Claims
- 1. A method for making an organic product comprising the step of contacting an aqueous solution providing an aqueous phase and having a low concentration of a chemical species comprising a nucleophile comprising phenolate and derivatives thereof with: (1) an organic phase consisting of an electrophile, wherein said electrophile is added in an amount to achieve an organic phase:aqueous phase ratio of 1:6 or less by weight; and (2) a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said nucleophile and said electrophile to form said organic product.
- 2. A method for making an organic product comprising the step of contacting an aqueous solution providing an aqueous phase and having a low concentration of a chemical species comprising a nucleophile selected from the group consisting of cyanide, cyanate, carboxylate, sulfonate, carbonate, nitrite, azide, iodide, and derivatives thereof with: (1) an organic solvent and an electrophile providing an organic phase in an amount to achieve an organic phase:aqueous phase ratio of 1:3 or less by weight; and (2) a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said nucleophile and said electrophile to form said organic product.
- 3. A method for making an organic product comprising the step of contacting an aqueous solution providing an aqueous phase and having a low concentration of a chemical species comprising a nucleophile comprising phenolate and derivatives thereof with: (1) an organic solvent and an electrophile providing an organic phase in an amount to achieve an organic phase:aqueous phase ratio of 1:6 or less by weight; and (2) a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said nucleophile and said electrophile to form said organic product.
- 4. A method for making an organic product comprising the step of contacting an aqueous solution providing an aqueous phase and having up to 10 weight percent of a chemical species which is capable of being ionized to produce a target anion with: (1) an organic phase consisting of an electrophile; (2) a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said target anion from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said target anion and said electrophile to form said organic product; and (3) a pH adjusting agent in an amount sufficient to raise the pH to a level sufficient to ionize said chemical species and to provide an excess molar concentration of base in the range between −0.99 and 1.0.
- 5. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein said pH adjusting agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, tetralkyl ammonium hydroxide, sodium and potassium carbonates, and hydrogen carbonates.
- 6. A method for continuously converting a chemical species in an aqueous non-product stream to a product comprising the steps of:
contacting said aqueous non-product stream, which has a low concentration of said chemical species which comprises a nucleophile with an organic solvent, an electrophile providing an organic phase, and a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said nucleophile and said electrophile to form the organic product; separating said aqueous phase from said organic phase; and dividing said organic phase into the product and said organic solvent and recycling said organic solvent.
- 7. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said phase transfer catalyst is in the organic phase and the dividing step further comprises dividing said organic phase into the product and said organic solvent and the phase transfer catalyst and the method further comprises recycling the phase transfer catalyst.
- 8. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said nucleophile comprises a target anion.
- 9. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said phase transfer catalyst is selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt, a quaternary phosphonium salt, quaternary arsonium salt a crown ether, a cryptate, a polyethylene glycol, and derivatives thereof.
- 10. A method for continuously converting a chemical species in an aqueous non-product stream to a product comprising the steps of:
contacting said aqueous non-product stream, which has up to 10 weight percent of said chemical species which is capable of being ionized to produce a target anion with an organic phase consisting of an electrophile, a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said target anion from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said target anion and said electrophile to form the organic product, and a pH adjusting agent in an amount sufficient to raise the pH to a level sufficient to ionize said chemical species and to provide an excess molar concentration of base in the range between −0.99 and 1.0; and separating said aqueous phase from said organic phase. dividing said organic phase into the product and said phase transfer catalyst and recycling said phase transfer catalyst.
- 11. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein said phase transfer catalyst is in the organic phase and the method further comprises dividing said organic phase into the product and said phase transfer catalyst and recycling said phase transfer catalyst.
- 12. A method for continuously converting a chemical species in an aqueous non-product stream to a product comprising the steps of:
contacting said aqueous non-product stream, which has a low concentration of said chemical species which comprises a nucleophile with an organic phase consisting of an electrophile, and a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said nucleophile and said electrophile to form said organic product; and separating said aqueous phase from said organic phase.
- 13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said phase transfer catalyst is in the organic phase and the method further comprises dividing said organic phase into the product and said phase transfer catalyst and recycling said phase transfer catalyst.
- 14. A method for improving the quality of an aqueous non-product stream having a contaminant comprising a nucleophile, the method comprising the steps of:
contacting the aqueous non-product stream with an organic solvent and an electrophile providing an organic phase, and a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said nucleophile and said electrophile to form said organic product; and separating said aqueous phase from said organic phase to provide an aqueous stream having a reduced concentration of the contaminant.
- 15. A method for making an organic product comprising the step of contacting an aqueous solution providing an aqueous phase and having up to 10 weight percent of a chemical species which is capable of being ionized to produce a target anion with: (1) an organic solvent and an electrophile providing an organic phase, wherein said organic solvent is added in an amount to achieve an organic phase:aqueous phase ratio of 1:3 or less by weight; (2) a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said target anion from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said target anion and said electrophile to form the organic product; and (3) a pH adjusting agent in an amount sufficient to raise the pH to a level sufficient to ionize said chemical species and to provide an excess molar concentration of base in the range between −0.99 and 1.0.
- 16. The method in accordance with claim 4, 10, or 15, wherein the amount of pH adjusting agent added is sufficient to provide an excess molar concentration of base in the range between 0.001 and 0.5.
- 17. The method in accordance with claim 4, 10, or 15, wherein the amount of pH adjusting agent added is sufficient to provide an excess molar concentration of base in the range between 0.01 and 0.1.
- 18. A method for making a product comprising the step of contacting a non-product stream consisting of an organic solution providing an organic phase and having chemical species comprising an electrophile with: (1) water and a nucleophile providing an aqueous phase; and (2) a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said nucleophile and said electrophile to form the product.
- 19. A method for improving the quality of an organic non-product stream having a contaminant comprising an electrophile, the method comprising the steps of:
contacting the organic non-product stream with water and a nucleophile providing an aqueous phase, and a phase transfer catalyst for transferring said nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said nucleophile and said electrophile to form the product; and separating said aqueous phase and the product from said organic phase to provide an organic stream having a reduced concentration of the contaminant.
- 20. A method for improving the quality of an aqueous non-product stream having at least two contaminants comprising a first nucleophile and a second nucleophile, the method comprising the steps of:
contacting the aqueous non-product stream with an electrophile and optionally an organic solvent providing an organic phase, and a first phase transfer catalyst for selectively transferring said first nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said first nucleophile and said first electrophile to form a first organic product and a first intermediate aqueous stream comprising said second nucleophile; contacting the intermediate aqueous stream with a second electrophile and optionally an electronic solvent providing an organic phase, and a second phase transfer catalyst for transferring said second nucleophile from said aqueous phase to said organic phase or to the aqueous-organic interface to enhance a reaction in said organic phase or in the aqueous-organic interface between said second nucleophile and said second electrophile to form a second organic product and a second intermediate aqueous stream; and separating said second intermediate aqueous stream from said organic phase to provide an aqueous stream having a reduced concentration of the contaminants.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/236,382, and claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/397,433 and 60/357,666.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60397433 |
Jul 2002 |
US |
|
60357666 |
Feb 2002 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10236382 |
Sep 2002 |
US |
Child |
10880255 |
Jun 2004 |
US |