Phenols to ethers

For a list of reagents used to convert alcohols and phenols to ethers, sec Ref. 508. pp. 446-448. 

There are a couple of chemical commentaries. One, the miserable phenol-to-ether-to-aldehyde series of steps, so maddeningly unsatisfactory in the 2C-G-4... 

Another conjugative reaction, particularly of phenolic hydroxyl groups, is ethereal sulfate formation. The cytosol portion of liver cells contains enzymes that activate sulfate to a form transferrable to acceptors. Thus 3 -phosphoadenosine-5 -phosphosulfate (PAPS) will sulfate phenols to ethereal sulfates (actually half-esters of sulfuric acid), thus increasing their polarity and excretability greatly (Fig. 3-3). 

Residual solution. Make just acid with dil. HjSO, and then just alkaline to litmus-paper with Na,COs solution. Extract phenol with ether, distil off latter and identify the residue. Identify the organic acid in the aqueous layer, as in (A) (ii). 

Higher alkyl ethers are prepared by treating the sodium derivative of the phaiol (made by adding the phenol to a solution of sodium ethoxide in ethyl alcohol) with the alkyl iodide or bromide (Williamson synthesis), for example ... 

Dinitrophenyl ethers. 2 4-Dinitrochlorobenzene reacts with the sodium salts of phenols to yield crystalline 2 4-dinitrophenyl ethers ... 

Stopping the polymer at this point requires the ratio of formaldehyde to phenol to be less than unity. Both methylene and ether bridges are known to be present. The reaction is either acid or base catalyzed, and branching is uncommon at this stage. The products are variously known as A stage resins, novolacs, or resole prepolymers. 

DicblorobenzotnfIuoride. This compound is produced by chlorination of 4-chloroben2otrifluoride and exhibits sufficient activation to undergo nucleophilic displacement with phenols to form diaryl ether herbicides, eg, acifluorofen sodium [62476-59-9]. 

Resoles. The advancement and cure of resole resins foUow reaction steps similar to those used for resin preparation the pH is 9 or higher and reaction temperature should not exceed 180°C. Methylol groups condense with other methylols to give dibenzyl ethers and react at the ortho and para positions on the phenol to give diphenyknethylenes. In addition, dibenzyl ethers eliminate formaldehyde to give diphenyknethanes. 

Alternatively, thermal cracking of acetals or metal-catalyzed transvinylation can be employed. Vinyl acetate or MVE can be employed for transvinylation and several references illustrate the preparation especially of higher vinyl ethers by such laboratory techniques. Special catalysts and conditions are required for the synthesis of the phenol vinyl ethers to avoid resinous condensation products (6,7). Direct reaction of ethylene with alcohols has also been investigated (8). 

In an analogous manner, DCPD reacts with alcohols and phenols to form ether derivatives, and with halogen acids, thiocyanic acid, and various carboxyhc acids to form esters. These esters are used as perfume components (67). Dicyclopentadiene alcohol and a number of the ethers, esters, and glycol adducts have been claimed as coal and ore flotation aids (68). 

Gel-permeation chromatography studies of epoxy resins prepared by the taffy process shown n values = 0, 1, 2, 3, etc, whereas only even-numbered repeat units are observed for resins prepared by the advancement process. This is a consequence of adding a difunctional phenol to a diglycidyl ether derivative of a difunctional phenol in the polymer-forming step. 

Alkyl tertiary alkyl ethers can be prepared by the addition of an alcohol or phenol to a tertiary olefin under acid catalysis (Reycler reaction) sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, and boron trifluoride have all been used as catalysts ... 

Mel, K2CO3, acetone, reflux, 6 h. This is a veiy common and often veiy efficient method for the preparation of phenolic methyl ethers it is also applicable to the. formation of phenolic benzyl ethers. 

Trimethylsilyl ethers are readily cleaved by fluoride ion, mild acids, and bases. If the TMS derivative is somewhat hindered, it also becomes less susceptible to cleavage. A phenolic TMS ether can be cleaved in the presence of an alkyl TMS ether [Dowex lX8(IfO ), EtOH, rt, 6 h, 78% yield]. ... 

Various 2,6-di8ubstituted p-benzoquinones have been prepared by oxidation of the corresponding 2,6-disubstituted phenols with potassium nitrosodisulfonate or lead dioxide in formic acid. Oxidative coupling of 2,6-disubstituted phenols to poly-2,6-disubstituted phenylene ethers followed by treatment of the polymers in acetic acid with lead dioxide is reported to give low yields of the corresponding 2,6-disubstituted p-benzoquinones. 

Constitution. Comparison of the empirical formula of the three alkaloids, and the fact that jatrorrhizine and columbamine each stands to palmatine in the relation of a monohydric phenol to its methyl ether, makes it clear that the only difference between jatrorrhizine and columbamine must be in the position of the free hydroxyl group. The method by which this point was settled is described in dealing with the two tetrahydro-derivatives of these alkaloids (p. 291). The constitution of palmatine (XXV R = R = Me) is dealt with under tetrahydropalmatine, but it is still necessary to describe the complete synthesis of this alkaloid via oxypalmatine (XXVII) and tetrahydropalmatine. 

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). 

Deuteromethyl ethers have been used to protect phenols to prevent the methyl hydrogens from participating in free-radical reactions. ... 

Sodium A-methylanilide, xylene, HMPA, 60-120°, 70-95% yield. Methyl ethers of polyhydric phenols are cleaved to give the mono-phenol. Benzyl ethers are also cleaved. Halogenated phenols are not effectively cleaved, because of competing aromatic substitution. 

Catalytic hydrogenation in acetic anhydride-benzene removes the aromatic benzyl ether and forms a monoacetate hydrogenation in ethyl acetate removes the aliphatic benzyl ether to give, after acetylation, the diacetate. Trisubstituted aDcenes can be retained during the hydrogenolysis of a phenolic benzyl ether. ... 

K2CO3, Kriptofix 222, CH3CN, 55°, 2 h, 70-95% yield. " Phenolic silyl ethers are cleaved selectively, but when TsOH or BF3-Et20 is used, alkyl TBDMS groups are cleaved in preference to phenolic derivatives. 

ISiCl3, rt, 20-30 min, 74-95% yield. Esters and phenolic methyl ethers are reported to survive, whereas with the related TMSI they are cleaved. 

S Ar reacdons also provide an important strategy for the preparadon of various kinds of diaryl ethers -Dinitrobenzene reacts v/ith even sterically hindered phenols to give the corresponding diaryl ethers fEq 9 3 ... 

This ether formation arises from conversion of the phenol to a cyclohexanone, and ketal formation catalyzed by Pd-Hj and hydrogenolysis. With Ru-on-C, the alcohol is formed solely (84). 

Iodosobenzene diacetate is used as a reagent for the preparation of glycol diacetates from olefins,9 for the oxidation of aromatic amines to corresponding azo compounds,10 for the ring acetylation of N-arylacetamides,11 for oxidation of some phenols to phenyl ethers,12 and as a coupling agent in the preparation of iodonium salts.13 Its hydrolysis to iodosobenzene constitutes the best synthesis of that compound.14... 

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