Organohalide-catalyzed dehydrative O-alkylation between alcohols: a facile etherification method for aliphatic ether synthesis

Abstract

Organohalides are found to be effective catalysts for dehydrative O-alkylation reactions between alcohols, providing selective, practical, green, and easily scalable homo- and cross-etherification methods for the preparation of useful symmetrical and unsymmetrical aliphatic ethers from the readily available alcohols. Mechanistic studies revealed that organohalides are regenerated as reactive intermediates and recycled to catalyze the reactions.