Telomerization of ethylene with esters of dichloroacetic and trichloroacetic acids

Conclusions

• 1. The telomerization of ethylene with methyl and ethyl trichloroacetates, catalyzed by iron pentacarbonyl, chromium hexacarbonyl, or t-butyl peroxide, has been studied.

• 2. Together with telomers of structure Cl(CH₂CH₂)_nCCl₂CO₂R, the formation of α,α-dichlorobutyrolactone and α-chloro-α-(Β-chloroethyl)butyrolactone was observed; these result from catalytic cyclization under the influence of the metal carbonyls.

• 3. Esters of α,α,Ω-trichlorobutyric acid react with ethylene under the influence of metal carbonyls to form α-chloro-α-(Β-chloroethyl)butyrolactone.

• 4. Telomerization of ethylene with methyl dichloroacetate in the presence of t-butyl peroxide proceeds via cleavage of the acyl group C-H bond and leads to the formation of methyl esters of α, α-dichlorocarboxylic acids.