Ester-functional silanes and the preparation and use thereof; and use of iminium compounds as phase transfer catalysts

A method for producing a reaction product comprising an ester-functional silane, the method comprising:

• i) reacting a composition comprising:
• a) a haloorganosilane,
• b) a metal salt of a carboxy-functional compound, where the metal salt of a carboxy-functional compound has the formula [R2COO−]c[Mc+] (II), wherein R2 is substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, each Mc+ is an alkali metal cation, alkaline earth metal cation, or ammonium cation and c is 1 or 2,
• c) a phase transfer catalyst comprising a polyazabicycloalkene, an N2-alkyl-polyazapolycyclo-alkenium compound, or a mixture thereof, and
• d) a co-catalyst, where the co-catalyst comprises a compound of formula:
• Mc+R14, where Mc+ is alkali metal cation or alkaline earth metal cation, c is 1 or 2, and R14 is a counter ion selected from the group consisting of Cl−, HSO4−, HCO3−, acetate, SO42−CO32−, PO43 and HPO42−, and provided that the co-catalyst is optional when the phase transfer catalyst comprises the N2-alkyl-polyazapolycyclo-alkenium compound.