Reactions between perchlorate salts and tetrahydrofuran

Abstract

Reactions between tetrahydrofuran (THF) and 22 different perchlorate salts, most often in the presence of organic halides were studied. The use of the organic halides including acetyl, benzoyl and substituted allyl chlorides aided in arranging the perchlorates according to their ability to give good yields of tertiary oxonium ion and polymer from THF. The approximate order, based on the yield of poly(tetrahydrofuran) obtained after 24 hr was Ag⁺, Hg²⁺ > Pb²⁺, Tl³⁺ > Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, Na⁺, Fe²⁺ > Cr³⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Cd²⁺ ⪢ Ce³⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺, Zn²⁺, Li⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺ = 0. Only Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺ perchlorates gave polymer when allylhalides were used. With one other perchlorates the order of reactivity of the halide was acetyl > benzoyl ⪢ allyl = 0.