Highly selective synthesis of diphenyl methane via liquid phase benzylation of benzene over cobalt doped zinc nanoferrite catalysts at mild conditions

Liquid phase benzylation of benzene with benzyl chloride was investigated over different compositions of cobalt zinc ferrite (Co_xZn_1-xFe₂O_4, x-0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0) nano composites, synthesized by sol–gel method. The un-substituted cobalt ferrite catalyst exhibited excellent activity among the series effecting complete conversion of benzyl chloride in 60?min at 90?°C with 100% selectivity for diphenyl methane. The effect of various reaction parameters on the reaction was studied. Higher benzylation activity of cobalt ferrite nanocomposite is attributed to the presence of higher quantities of moderately acidic sites and a good correlation was observed between surface acidity and benzylation activity of catalysts. The catalysts are reusable without any significant structural change as indicated by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS).     

Catalytic activity of CeO2 and Pr2O3 for the liquid-phase benzylation of o-xylene to 3,4 – dimethyldiphenylmethane

The liquid phase benzylation of o-xylene with benzyl chloride over rare earth oxide catalysts like CeO₂ and Pr₂O₃ was studied in a batch reactor at atmospheric pressure and 363 K. Surface area, pore volume, DTA, acid strength distribution on the catalyst surface and optimum temperature of the catalyst are reported.     

Reaction of benzyl alcohol over the hydrogen storage intermetallic compound Mg2Cu

The reaction of benzyl alcohol over the hydrogen storage intermetallics Mg₂Cu was studied in the temperature range of 573–773 K. Benzaldehyde and toluene, the major products, were produced by dehydrogenation and disproportionation reactions, respectively. Anthracene, stilbene and benzyltoluenes were also formed due to benzylation reaction. Since the benzylation course was strongly influenced by shape selectivity considerations, these were produced in minor amounts. Below 673 K, Mg₂Cu behaves like metals while above 673 K it behaves like oxide systems in its catalytic properties.     

Development of a New Benzylating Reagent Spontaneously Releasing Benzyl Cation Equivalents at Room Temperature

A new O‐benzylating reagent, that is, 4‐(4,6‐diphenoxy‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl)‐4‐benzylmorpholinium trifluoromethanesulfonate (DPT‐BM), has been developed. Benzyl cation equivalents are generated from DPT‐BM by dissolving the compound in a solvent at room temperature under non‐acidic conditions. The benzylation of various alcohols by using a combination of DPT‐BM and magnesium oxide provided the benzyl ethers in good yields.     

Catalytic properties of the Cr-HMS materials in the benzylation of benzene with benzyl chloride

A series of chromium-containing mesoporous silicas with different Cr contents were prepared and characterized with chemical analysis, N₂ adsorption measurements (BET equation and BJH theory), X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance UV-visible and H₂-temperature programmed reduction techniques. Excellent results in benzylation of benzene and substituted benzenes employing benzyl chloride as the alkylating agent were obtained. The mesoporous chromium-containing materials showed both high activity and high selectivity for benzylation of benzene. The activity of these catalysts for the benzylation of different aromatic compounds is in the following order: benzene > toluene > p-xylene > anisole. Kinetics of the benzene benzylation over these catalysts has also been investigated.     

Direct and Convenient Method of Regioselective Benzylation of Methyl α‐D‐Glucopyranoside

A facile and convenient method for the direct preparation of methyl 2,3,6‐tri‐O‐benzyl‐α‐D‐glucopyranoside (2) by the regioselective benzylation of methyl α‐D‐glucopyranoside (1) with benzyl bromide in the presence of mild bases K₂CO₃ and KOH (1∶1) without solvents is reported.     

Cold NaOH/urea aqueous dissolved cellulose for benzylation: Synthesis and characterization

Cold NaOH/urea aqueous dissolved cellulose was studied for the synthesis of benzyl cellulose by etherification with benzyl chloride. By varying the molar ratios of benzyl chloride to OH groups in cellulose (1.5–4.0) and reaction temperatures (65–70 °C), benzyl cellulose with a degree of substitutions (DS) in the range of 0.29–0.54 was successfully prepared under such mild conditions. The incorporation of benzyl groups into cellulose was evidenced by multiple spectroscopies, including FT IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, CP/MAS ¹³C NMR and XRD. In addition, the thermal stability and surface morphology of the benzyl cellulose was also investigated with regard to the degree of substitution. The results indicated that the benzyl cellulose product with a low DS (0.51) in the present study reached the same solubility in many organic solvents as compared to those prepared in heterogeneous media. After benzylation, the sample decomposed at a lower temperature with a wider temperature range, which indicated that the thermal stability of benzyl cellulose was lower than that of the native cellulose. In addition, benzylation resulted in a pronounced reduction in crystallinity as well as a fundamental alteration of morphology of the native cellulose.     

