Phenol reaction with methanol

The purpose of this work was to increase the A3 selectivity at low conversion through a catalyst modification. Previous studies of phenol alkylation with methanol (the analogue reaction) over oxides and zeolites showed that the reaction is sensitive to acidic and basic properties of the catalysts [3-5]. It is the aim of this study to understand the dependence of catalyst structure and acidity on activity and selectivity in gas phase methylation of catechol. Different cations such as Li, K, Mg, Ca, B, incorporated into y-Al203 can markedly modify the polarisation of the lattice and consequently influence the acidic and basic properties of the surface [5-8] which control the mechanism of this reaction. 

Adapted from Srivatsava et al. (248). Reaction conditions for reactions with methanol (3.2 g)— catalyst (TiMCM-41 Si/Ti = 46), 400 mg cyclic carbonate, 1.36 g temperature, 393 K, reaction time = 2 h. For reactions with phenol (4.7 g) reaction time = 17 h and rest all are the same. a Balance is phenyl ether. 

On co-adsorbing phenol and methanol, the protonation of methanol occurs on the active acid sites as the labile protons released from the phenol reacted with methanol. Thus protonated methanol became electrophilic methyl species, which undergo electrophilic substitution. The ortho position of phenol, which is close to the catalyst surface, has eventually become the substitution reaction center to form the ortho methylated products (Figure 3). This mechanism was also supported by the competitive adsorption of reactants with acidity probe pyridine [79]. A sequential adsorption of phenol and pyridine has shown the formation of phenolate anion and pyridinium ion that indicated the protonation of pyridine. 

In the presence of trace amounts of water, the tetrameric p,2-oxo complex (182) in 1,2-dimethoxyethane is transformed into a p, -oxo tetrameric complex (183 equation 254), characterized by an X-ray structure.574 In contrast, (182) 572,575 is inactive towards the oxidation of phenols. The reaction of N,N,N, AT -tetramethyl-l,3-propanediamine (TMP) with CuCl, C02 and dioxygen results in the quantitative formation of the /z-carbonato complex (184 equation 255).s76 This compound acts as an initiator for the oxidative coupling of phenols by 02. 6 Such jz-carbonato complexes, also prepared from the reaction of Cu(BPI)CO with 02 [BPI = 1,3 bis(2-(4-methyl-pyridyl)imino)isoindoline],577 are presumably involved as reactive intermediates in the oxidative carbonylation of methanol to dimethyl carbonate (see below).578 Upon reaction with methanol, the tetrameric complex (182 L = Py X = Cl) produces the bis(/z-methoxo) complex (185 equation 256), which has been characterized by an X-ray structure,579 and is reactive for the oxidatiye cleavage of pyrocatechol to muconic acid derivatives.580,581... 

Among the various reactions catalyzed by bases, we have selected (i) the polymerization of ethylene oxide catalyzed by MgO (260), (ii) the closely related reaction of ethylene oxide with alcohols on basic hydrotalcites to give polyoxyethylene polymer (the Henkel process), (iii) the phenol alkylation with methanol on MgO (General Electric and BASF processes) (261), and (iv) phenol animation to give aniline on MgO (the USS process) (262). 

Although not studied in detail, the mechanism of phenol alkylation with methanol can be formulated on similar grounds by assuming that the initial interaction of phenol and methanol with MgO gives surface phenoxide and methoxide ions and OH groups [these species are known to be formed separately on MgO (263)]. This initial reaction is then followed by elimination of H20 and formation of trialkyl phenol. 

Most Williamson reactions proceed by the 8 2 mechanism, but there is evidence (see p. 446) that in some cases the SET mechanism can take place, especially with alkyl iodides. Secondary alcohols have been converted to the corresponding methyl ether by reaction with methanol in the presence of ferric nitrate nonahy-drate. Vinyl ethers have been formed by coupling tetravinyl tin with phenols, in the presence of cupric acetate and oxygen. " The palladium-catalyzed coupling of vinyl triflates and phenols has also been reported. ... 

The rapid deactivation which occurs during phenol alkylation with methanol on USHY at 200 C is due to limitations in the diffusion of the reaction products towards the outer surface of the zeolite crystallites. These reaction products undergo numerous 0 and C alkylations leading to less and less volatile compounds and therefore less and less mobile. These compounds limit or block the diffusion of the reactants towards the acid sites or that of the products from the sites towards the outer surface. The stability of the zeolite can be improved by Increasing the diffuslon/alkylation rate ratio. This can be obtained for instance by operating at very low partial pressure or by decreasing the acid site density of the zeolite. 

The reaction of phenol alkylation with methanol over oxides and zeolites to produce anisol and cresols presents some of the features of the reaction under investigation. Studies of phenol alkylation revealed that the reaction was sensitive to the acid-base properties of the catalyst [5-13]. The catalytic activity increased with acidity, but the selectivity towards O- or C-methylated products did not follow a simple correlation with observed acid-base properties. According to [7,12,16] the catalysts with basic sites favour C-methylation. Other authors [6,11] recently reported that an increase in catalyst acidity promote C-methylation. Therefore, a variance in the results concerning acidity and catalytic properties exists in the literature. 

The activity and selectivity of aluminas used depend on the added ion and its concentration. It is seen from the data of Table 1 that activity increases with the decrease in surface basicity. This is in agreement with previous work regarding the reaction of phenol alkylation with methanol over oxides [5-10,16],... 

