Polymer-Supported Boron Trifluoride

Abstract

Polystyrene, cross-linked with 7.8% of divinylbenzene, formed a stable complex in chloroform with boron trifluoride containing 0.11% of boron, while cross-linked polystyrene-4-vinylpyridine resins containing 2–2.5% of pyridine rings formed a stable complex with boron trifluoride, containing 1.04% of boron. Both complexes catalyze conversions of aromatic aldehydes, ketones, and acids with alcohols into corresponding acetals, cyclic ketals, and esters; diphenylmethanol converts into ether. The structure of the alcohol plays an important role, with conversions decreasing in the order 1-butanol, 2-butanol, tert-butanol. Both complexes are very stable and in most cases more reactive than the cross-linked polystyrene-A1C1₃ complex.