22539-65-7

Usage

Physical state

Colorless liquid

Odor

Strong, aromatic

Uses

a. Solvent
b. Intermediate in the production of dyes, resins, and pharmaceuticals
c. Synthesis of various organic compounds

Solubility

Low in water

Flammability

Flammable in liquid state

Safety precautions

Handle with care and use proper safety measures when working with pseudocumene

Upstream product

• 108837-99-6 5-tert-butyl-1-isopropyl-2,3-dimethyl-benzene 
• 95-47-6 o-xylene 
• 67-63-0 isopropyl alcohol 
• 4132-77-8 3,4-dimethylcumene 
• 576-23-8 2,3-dimethylbromobenzene 
• 1888-75-1 isopropyllithium 

Relevant academic research and scientific papers

Palladium-catalysed direct cross-coupling of secondary alkyllithium reagents

Palladium-catalysed cross-coupling of secondary C(sp3) organometallic reagents has been a long-standing challenge in organic synthesis, due to the problems associated with undesired isomerisation or the formation of reduction products. Based on our recently developed catalytic C-C bond formation with organolithium reagents, herein we present a Pd-catalysed cross-coupling of secondary alkyllithium reagents with aryl and alkenyl bromides. The reaction proceeds at room temperature and on short timescales with high selectivity and yields. This methodology is also applicable to hindered aryl bromides, which are a major challenge in the field of metal catalysed cross-coupling reactions.

Isopropylation of xylenes catalyzed by ultrastable zeolite Y (USY) and some other solid acid catalysts

The isopropylation of all three xylene isomers was carried out over ultrastable zeolite Y (USY) catalyst to give corresponding dimethyl (1-methylethyl) benzenes, or in other words dimethyl cumenes (DMCs), using isopropanol as alkylating agent. The effect of reaction temperature, space velocity, substrate-to-alkylating-agent molar ratio, and time-on-stream on conversion of xylene isomers and selectivity to dimethyl cumene was studied. Isopropylation of xylenes over USY gives quite high (80 to 95%) DMC selectivity among the dimethyl cumenes, along with a 70-90% yield of DMCs in total products with respect to limiting reagents, i.e., isopropylating agents at relatively low reaction temperatures (423 ± 10 K) and at quite high xylene conversions (85-97% of theoretical maximum value). The solid acid catalysts zeolites H-Y, H-beta, H-mordenite, as well as silica-alumina and sulfated zirconia, were included for comparative studies in the isopropylation of m-xylene.