Methylphenol. This phenol, commonly known as o-cresol, is produced synthetically by the gas phase alkylation of phenol with methanol using modified alumina catalysis or it may be recovered from naturally occurring petroleum streams and coal tars. Most is produced synthetically. Reaction of phenol with methanol using modified zeoHte catalysts is a concerted dehydration of the methanol and alkylation of the aromatic ring. 2-Methylphenol [95-48-7] is available in 55-gal dmms (208-L) and in bulk quantities in tank wagons and railcars. 

The Guerbet reaction can be used to obtain higher alcohols 2-propyl-1-heptanol [10042-59-8] from 1-pentanol condensation and 6-methyl-4-nonanol from 2-pentanol (80—83). Condensations with alkah phenolates as the base, instead of copper catalyst, produce lower amounts of carboxyhc acids and requke lower reaction temperatures (82,83). The crossed Guerbet reaction of 1-pentanol with methanol in the presence of sodium methoxide catalyst afforded 2-heptanol in selectivities of about 75% (84). 

In the petroleum (qv) industry hydrogen bromide can serve as an alkylation catalyst. It is claimed as a catalyst in the controlled oxidation of aHphatic and ahcycHc hydrocarbons to ketones, acids, and peroxides (7,8). AppHcations of HBr with NH Br (9) or with H2S and HCl (10) as promoters for the dehydrogenation of butene to butadiene have been described, and either HBr or HCl can be used in the vapor-phase ortho methylation of phenol with methanol over alumina (11). Various patents dealing with catalytic activity of HCl also cover the use of HBr. An important reaction of HBr in organic syntheses is the replacement of aHphatic chlorine by bromine in the presence of an aluminum catalyst (12). Small quantities of hydrobromic acid are employed in analytical chemistry. 

Miller et al. [9] hypothesized rules on the regioselectivity of addition from the study of the base-catalyzed addition of alcohols to chlorotnfluoroethylene. Attack occurs at the vinylic carbon with most fluorines. Thus, isomers of dichloro-hexafl uorobutene react with methanol and phenol to give the corresponding saturated and vinylic ethers The nucleophiles exclusively attack position 3 of 1,1-dichloro-l,2,3,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene and position I of 4,4-dichloro-l,l,2,3,3,4-hexafluoro-1-butene [10]. In I, l-dichloro-2,3,3,4,4,4-hexafluoro-l-butene, attack on position 2 is favored [J/] (equation 5) Terminal fluoroolefms are almost invariably attacked at tbe difluoromethylene group, as illustrated by the reaction of sodium methoxide with perfluoro-1-heptene in methanol [/2J (equation 6). 

Repeat this analysis for the reaction of phenyl methyl ether with HI leading to phenol and methyl iodide or methanol and phenyl iodide and involving protonated phenyl methyl ether as an intermediate. (Note In this case, the appropriate empty molecular orbital is LUMO+2 the LUMO is concentrated primarily on the CO bond.) Which reaction, with ethyl propyl ether or phenyl methyl ether, appears to be more likely to give selective ether cleavage ... 

Mono-substitution occurs most readily in the stepwise replacement of the halogen substituents of 2,4,6-trichloro-s-triazine with aqueous methanol and sodium bicarbonate (30°, 30 min), the monomethoxy derivative (324) is obtained on heating (65°, 30 min), the disubstitu-ted derivative is formed and on brief heating (65°) with the more basic sodium carbonate or methanolic sodium hydroxide (25°, 3 hr) complete methoxylation (320) occurs. Ethanolic ethoxide (25°, 1 hr) or sodium carbonate (35°) is sufficient to give complete ethoxy-dechlorination. The corresponding phenoxy derivatives are obtained on treatment with one (0°), two (15°, 1 hr), or three equivalents (25-70°, 3 hr) of various sodium phenoxides in aqueous acetone. The stepwise reaction with phenols, alcohols, or thiols proceeds in better yield in organic solvents (acetone or chloroform) with collidine or 2,6-lutidine as acid acceptors than in aqueous sodium bicarbonate. ... 

In the first of these, the key step in the synthetic sequence involves an oxidative phenol coupling reaction patterned after the biosynthesis of the natural product. Preparation of the moiety that is to become the aromatic ring starts by methyla-tion of phloroglucinol (5) with methanolic hydrogen chloride to give the dimethyl ether (6). Treatment of that intermediate with sulfuryl chloride introduces the chlorine atom needed in the final product (7). 

Because the presence of methanol markedly facilitates the bromination of phenols, we decided that the active species is probably methyl hypobromite produced by the reaction of these tribromides with methanol as shown below (Fig. 5) (ref. 7). 

A Comparison of the Reaction Mechanism for the Gas-Phase Methylation of Phenol with Methanol Catalyzed by Acid and by Basic... 

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. 

The results obtained indicate that in the reaction between phenol and methanol, formaldehyde is the trae methylating agent when basic catalysts are used. This indicates that the type of transformation occurring with methanol is the factor that mainly differentiates performances in phenol methylation when catalyzed by either basic or acid catalysts. The catalyst plays its role in the generation of the methylating species the nature of the latter then determines the type of phenolic products obtained. 

The transesterifications of chloropropene carbonate and propene carbonate with methanol and phenol catalyzed by TS-1, Ti-MCM-41, and Ti02 (Table XLI) have been reported (248). Neither Ti02 nor TS-1 showed any activity in the transesterification reactions. Ti-MCM-41 catalyzed the reaction with a high selectivity for DMC (86%). Ti-MCM-41 also catalyzes the transesterification of cyclic carbonates with phenols (Table XLI). 

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