Triethylene glycol, purification

The compound known as 18-crown-6 is one of the simplest and most useful of the macrocyclic polyethers. Its synthesis in low yield was first reported by Pedersen. Greene and Dale and Kristiansen" have reported syntheses of the title compound from triethylene glycol and triethylene glycol di-p-toluenesulfonate. Both of these procedures use strong base and anhydrous conditions and achieve purification by more or leas classical methods. The combination of distillation and formation of the acetonitrile complex affords crown of high purity without lengthy chromatography or sublimation. ... 

Mishra D and Sharma U. Extraction and bulk liquid membrane transport of some main group metal ions facihtated by triethylene glycol monomethyl ether. Sep Purif Technol, 2002 27(1) 51-57. 

Under an inert atmosphere, prepare a suspension of sodium hydride (0.96 g, 20 mmol [50 per cent in mineral oil]) in dry THF (50 mL) in a 250 mL twonecked round-bottomed flask fitted with a reflux condenser and pressure equalized addition funnel. Stir for 30 min under an inert atmosphere. Slowly add a solution of 8-hydroxyquinoline (2.90 g, 20 mmol) in dry THF (50 mL) to this through the addition funnel. Make up a solution of triethylene glycol ditosylate, 2, (4.60 g, 10 mmol) in dry THF (50 mL), ensuring that no solids remain (filter if necessary) or the addition funnel may become blocked. Once the effervescence subsides following the formation of the sodium 8-hydroxyquinolinate salt, add the ditosylate solution and reflux for 24 h. After 24 h, allow the solution to cool to room temperature, filter off the precipitated sodium tosylate and remove the THF by rotary evaporation. Dissolve the residue in dichloromethane (30 mL) and wash with distilled water (3 x 30 mL). Dry the organic phase over anhydrous sodium sulphate, filter and remove dichloromethane by rotary evaporation to give the crude product, l,9-bis(8-quinolinyloxy)-3,6-dioxanonane (4) as a pale brown oil. Further purification may be afforded by column chromatography (silica, elute with acetone/dichloromethane). 

The crown ether called 18-crown-6 is prepared by reaction of triethylene glycol with triethylene glycol dichloride in the presence of base [46] or by the cyclo-oligomerization of ethylene oxide [51]. Purification is effected by distillation and crystallization. The sequence is shown in equation 1.19. 

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