Base-catalyzed reactions of hydrocarbons and related compounds

Pines Herman. Base-catalyzed reactions of hydrocarbons and related compounds 1977 [pdf 602sc 587c. 11.50mb] 

In contrast to that of acids, the use of bases as catalysts for hydrocarbon conversion has, until recently, received little attention. The early literature was limited to the use of bases as catalysts for the isomerization of acetylenes and conjugated dienes and for the polymerization of butadiene, isoprene, and styrene to high polymers. T he observation in 1955 that sodium, in the presence of small amounts of organosodium compounds produced in situ or deposited on alumina, acts as an effective catalyst for the isomerization of simple olefins that do not have an activated double bond triggered much research in this field. It was subsequently discovered that base-catalyzed isomerization of olefins may proceed in homogeneous solution using alkali metals in ethylenediamine or/-BuO K in aprotic solvents. This monograph is restricted mainly to the discussion of base-catalyzed conversion of hydrocarbons and to the interaction of hydrocarbons with nonhydrocarbons. In a few cases, in order to emphasize the broad scope of base-catalyzed reactions, examples dealing with the conversion of nonhydrocarbons are included. The intent of the authors was not to review every piece of literature pertaining to base-catalyzed reactions of hydrocarbons but to cover primarily those references considered to be fundamental to the topics. We are grateful to Professor F. G. Bordwell for making available to us his then unpublished data on acidities of carbon acids. We are especially indebted to Dr. Judith K. Stalick for her careful reading and correcting of the manuscript and to Ms. Vonita Curbow for her painstaking typing and retyping of the manuscript. We also thank Mrs. Kathleen Hamlin and Mrs. Alice Young for retyping part of the manuscript.