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In Situ Reaction Monitoring of Unstable Lithiated Intermediates through Inline FTIR Spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Fath Verena,
Kockmann Norbert,
Röder Thorsten
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
chemical engineering and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-4125
pISSN - 0930-7516
DOI - 10.1002/ceat.201900074
Subject(s) - deprotonation , microreactor , chemistry , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , butyllithium , reaction mechanism , tetrahydrofuran , kinetic energy , spectroscopy , photochemistry , organic chemistry , chemical engineering , catalysis , solvent , ion , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Because a multitude of reactions with n ‐butyllithium are of high industrial significance, an in‐depth process understanding is required to render potential scale‐up from the laboratory to production more efficient. The objective of this work is to illuminate the mechanism underlying the deprotonation reaction of a CH‐acidic hydrocarbon compound with n ‐butyllithium. Combining microreactor technology with inline FTIR spectroscopy, it was possible to quickly determine reliable kinetic data. It is shown that a complex reaction mechanism is involved in the synthesis of a highly reactive, nonisolable, lithiated component. Several kinetic approaches are studied in detail, and a possible mechanism based on the formation of butyllithium aggregates in tetrahydrofuran is postulated.