Issue 10, 2013

Anisolehydrolysis in high temperature water

Abstract

We investigated the hydrolysis of anisole to phenol in high-temperature water with and without water-tolerant Lewis acid catalysis. With no catalyst present, anisole hydrolyzes to phenol in 97% yield after 24 hours at 365 °C, our experimentally determined optimal temperature and time. Experiments with varied water density and analysis of comparable literature data suggest that anisole hydrolysis is almost third order in water, when the SN2 mechanism dominates. Of the water-tolerant Lewis acid catalysts studied, In(OTf)3 offered the best phenol yield. Anisole hydrolysis was first order in catalyst and first order in substrate. Introducing In(OTf)3 catalysis lowered the activation energy for anisole hydrolysis to 31 ± 1 kcal mol−1. Anisole hydrolysis in high-temperature water with In(OTf)3 catalysis is competitive with other techniques in the literature based on rate and yield. In the presence of 5 mol% In(OTf)3 catalyst, anisole hydrolyzes to phenol in 97% yield after 90 minutes at 300 °C.

Graphical abstract: Anisole hydrolysis in high temperature water

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Nov 2012
Accepted
22 Jan 2013
First published
04 Feb 2013

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013,15, 3562-3569

Anisole hydrolysis in high temperature water

N. A. Rebacz and P. E. Savage, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 3562 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP43877E

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