Alternatives for Conventional Alkane Solvents

Polyisobutylenes with Controlled Molecular Weight and Chain-End Structure: Synthesis and Actual Applications

The polymerization of isobutylene allows us to obtain a wide spectrum of polyisobutylenes (PIBs) which differ in their molecular weight characteristics and the chemical structure of chain-end groups. The bulk of the PIBs manufactured worldwide are highly reactive polyisobutylenes (HRPIBs) with -C(Me)=CH2 end-groups and low-molecular weights (Mn < 5 kDa). HRPIBs are feedstocks that are in high demand in the manufacturing of additives for fuels and oils, adhesives, detergents, and other fine chemicals. In addition, HRPIBs and CMe2Cl-terminated PIBs are intensively studied with the aim of finding biomedical applications and for the purpose of developing new materials. Both chain control (molecular weight and dispersity) and chemoselectivity (formation of exo-olefinic or -CMe2Cl groups) should be achieved during polymerization. This review highlights the fundamental issues in the mechanisms of isobutylene polymerization and PIB analysis, examines actual catalytic approaches to PIBs, and describes recent studies on the functionalization and applications of HRPIBs and halogen-terminated PIBs.

Mechanistic investigations on a homogeneous ruthenium Guerbet catalyst in a flow reactor

A mechanistic investigation on the ethanol self-condensation reaction (Guerbet reaction) catalyzed by a bis(pyridylimino)isoindolate Ru(ii) catalyst was performed using a specifically designed continuously-stirred tank reactor (CSTR).

Minimizing solvent waste in catalytic reactions in highly recyclable hydrocarbon solvents

This paper describes chemistry using organocatalysts in hydrocarbon solvents that minimizes solvent waste by using inexpensive, non-volatile, relatively inflammable, and easily recyclable poly(α-olefin)s (PAOs) as hydrocarbon solvents. These studies show that when substrates have limited solubility in PAO solvents, this issue can be addressed by adding a small amount of a cosolvent. Kinetic studies were also carried out and show that reactions carried out in PAOs are kinetically comparable to reactions in conventional non-recyclable hydrocarbon solvents. A range of strategies that separate and isolate products from reactions in PAOs using a polyisobutylene (PIB)-supported DMAP catalyst have been studied using four different catalytic reactions. In the most general procedure, the PAO phase containing a PIB-bound catalyst is separated from products by low energy liquid/liquid gravity separation. This can be accomplished using a minimal amount of a polar solvent. In another example, the product's low solubility leads to it precipitating during the reaction. In this case, a simple filtration recycles the PAO and a PIB-bound DMAP catalyst. We have demonstrated that the PAO phase containing a PIB bound DMAP catalyst can be recycled for at least 10 cycles without loss of activity. Our studies further showed that leaching of the PAO phase into polar solvents was orders of magnitude less than conventional hydrocarbon solvents such as heptane. The result is that the overall solvent waste generation is lower than for the same reaction carried out in conventional solvents.

Enabling High Spectral Resolution of Liquid Mixtures in Porous Media by Antidiagonal Projections of Two-Dimensional 1H NMR COSY Spectra

The noninvasive, in situ chemical identification of liquid mixtures confined in porous materials is experimentally challenging. NMR is chemically resolved and applicable to optically opaque systems but suffers from a significant loss in spectral resolution in the presence of the magnetic field inhomogeneities typical of porous media. In this work, we introduce a method of analysis of conventional two-dimensional (2D) ¹H NMR correlation spectroscopy (COSY) spectra based on the extraction of 1D antidiagonal projections, which are free from line-broadening effects and can therefore be used for chemical species identification. Here, we show the application of the technique to the measurement of linear n-alkanes where the cross-to-diagonal peak ratios are shown to follow a power-law curve as a function of the chain length. This calibration enables quantifying mixtures of linear hydrocarbons confined in any porous material independently of temperature or inter-molecular dynamics. Thus, this is a promising tool for quantitative chemical reaction monitoring studies in heterogeneous systems under operando experimental conditions.

Sustainable Hydrocarbon Oligomer Solvent Systems for Sequestration of Trace Organics from Water

Low-viscosity poly(α-olefin)s (PAOs) either alone or with functional hydrocarbon oligomer cosolvents are nontoxic, nonvolatile, recyclable solvent systems that effectively and efficiently sequester trace amounts of nonpolar organic compounds such as benzene and halogenated organics from water. More polar compounds including perfluorooctanoic acid and nitrobenzene or water-miscible compounds such as THF and triethylamine can also be sequestered if the PAO phase contains an H-bonding PAO-anchored cosolvent.