pentane-1,4-diol

Conditions: temp:0.00; pressure:0.00; stir:; See reaction.notes.procedure_details.

Procedure: In N,N-dimethylformamide (200 ml) were dissolved 1,4-pentanediol (10.0 g, 96.0 mmol) and imidazole (6.6 g, 96.9 mmol). Under ice cooling, t-butyl chlorodiphenylsilane (25.2 ml, 96.4 mmol) was added dropwise. After completion of the dropwise addition, the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 days. To the reaction mixture was added diethyl ether, followed by washing with water. The organic layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate. After filtration, the residue obtained by concentrating the filtrate under reduced pressure was purified by silica gel chromatography (hexane:ethyl acetate=5:1), whereby the title compound (32.0 g, 97%) was obtained as a colorless oil. After completion of the dropwise addition by washing with water The organic layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate After filtration the residue obtained by concentrating the filtrate under reduced pressure was purified by silica gel chromatography (hexane:ethyl acetate=5:1), whereby the title compound (32.0 g, 97%) was obtained as a colorless oil

Conditions: temp:0.00; pressure:0.00; stir:; See reaction.notes.procedure_details.

Procedure: Direct production of MTHF from levulinic acid is not reported in the literature except as a minor byproduct [4]. Copper-chromium oxide was used to catalyze the hydrogenation in a two stage manner at 245° C. and 300° C. and required about 80 minutes. The reaction yielded 11% gamma-valerolactone and 44% 1,4-pentanediol with a 22% yield of a water byproduct with the "odor of a alpha-methyl tetrahydrofuran", but no quantitative analysis of the water byproduct was reported, (estimated 4.5 mol % yield of MTHF in the water byproduct). at 245° C. 300° C. about 80 minutes

Conditions: temp:0.00; pressure:0.00; stir:; See reaction.notes.procedure_details.

Procedure: In N,N-dimethylformamide (200 ml) were dissolved 1,4-pentanediol (10.0 g, 96.0 mmol) and imidazole (6.6 g, 96.9 mmol). Under ice cooling, t-butyl chlorodiphenylsilane (25.2 ml, 96.4 mmol) was added dropwise. After completion of the dropwise addition, the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 days. To the reaction mixture was added diethyl ether, followed by washing with water. The organic layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate. After filtration, the residue obtained by concentrating the filtrate under reduced pressure was purified by silica gel chromatography (hexane:ethyl acetate=5:1), whereby the title compound (32.0 g, 97%) was obtained as a colorless oil. After completion of the dropwise addition by washing with water The organic layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate After filtration the residue obtained by concentrating the filtrate under reduced pressure was purified by silica gel chromatography (hexane:ethyl acetate=5:1), whereby the title compound (32.0 g, 97%) was obtained as a colorless oil