Regioselective N-alkylation of imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-4-oxide derivatives: an experimental and DFT study

Regioselectivities were determined for N-alkylations of imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-4-oxide and 2-methyl-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-4-oxide with benzyl bromide or benzyl iodide at RT using K₂CO₃ in DMF as a base. Experimental attempts have shown that N-1/N-3 ratios slightly varied according to the substitution on C-2 position. This was confirmed by DFT calculations in solvent phase. This computational study has shown first that this N-benzylation reaction passed through a S_N2 mechanism. Moreover, regioselectivity of N-benzylation has appeared essentially governed by ‘steric approach control’. It explained that opposite N-1/N-3 ratios were obtained with imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-4-oxide and its 2-methyl-substituted analog. Finally, regioselectivities slightly varied with the nature of benzyl halide.     

Trialkylsilyl triflimides as easily tunable organocatalysts for allylation and benzylation of silyl carbon nucleophiles with non-genotoxic reagents

Trialkylsilyl triflimides generated in situ are unique catalysts for the electrophilic benzylation or allylation of trialkylsilylenol ethers or allyl trialkylsilanes with non-genotoxic alkylating reagents such as benzyl and allyl acetates. In most cases the reactions are fast at room temperature and yields are high. The reaction works particularly well with electron-rich benzyl donors including derivatives of pyrrole, indole and furane.     

Palladium-catalyzed benzylation of N-Boc indole boronic acids

The direct benzylation of indole 2-boronic acid can be efficiently achieved using trans-PdBr(N-Succ)(PPh₃)₂, alleviating the need for strong bases or toxic organotin reagents. Under these reaction conditions substituted indole-2-boronic acids and substituted benzyl bromides are cross-coupled to afford aryl(indolo)methanes in good yield.     

Di-μ-hydroxy-bis(N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylenediamine)-copper(II) chloride [Cu(OH)·TMEDA]2Cl2: an efficient, practical catalyst for benzylation and allylation of amides

An efficient protocol for the benzylation or allylation of amides using the corresponding benzyl or allyl chlorides as electrophiles under basic conditions with commercially available 5 mol % of [Cu(OH)TMEDA]₂Cl₂ as catalyst was developed. Under these conditions, unprotected amino acids were benzylated without any racemization.     

Catalytic properties of antimony-SBA-15 materials in the benzylation of aromatics reactions

Antimony-containing mesoporous SBA-15 with different Si/Sb ratio has been synthesized using a post-treatment procedure with an aqueous solution of SbCl₃ and characterized by elemental analysis, XRD method, N₂ adsorption measurements (BET and BJH theory) and FTIR spectroscopy. The benzylation of aromatics by benzyl chloride has been investigated over these solids. Indeed, the antimony-containing mesoporous SBA-15 showed both high activity and high selectivity for this reaction. More interesting is the observation that Sb-SBA-15 (35) catalyst is active and selective for large molecules like naphthenic compounds such as 2-methylnaphthalene and it can also be reused in the benzylation of benzene for several times. Kinetics of the benzene benzylation over these catalysts have also been investigated. Published in Russian in Kinetika i Kataliz, 2009, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 428–433. The article is published in the original.     

Through-space electronic interactions of [2.2]metacyclophane benzyl cations

The hydrolysis of 8-bromomethyl[2.2]metacyclophanes 3 to the corresponding 8-hydroxymethyl derivatives 4 was carried out in 83% aqueous dioxane solution at 25°C. Substituent effect through space on the rate of the hydrolysis of bromomethyl groups attached on the opposite aromatic ring was first found in this investigation. Interestingly, the introduction of the substituents at the internal position 16 tends to enhance the hydrolysis reaction rate 10–100 times. It was found also that the stabilization by both the direct through-space cation-π-interaction and the interaction through the intra-annular 8,16-position are possible in the [2.2]metacyclophane 8-benzyl cations. The good correlation with log(K/K_H) and σ_p ⁺ was observed for the hydrolysis of internally unsubstituted 5-bromomethyl[2.2]MCPs 7, in which the direct through-space cation-π-interactions are not possible. TiCl₄ and Nafion-H, a perfluorinated resinsulfonic acid, catalysed Friedel-Crafts benzylation of benzene and substituted benzenes with 8-bromomethyl- and 8-hydroxymethyl[2.2]metacyclophanes to afford 8-benzyl[2.2]metacyclophanes is described. A high substrate and positional selectivity were observed in the present benzylation reaction quite different from those obtained from the benzyl bromide and benzyl alcohol. The benzyl cation intermediate stabilized by the through-space electronic interaction among the opposite benzene ring was first demonstrated in the benzylation of [2.2]metacyclophane systems. The mild and selective transannular reaction attributable to the highly strained character of [2.2]metacyclophane skeleton and the increased stabilization of the 5-benzyl cation intermediate arising from the electronic interactions among the opposite benzene ring through the intra-annular 8,16-positions was also observed.     

