Rs. Karinen et Aoi. Krause, A novel tertiary ether. Synthesis of 3-methoxy-3-methylheptane from 2-ethyl-1-hexene and methanol, CATAL LETT, 67(2-4), 2000, pp. 73-79
2-ethyl-1-hexene was etherified with methanol to 3-methoxy-3-methylheptane.
The product ether is a novel compound whose existence has not been reporte
d earlier. Isomerisation of 2-ethyl-1-hexene leads to four alkenes, and eac
h of these produces the same ether compound. In a study of the conditions f
or the etherification reaction it was observed that the ether formation can
be maximised by decreasing the temperature and increasing the molar ratio
of methanol to 2-ethyl-1-hexene. This is what would be expected for an exot
hermic reaction controlled by thermodynamic equilibrium.