Back to results
US 5,856,527 AGranted
Preparation of 3-Alkyltetrahydrofurans
AssigneeEastman Chemical Company
InventorWilliam Anthony Beavers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a process for the preparation of 3-alkyltetrahydrofurans by a two-step process wherein 2,3-dihydrofuran is reacted with an acetal to form an intermediate compound which may be converted to a 3-alkyltetrahydrofuran by contacting the intermediate with hydrogen in the presence of a catalytic amount of a Group VIII noble metal or rhenium, water and a strong acid.
Claims9
Process for the preparation of a 3-alkyltetrahydrofuran having the formula ##STR6## which comprises the steps of:
- (1) contacting 2,3-dihydrofuran with an acetal having the formula ##STR7## in the presence of an acidic catalyst to produce an intermediate compound having the formula ##STR8## and (2) contacting the intermediate compound from step (1) with hydrogen in the presence of a catalytic amount of a Group VIII noble metal or rhenium, water and a strong acid;
- wherein R.sup.1 is an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, or aromatic radical of up to 12 carbon atoms and each R.sup.2 is an alkyl radical of up to 12 carbon atoms.
Process for the preparation of a 3-alkyltetrahydrofuran having the formula ##STR9## which comprises the steps of:
- (1) contacting 2,3-dihydrofuran with an acetal having the formula ##STR10## in the presence of an acidic catalyst selected from Bronsted and Lewis acids at a temperature of about -10.degree. to 20.degree. C. in an acetal:2,3-dihydrofuran mole ratio of about 3:1 to 10:1 to produce an intermediate compound having the formula ##STR11## and (2) contacting the intermediate compound from step (1) with hydrogen in the presence of a catalytic amount of a Group VIII noble metal selected from palladium, rhodium and ruthenium, water and a strong acid selected from sulfuric, phosphoric and sulfonic acids at a temperature of about 150.degree. to 350.degree. C. and a hydrogen pressure of about 10 to 100 bars absolute;
- wherein R.sup.1 and each R.sup.2 is independently selected from alkyl of up to about 8 carbon atoms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.