Preparation of Alkyl Chlorides, Acid Chlorides, and Amides Using Polymer-Supported Phosphines and Carbon Tetrachloride: Mechanism of These Reactions

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00169a022

Alcohols and thiols were converted into alkyl chlorides, carboxylic acids were converted into acid chlorides, and mixtures of carboxylic acids and amines were converted into amides by reaction with carbon tetrachloride and 1percent cross-linked polystyrenes containing phosphine residues.Some of these conversions were also effected by using a linear polymer containing phosphine residues.The reactions proceed in high yield, and isolation of the products is facilitated by the ready removal of all the polymer-supported species.The mechanism of the reactions between triphenylphosphine, carbon tetrachloride, and alcohols is complex, but the polymer-supported reactions appear to follow analogous pathways to the low molecular weight reactions as judged by the yields of chloroform and the number of equivalents of phosphine consumed per mole of alkyl chloride produced.The mechanism requires polymer-supported groups reacting together.The slow step in the reactions appears to be the generation of the chlorinating species.The polymer-supported reactions are faster than those using triphenylphosphine or 4-(diphenylphosphinyl)isopropylbenzene.It is suggested that this is due to a microenvironmental effect.