Efficient and Easily Recyclable Catalyst for the Alkylation Reaction of Phenol and tert-Butyl Alcohol.

Abstract

tert-Butylphenol is widely used as an intermediate in organic synthesis, and the catalyst for the alkylation reaction of phenol and tert-butyl alcohol is the key to synthesizing tert-butylphenol. In our work, a catalyst, 1H-imidazole-1-acetic acid tosilate ([HIMA]OTs), was synthesized and characterized, and an efficient and easily recyclable catalytic system of an ionic liquid was established. In addition, the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were calculated; the positive value of ΔH* indicated the endothermic nature of the alkylation reaction, and the positive value of ΔS* and negative value of ΔG* implied that the process of alkylation of phenol and tert-butyl alcohol was spontaneous in the current reaction system. The recovery experiments of [HIMA]OTs were performed, and an excellent recycling performance was obtained. This method provides a potential way for the industrial synthesis of tert-butylphenol.