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Journal of the Chinese Institute of Chemical Engineers, Vol.37, No.6, 535-544, 2006
Phase transfer catalysis of synthesizing dialkoxymethane at low alkaline concentration
The phase transfer catalyzed reaction of 2,4,6-tribromophenol and dibromomethane to synthesize a-bromomethyl 2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether and di-(2,4,6-tribromophenoxide)methane by quaternary ammonium salt was carried out in an alkaline solution of low KOH content/dibromomethane two-phase medium. Dibromomethane acts both as the organic-phase reactant and the organic solvent; thus, no extra organic solvent is required. A large conversion of 2,4,6-tribromophenol is obtained at a region of low KOH content. During the reaction, two products, i.e., the mono-substituted product (a-bromomethyl 2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether) and the bi-substituted product (di-(2,4,6-tribromophenoxide)methane) were detected. In the reaction, the active catalyst (tetrabutylammonium 2,4,6-tribromophenoxide, ArOQ), which was produced from the reaction of 2,4,6-tribromophenol, potassium hydroxide and tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB or QBr), is purified as the crystalline product from the reaction solution. Based on the experimental data, a kinetic model is developed to describe the behaviors of the two organic-phase reactions. The two intrinsic rate constants of the two organic-phase reactions are determined. Effects of the reaction conditions, such as: agitation speed, amount of water, amount of TBAB catalyst, amount of dibromomethane, catalysts, temperature and inorganic salt KBr, on the conversion and the reaction rate are investigated in detail.