Coupling of Alcohols to Ethers: the Dominance of the Surface S_N2 Reaction Pathway

摘要

Coupling of alcohols to ethers, important high value oxygenates, proceeds on acid catalysts via general pathways that uniquely control product composition, oxygen retention, chirality inversion, and kinetics. The dominant pathway is the S_N2 reaction with competition of the alcohols for the surface acid sites. This is exemplified by formation of methyl(ethyl) isobutylether (M(E)IBE) from methanol (ethanol)/isobutanol mixtures, retention of oxygen ((18)O) of the heavier alcohol, and optimum rate as a function of concentration of either reactant alcohol.