react even faster in ester form (4). Against phenoxide anion, the reaction rate is methyl triflate [333-27-7] dimethyl sulfate methyl toluenesulfonate [23373-38-8] (5). Dialkyl sulfates, as compared to alkyl chlorides, lack chloride ions in their products chloride corrodes and requires the use of a gas instead of a Hquid. The lower sulfates are much less expensive than lower bromides or iodides, and they also alkylate quickly. 

Hydrolysis. The hydrolysis of dialkyl and monoalkyl sulfates is a process of considerable iaterest commercially. Successful alkylation ia water requires that the fast reaction of the first alkyl group with water and base be minimised. The very slow reaction of the second alkyl group results ia poor utilisation of the alkyl group and gives an iacreased organic load to a waste-disposal system. Data have accumulated siace 1907 on hydrolysis ia water under acid, neutral, and alkaline conditions, and best conditions and good values for rates have been reported and the subject reviewed (41—50). 

Studies of reaction mechanisms ia O-enriched water show the foUowiag cleavage of dialkyl sulfates is primarily at the C—O bond under alkaline and acid conditions, and monoalkyl sulfates cleave at the C—O bond under alkaline conditions and at the S—O bond under acid conditions (45,54). An optically active half ester (j -butyl sulfate [3004-76-0]) hydroly2es at 100°C with iaversion under alkaline conditions and with retention plus some racemization under acid conditions (55). Effects of solvent and substituted stmcture have been studied, with moist dioxane giving marked rate enhancement (44,56,57). Hydrolysis of monophenyl sulfate [4074-56-0] has been similarly examined (58). 

Most studies of micellar systems have been carried out on synthetic surfactants where the polar or ionic head group may be cationic, e.g. an ammonium or pyridinium ion, anionic, e.g. a carboxylate, sulfate or sulfonate ion, non-ionic, e.g. hydroxy-compound, or zwitterionic, e.g. an amine oxide or a carboxylate or sulfonate betaine. Surfactants are often given trivial or trade names, and abbreviations based on either trivial or systematic names are freely used (Fendler and Fendler, 1975). Many commercial surfactants are mixtures so that purity can be a major problem. In addition, some surfactants, e.g. monoalkyl sulfates, decompose slowly in aqueous solution. Some examples of surfactants are given in Table 1, together with values of the critical micelle concentration, cmc. This is the surfactant concentration at the onset of micellization (Mukerjee and Mysels, 1970) and can therefore be taken to be the maximum concentration of monomeric surfactant in a solution (Menger and Portnoy, 1967). Its value is related to the change of free energy on micellization (Fendler and Fendler, 1975 Lindman and Wennerstrom, 1980). 

The alkylating activity is dependent on the size of the alkyl group with the relative activity following the order methyl ethyl > propyl > butyl. Beyond butyl, the activity is greatly minimized. For alkyl esters of dibasic (e.g., sulfate) andtribasic (e.g., phosphate) acids, the alkylating activity is completely eliminated if any of the alkyl groups are hydrolyzed (e.g., monoalkyl sulfate or dialkyl phosphate) (Table 14.10). 

Since the resulting monoalkyl sulfate or dialkyl phosphate lacks alkylating activity, remove one of the alkyl groups from the esters of dibasic (e.g., sulfate) and tribasic (e.g., phosphate) acids. 

The sulfation of alkenes or alcohols with concentrated acid is, on the other hand, an important reaction. Both types of sulfation can yield dialkyl as well as monoalkyl sulfates. Furthermore, sulfation (like sulfonation) will not reach completion if excess water is present ... 

The dialkyl derivatives are more toxic than the monoalkyl sulfates. Among the former type, the lower alkyl esters exhibit... 

The most important methods of synthesizing sodium alkyl sulfates or monoalkyl sulfates are summarized in Scheme 1. 

Kurz, J.L. Effects of micellization on the kinetics of the hydrolysis of monoalkyl sulfates. J. Phys. Chem. 1962, 66, 2239-2245. 

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