Tetra-n-octylammonium bromide

Alkynes have been prepared from 1,1- and 1,2-dihaloalkanes and from haloalkenes under the influence of a quaternary ammonium salt geminal- and vic-dibromoalkanes are converted into alkynes under liquid liquid [10, 11] and soliddiquid [12-14] conditions with Aliquat or tetra-n-octylammonium bromide... 

Benzophenones are produced by the oxidation of diarylmethanes under basic conditions [6-9], The initial step requires a strongly basic medium to ionize the methane and the more lipophilic quaternary ammonium catalysts are preferred (Aliquat and tetra-n-octylammonium bromide are better catalysts than tetra-n-butyl-ammonium bromide). The oxidation and oxidative dehydrogenation of partially reduced arenes to oxo derivatives in a manner similar to that used for the oxidation of diarylmethanes has been reported, e.g. fluorene is converted into fluorenone (100%), and 9,10-dihydroanthracene and l,4,4a,9a-tetrahydroanthraquinone into anthraquinone (75% and 100%, respectively) [6]. 

The highly hydrophilic alcohols, pentaerythritol and 2-ethyl-2-hydroxymethyl-propan-l,3-diol, can be converted into their corresponding ethers in good yields under phase-transfer catalytic conditions [12]. Etherification of pentaerythritol tends to yield the trialkoxy derivative and kinetics of the reaction have been shown to be controlled by the solubility of the ammonium salt of the tris-ether in the organic phase and the equilibrium between the tris-ether and its sodium salt [13]. Total etherification of the tetra-ol is attained in good yield when reactive haloalkanes are used, and tetra-rt-octylammonium, in preference to tetra-n-butylammonium, bromide [12, 13]. 

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