The additive effect of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in the Williamson reaction between sodium phenolate and butyl bromide was investigated. Under certain conditions a remarkable rate acceleration by PEO was observed in this reaction, which is explained by the fact that a cooperative coordination of oxygen atoms of PEO with metal cations promotes ion dissociation. The relationship between the formation of a PEO‐sodium phenolate complex and the reaction rate, and also the dependency of the reaction rate on the molecular weight of PEO were examined.
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Hirao et al. (1978) studied this question.
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