Association-Assisted Kinetics of Pentanol-1 and Heptanol-1 Oxyethylation: Kinetic Parameters of Reactions and Association Parameters of Alcohols in the Series Butanol-1–Heptanol-1

Abstract

The kinetics of pentanol-1 and heptanol-1 oxyethylation in the absence and in the presence of solvents (dodecane, p-xylene, and 1,4-dioxane) is studied under the conditions of base catalysis at 80–150°C and the concentrations of the catalyst (the corresponding sodium alkoxide) and ethylene oxide in the starting mixture of ∼1 and 10–3–10–1 mol/l, respectively. The experimental results are adequately described by the rate law that takes into account the association of alcohol molecules via hydrogen bonds. A hypothesis is advanced that an associate consisting of n alcohol molecules acts as a kinetically independent species in this reaction. The kinetic and association parameters for alcohols in the C4–C7 series are compared with the published data.