离子液体中苄基氯在银电极上的电催化羧化

在饱和了CO2的室温离子液体中,首次在银电极上研究了苄基氯电羧化的可行性。通过循环伏安法研究了苄基氯在不同电极上的电化学行为,结果表明了银电极对苄基氯的还原具有很强的电催化效果。在最优化的条件下,得到了苯乙酸的最高产率为45%。在连续的4次离子液体回收利用过程中,随着离子液体使用次数的增加苯乙酸的产率逐渐降低。     

Determination of volatile carboxylic acids in animal wastes by (GC)2 of their benzyl esters

The C₁ -C₆ fatty acids present in various types of heterogeneous animal wastes were isolated by steam distillation and determined as benzyl esters by high resolution gas chromatography. Glass capillary columns, deactivated with barium carbonate and coated with UCON HB 5100, allowed the analysis of benzyl formate, acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, valerate, and caproate in less than 20 minutes. Recovery tests, performed on more than 50 different samples, indicated a benzylation yield and an overall efficiency higher than 99%, with a standard deviation of 2.6% (C₅) to 6.0% (C₁). The absolute detection limit ranged from 0.3 picomole (caproic acid) to 1.0 picomole (formic acid).     

Rate constants for the reactions of benzyl and methyl-substituted benzyl radicals with O2 and NO

Rate constants for reactions of benzyl, o-niethylbenzyl and p-meihylbenzyl radicals with O₂ and NO have been measured at room temperature. The radicals were generated by UV flash photolysis and the time decay measured by absorption at ≈ 300 nm. The rate constants are: benzyl (0.99 ± 0.07 and 9.5 ± 1.2), o-methylbenzyl (1.2 ± 0.07 and 8.6 ± 0.8) and p-mithyl-benzyl (1.1= 0.10 and 8.9 = 0.9) for O₂ and NO respectively in units of 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1.     

An efficient Yb(OTf)3 catalyzed alkylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds using alcohols as substrates

A highly efficient and environmentally friendly method for catalytic benzylation/allylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with alcohols has been developed by using Yb(OTf)₃ as a catalyst. The reactions proceed smoothly to give the desired products in moderate to excellent yields, mostly at room temperature. The catalyst can be recovered and reused at least six times without visible loss of catalytic activity for such reactions.     

Potassium Fluoride on Alumina: A Convenient Synthesis of O-Alkyl Methyldithiocarbonates. Pyrolysis of O-Benzyl-S-Methyldithiocarbonates

Xanthates were easily prepared by adsorption of alcohol on KF-Al₂O₃ followed by treatment of carbon disulfide and iodomethane at room temperature. Pyrolysis of benzyl xanthate affords to a complex mixture of products. A radical process was proposed to explain the nature of products obtained.     

Formation of stable carbenoid α-methoxyorganolithium compounds, 1-alkyl-2-lithiummethoxymethyl-o-carboranes,by metalation of 1-alkyl-2-methoxymethyl-o-carboranes withn-butyllithium

1-Alkyl-2-methoxymethyl-o-carboranes are easily metalated withn-butyllithium in an ether-benzene solution to form carbenoid 1-alkyl-2-lithiummethoxymethyl-o-carboranes, which are stable at room temperature. Under the action of H₂O, CO₂, and PhCHO these lithium carboranes yield the starting compounds, carboxylic acids, and benzyl alcohols, respectively.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 243–245, January, 1996.     

Real‐Time Detection of Traces of Benzaldehyde in Benzyl Alcohol as a Solvent by a Flexible Lanthanide Microporous Metal–Organic Framework

Luminescent 3D lanthanide metal–organic framework (Ln‐MOF) {[Tb₂(TATAB)₂] ? 4 H₂O ? 6 DMF}_n ( 1 ) was synthesized under solvothermal conditions by using flexible ligand 4,4′,4′′‐s‐triazine‐1,3,5‐triyltri‐p‐aminobenzoate (TATAB). A phase transition was observed between low temperature and room temperature. The luminescence of 1 could be enhanced by formaldehyde and quenched efficiently by trace amounts of benzaldehyde in solvents such as benzyl alcohol (0.01–2.0 vol %) and ethanol (0.01–2.5 vol %). This is the first use of a Ln‐MOF as chemical sensor for both formaldehyde and benzaldehyde. The high sensitivity and selectivity of the luminescence response of 1 to benzaldehyde allows it to be used as an excellent sensor for identifying benzaldehyde and provides a simple and convenient method for detecting traces of benzaldehyde in benzyl alcohol based injections. This work establishes a new strategy for detection of benzaldehyde in benzyl alcohol by luminescent MOFs.