ORGANOTINS AS ETHERIFICATION CATALYSTS. II. CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF ALCOHOLS TO OPEN-CHAIN AND CYCLIC ETHERS BY ORGANOTIN TRICHLORIDES

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4020(89)80027-4

1,5-Heptadien-4-ol and various 1,4- and 1,5-glycols are catalytically converted to open-chain and cyclic ethers respectively in the presence of butyltin trichloride.The dehydration of alcohols is mediated by formation of organoalkoxytin dihalides BuSn(OR)Cl2.A mechanism for the formation of these ethers is proposed.The catalytic activity of ether organotins together with SnCl4 has been examined for the conversion of 1,5-pentanediol to THP; the scale of the catalytic efficiency is: MeSnCl3 >= PhSnCl3 > SnCl4 > BuSnCl3 > Me2SnCl2 > Bu2SnCl2 >> (Bu2SnCl)2O.