Chloromethylation of 2-chloroethylbenzene catalyzed by micellar catalysis

The chloromethylation reaction of 2-chloroethylbenzene was performed successfully by micellar catalysis in the biphasic oil/water system. The effects of anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants on the reaction were compared. The mechanism of chloromethylation reaction and the mechanism of micellar catalysis were investigated. The results show that the micellar catalysis is an effective way to realize the chloromethylation of 2-chloroethylbenzene, and the cationic surfactant shows the most effectiveness. The longer the hydrophobic chain of the cationic surfactant is, the better the catalysis effect will be, and the addition of inorganic electrolyte into the aqueous phase can markedly promote the catalysis effect.