Ion Exchange-Mediated Sulfonation in Microemulsions/Emulsions

This book involves a detailed study on nucleophilic sulfonation of decyl halides and benzyl halides in o/w microemulsions and emulsions formed with the two-tailed cationic surfactants dioctyldimethylammonium chloride/bromide, R2(Me)2N+Cl-/Br-. At the concentrations employed, phase separation occurred and emulsions formed in most of the samples. The chloride counterion reacted with the halide precursors to form an intermediate, decyl chloride, and a side product, benzyl chloride. The tendency of sodium decyl sulfonate to remain at the interface resulted in lower conversion with increasing decyl halide concentration, while the formation of a separate benzyl halide phase produced the same effect. Increasing the mole ratio sodium sulfite/halide precursor increased the conversion to the final product in a manner which supports an ion exchange followed by a second order nucleophilic substitution mechanism. A single-pseudophase model described the sulfonation of decyl halides, while a three-pseudophase model was applicable to benzyl halides. The three new assumptions employed in the models.

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Maen M. Husein is an associate professor at the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada. He received his B.Sc. in chemical engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology in 1995, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from McGill University, Canada, in 1996 and 2000; respectively.